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and left tackle, flying towards the gap after accounting for the slot receiver and verifying the exchange between the quarterback and runner. However, watch Carey read No.56, bounce the play three steps to the outside, and force No.56 to account for the edge.
I believe Carey knew exactly what he was doing on this run: He saw the hole and the linebacker’s reaction, baited the defender outside, and all the while was prepared to spin his way inside and back his way through the small crease for positive yards. This is a lot like a two-way go, but Carey knows he’s operating in a tight space and has to factor the two first-tier defenders into his movement.
One of the reasons I believe Carey knew what he was doing is his spin move. He doesn’t try to do a complete 360-degree turn. If he does, the tackle plants him behind the line of scrimmage. Only a runner that does not see or feel the tackle working down the line tries a full spin. It’s the type of 360 move that at one time Darren McFadden might have tried on a zone play and failed. Carey spins so his back is to the defender and he has leverage to drive through the hit and earn yards.
A three-yard gain doesn’t seem impressive in the box score, but this is a good example of process trumping the product. Carey makes a good decision and is fast enough to set up the move while factoring four defenders into his choice, gaining three yards instead of potentially bouncing outside or cutting back for a loss or executing a full spin for no gain.
Some scouts would examine this run and label it a good example of “feel” or “intuition.”
Plays Big In Tight Quarters
The previous play was an example of how Carey leveraged his size for maximum power in a situation where he could have been planted into the ground by a much bigger man. This reception and run for a first down on 3rd and 7 with 9:40 in the game is technically a “space play” based on the location, but the room Carey has to operate in the flat as he makes the catch and run is anything but.
Once again this is a 2×2 receiver, 10 personnel shotgun set with Carey flanking the quarterback’s left side. USC has one safety deep middle and the rest of the coverage on the receivers is six yards off the line of scrimmage. Six USC defenders pack the box pre-snap. USC sends four–including two defenders towards the left edge, which leaves the flat open until the middle linebacker can sprint across to account for Carey swing from the backfield.
Arizona’s quarterback does a good job holding the defense in the middle of the field long enough for the linebacker to account for the crossing route moving under him left to right. This look-off paired with the shallow cross leaves Carey open in the flat and forces the defensive back to drive up field from the Arizona 45 towards Carey working towards the ball at the line of scrimmage at the 35.
Carey feels the presence of the defensive back over top and extends his arms to attack the ball at the 39. It’s a play that, if he misses, he might have been accused of alligator arms, but upon repeated viewings I think the ball was far enough and low enough that Carey had to extend the way he did to make the catch and the presence of the defensive back was a secondary factor, at best.
Once Carey makes the catch, he illustrates the awareness to spin, avoid the big hit, and force a wrap. Once achieved, Carey has pad level and leg drive to drag two players four yards. He crossed the first down marker and gains another three. Not a Lache Seastrunk display of disappearing in thin air and taking the ball another 40 yards, but also a play that Lache Seastrunk does not make 9 times out of 10 at his current level of skill.
Carey flashes the skill to concentrate on what he needs to do in the moment while anticipating what comes next. He’s also consistent and finishing strong. It’s easy to forget his weight is in the range of 207-210 pounds. I think he’ll add weight and explosion within the next year and it will only accentuate these positives of his game.
Tight quarters isn’t just winning against multiple defenders on top of you; navigating a sideline is another example. Here’s a catch as a check-down option after the play breaks down. Carey works across the formation towards the edge defender, but the quarterback is forced to scramble to Carey’s side due to interior pressure and Carey loses position on the defender because of the quarterback’s roll out.
The runner knows that it’s now time to work open as a receiver and he sprints to the right flat. The quarterback makes the throw and Carey makes the catch on the run five yards behind the line of scrimmage, but with the sideline open to him.
The pursing defensive linemen has an angle as Carey crosses the line of scrimmage to the sideline and there’s a defensive back over top and charging up the sideline. Carey stutters to freeze the two defenders, set up a block on the lineman, and plays give-a-leg-take-a-leg on the cornerback at the sideline. Even with the move to avoid much of the corner’s hit, Carey still gets hit hard on the leg, five yards past the line of scrimmage, maintains his balance while straddling the boundary and gains another five yards for the first down before the linebacker pushes the runner out.
It’s a tough play that appears easy when Carey executes it. It’s something I could say about all of these examples. It’s probably why football players and coaches are excited about him, but writers are lukewarm.
For analysis of skill players in this year’s draft class, download the 2014 Rookie Scouting Portfolio and the RSP Post-Draft. Better yet, if you’re a fantasy owner the 56-page Post-Draft Add-on comes with the 2012 – 2014 RSPs at no additional charge and available for download now. Best, yet, 10 percent of every sale is donated to Darkness to Light to combat sexual abuse. You can purchase past editions of the Rookie Scouting Portfolio for just $9.95 apiece.By Ansel Herz (http://mediahacker.org) ~ Port-au-Prince, Haiti
Actor Sean Penn, who is helping manage a camp of displaced earthquake victims in Haiti, is making pointed criticisms of journalists for dropping the ball on coverage of Haiti. He's wrong. I've been on the ground in Port-au-Prince working as an independent journalist for the past ten months. I'm an earthquake survivor who's seen the big-time reporters come and go. They're doing such a stellar job and I want to help out, so I've written this handy guide for when they come back on the one-year anniversary of the January quake!
For starters, always use the phrase 'the poorest country in the Western hemisphere.' Your audience must be reminded again of Haiti's exceptional poverty. It's doubtful that other articles have mentioned this fact.
You are struck by the'resilience' of the Haitian people. They will survive no matter how poor they are. They are stoic, they rarely complain, and so they are admirable. The best poor person is one who suffers quietly. A two-sentence quote about their misery fitting neatly into your story is all that's needed.
On your last visit you became enchanted with Haiti. You are in love with its colorful culture and feel compelled to return. You care so much about these hard-working people. You are here to help them. You are their voice. They cannot speak for themselves.
Don't listen if the Haitians speak loudly or become unruly. You might be in danger, get out of there. Protests are not to be taken seriously. The participants were probably all paid to be there. All Haitian politicians are corrupt or incompetent. Find a foreign authority on Haiti to talk in stern terms about how they must shape up or cede power to incorruptible outsiders.
The US Embassy and United Nations always issue warnings that demonstrations are security threats. It is all social unrest. If protesters are beaten, gassed, or shot at by UN peacekeepers, they probably deserved it for getting out of control. Do not investigate their constant claims of being abused.
It was so violent right after the January 2010 earthquake. 'Looters' fought over goods'stolen' from collapsed stores. Escaped prisoners were causing mayhem. It wasn't necessary to be clear about how many people were actually hurt or died in fighting. The point is that it was scary.
Now many of those looters are'squatters' in'squalid' camps. Their tent cities are 'teeming' with people, like anthills. You saw your colleagues use these words over and over in their reports, so you should too. You do not have time to check a thesaurus before deadline.
Point out that Port-au-Prince is overcrowded. Do not mention large empty plots of green land around the city. Of course, it is not possible to explain that occupying US Marines forcibly initiated Haiti's shift from distributed, rural growth to centralized governance in the capital city. It will not fit within your word count. Besides, it is ancient history.
If you must mention Haiti's history, refer vaguely to Haiti's long line of power-hungry, corrupt rulers. The 'iron-fisted' Duvaliers, for example. Don't mention 35 years of US support for that dictatorship. The slave revolt on which Haiti was founded was 'bloody' and 'brutal.' These words do not apply to modern American offensives in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Today, Cite Soleil is the most dangerous slum in the world. There is no need to back up this claim with evidence. It is'sprawling.' Again, there's no time for the thesaurus. Talk about ruthless gangs, bullet holes, pigs and trash. Filth everywhere. Desperate people are eating cookies made of dirt and mud! That always grabs the reader's attention.
Stick close to your hired security or embed yourself with UN troops. You can't walk out on your own to profile generous, regular folk living in tight-knit neighborhoods. They are helpless victims, grabbing whatever aid they can. You haven't seen them calmly dividing food amongst themselves, even though it's common practice.
Better to report on groups that periodically enter from outside to deliver food to starving kids (take photos!). Don't talk to the youth of Cite Soleil about how proud they are of where they come from. Probably gang members. Almost everyone here supports ex-President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. But their views aren't relevant. There is no need to bring politics into your story.
You can't forget to do another story about restaveks. Child slaves. It's so shocking. There is little new information about restaveks, so just recycle old statistics. Present it as a uniquely Haitian phenomenon. Enslaved Haitian farmworkers in southern Florida, for example, aren't nearly as interesting.
When you come back here in six months, there will still be a lot of desperate poor people who have received little to no help. There are many big, inefficient foreign NGOs in Haiti. Clearly something is wrong. Breathless outrage is the appropriate tone.
But do not try to get to the bottom of the issue. Be sure to mention that aid workers are doing the best they can. Their positive intentions matter more than the results. Don't name names of individuals or groups who are performing poorly. Reports about food stocks sitting idly in individual warehouses are good. Investigations into why NGOs are failing to effect progress in Haiti are boring and too difficult. Do not explore Haitian-led alternatives to foreign development schemes. There are none. Basically, don't do any reporting that could change the system.
On the other hand, everyone here loves Bill Clinton and Wyclef Jean. There are no dissenting views on this point. Never mind that neither lives here. Never mind that Clinton admitted to destroying Haiti's domestic rice economy in the '90s. Never mind that Jean's organization has repeatedly mismanaged relief funds. That's all in the past. They represent Haiti's best hope for the future. Their voices matter, which means the media must pay close attention to them, which means their voices matter, which means the media must...
Finally, when you visit Haiti again: Stay in the same expensive hotels. Don't live close to the people. Produce lots of stories and make money. Pull up in your rented SUV to a camp of people who lost their homes, still living under the wind and rain. Step out into the mud with your waterproof boots. Fresh notepad in hand. That ragged-looking woman is yelling at you that she needs help, not another foreigner taking her photo. Her 3-year-old boy is standing there, clinging to her leg. Her arms are raised, mouth agape, and you can't understand her because you don't speak Haitian Creole.
Remove the lens cap and snap away. And when you've captured enough of Haiti's drama, fly away back home.Image copyright AFP Image caption The e-readers come pre-loaded with 300 books, selected from the General Library Program's 108,000 titles
The US Navy is to provide custom e-readers, dubbed the Navy eReader Device (NeRD), to some of its sailors.
For security reasons, they will have no ports, wi-fi or roaming data capabilities as these features could be exploited by the enemy.
Five devices will be distributed among each US Navy active submarine fleet.
A broad range of books will be available from classics to best-sellers.
"At this time only submarines will receive devices," explained Nellie Moffitt, manager of the Navy General Library Program.
"[There will be] five per submarine, with a total of 355 for the submarine force. Eventually, we will send NeRDs to all vessels in the active fleet - it will take time as each collection will be tailored for specific audiences," Ms Moffitt told the BBC.
Features and restrictions
Traditional e-readers are not permitted on many Navy vessels as their GPS, wi-fi and roaming data features can give away their position to the enemy.
NeRD is said to overcome these issues thanks to its portability and lack of inputs and internet connectivity.
Unfortunately the absence of features means new books cannot be added to or removed from the device.
As a result, the e-readers come pre-loaded with 300 books, selected from the General Library Program's 108,000 titles.
Confirmed authors featured on the device include Jane Austen, Shakespeare and James Joyce.
However, there are also popular classics such as The Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones.
Storage restrictions, particularly in submarines, have meant keeping a well-stocked library in the Navy can sometimes prove challenging.
The NeRD is the brainchild of the US Navy General Library Program in partnership with Findaway World.
Sailors will not be charged for the device.Kansas City Chiefs nose tackle Dontari Poe began his free agent tour by visiting the Indianapolis Colts today, but he reportedly left without a deal, now moving on to visit the Jacksonville Jaguars.
When a player visits a team and then leaves without a deal, that’s not a good sign regarding that team’s chances of signing said player. So since Poe left the Colts without a contract in place, the assumption is that he won’t be signing with Indianapolis. But a report by the Indianapolis Star’s Stephen Holder this afternoon suggests we shouldn’t quite make that assumption yet, as Holder wrote that, “a league source indicated the situation is fluid and the Colts are still in the mix to sign Poe.”
It appears the Colts want Poe and made a push to sign him today, so because of that it probably wouldn’t be too wise for Poe to rule them out just yet. It’s likely that the Colts and Poe’s camp have disagreement about the value of the contract, and that could cause Poe to look elsewhere. But he could potentially use the offers he finds elsewhere to negotiate further with the Colts (or perhaps they’re still negotiating), meaning that the hope of Poe signing with them isn’t dead yet - and that’s what Holder’s report seems to confirm. The Colts are still in the mix.
But again, it’s not a great sign nonetheless for the Colts. The Colts are typically really good closers on free agent deals and they typically do a good job of signing free agents in-house, but that didn’t happen with Poe. And normally, when a guy leaves a team after a visit without a contract, he doesn’t sign with that team. That’s why the chances of Poe actually signing with the Colts don’t look great right now, but it should be noted that it’s not over yet. The Colts are still in the running - but Poe will be visiting elsewhere.2017-09-08 Modified 2018-03-09 By Denis Drescher Category Consideration Tags Effective altruism We humans have a responsibility to get our stuff together and then help others. Let’s not shift it to some hypothetical future civilization that may be just as flawed as us.
Update 2018-03-10: I have pretty much reversed my opinion on this due to Jan Brauner’s comment below and Lukas Gloor’s Cause prioritization for downside-focused value systems, which makes this article obsolete. I previously had no opinion on the likelihood of earth-originating space colonization. Now it seems close to inevitable to me conditional on us not first entering some singleton state or going extinct (which, at least in combination, seem even more likely to me). Therefore antinatalism may be a way – though we can hopefully find more tractable ones – of preventing an exacerbation of wild animal suffering per space colonization.
Different people with different moral preferences see different reasons for antinatalism. One of them is that humans cause suffering in the world, so that the world would be better off without them.
Surely, humans cause suffering, but whether we cause more suffering than we prevent is an open question. But even if our existence is currently net negative, we need to take a more long-term perspective.
Just from a quick glance at some timelines of the evolution of life like the above, and from the Wikipedia article on the “history of the world,” it looks like the first proto-insects emerged over 500 million years ago, while humans emerged only some 200,000 years ago (already a difference of a factor of over 1,000 – like, for me in Berlin, the difference between going to a supermarket and going to Brussels), and our civilization probably only emerged some 15,000 years ago.
Jonathan Haidt, an evolutionary moral psychologist, proposed the theory that it was human morality that has enabled our civilization to form, at least alongside many other developments, because it enabled us to trust each other to a point and thus to cooperate and trade. Whatever it may be, it has made ours the dominant species on the planet and has conferred on us many luxuries. Before humans had trade with distant regions, we were dependent on weather conditions, and when conditions were untoward, mass starvation ran rampant. There was no housing for a long time, and no heating, apart from caves and fires with their noxious smoke. Evolution took its due every winter, making sure that only those who performed best on its arbitrary rules of survival got to see another summer. And there was no medicine to defend us against parasites and diseases. Many of the forms of suffering of the poorest in developing countries were pervasive everywhere. These humans were not bound by the laws of states and society, but they didn’t gain much from this freedom since they had to fight for their survival day by day. I could not imagine living in such conditions, and I probably wouldn’t make it for long either.
We’re not the dominant species in numbers. There are some 7 billion humans but several hundred billion birds, up to a trillion mammals in general, up to a hundred trillion reptiles and amphibians, up to a quadrillion fish, several quintillion insects/spiders/et al. – differences up to a factor of 1 billion to the human population. Many of these have been around for a thousand times longer than humans, and most of them show learning behavior in that they try to avoid harmful stimuli, indicating that they’re at least somewhat likely to be capable of suffering.
And everything that I just described about the conditions under which precivilization humans had to live is true of them too – all the starvation, freezing, being eaten alive by parasites, dying from diseases, predation, etc. and all of it already for over half a billion years.
It has taken evolution half a billion years to get from probably sentient macroscopic beings to human civilization, so in all likelihood, no other species will manage to get there for another half a billion years or much longer. (We have no way to tell how unlikely it may’ve been that a species as intelligent has ours emerged at all.) That is how long, at least, all nonhuman animals will be destined to continue lives so dominated by suffering if we don’t do anything about it.
So far it’s unclear whether human civilization has had a positive or negative influence on this ongoing catastrophe. Perhaps it is negative. But our civilization has conferred tremendous power to us, a single species, and one that you, reader, and I happen to be a part of – what are the odds! It has also been nothing but a blip compared to the history of sentient life.
If we now decide that our track record has been bad and we should discontinue our species, we’re just shifting the responsibility for helping everyone else on this planet to some future generation maybe half a billion years of suffering into the future, and that civilization will probably face just as many problems with expanding their compassion to other species as we do today.
So even though we may have but a tiny chance of shifting human morality in a direction that does not privilege our own species, we need to seize that tiny chance we have or else we’ll pay for it with hundreds of millions of years of continued suffering and do nothing but shift the responsibility to another hypothetical civilization in the distant future.Experts admit it—and the Bible prophesied it.
Islamic terrorists have conquered a large part of Iraq and Syria. These are surely the worst terrorists on Earth. They are killing men, women and children, and committing horrible atrocities against people of different religions. Nations throughout the Middle East are shaken, and nations around the world are horrified by what these terrorist monsters are doing. We have never seen anything so demoniacal as the nightmares the “Islamic State” is unleashing.
As serious as this situation is, however, it is just one of many terrible crises hammering the world right now.
The Jewish nation in the Middle East has been in a war with Palestinian Hamas terrorists in Gaza. Hamas terrorists have been shooting powerful missiles from Gaza’s cities while hiding in schools, hospitals and residential areas. “Look at the danger that we face when they have rockets and missiles,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on August 7. “Now imagine what kind of danger we’d have if they can put a nuclear warhead on top ofthese missiles” (emphasis mine throughout). Look at the actions and the character of these Palestinian terrorists, and you know exactly what they would do if they obtained nuclear weapons—unless some power were to stop them.
In time, these nuclear weapons will get into the hands of Hamas terrorists. With the world’s attention diverted elsewhere, Iran is racing forward with building nuclear weapons. The Iranian government is the number one state sponsor of terrorism in the world. Do you think the mullahs would give nuclear weapons to terrorists? I do. Somehow the terrorists will get those weapons. That makes this situation extremely important to all of us.
Look elsewhere throughout that region—in Libya, in Syria, in Egypt, in Pakistan—and you see instability increasing. Elsewhere in the world are still more serious crises. In Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin is waging an outright war, taking over territory, even threatening nuclear war! Ebola is spreading in Africa. Tensions are growing between China and Japan. And the United States is experiencing multiple dangerous crises, including race riots, rampant illegal immigration that most certainly includes criminals and terrorists, crushing drought, a sluggish economy, and multiple political scandals.
Bolton talked about this chaos just weeks ago. But did you know that your Bible talked about it millennia ago?
The
world is descending
into chaos
Former Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton said, “.” This isn’t merely some fringe opinion. Observers everywhere are deeply concerned.
Mr. Bolton is right, and this is a chaos like this world has never experienced before!
Bolton talked about this chaos just weeks ago. But did you know that your Bible talked about it millennia ago? This chaos we are experiencing in 2014 was prophesied in the Bible!
We have been prophesying about this crisis of crises for 70 years. That is because the Bible foretells, in quite a lot of detail, the great carnage that would come upon the Earth in this very end time.
Shaking the Nations
The book of Haggai contains a number of forecasts about the future that God gave to a prophet. Haggai 2:23 dates this book to a certain time period: “in that day.” “In that day” always refers to what Numbers, Deuteronomy, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel and Hosea call “the latter days.” That is a time far beyond when Haggai lived—in fact, it is the time we live in now! You can prove that by putting together what this and other prophecies say and comparing them to what is happening in the world.
Notice especially what God says in verse 7: “And I will shake all nations ….” This is global. This has never happened before. This is in the end time, and it is happening to all nations. Even now, many are shaking—and all of them should be.
This verse could read, “The world is descending into chaos”—because God says He will shake all nations! God prophesiedthis turmoil wouldhappen.
Why would God shake all nations? He is clearly heavily involved in what is happening, and for a specific reason. He is shaking—but He isn’t wiping out the planet altogether. Why? Because of the end result it will produce.
Notice what will come as a result of God shaking all nations: “And I will shake all nations, and the desireof all nations shallcome: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the Lord of hosts” (verse 7). The God of love wants to give the nations what they desire: peace, prosperity, joy and happiness. And He will! However, they must first be corrected. And God is doing that, just like a loving father does for his children.
Right now God is shaking the nations. God is doing this out of love! The nations need strong correction. He will shake us to our very foundations, and even destroy our foundations, because He wants to save us and turn us from our self-destructive ways, and turn us toward our loving Father. That is what will result from Him shaking all nations!
God has to shake the nations first—before He can give them what they desire. They desire peace. They desire prosperity. They desire for everyone to have exciting, wonderful lives. God is going to give that to them. But He has to shake them to their senses first.
This prophesied shaking is coming to pass right now, and it will conclude with the fulfillment of the most amazing prophecy in the Bible.
This world is about to be filled with light! God is about to illuminate this world with all of the brilliant beauty and love you can ever imagine.
‘It Could Happen Again’
Recent news reports show just how much the nations are shaking. And when you compare these events to the Bible, you can see that they correlate exactly with what God prophesied. Reporters can see it happening. That is startling, and it ought to shake all of us.
In Atlantic magazine, Roger Cohen wrote a July 29 article titled, “Yes, It Could Happen Again,” with the quip, “Instability in Ukraine, chaos in Syria, conflict in the East China Sea—the trigger points for WorldWar iii are in place.”
Regarding President Putin gobbling up parts of Ukraine, Cohen wrote, “[A] major power has forcefully changed a European border for the first time since 1945,” when World War ii ended. Meanwhile, terrorists are conquering every inch of territory they can possibly get in the Middle East and elsewhere.
The Telegraph, one of the best newspapers in the world, published an article on August 1 titled, “Today’s parallels with 1914 are veryworrying.” Speaking of the serious conflicts raging in Gaza, Syria, Ukraine, Iraq and even China, it reported, “All this might not matter so much if it were against the backdrop of a generally stable world economy. But very few would describe it as such. Pregnant with record amounts of debt—emerging markets are now piling it on with the same reckless abandon as the West—and highly reliant on the steroids of artificial monetary support, financial markets have rarely looked more vulnerable to unexpectedshocks.”
We are about to see a lot of shocks. That is what the shaking of nations is all about! Our economies are so weak and indebted that they won’t be able to withstand these shocks.
“I don’t want to over-egg the point,” author Jeremy Warner continued, “but the parallels with the calm before the storm of 100 years ago are impossible to ignore.” He then described 1914, the year World War i broke out. Here we are 100 years later, and we have the same situation—but with far more terrible weapons.
There are also many parallels between the present and the time leading up to the Second World War. The period before World War ii witnessed unparalleled international travel—ambassadors of peace were flying everywhere, trying to keep their nations from descending into the Second World War. Their failure is a matter of history. In the worldwide catastrophe that followed, over 60 million people were murdered.
Today, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and countless other diplomats are flying all over the world trying to deal with the multiplying crises. I’m sure these leaders are sincere in trying to bring world peace, but according to Bible prophecy, their efforts are all going to fail. We are about to experience another worldwide catastrophe, and God will see to it that His plan is implemented in the process.
Thankfully, in the end we will have peace like they can’t even imagine—but it will not come the way they think it will.
The Ambassadors of Peace
The July 30 Wall Street Journal published “Winds of War,Again.” This article said, “In 1938, British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, not unlike John Kerry today, shuttled tirelessly between London and wherever Adolf Hitler consented to meet him to discuss a non-violent solution to Hitler’s intention to annex the Sudetenland, the part of Czechoslovakia inhabited by ethnic Germans. Hitler earlier in the year had annexed Austria, with nary a peep from the world ‘community.’”
Chamberlain was racing all over Europe trying to appease Hitler, giving him chunks of territory without him having to fire a shot! The attitude was, Let’s not voice criticism; let’s keep quiet about Hitler’s takeovers. Maybe that way we can have peace. But that attitude made war certain!
Britain and its allies were so weak! And Chamberlain and others virtually forced Czechoslovakia to give up the Sudetenland to the Germans. Even the Sudetenland’s inhabitants didn’t want to join Germany, but these nations handed Hitler their sovereignty and forced them to.
Chamberlain signed off on that in Munich, Germany, and came home with a little document that he waved in the air, declaring “Peace in our time!” The people who saw him wave that piece of paper were almost hysterical with happiness. They really believed they were going to have peace.
Less than a year later, Hitler invaded Poland, and World War ii started.
And, as the Bible prophesied, the ambassadors of peace began to weep bitterly (Isaiah 33:7).
Winston Churchill warned for years that they would not have peace, but virtually every newspaper proclaimed there would be peace, and every Briton seemed to believe that. The papers lauded Prime Minister Chamberlain for his brilliant efforts—but there was no peace. Why? Because of what Hitler believed. He believed in conquering, and he was determined to have war from the very beginning. Many will not accept the fact that people think this way. But people have thought like Hitler throughout history! Evil men have killed masses of people—especially the appeasers—time and time again.
We have been prophesying about the rise of these evil men and these destructive trends for 70 years. Now it is happening—in a horrifying way. How were we—and Herbert W. Armstrong before us—able to prophesy this situation? Because God revealed it in the Bible. U.S. race riots; economic disaster; even fires, droughts and floods are all discussed in detail in prophecies like Amos 4 and dozens of others.
‘Consider Your Ways’
Here is what Ambrose Evans-Pritchard wrote July 25 in the Telegraph:“In the 30 years or so that I have been writing about world affairs and the international economy, I have never seen a more dangerous confluence of circumstances, or more remarkable complacency.” This esteemed analyst sayshe has never seen the world in such crisis—and never seen people so unconcerned! What a perilous situation we are living in!
Notice Haggai 1:3-4: “Then came the word of the Lord by Haggai the prophet, saying, Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your cieled [luxurious] houses, and this house lie waste?” Is it time for self-luxury as God’s work is neglected? Or is it a time to be sobered and shaken by God as never before?
“Now therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts; Consideryour ways” (verse 5).
God tells us to consider our ways. Consider how much you concern yourself over acquiring luxurious goods and other personal things. Consider how little you are concerned about God’s house and the work of getting His message to the world.
In the 30 years or so that I have been writing about world affairs and the international economy, I have never seen a more dangerous confluence of circumstances, or more remarkable complacency. Ambrose Evans-Pritchard
i
ii
Most people are too glutted on selfishness to even notice the dire situation we are in and how it mirrors the prelude to World Warand World War. But even for those who do see the danger—who are racing around the world trying to create peace—who among them talks about God? Who says anything about looking to His house and serving Him? Even the ambassadors of peace are just trying to use human reasoning and pressure to stabilize things so everyone can get back to luxuriating inside their ceiled houses.
Where is God in this world crisis? Where is His will, His wisdom, His input, His reason? Man is trying to solve his own problems and telling God, Just stay out of it! We’ll take care of it ourselves! But human beings can’t solve these conflicts. After millennia of war and two world wars in the past century, that ought to be obvious to anybody!
Our entrenched problems and conflicts are of such great magnitude that only our Creator can solve them. But we leave God out of the picture. So He tells us, Consider the way you’re living. The Hebrew in Haggai 1:5 means to set your heart on your ways. God is telling you to ask yourself, Am I really thinking the way God wants me to? Or are all my efforts just directed toward myself?
God is shaking the nations! And He is just starting. Conditions are going to get a hundredfold worse.
Notice: God repeats this to drive it home to us: “Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes. Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Consider your ways” (verses 6-7). God is reasoning with people who are focused on themselves and their possessions—people who are working harder and harder yet have less and less. He points out to us: You’re not being blessed. We’re not receiving prosperity and peace and happy marriages and families. Yet all of those are blessings God wants to give us! So why are we not experiencing those blessings? God says, Consider your ways. You’re not living the way that causes these things you desire! Consider your ways!
God wants to give these blessings to us—to the whole world. And the Bible promises He will do it—within the next few years! Can God just take us as we are—selfish, evil, godless, ungrateful, greedy, violent—and pour all these blessings on us? Or does He need to shake us and correct us first?
Correction
“Ye looked for much, and, lo, it came to little; and when ye brought it home, I did blow upon it. Why? saith the Lord of hosts. Because of mine house that is waste, and ye run every man unto his own house” (Haggai 1:9).
What does that mean? God’s “house” is His work of proclaiming His message of warning and repentance and hope. That message ought to be going out to the world with power! But the people God is addressing are not concerned about that! God says, You are concerned about your house and your work, your ideas, your thoughts.
And when you try to acquire more for yourself, you are just putting those earnings into a sack with holes. That way of life never works out.
“Because of mine house that is waste, and ye run every man unto his own house. Therefore the heaven over you is stayed from dew, and the earth is stayed from her fruit. And I called for a drought upon the land, and upon the mountains, and upon the corn, and upon the new wine, and upon the oil, and upon that which the ground bringeth forth, and upon men, and upon cattle, and upon all the labour of the hands” (verses 9-11). God called for a drought upon the land. Do you think God wouldn’t do that? Do you think God’s job is to only send blessings of wealth and peace, and to never send you the blessing of punishment and correction?
God is going to get our attention one way or the other, and if we are so stubborn that He has to use deep horror to do it, He will. In fact, He has already prophesied it. God is shaking us out of our selfish little empire!
Another Way
But there are some few people on Earth who have a totally different lifestyle. God discusses them too. Haggai 1:12 describes more about Haggai’s end-time prophecy: “Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the Lord their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the Lord their God had |
for the company as being driven by the brand, rather than the coffee.
“I’m not sure if I’m excited about Starbucks coming to India. I’m expecting that they’ll adapt their menu to Indian tastes, like all the other chains resulting in more watery, milkier cappuccinos, oversweetened ‘cold coffees’ and Indian-spiced snacks, which is not exactly appealing to me,” said Mumbai web designer, Shefali Chad. “I don’t know if Starbucks coffee itself is the draw, it’s more the coffee shop—looks well designed and welcoming, nice place to sit with a book.”
Nevertheless, an important trend is afoot: as Indians are getting richer, their demand for coffee is increasing. Over the past 10 years, domestic coffee consumption has increased by 5.2% annually, a rate that is more than double the growth of India’s traditional beverage of choice, tea. In this respect, the country’s consumers are simply following the global pattern. If you look at coffee consumption across the world, 80% of the largest 25 consumers on a per capita basis are classified as high-income countries. In contrast, nearly two-thirds of the top tea consuming countries are either low or middle income. Part of the reason for the divide is cost, as more coffee is required for a cup as compared to the amount of tea leaves used in one serving. With the amount of money needed to buy enough coffee to make one cup, you could buy 2.5 cups’ worth of tea.
The other part is access. Apart from traditional filter coffee in the South, instant coffee is predominant in the rest of India, so it’s little surprise that people would prefer tea. However, India’s increasing affluence and a growing middle class has spurred a burgeoning café culture and the number of café’s in India has nearly tripled during the last 5 years. As people become more familiar with the specialty coffees served in cafés, they will increasingly look to recreate those drinks at home.
Namrata Asthana A coffee plant in Balanoor Estate, Chikmagalur
It’s only been fairly recent that the Indian coffee market has been liberalized. Historically, the government controlled the sale of all coffee in the country, with the bulk of the crop exported to Russia. Even though growers are now free to sell to whomever they please, almost all the high-quality beans are still being exported as domestic consumers are unaware that award-winning coffees are grown in India and the estates haven’t been able to successfully market themselves. As a result, we’ve found that growers are excited to work with us to bring their product to the Indian market. With people emailing us from places such as Thane, Jodhpur and Bikaner in addition to the major metro areas, we think there is a large amount of untapped demand for home-grown specialty beans.
Pooja Bhatia, a friend of ours in Delhi recounted that her younger cousin, who also lives in Delhi, had been spending a lot of her time and money in coffee shops and decided to purchase a drip coffee maker. Bhatia said she was very amused when she had to explain to her cousin that using Nescafe instant coffee in the coffee maker defied the purpose of the machine. In this nation of chai drinkers, we’ve come across coffee fans who range from being very informed to absolutely clueless but willing to learn.
Bhatia, critical of Starbucks’ entry into India also joked, “We imported an Italian politician and look how that turned out.”
This article is part of Quartz Ideas, our home for bold arguments and big thinkers.Facebook has always been creepy. But now it's allowing you to be creepy, too!
The site started rolling out an "optional" new mobile feature Thursday called Nearby Friends, which alerts you when your friends are nearby (and vice versa.) But if you fear weirdos, don't worry: The feature will only load if you opt-in and turn it on.
Facebook also lets you decide which of your friends can view your location, and those friends can only do so if they allow you to view them too.
The feature was announced in a blog post by Facebook Product Manager Andrea Vaccari. Here's what the feature looks like, according to the post:
You can use Nearby Friends however you want. Want to only be visible to certain groups (like "family" or "close friends") or specific friends? That's cool. Want to be visible to your entire friends list? That's fine too. Want to turn it off completely? Chill.
You can also share your specific location with someone for a short time period, setting it so your friend can only see your location for an hour or two. For example, say you're meeting up with a friend in a big park. You can share your location with your friend via Facebook and he or she will be able to find you on a map, like so:Posted 6 years ago on Sept. 20, 2012, 11:43 a.m. EST by OccupyWallSt
Tags: new orleans, denver, debates, election
The Commission on Presidential Debates, a private corporation, restricts the ‘debates’ to the two corporate parties and the issues that they approve. The concerns of the people such as ending corporate influence over politics, ending militarization, and creating real jobs and access to health care and education will be discussed superficially or not at all.
How will you Occupy the Debates? You can do this in many ways and if you need them, we are here to provide resources to you.
Here are ways to get involved:
Occupy Denver has taken the lead on this and is organizing a variety of events around the first presidential debate to be held there October 3rd. Events include a People’s Forum with live entertainment and opportunities to share stories and a People’s Dialogue to discuss the top issues that are chosen in the survey. And Occupy NOLA is holding a People’s Convention on Octcober 27.
The results of the Occupy the Debates survey and events will be collected nationally and shared with presidential candidates for response and posted on the OccupytheDebates.org prior to Election Day.
Please join the call if you are planning or are interested in holding an Occupy the Debate event and changing the debate to the issues that we the people care about, not the corporations! You can also contact us at info@occupythedebates.org.
We recognize that within the current political structure, which is dominated by corporate power and concentrated wealth, lawmakers will not adequately address the many crises faced by the nation and the planet. Thus, we will continue to protest, to educate and organize and to build alternative systems that place human needs over corporate greed.Getty LONDON — The EU is not trusted by the British people and Labour will not seek to block Britain's exit from it, Jeremy Corbyn will say in his New Year's message.
"2016 will be defined in history by the referendum on our EU membership," the Labour leader will say in his address to the nation.
"People didn't trust politicians and they didn't trust the European Union. I understand that.
"I've spent over 40 years in politics campaigning for a better way of doing things, standing up for people, taking on the establishment, and opposing decisions that would make us worse off."
As the UK prepares to trigger Article 50, Corbyn will rule out any attempt by Labour to block or delay Brexit.
"Labour accepts and respects the result of the referendum. We won't be blocking our leaving the European Union," he will say.
Corbyn will echo comments by his shadow chancellor John McDonnell last month in which he welcomed Brexit as an "enormous opportunity" for the UK.
"We now have the chance to do things differently," he will say.
"To build an economy that invests and works for everyone across all our nations and regions."
Some Labour MPs have called on the leadership to push for a softer or delayed Brexit. However, Corbyn's comments align him with McDonnell, who believes that any attempt to delay or prevent Britain's exit would put Labour "on the side of certain corporate elites."
The Labour leader will urge the government not to pursue a Brexit that rewards the banking and financial industries.
"A Brexit that protects the bankers in the City and continues to give corporate handouts to the biggest companies is not good enough," Corbyn will insist.
He will not outline how the party plans to prevent such an outcome, however. Speaking last month, McDonnell said that while the party would not vote against the government on Brexit, they would use "moral pressure" to persuade the government to get a good deal for workers.
"I think it's the moral pressure that we'll be able to exert… I don't think it will come down to parliamentary procedures…" he insisted
"No government can resist [the moral pressure]."Ten years after 9/11, the ACLU joins all Americans in remembering the unspeakable losses suffered on that tragic day. The 10th anniversary of 9/11 provides an opportunity to reflect on the turbulent decade behind us, and to recommit ourselves to values that define our nation, including justice, due process, and the rule of law.
In the early days after the attacks, we were reminded that America is not only the land of the free, but also the home of the brave. On the evening of attacks, President Bush addressed the nation, and stated, “Our country is strong. Terrorist acts can shake the foundation of our biggest buildings, but they cannot touch the foundation of America.”
We could not have imagined that in the decade to follow, our country would engage in policies that directly defied American values and undermined our Constitution. We lost our way when, instead of addressing the challenge of terrorism consistent with our values, our government chose the path of torture and targeted killing, of Guantánamo and military commissions, of warrantless government spying and the entrenchment of a national surveillance state, all of which now define the post-9/11-era. That is not who we are, or who we want to be.
Ten years later, our nation still faces the challenge of remaining both safe and free.
The way forward lies in decisively turning our backs on the policies and practices that violate our greatest strength: our Constitution and the commitment it embodies to the rule of law. It is that strength which is the best rejoinder our nation has to violence and to those who advocate it. Liberty and security do not compete in a zero-sum game; our freedoms are the very foundation of our strength and security. Consistent application of the law is what ensures that practices don't change simply because of a change in the White House.
Our choice is not between safety and freedom; in fact it is our fundamental values that are the very foundation of our strength and security.Gulfton teens help in creation of $1 million dream skate park
Houston's latest skate park, The Station Skatepark, at Burnett-Bayland Park on Saturday, March 18, 2017, in Houston. Houston's latest skate park, The Station Skatepark, at Burnett-Bayland Park on Saturday, March 18, 2017, in Houston. Photo: Elizabeth Conley, Houston Chronicle Photo: Elizabeth Conley, Houston Chronicle Image 1 of / 23 Caption Close Gulfton teens help in creation of $1 million dream skate park 1 / 23 Back to Gallery
A group of Gulfton teens never imagined they would have a hand in bringing their favorite virtual reality to life — until they got the chance to design their perfect skate park.
"The Station" Skatepark at Burnett Bayland Park held its grand opening Saturday to celebrate the long-awaited use of the in-ground 17,500-square-foot space at 6000 Chimney Rock.
"The Gulfton Youth who worked to make this dream come true show us all that dreams are not limited by age or by perceived obstacles," Mayor Sylvester Turner told the crowd of skate enthusiasts and neighborhood spectators. "Dreams become reality when you are willing to work for them. I want to thank these youngsters for not giving up."
More Information gathered to hear the ceremony's speakers: Mayor Sylvester Turner, former Mayor Annise Parker and the Houston Parks and Recreation Department Director Joe Turner, among others.
BACK IN BUSINESS: Skate park reopens after renovations
It all began with a group of local teens who approached City Council Member Mike Laster in 2012. After first being taken aback, Laster put the teens in contact with Baker-Ripley for guidance.
"They came and said, 'Are you a council member?' and from there, the young folks envisioned it, designed it, helped plan it, helped put it together and helped raise money," Laster said.
It took five years of planning and cost nearly $1.1 million -- 10 times the original projection. The funding came from the Parks Consolidated Construction Fund, Laster's council district service funds, the Parks and Recreation Dedication Fund, Neighborhood Centers Inc. and a Tony Hawk Foundation Skatepark Grant.
The teens spent months researching and working alongside BakerRipley to develop a concept for the park's design that they considered their dream skatepark.
GRAND RE-OPENING: Levy Park draws 7,500 for new beginning in city
Baker-Ripley brought in different skate park designs for the group to draw from as well. The young people then chose the specific parts they liked from each model and put them together for one park, making sure it flowed well.
Juan Dunn, 18, and Deandre Daniels, 21, said the design was largely inspired by their favorite video game, Skate 3. "We used the game to create sample skate parks to kind of see how the flow would be," Dunn said.
The park includes various skatepark obstacles, including a "volcano," bowl, upper decks, grind ledges, stairs and handrails, flat bars and various banks. All were built to exact measurements to ensure safety, organizers said.
After four years of planning, construction began in December. It took only two months, which put the project three months ahead of schedule and left neighborhood kids anxious to skate.
NEW PARK: Burnett Bayland Park sees groundbreaking ceremony
"It was a lot of effort, trying to keep the kids out of there — we had a little war going on there for a second — because when you're doing a project like this, people get hesitant," said Israel Delgado, field supervisor for P2MG, the general contractor. "They're trying to get in there to do their thing, but we have to deliver it properly."
At the opening, skateboarders piled into the gates of Burnett Bayland Park in droves. The young crowd waited to hit the concrete amid the park's rapidly-filling bowl.
Skateboards in hand, Dunn and Daniels bumped fists with friends entering the park and surveyed the dream they'd made a reality.
When asked about the park's unusual name, Daniels smiled.
"The abandoned gas station where we all grew up skating, where we all met, we called it "The Station." Every day after school, we'd go meet up at The Station. And now we have this."
He shook his head in disbelief. "It's amazing."
>>>Scroll through the gallery to see images from the reopening of Levy Park in HoustonAfghan girls robotics team land in US
WASHINGTON: A team of Afghan girls who were earlier denied visas to attend a Washington robotics competition landed in the United States early on Saturday following an intervention by US President Donald Trump.
The six-member team were greeted at Dulles International Airport by a throng of supporters, including Afghan ambassador Hamdullah Mohib and acting special representative for Afghanistan Alice G Wells, and were presented with bouquets.
They are due to take part FIRST Global Challenge -- a three-day international robotics competition that aims to promote science and technology among youths worldwide that begins on Monday.
“Our acting special rep to #Afghanistan welcomes #AfghanRoboticsTeam to USA! Go girls!,” tweeted State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert.
US authorities had originally refused access to schoolchildren from a number of Muslim-majority nations to participate in the science contest, decisions that followed implementation of stricter visa policies under Trump.
But the US president urged a reversal following public outcry over the Afghan girls’ inability to attend the event. The reversal was announced on Wednesday.
The competition’s organizers noted that 163 teams from around the world had gained visa approval, including other Muslim-majority nations like Yemen, Libya, Morocco, as well as Gambia, which was also previously barred.
The six girls from Herat, Afghanistan, were reportedly blocked from attending the robotics competition even after two rounds of interviews for a one-week visa.
The rejections appeared to contradict the administration’s claim it wants to empower women globally.A 77-year old Montana resident is facing 15 years in federal prison for building ponds on and hear his own property, charged by the federal government for discharging dredged and fill material. The man, disabled veteran Joseph Robertson, also could be fined around $750,000. “I’m facing 15 years and three-quarters of a million in fines,” Robertson told the Billings Gazette. “What they’re doing to me, the feds, they shouldn’t have the ability to.” Robertson is scheduled to be sentenced in federal court on July 20, charged with polluting “waters of the United States” and for violating the Clean Water Act. He says he built the ponds — nine total — to water his horses and protect his property from fire. The EPA and the US Army Corps of Engineers contend Robertson violated the Act by building the ponds, which sit near a wetland. The government argues that the water should be regulated because it flows into Cataract Creek, and then into the Boulder River, and finally into the Jefferson River, which is about 60 miles away from his property.
Although Robertson lost in a federal jury trial, which no doubt was full of expensive attorneys and EPA experts which few citizens could hope to overcome, there were still proponents on Robertson’s side who pointed out the true objective of the EPA.
“In our opinion, there were no measurable or quantitative adverse impacts to the aquatic ecosystem,” Ray Kagel Jr., a former wetlands regulator for the Corps of Engineer, said on Robertson’s behalf. Kagel spent 12 years with the Corps and now runs Kagel Environmental in Rigby, Idaho. Kagel also worked as a project manager for the EPA. Kagel believes the EPA and the US attorney are simply trying to make an example of Robertson to justify their enforcement efforts. “It’s kind of like a feather in the cap showing, ‘Wow, what a great job we are doing as an agency based on all these enforcement actions we’ve taken,’” Kagel said, according to The Gazette. Kagel contends that Robertson did not violate the act because water flows underground for a mile from the ponds to Cataract Creek.
A similar case in Wyoming was filed against Andy Johnson, a young father who also built a stock pond on his property. The EPA threatened him with criminal and civil penalties, which includes a $37,500 fine per day, which would have continued to grow until the case actually came up to trial. It is easy to see why citizens would give up when contemplating such larceny by the government, though in this case, Johnson won his case.
While EPA does serve some good functions, it is clear that it has stepped beyond its original purpose and is another example of government agency that is out of control. It should be trimmed by back, and clear limits should be set on its specific power and authority. That is not likely to happen, and it is representative of why the entire country is ruled by government elites that think they are a law unto themselves.OUAGADOUGOU (Reuters) - Roch Marc Kabore was proclaimed the winner of the presidential election in Burkina Faso and will become the country’s first new leader in decades, the Independent National Electoral Commission said on Tuesday.
Presidential candidate Roch Marc Kabore (C) arrives to vote during the presidential and legislative election at a polling station in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, November 29, 2015. REUTERS/Joe Penney
The election of the former prime minister represents a pivotal moment for the West African nation, which has been ruled by leaders who came to power in coups for most of its history since independence from France in 1960.
Kabore served as prime minister and head of the National Assembly under President Blaise Compaore, who was toppled by an uprising in October 2014 after 27 years in power. Kabore split with Compaore early last year and formed an opposition party.
“My first thought is to recognize the honor of this high office and to feel the weight of its great responsibility,” Kabore said in a speech to thousands of his supporters after being declared winner.
Provisional results from Sunday’s election showed Kabore won 53.5 percent of the vote to defeat former Finance Minister Zephirin Diabre, who scored 29.7 percent, and 12 other candidates, the electoral commission said. Turnout was about 60 percent. The outright majority means there will be no run-off.
“This election went off in calm and serenity, which shows the maturity of the people of Burkina Faso,” Barthelemy Kere, president of the electoral commission, told a news conference.
Crowds celebrated the news in the streets of the capital, Ouagadougou, honking car and motorbike horns.
Compaore seized power by force and won four elections, all of which were disputed. He was toppled by protests when he tried to change the constitution to extend his rule even further.
The vote could serve as an example of democratic transition to other countries in Africa, where veteran rulers in Burundi and Congo Republic changed the constitution this year to pave the way for a fresh term in office.
Kabore heads the Movement of People for Progress (MPP), made up of disaffected former allies of Compaore.
Many people say their priority is for the new president to promote economic growth in the landlocked country, which produces gold and cotton but remains impoverished. Corruption and justice are also important issues.
The election was pushed back from Oct. 11 because of an abortive coup in September by members of the elite presidential guard, in which transitional President Michel Kafando and his prime minister were taken hostage.
That coup cost more than $50 million in revenue, trimming growth by 0.3 percentage point. The guard has since been disbanded.
Kafando will step down once the results are confirmed by the constitutional court and the new leader is sworn in. A parallel election for the National Assembly also took place on Sunday.Rusev has been out of action for several weeks while he recovers from shoulder surgery. During that time, he and Lana were traded to SmackDown Live during the Superstar Shake-Up. Rusev isn’t happy about getting moved to SmackDown and recently issued a video stating that Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan need to grant him a title shot at Money in the Bank or he’s going back home to Bulgaria.
On Tuesday, Rusev followed up on his ultimatum with another video message directed at SmackDown’s commissioner. Rusev says Shane McMahon has not responded to his demands and he’ll be at Smackdown next week to get an answer from Shane in person.
If you don't want to reply to me @shanemcmahon, I come to #SDLive to get my answer. #RusevReturn pic.twitter.com/Ddu6QOSDh6 — Rusev (@RusevBUL) May 9, 2017
WWE Money in the Bank 2017 takes place on Sunday, June 18th from St. Louis, Missouri at the Scottrade Center.SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Apple Inc’s quarterly profit blew past Wall Street forecasts thanks to strong sales of Macs and iPhones and higher-than-expected gross margins, sending its shares up more than 3 percent on Tuesday.
Customers look at the Apple iPhone 3GS at the company's retail store in San Francisco, California June 19, 2009. REUTERS/Robert Galbraith
The company defied the global economic recession and reported a net profit of $1.23 billion, or $1.35 a share, for its fiscal third quarter ended June 27, up from $1.07 billion, or $1.19 a share, in the year-ago period.
Earnings per share beat by far the average Street forecast of $1.18 according to Reuters Estimates, and topped even the most bullish “whisper” numbers of $1.30 to $1.35.
“The numbers are great. Their gross profits continue to surprise people and there is a return to product momentum... a return to growth in the Mac business,” said Andy Hargreaves, an analyst at Pacific Crest Securities. “And then the iPhone is doing tremendously well and that is a potent combination.”
Sales of Macs and iPhones both beat analysts’ expectations, helped by product refreshes and lower prices, while iPod shipments were toward the low end of forecasts.
Apple said it sold 2.6 million Macs, up 4 percent from a year ago, and 5.2 million iPhones in the June quarter, during which the company had launched its third-generation iPhone 3GS and cut the price on the second-generation model to $99.
The company said almost 20 percent of Fortune 500 companies have bought at least 10,000 iPhones, and it is currently unable to make enough iPhone 3GSs to meet a demand — a problem Apple is working to address.
There had been some concern about margin pressure heading into the results, given the product price cuts and the trend of higher component costs.
But Apple posted a gross margin of 36.3 percent, above the 34 percent that some analysts had predicted. That compared with 36.4 percent in the last quarter and 34.8 percent a year ago. Cook forecast margins at 34 percent in the September quarter.
“The overall takeaway is that Apple continues to execute in this tough environment,” said Kaufman Bros analyst Shaw Wu. “We think they are very uniquely positioned with their competitive advantages. They do the hardware, software and service, and that really allows them to have a leg up against competitors.”
OUTLOOK CONSERVATIVE
Apple issued a typically conservative outlook for the current quarter, forecasting earnings of $1.18 to $1.23 a share on revenue of $8.7 billion to $8.9 billion.
While that was below the average analyst estimate of $1.30 in earnings per share and $9.1 billion in revenue for the fiscal fourth quarter, it had little impact on investors.
“The forecast for Q4 is strong relative to what I thought they were going to do,” said Pacific Crest’s Hargreaves.
Revenue rose 12 percent to $8.3 billion in the June quarter, versus analysts’ average estimate of $8.2 billion.
The results demonstrated the consumer appeal of Apple’s products despite a troubled economy that has dented sales at competitors selling less expensive products.
Investors have snapped up Apple’s stock this year, pushing it up at a pace well ahead of other big technology issues.
In an interview with Reuters, Apple Chief Financial Officer Peter Oppenheimer said back-to-school-sales are in their early stages but started off well.
Slideshow (2 Images)
“We hit the ball out of the park with Mac sales,” he said. “In a better economy we’d be selling more.”
Apple shipped 10.2 million iPods in the quarter, down 7 percent year on year. The CFO said he expects sales of traditional iPods to decline over time, cannibalized by the iPhone and iPod Touch.
Shares of Cupertino, California-based Apple closed at $151.60 on Nasdaq and rose to $157.02 in extended trading.When astronomers try to simulate colliding giant black holes, they usually rely on simplified approximations to model the swirling disks of matter that surround and fuel these gravitational monsters. Researchers now report that, for the first time, they have simulated the collision of two supermassive black holes using a full-blown treatment of Einstein’s general theory of relativity, allowing a 3D portrayal of these disks of magnetized matter.
The simulations more accurately describe the radiation that might be detected from such mergers. This includes electromagnetic radiation blasted into space and ripples in space-time known as gravitational waves. Stuart Shapiro of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign presented movies of the simulations at a meeting of the American Physical Society in Baltimore, Maryland, on 13 April. His team had described elements of the study last November, in Physical Review D1.
“As a technical achievement, there’s no doubt that this is a giant step forward,” says astronomer Cole Miller of the University of Maryland in College Park, who was not part of the study.
Collision course
For the simulations, Shapiro’s team developed a mathematical model to couple Einstein’s equations (which describe the gravitational field around a black hole) with equations that govern the motion of matter moving close to the speed of light in a magnetic field.
The simulations may take on added significance, says Shapiro, because recent observations hint that a black hole weighing as much as ten billion Suns might be set to collide with a similarly massive partner in a mere seven years.
Analysing data from a large telescope in Hawaii called Pan-STARRS (Panoramic Survey Telescope & Rapid Response System), Tingting Liu of the University of Maryland and her colleagues spotted what seem to be periodic variations in the radiation emitted by a quasar — a brilliant beacon of light that outshines the entire galaxy in which it resides — from which light has taken 10.4 billion years to reach Earth. The team reported its findings on 14 April in The Astrophysical Journal Letters2.
Quasars are thought to be fuelled by supermassive black holes at the centres of galaxies. Liu and her colleagues interpret the apparently periodic fluctuations in the quasar light, along with information gleaned from the spectrum of that light, as a sign that the quasar’s black hole is closely orbiting another supermassive black hole in a neighbouring galaxy. If confirmed, the putative merger would be a prime candidate to examine for signs of emitted gravitational waves, says Liu.
Signal search
“This merger would be amazing, if we saw it,” says Miller. But strong evidence for an imminent collision is lacking, he adds. Random, low-frequency fluctuations in the quasar's light could partially mimic a periodic signal, he notes. And even if fluctuations in the quasar's light are truly periodic, they could be due to the properties of a single black hole and its disk, rather than to the presence of an orbiting partner, Shapiro says.
Still, he adds, it would be worth trying to spot gravitational waves from the putative merger. One way to do this would involve pulsars: compact, rapidly spinning stars that beam radio waves across the sky like lighthouse beacons. If a radio receiver on Earth could detect a correlated change to signals from an array of pulsars, that might indicate that the passage of a gravitational wave had disturbed the array. Radio receivers are not currently sensitive enough to detect a signal from Liu’s system, but future improvements could bring a detection within reach, says Shapiro.
Earlier this year, astronomers reported in Nature that they had found a repeating light signal that is best explained by a pair of supermassive black holes poised to spiral into each other3. Sadly, the collision is predicted to occur a million years from now.To peace! 3D molded Iron Man with light-up eyes
Keeps your champagne cold, and warms your sake
Holds up to a 6-pack of whatever you're drinking
Iron Man Mini-Fridge
Officially-licensed Marvel merchandise
3D molded Iron Man with light-up eyes (on/off switch)
Has carry handle
Keep your beverages or lunch cold at work
Warming function if you'd like to heat your food
Science: This thermoelectric cooler relies on the Peltier effect
Holds up to a six-pack of 12-ounce cans
Approximate cooling capability: 45° F
Approximate heating capability: 140° F
Capacity:.14 cu. ft. (6 12 oz. cans of soda)
Dimensions: 7 1/2" wide x 11" tall x 12" deep
Includes fridge, removable shelf, 110V US AC power cord (for use in home), 12V DC power cord (for use in vehicle)
Note for International Friends: We do not recommend using this small appliance with an international power converter
To clarify: this is NOT the Stark Industries pneumatic cooler Tony Stark demos inthat he says he'll be throwing in with every purchase of $500 million or more. Although if you're going to give us $500 million, we'll get GeekLabs right on that.This is that fridge's little brother. With a convenient carry-handle this fridge can go with you wherever you go. Stick it under your desk. File it in the bottom drawer of your filing cabinet under "Potables." Put it on the floorboard on the passenger's side of your vehicle. It'll keep a 6-pack cold. Or warm, if that's what you so desire. Even though he'd probably do it flashier, we think Tony Stark would approve.For everyone who liked the one-off Aventador J and can’t wait for the limited production version of the Sesto Elemento, here’s something else to chew on: Lamborghini CEO Stephan Winkelmann has confirmed that there are more bespoke models in the pipe line, as well as more personalization options for the current Gallardo and Aventador supercars.
A Lamborghini spokesman has announced that these upcoming bespoke models will be built at the company’s new prototype and concept development center that opened in Sant’Agata, Italy. This new development center has been divided in two: one half will be responsible for the development of a small-scale production line and the other half for building limited production cars.
He also confirmed that the company’s new Ad Personam personalization program will add lots of new colors, interior trim materials, and other upgrades. These advancements in style will not come cheap, but it will more than likely be a small price to pay for this kind of exclusivity.Sanders' campaign received nearly 400,000 contributions from about 250,000 people. 2016 Bernie Sanders raises $15 million since April 30
Bernie Sanders has raised about $15 million since he launched his presidential campaign on April 30, his campaign announced Thursday.
The Vermont senator, whose insurgent campaign is challenging front-runner Hillary Clinton from the left, had an average donation of $33.51. The campaign received nearly 400,000 contributions from about 250,000 people, and 99 percent of those donations were $250 or less.
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Sanders, an ardent campaign finance reform advocate who has refused a super PAC, doesn’t have much of a fundraising strategy to court big donors. The campaign said that the vast majority of donations were made online.
Sanders has more than $12 million on hand, according to a source close to the campaign, who added that there’s no campaign debt or candidate loans from the candidate. The person added that the campaign has more than 50 staffers on payroll, including 30 people on the ground in Iowa.
It’s a good start for the Sanders campaign, which has set a goal of raising $40 million-$50 million before next year’s Iowa caucuses. The numbers come a day after the Clinton campaign announced it raised more than $45 million in her first quarter as a candidate with 91 percent of the donations $100 or less.
Clinton will almost certainly out-raise and outspend Sanders by a wide margin — in addition to her campaign’s haul, three pro-Clinton super PACs raised $24 million in the first half of this year.
But the Sanders campaign has invested in social media and digital fundraising, enlisting several alums of Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign at the firm Revolution Messaging to help run his online donation and outreach effort. And his position on outside money has created a notable contrast with Clinton, who, despite her support for overturning the Citizens United Supreme Court decision, has super PACs supporting her that aim to raise more than $1 billion.
On Tuesday, Sanders released a statement knocking his fellow presidential candidates’ last-minute cash dash before the June 30 FEC deadline, calling it “a national disgrace.” That day, he sent a fundraising email to his supports asking for $3 donations and accusing billionaire class super PACs of “already running ads against our campaign.”
Sanders raised more than $5 million for his last two Senate reelection bids and will continue to court financial support from organized labor, a core constituency of his.
The senator, who has long had an robust social media presence, has been surging in early-state and national polls and has hosted huge crowds in Iowa, New Hampshire and progressive cities across the country. One day after his campaign hosted the biggest rally of the cycle with 10,000 people in Madison, Wisconsin, a new Quinnipiac Iowa poll showed him polling at 33 percent in the state, up 18 points in two months.When a police robot killed suspect Micah Johnson in Dallas early Friday morning, it was likely an unprecedented event. But according to Steve Ijames, recently retired assistant chief of police in Springfield, Missouri, and a recognized expert in SWAT tactics, it was not a watershed moment portending a weaponized robotic future. The standoff after the police massacre at a Black Lives Matter protest was unique for a number of reasons, he says. And it was likely the only choice the police had.
The police department hasn't elaborated on the device the bomb-defusing robot used or how exactly it killed the suspect, nor on the circumstances that led to the decision. But Ijames explains that a number of factors would have determined their novel use of the robot.
Line of Sight
Although details about the incident are still scarce, Dallas Police Chief David Brown said this morning that his department had brought in the robot only after "negotiations broke down" with the suspect. "We had an exchange of fire with the subject. We saw no other option but to use our bomb robot and place a device on its extension for it to detonate where the suspect was," Brown said.
Ijames interprets this to mean the Dallas police could not see Johnson. "I think you'll learn as this plays out that this person was secreted in a location that they couldn't see him," Ijames says. "If they could see him, they just would have shot him with a rifle, no question. And looking at the physical location—the concrete and the chance of ricochet—they probably didn't want a lot of bullets flying around. They were probably trying to limit their fire as best they could."
Since the Dallas police chief mentioned an explosive device killed the suspect, Ijames says that his years of SWAT experience leads him to believe that the suspect was barricaded behind or in something the police needed to breach. This would have required the team to create an explosive strong enough to open whatever stronghold the suspect was in.
"You'd go to the master breacher and say I want to wheel the robot in there, give him a chance to surrender, and if he doesn't I want to set off a charge that will absolutely put him on the deck, dead or alive," Ijames says. They may have been communicating |
consider the college such a “horrible, oppressive place,” then “let’s stop putting public money in it.”
Read the full MYNorthwest and Auburn Reporter pieces.
MORE: Ariz. lawmaker’s bill to defund social justice courses denied hearing, killing legislation
MORE: Scholar: It’s time to defund colleges that suppress free speech
Like The College Fix on Facebook / Follow us on TwitterChelsea also said she would be able to get $50,000 from her 'Soul Cycle community'
Abedin explained that it was not logical given the limited runway space and demand for
New Clinton Foundation emails reveal that Chelsea Clinton and her husband Marc Mezvinsky wanted to get a plane down to Haiti with alternative doctors suggested by Donna Karan to help with disaster relief in the wake of the 2010 earthquake that killed over 100,00 people.
In an email sent to Mezvinsky on January 14, 2010, Jimmy Buffet's wife Jane writes: 'I got a call from donna karen's [sic] organization and they asked if my plane could fly some alternative care physician's down there. They want it quick.'
Jane goes on to write that it would cost 'about $25,000' while asking Mezvinsky, who at the time was engaged to Chelsea, if he thinks that would be the best use of the money.
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Newly released emails reveal that Chelsea Clinton and then-fiance Marc Mezvinsky (above in 2012) wanted to send alternative doctors to Haiti after the 2010 quake
Mezvinsky was contacted by Jimmy Buffet's wife Jane who said in an email that Donna Karan had doctors she wanted to fly down
Mezvinsky responds by saying he believes it would a'very worthy cause' before adding: '[L]et me check w the president's office quickly as he's the UN special envoy to haiti (as I'm sure you know) and would by the ultimate authority.'
He then emailed wife Chelsea, Clinton Foundation director Hannah Richert and Bill Clinton adviser Jeffrey Cooper to ask their thoughts.
Chelsea in turn emails her mother Hillary's top aide Huma Abedin who shoots down the idea and explains why it would not be possible given the severity of the situation.
In her response, Abedin tells Chelsea that 'the airport in Haiti is overwhelmed with planes' and since there is not enough room to even land on the tarmac 'priorities are being given to medical supplies.'
Abedin also explains that there are a number of medical doctors who are looking to travel down to Haiti, and that priority there is being given to surgeons and trauma doctors.
'I think trying to get alternative medicine doctors will be almost impossible in the near future, writes Abedin.
Huma Abedin explained that it was not logical given the limited runway space and demand for surgeons and trauma doctors
Karan has been a longtime supporter of both Hillary and Bill Clinton
Chelsea, who emails under the name Diane Reynolds, also wrote to Abedin about collecting money from her 'Soul Cycle community,' saying she thinks she could get about $50,000 to help with the relief.Last night, in preparation for a call-up later this week, the Yankees had right-hander Luis Severino throw 2.1 innings in relief for Triple-A Scranton. He allowed two hits and no runs and struck out five, so everything went well. Rosters expand on Thursday and Severino will apparently be among the first wave of call-ups.
The Yankees essentially have three options with Severino for the final month of the season. The three:
Leave him in Triple-A and let him pitch in the postseason. Call him up and put him in the rotation. Call him up and put him in the bullpen.
The Yankees are going with option No. 3 and that’s fine. All three are fine, really. They all have their pros and cons. Option No. 1 would have allowed Severino to continue working on his changeup in games that don’t matter. Option No. 2 would have given him a chance to work on his changeup in games that do matter. Option No. 3? Well, that’s what we’re here to discuss.
I know we’re all still scarred from the Joba Rules and all that, but there are some very real benefits to letting a young starting pitcher prospect — Severino has eclipsed the rookie limit of 50 innings, but for all intents and purposes, he’s a prospect — work out of the bullpen. Teams do it all the time. There are also some potential drawbacks. Let’s discuss them as they pertain to Severino.
Pro: He’ll help the Yankees win
In case you hadn’t noticed, the middle relief kinda sucks right now. Tyler Clippard and Adam Warren are not Andrew Miller and Aroldis Chapman, but by and large they’ve done done the job in the seventh and eighth inning. Everything before them is shaky. We’ve seen too much Anthony Swarzak and Blake Parker these last few weeks.
Severino has the potential to be dominant in relief. Heck, we saw him dominate out of the bullpen a few weeks ago. He struck out ten and allowed one unearned run in 8.1 innings of relief with the Yankees last month, including 4.1 shutdown innings against the Mets on August 3rd.
Con: He won’t get to work on his changeup
Simply put, the middle innings are a total mess right now and Severino is the best arm available to the Yankees. They’re still trying to make a run at a postseason spot — as they should! — and Severino is a potential solution to their bullpen problem. Putting him in a relief role improves the roster.
The Yankees sent Severino to Triple-A a few weeks back because a) he was getting hammered as a big league starter, and b) he really needs to work on his changeup. He wasn’t throwing it at all and Severino even admitted he lost confidence in it. That’s not good. It needed to be fixed and the minors were the place to do it.
Severino went to Triple-A with orders to work on his changeup and actually throw it in games, and by all accounts he’s done that. The results haven’t been pretty since his latest demotion (11.1 IP, 19 H, 8 R, 3 BB, 16 K in two starts) but that’s not a surprise because he’s throwing his third best pitch more than he normally would. Hitters can sit on it. That’s what happens.
Unless the Yankees tell Severino to continue throwing his changeup in September — that seems unlikely because winning is the priority and they’ll want him to use his best pitches to get outs — he’s not going to throw his changeup out of the bullpen. The development of the pitch may stagnate during his time as a reliever, which impacts his ability to be a starter down the road.
Pro: He’ll build confidence
Gosh, Severino was so bad as a starter with the Yankees earlier this season. So, so bad. He has a 7.19 ERA (4.73 FIP) in 51.1 big league innings this year, and that includes his stellar relief work. When you get smacked around that much, how could it not hurt your confidence? Severino is only human. Fail at something that spectacularly and you can’t help but doubt yourself, even a little. It’s human nature.
Pitching out of the bullpen and having success is a good way for Severino to rebuild his confidence. It’s pretty clear that won’t happen as a starter. Not this year, at least. He’s had zero success in that role in 2016. Severino has pitched well as a reliever and he has the tools to continue pitching well in that role now that he’s locating his slider down and away from righties more consistently. You can’t measure confidence, but it is absolutely important. The confidence he builds as a reliever can carry over when he returns to the rotation. We see it happen around the league all the time.
Con: He’s not going to build up innings
Between the triceps injury in May and his stint in the bullpen, Severino has only thrown 133.2 innings this season. He threw 161.2 total innings last year, and unless he’s the most heavily used reliever in baseball history in September, Severino is not going to match last season innings total, nevermind build on it and continue stretching out his arm. That’s kind of a problem if the plan is indeed to put him in the rotation next year.
There’s always the option to send Severino to winter ball, but one thing at a time. Gotta get through September before sending him home to the Dominican Republic for winter ball becomes a serious discussion. Right now the apparent plan to use Severino out of the bullpen in September means he won’t increase his workload this season. He still won’t be ready to be a 200-ish inning starter next season. Letting Severino start in September, either in Triple-A or MLB, better allows him to accumulate innings and build up arm strength.
* * *
I both am and am not surprised the Yankees are calling up Severino as soon as rosters expand. I’m surprised because I thought they were really prioritizing his changeup development and would leave him in Triple-A through the postseason, so he could start and really build up innings. At the same time, I’m not surprised because they are still hanging around the wild card race and absolutely need another reliever, and Severino is their best option.
I don’t love seeing Severino jerked back and forth between starter and reliever, Triple-A and MLB. The Yankees don’t exactly have a stellar track record when it comes to developing high-end pitching prospects. Severino can definitely help them in relief though, and while I’m sure they believe his long-term future lies in the rotation, the best place for him right now is in the bullpen. That role has some real benefits. Enough to outweigh the negatives? The Yankees sure seem to believe so.October is the month of giveaways, how exciting! WeddingInviteLove vendor Citrus Press Co. is running another fabulous giveaway (see our last giveaway with them here) — enter between now and October 31st to win a free DIY wedding invitation suite, or $150 towards a print suite — your choice!
Find out how to enter after the cut…
How to enter:
Like Citrus Press on Facebook and let us know the suite you’d love to win by letting us know the name of the design and if you want to be entered for DIY or for Print on the Citrus Press Facebook page.
To enter for a second time:
To enter via Twitter, visit our etsy shop (citruspressco.etsy.com) and tweet the suite that you like, remember to include DIY or Print in your response and tag @citruspressco Twitter account.
To enter for the third time:
To enter via Pinterest, visit our etsy shop (citruspressco.etsy.com) and PIN the suite that you like, remember to include DIY or Print in your response on the Citrus Press Facebook page.
Terms & Conditions:
Contest Opens October 1st and closes Oct 31 (midnight EST)
DIY Entrants/ Winner:
Can choose up to 5 items from an existing Citrus Press Co’s invitation suite using their text and color preference. Value of this offer is $150. Items may include: Save the Date, Invite, RSVP, Reception Card, Enclosure Card, Program, Signage, Escort Card, Menu’s, Posters, Thank You notes.
Print Entrants/ Winner:
Can use $150 towards an order of $500 or more (not including shipping). The Winner must choose from an existing Citrus Press Co. design and can choose their own wording and colors.
Winners for both categories will be drawn on Nov 1 and announced on Citrus Press Co’s facebook page, and will also be tweeted. You will be notified through facebook.
Please allow 6 weeks before your wedding date to work on your order. This giveaway expires December 31st 2013.
Like this: Like Loading...Are you really ready to go back to Camp Firewood? Two weeks ago, Netflix teased David Wain’s eight-episode prequel to his 2000 cult classic Wet Hot American Summer with an all-too-fitting ’80s commercial that only offered glimpses of the comedy that awaits us. Now, they’ve unleashed a trailer that spans two minutes and 40 seconds, featuring a number of gags and our first look at new characters from Jason Schwartzman, Jon Hamm, Kristen Wiig, and many more. Catch the full trailer below, in addition to a super sweet throwback poster shortly after.
According to Wain, Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp “is a prequel to the original movie. In real life we’re 15 years older but in the show we’re playing two months younger. The movie took place on the last day of camp in the summer of 1981. The show takes place on the first day.”
The cast includes Elizabeth Banks, Amy Poehler, Paul Rudd, Bradley Cooper, David Hyde Pierce, Michael Ian Black, Michael Showalter, Christopher Meloni, Ken Marino, Judah Friedlander, Molly Shannon, Janeane Garofalo, Joe Lo Truglio, Marguerite Moreau, and Zak Orth.
Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp premieres July 31st on Netflix.
Poster:Pakistan will share information with the US about the San Bernardino shooting in line with the international obligations, the country's interior minister had said on Sunday.
US investigators had identified Tashfeen Malik, a Pakistani woman and her husband Syed Rizwan Farook, of opening firing at a gathering in San Bernardino, on Wednesday, killing 14 people.
But if tweets by Washington Post Pakistan Bureau Chief Tim Craig are to be believed, Pakistani 'officials' are not allowing foreign journalists to report the radicalisation of the San Bernardino terrorist in Pakistan.
According to a report in The Times of India, journalists in Multan, where Malik was trained, have been confined to their hotel and were not been allowed to go out and report.
Pakistani "officials" not letting some journalists out of our hotel in Multan this morning to do reporting — Tim Craig (@timcraigpost) December 6, 2015
The officials have also asked the foreign journalists to go back to Multan:
I am still barred from leaving hotel in Multan and Pakistani "officials" strongly suggest I, as foreign journalist, "go back to Islamabad" — Tim Craig (@timcraigpost) December 6, 2015
I've lost track of how many different security/intel officials I've had to talk to, copy my passport, etc in past 17 hours - think 12 to 16. — Tim Craig (@timcraigpost) December 6, 2015
Another report in Reuters said that three professors from Malik's university had also been advised not to speak to the media.
Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan had said on Sunday that Pakistan will share information with the US administration. "We will help in the investigation," Nisar had said at a news conference in Islamabad.
He said that no US team has met the prime minister in connection with the shooting and rejected 'false reports' in the Western media.
Adding that the US has not taken up the issue with Pakistan thus far, Khan said that some vested interest outside Pakistan wants to defame the country.
Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs had also condemned what it called the "abhorrent and tragic shooting" incident in San Bernardino in the US state of California in strongest possible terms.
"The loss of precious lives in the tragic incident is irreversible and unfortunate. We hope that the investigations would lead the US authorities to bring the perpetrators and abettors of this act to justice," a ministry statement said.
"The people of Pakistan, being worst victims of terrorism over the years, share the grief of the people of the United States and stand by them in their pain and suffering."
With IANS inputs
Firstpost is now on WhatsApp. For the latest analysis, commentary and news updates, sign up for our WhatsApp services. Just go to Firstpost.com/Whatsapp and hit the Subscribe button.Sen. Chris Murphy Christopher (Chris) Scott MurphyPush to end U.S. support for Saudi war hits Senate setback Feehery: Defining what socialism is (and isn’t) Avoiding the tragedy of Brexit MORE (D-Conn.) on Monday blasted the Trump administration after Infowars said it had been given White House press credentials.
"I want to throw up," Murphy tweeted.
"@POTUS has granted legitimacy to a group that believes Sandy Hook was a hoax carried out by paid actors."
I want to throw up. @POTUS has granted legitimacy to a group that believes Sandy Hook was a hoax carried out by paid actors. https://t.co/uMBuIqNMUb — Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) May 22, 2017
Infowars claimed on Monday it had received the credentials in an "epic blow to the mainstream media's control of the narrative."
Jerome Corsi, Washington Bureau Chief, https://t.co/8yxnbeoqQC. We have WH PRESS CREDENTIALS. I'm in WH May 22, 2017 pic.twitter.com/ln9aE6nNOB — Jerome Corsi (@jerome_corsi) May 22, 2017
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Reporters tweeted that the Infowars reporter appears to have been given a temporary day pass and not a permanent one.
Alex Jones, the host of the radio program "Infowars," has alleged multiple times that the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., that killed 20 children was a hoax.
In April, the Newtown Board of Education wrote a letter to President Trump asking him to speak out against Jones.
Jones in the past has also accused the U.S. government of being involved in the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995 and the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.LONDON (Reuters) - Global warming will leave the Arctic Ocean ice-free during the summer within 20 years, raising sea levels and harming wildlife such as seals and polar bears, a leading British polar scientist said on Thursday.
Two climate activists sunbathe on the edge of a frozen fjord in the Norwegian Arctic town of Longyearbyen, April 25, 2007. REUTERS/Francois Lenoir
Peter Wadhams, professor of ocean physics at the University of Cambridge, said much of the melting will take place within a decade, although the winter ice will stay for hundreds of years.
The changes will mean the top of the Earth will appear blue rather than white when photographed from space and ships will have a new sea route north of Russia.
Scientists say evidence of melting Arctic ice is one of the clearest signs of global warming and it should send a warning to world leaders meeting in Copenhagen in December for U.N. talks on a new climate treaty.
“The data supports the new consensus view — based on seasonal variation of ice extent and thickness, changes in temperatures, winds and especially ice composition — that the Arctic will be ice-free in summer within about 20 years,” Wadhams said in a statement. “Much of the decrease will be happening within 10 years.”
Wadhams, one of the world’s leading experts on sea ice cover in the North Pole region, compared ice thickness measurements taken by a Royal Navy submarine in 2007 with evidence gathered by the British explorer Pen Hadow earlier this year.
Hadow and his team on the Catlin Arctic Survey drilled 1,500 holes to gather evidence during a 280-mile walk across the Arctic. They found the average thickness of ice-floes was 1.8 meters, a depth considered too thin to survive the summer’s ice melt.
Sometimes referred to as the Earth’s air-conditioner, the Arctic Sea plays a vital role in the world’s climate. As Arctic ice melts in summer, it exposes the darker-colored ocean water, which absorbs sunlight instead of reflecting it, accelerating the effect of global warming.
Dr Martin Sommerkorn, from the environmental charity WWF’s Arctic program, which worked on the survey, said the predicted loss of ice could have wide-reaching affects around the world.
“The Arctic Sea ice holds a central position in our Earth’s climate system. Take it out of the equation and we are left with a dramatically warmer world,” he said.
“This could lead to flooding affecting one-quarter of the world’s population, substantial increases in greenhouse gas emissions.... and extreme global weather changes.”
Britain’s Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Miliband said the research “sets out the stark realities of climate change.”
“This further strengthens the case for an ambitious global deal in Copenhagen,” he added.by
If signing the political EU Association and Deep and Comprehensive Trade Agreements were deemed by President Poroshenko as the most important decision since independence, it was also an easy one for him to take – it was the mandate upon which he was elected after all.
However, a far more problematic set of circumstances loom large. They can be answered individually in seperate decisions – or all at once with a singular response.
Having extended a ceasefire by the Ukrainian military until 2200 hours on Monday 30th – should it last its full duration – as of the time of writing a further extension seems unlikely.
As expected, those opposing the Ukrainian forces have used what will be 10 days of little more than retaliatory engagement from the Ukrainian military to both enhance and firm up their positions. But it was expected.
Viktor Medvedchuk continues playing the mediation game with all other participants pretending that he is representing anybody other than the man he actually is representing – President Putin. The goals as previously written in the link.
All OSCE observers have now been released after robust EU threats that on Monday sanctions will be imposed on Russia should they not be. Whether the other EU actions required to avoid further sanctions will be met, or whether The Kremlin will try its luck at meeting only a few of those requirements in the hope of such avoidance remains to be seen.
Whatever the case, President Poroshenko has tried to time the ceasefire ending with that of the implementation – or not – of further US and EU sanctions. However a further extension with only partial Kremlin compliance with EU requests and the Viktor Medvechuk sideshow simply is extremely unlikely.
The Kremlin now sees mileage in sending more OSCE observers into Ukraine amongst the increase to 500 suggested by OSCE. About 40 Russian monitors to be amongst that number – and the more monitors the better for OSCE – but they did not and will not stop the resumption of the ATO when the ceasefire ends and no substantial progress has been made toward achieving the presidential plan. Monitors after all monitor – they do not get actively involved.
Rumour abounds that peacekeepers will be requested and/or to be sent unilaterally by The Kremlin – though peacekeepers are only ever sent at the invitation of the hosting government. It is beyond unlikely that Ukraine would request Russia unilaterally send peacekeepers.
Any unilateral and uninvited peacekeeping force would be seen by Ukraine and the vast majority of the international community as an invasion and thus not the way to avoid sanctions.
A multinational peacekeeping force may actually bring peace – and that is not in Kremlin interests.
There is also a marked difference between peacekeepers and peacemakers.
The concept of Responsibility to Protect (R2P) simply does not fit the Ukrainian situation no matter how hard it is tried.
Without going into too much detail, R2P works on the concept of levels of responsibility.
Naturally, the responsibility to protect the ethnic Russians and Russian speakers within the territory of Ukraine, first and foremost is the responsibility of Ukraine. That is why The Kremlin goes to great lengths to show Ukraine is failing in that task, despite huge numbers of ethnic Russians and Russian speakers having no issues throughout Ukraine.
The next level of responsibility would be that Ukraine forms international partnerships to protect the rights and wellbeing of ethnic Russians and Russian speakers in Ukraine. It is no accident nor sign of failing to protect, that Ukraine has asked OSCE to send monitors. This was a deliberate tactic to refute the Russian pretext for the final level of R2P intervention.
The last level of R2P is of course direct intervention within a sovereign State by an external actor – but who decides if a State has failed in its duty to protect? Who decides whether to intervene, and who is sent to intervene?
This is where it all can get a little messy.
R2P is about prevention, reaction and (unfortunately) rebuilding after the fact.
The traditional view would be that only the UN Security Council can authorise such a R2P military intervention. Any unilateral or regional intervention would therefore be illegal under international law.
However the inability of the UN Security Council to agree on much has raised questions about whether any unilateral or regional intervention without UN Security Council authorisation would actually be illegal.
R2P has within it a “legitimacy criteria” – and it is against this criteria the global public and many nations are likely to judge any interventions – with or without UN Security Council mandate. Perhaps a conflict between justification, legitimacy and legality would exist as a result – or perhaps not – following any unilateral intervention in certain cases. In the case of Ukraine however, any unilateral Kremlin intervention would clearly be seen as an act of war.
Anyway, it is against the R2P “legitimacy criteria” that any intervention need be assessed.
That legitimacy criteria being:
1. Show “just cause” – The scale, gravity and systematic human rights violations against ethnic Russians and Russian speakers. Large scale loss of life? Planned genocide? Ethnic cleansing?
Making this case, The Kremlin would currently fail to convince the UNSC.
2. Have the “right intention” for its intervention. In short the pretext for intervention is purely a human rights driven cause. There is no pretext or intent for a land grab, control of raw materials, political control etc.
Clearly The Kremlin would fail to convince once more. At the very least, political control is what The Kremlin seeks to achieve with regard Ukraine.
3. “Last resort” – There is no other option to direct intervention to protect those whose human rights are being grossly and systematically violated.
The Kremlin has yet to display any systematic or widespread human rights violations against ethnic Russians and Russian speakers let alone justify any “last resort” criteria.
4. “Proportional means” – Will military intervention in Ukraine be proportional to the human rights violations claimed to occur? Is military intervention proportional at all?
5. “Reasonable prospects” – Would military intervention have reasonable prospects of preventing further rights abuses?
Obviously if only the Russian military came rolling into Ukraine under the auspices of R2P it would make matters worse not better. The vast majority of Ukraine would see it as a conventional invasion. War would not only be the result, but it would be the expected response to any such incursion by the majority of the nation.
There is the issue of Ukraine regaining full and lasting control of its borders once more – and in doing so being better able to repel fighters and weaponry entering the country through Russia unhindered. This is without doubt a major requirement for Ukraine – and a requirement that need be accomplished swiftly with or without Kremlin assistance.
In short there are many difficult decisions facing the Ukrainian leadership in eastern Ukraine if each issue is addressed individually – complicated further by any attempt to accommodate Kremlin demands, none of which are in the interests of Ukraine as viewed from Kyiv or the vast majority of the country.
The single decision to end the ceasefire and recommence the ATO may be seen to address all of these issues in whole, or in part – whether more OSCE monitors arrive or not and regardless of US/European sanctions.
The securing of Ukrainian borders is an absolute necessity and if being done by force is the only way, then it need be done – it is the immediate priority.
If Ukraine (and the Europeans) want to avoid another de facto Transnistria, then the efforts of those fighting against the Ukrainian military over the past 10 days need be undone and overrun.
Should the above two paragraphs turn into reality, the shoehorned return of Viktor Medvedchuk to the Ukrainian political scene as President Putin’s voice ends in any meaningful sense as far as the immediate situation is concerned. That sideshow remains a sideshow.
Will The Kremlin do enough to satisfy the US/Europeans regarding delaying further sanctions? Will there be anything occur that would warrant yet further extensions of the ceasefire?
There are but a few questions that require answering prior to 2200 hours tomorrow from numerous actors.
As things stand at the time of writing – expect the ceasefire to end and the ATO to recommence – regardless of further sanctions being imposed or not from without.The last four F-35B Joint Strike Fighters the Marine Corps needs to declare initial operational capability will be delivered on 30 June, in time for an operational readiness inspection targeted for the second week of July.
That’s the assessment of Lockheed Martin's F-35 programme chief Lorraine Martin, who is closely monitoring the countdown to delivery of the final four.
Marine Corps IOC is the first major marker for the programme since it was revised and re-baselined in 2010, and Martin expects to hit that contractual target.
“They’ll be ready,” she tells Flightglobal. “That’s my goal. I watch it every day.”
“I plan to have everything ready,” she says, adding that the latest ALIS (autonomic logistics information system) configuration is being installed and will be ready in the next couple of days.
Activity has hit a crescendo at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona, which is home to the Green Knights – the first operational F-35B squadron.
Once everything is in place, an independent team will come in and assess the squadron’s readiness and report back to deputy commandant for Marine Corps aviation, Lt Gen Jon Davis.
If Davis is satisfied that the squadron has the manpower, equipment and spare parts in place, he will inform the Marine commandant and IOC will be declared.
The decision will come 14 years after the start of F-35 development. Asked if after all those years the US and its allies are receiving a superior weapon to what’s on the battlefield today, Martin said she has "no doubt".
“The customers we support who have all the information they need to have to have comfort in that, they have no doubt,” she adds. She says since the initial design, the aircraft has received new processors and the latest parts.
She is also wholly committed to delivering every capability that was promised for Block 3F, which is currently in integration and testing. That statement comes despite talk of weapons and capabilities “slipping” from Block 3F to Block 4 – a configuration that is being defined right now and will be delivered in increments from about 2019 through to 2025.
“None are slipping out of 3F,” she says. “We’re doing them all. We’re now in full integration and test, we’re not building [Block 3F] software anymore.”
Lockheed notes that despite reports, since the re-baslining the programme has not slipped schedule or cost. Martin says she is adamant that the F-35 can hit all its major targets going forward, including US Air Force IOC in 2016.
She says as development wraps up by 2017 and squadrons go operational, attention on the programme will turn to actually employing the weapon system as well as establishing tactics and new concepts of operation.President laments ‘hatred, bigotry and violence from many sides’ but senior Republicans and Democrats demand condemnation of far-right extremists
Donald Trump has faced bipartisan criticism after failing to explicitly condemn the role of white supremacists in clashes with counter-protesters in Charlottesville, Virginia, that culminated in a car running into a crowd, killing at least one person.
The president said he condemned “hatred, bigotry and violence on many sides” on Saturday. He then repeated the phrase “on many sides” for emphasis. A White House spokesperson later amplified the president’s remarks, telling the Guardian: “The president was condemning hatred, bigotry and violence from all sources and all sides. There was violence between protesters and counter-protesters today.”
But there was strong reaction to Trump’s refusal to denounce far-right extremists who had marched through the streets carrying flaming torches, screaming racial epithets and setting upon their opponents.
The clashes started after white nationalists planned a rally around a statue of the Confederate general Robert E Lee that is slated to be removed, and culminated in a car being deliberately driven into a group of people peacefully protesting the far right rally, killing one person and injuring at least 19. Senator Ron Wyden, a Democrat from Oregon, described the car ramming as an act of “domestic terrorism”.
Speaking at a previously scheduled event in Bedminster, New Jersey, to discuss healthcare for veterans, Trump said: “I should put out a comment as to what’s going on in Charlottesville.”
After stopping to shake the hands of the assembled veterans, the president said: “We’re closely following the terrible events unfolding in Charlottesville, Virginia. We condemn in the strongest possible terms this egregious display of hatred, bigotry and violence on many sides, on many sides.” Trump added that this had been “going on for a long time in our country. Not Donald Trump, not Barack Obama. A long, long time.” Trump added: “What is vital now is a swift restoration of law and order.”
Trump urged Americans to “love each other, respect each other and cherish our history and our future together. So important. We have to respect each other. Ideally, we have to love each other.”
However, Trump’s remarks met condemnation for being inadequate – not just from Democrats but many members of his own party as well.
The Florida Republican Senator Marco Rubio was among those calling for a straightforward condemnation:
Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) Very important for the nation to hear @potus describe events in #Charlottesville for what they are, a terror attack by #whitesupremacists
The Republican senator Cory Gardner of Colorado tweeted: “Mr President – we must call evil by its name. These were white supremacists and this was domestic terrorism.” This was echoed by Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah who lost a brother in the second world war. “We should call evil by its name. My brother didn’t give his life fighting Hitler for Nazi ideas to go unchallenged here at home,” said Hatch on Twitter.
These calls for specific condemnation were echoed by a number of Democrats. The Senate minority leader, Chuck Schumer, said in a statement: “The march and rally in Charlottesville goes against everything the American flag stands for. President Trump must condemn this in the strongest terms immediately.” The Hawaii senator Brian Schatz offered a pointed comment on Twitter,: “It is not too much to ask to have a president who explicitly condemns nazis.” Bernie Sanders, an independent from Vermont who caucuses with the Democrats, tweeted at Trump: “No, Mr. President. This is a provocative effort by Neo-Nazis to foment racism and hatred and create violence. Call it out for what it is.”
Play Video 1:34 Virginia governor says 'go home' to white supremacists and nazis – video
Before Trump’s remarks, Republican congressional leaders issued strong statements about the events in Virginia.
The Republican House speaker, Paul Ryan, tweeted: “The views fueling the spectacle in Charlottesville are repugnant. Let it only serve to unite Americans against this kind of vile bigotry.”
The Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell, tweeted: “The hate and bigotry witnessed in #Charlottesville does not reflect American values. I wholeheartedly oppose their actions.”
Mike Huckabee, the former Arkansas governor and father of the White House press secretary, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, issued a strident tweet about white nationalism. “‘White supremacy’ crap is worst kind of racism – it’s EVIL and perversion of God’s truth to ever think our Creator values some above others,” Huckabee said on Twitter.
Charlottesville: car runs into crowd amid violence at planned far-right protest Read more
Earlier in the day, the initial White House response came from the Twitter account of the first lady, Melania Trump, not the president: “Our country encourages freedom of speech, but let’s communicate w/o hate in our hearts. No good comes from violence. #Charlottesville” at 12:36 on Saturday.
The president did not issue a statement until 40 minutes later, when he said on Twitter: “We ALL must be united & condemn all that hate stands for. There is no place for this kind of violence in America. Lets come together as one!”
David Duke, the former head of the Ku Klux Klan who was the subject of controversy during the 2016 campaign when Trump did not immediately condemn his endorsement, pushed back on this initial tweet. “I would recommend you take a good look in the mirror & remember it was White Americans who put you in the presidency, not radical leftists,” responded Duke, who was in Charlottesville.
Trump did not specifically mention Charlottesville until a following statement on Twitter, in which he described the clashes as “Sad!” Trump tweeted: “Am in Bedminster for meetings & press conference on V.A. & all that we have done, and are doing, to make it better-but Charlottesville sad!”
The president, in his responses, bemoaned that the clashes were happening when “our country is doing so well in so many ways”, citing low unemployment and the renegotiation of trade deals. He noted: “We have so many incredible things happening in our country, so when I watch Charlottesville, to me it’s very, very sad.”
The White House response also included a since deleted tweet from the homeland security adviser Tom Bossert, in which he condemned “the violence and hate in Charlotte”. The city of Charlotte is in North Carolina.Often when I argue that governments must not violate our rights – they are supposed to be unalienable, after all – statists have a ready retort: Government is already violating them, good and hard, all over the place.
Recently I pointed out that imposing fines and constraints on gun owners who haven't been shown to have committed a crime, not even close, is a case of prior restraint, of unjustifiably depriving a citizen of liberty since only convicted and guilty people may be so deprived. In a free country citizens may not be intruded upon by their governments without having been convicted by methods of due process. Governments, in other words, are supposed to defend the rights of their citizens; that is their proper purpose!
My statist adversaries eagerly point out to me that government is intruding upon us all over the place: We are forced to obtain a driver's license and innumerable permits as we go about living in our communities (building our homes, engaging in businesses, practicing professions, etc.). Nearly everything we do requires a license even though we are legally innocent! Ergo: prior restraint big time!
Now some of this is accurate enough – citizens in America are indeed subjected to prior restraint left and right, up and down. Most of the time the justification given is that government must protect us against possible malpractice and government regulations and licensing are the best way to do this, never mind that our rights are clearly being violated in the process. Unalienable is a nice idea in a document like the Declaration of Independence, but |
searching light of your Holy Word illumines our hearts and minds to our own flaws and failures."Although there’s still a long way to go in the countdown, we aren’t likely to find many entries with better designs—there will certainly be more beautiful posters, more original posters, and more resonant posters, but few that are, as designers say, more designerly. Posters like this one make me love my job. What do you think?
Finally there’s the color, which is the mortar that holds these bricks together. The black ink really pops against the yellow and the red, but that large red rectangle is an incredibly powerful composition device, even more than on the Highway 301 poster. It gives the title typography, as well as the secondary typography, something comfortable to anchor itself to and align with; and it frames up all of the important information in the design. Like a picture frame, it shouts, “Look at me!,” and does it damn well.
Now here’s the icing on the cake: take another look at the falling hoodlum. Where does his gun lead our eyes? Directly at the title of the movie. Where does his free hand point? At the cast list. Such positioning is certainly no accident! Now let’s look more closely at the big image on top. Where does that rather big, phallic gun point? You got it, and that’s no accident either.
What’s even better about the photos is how they create depth — this poster is practically 3-D. The hood being gunned down erupts from the picture-plane, falling into our laps! But his body also overlaps the title typography, which itself beautifully frames him. That type, in turn, overlaps the large image in the background. Each aspect of the image: the falling figure, the title typography, and the large photograph of the couple integrate seamlessly. Gestalt!
I bet that the publicity still was somehow different than what we see here. More evidence of retouching can be found in the strange cropping of the female figure’s front shoulder underneath the word “Short.” Designers were often given a sheaf of publicity shots and told to make them into a poster—they had to make do with what they were given.
The first thing to note is the simplicity of the design, which could be produced on the cheap. There are just three colors, none of which are registered tightly, meaning fewer throw-aways on the press and significant savings over the course of the print run. There’s also little illustration, with images captured directly from publicity photographs. The top image has been manipulated—
Primarily notable as the only film directed by Jimmy Cagney, Short Cut to Hell is a tepid remake of the Alan Ladd Veronica Lake classic This Gun for Hire. Regardless of the quality of the movie, this is one hell of a poster, and yet another design that benefits from not having to promote a big name cast. Let’s take a few minutes and really sink our teeth into the design of this poster, because it’s that good :
Primarily notable as the only film directed by Jimmy Cagney, Short Cut to Hell is a tepid remake of the Alan Ladd Veronica Lake classic This Gun for Hire. Regardless of the quality of the movie, this is one hell of a poster, and yet another design that benefits from not having to promote a big name cast. Let’s take a few minutes and really sink our teeth into the design of this poster, because it’s that good : The first thing to note is the simplicity of the design, which could be produced on the cheap. There are just three colors, none of which are registered tightly, meaning fewer throw-aways on the press and significant savings over the course of the print run. There’s also little illustration, with images captured directly from publicity photographs. The top image has been manipulated— notice the inky quality of the trench coat. I bet that the publicity still was somehow different than what we see here. More evidence of retouching can be found in the strange cropping of the female figure’s front shoulder underneath the word “Short.” Designers were often given a sheaf of publicity shots and told to make them into a poster—they had to make do with what they were given. What’s even better about the photos is how they create depth — this poster is practically 3-D. The hood being gunned down erupts from the picture-plane, falling into our laps! But his body also overlaps the title typography, which itself beautifully frames him. That type, in turn, overlaps the large image in the background. Each aspect of the image: the falling figure, the title typography, and the large photograph of the couple integrate seamlessly. Gestalt! Now here’s the icing on the cake: take another look at the falling hoodlum. Where does his gun lead our eyes? Directly at the title of the movie. Where does his free hand point? At the cast list. Such positioning is certainly no accident! Now let’s look more closely at the big image on top. Where does that rather big, phallic gun point? You got it, and that’s no accident either. Finally there’s the color, which is the mortar that holds these bricks together. The black ink really pops against the yellow and the red, but that large red rectangle is an incredibly powerful composition device, even more than on the Highway 301 poster. It gives the title typography, as well as the secondary typography, something comfortable to anchor itself to and align with; and it frames up all of the important information in the design. Like a picture frame, it shouts, “Look at me!,” and does it damn well. Although there’s still a long way to go in the countdown, we aren’t likely to find many entries with better designs—there will certainly be more beautiful posters, more original posters, and more resonant posters, but few that are, as designers say, more designerly. Posters like this one make me love my job. What do you think?
poster, even breaking the fourth wall via that delightful quote. His arm points directly at the cascading vignettes of violence and sex, all guaranteed to entice audiences. Notice as well the wonderful title typography: not only does it use perspective to steer our eyes to the place Lovejoy’s finger points, but also it creates a “floor” upon which that lonely figure stands. Any designer capable of juxtaposing type and image this beautifully, while still maintaining the type’s readability, will always have a job. Let it not go unsaid as well that audiences were sure to notice the prominent positioning of Warner Bros. and the
Nothing shouts B-movie like a two-color poster from the brothers Warner, and like the design for, this is one of their best. Just as we appreciate films made on the cheap, I admire the economy of a poster done to match. If you haven’t seen it yet this is worthwhile film, strangely nominated for Oscar in the Best Documentary Feature category. It has also become widely available since I originally wrote about it years ago
suggests an intoxicating trashiness that’s what this movie is all about. Looking past that though, the design holds up under any microscope: dynamic composition, deft blending of type and image, and follow that wafting gun smoke that leads up to the lover’s embrace. If only Brooks’s line of sight conformed to that of the typography, and the boxy drop shadow on the capital “I” could be removed — not to mention the clumsy and unnecessary shadow of the two lovers — this poster might finish higher on the list.
The poster for Blonde Ice, one of the legendary B-noirs, is another that benefits from not having to include big star names above the title. The use of photography rather than illustration (a low rent outfit like Film Classics wouldn’t pay an illustrator when stills or publicity shots would do) benefits this design. T he gigantic image of Miss Brooks and her smoking gun, far from glamorous or idealized, suggests an intoxicating trashiness that’s what this movie is all about. Looking past that though, the design holds up under any microscope: dynamic composition, deft blending of type and image, and follow that wafting gun smoke that leads up to the lover’s embrace. If only Brooks’s line of sight conformed to that of the typography, and the boxy drop shadow on the capital “I” could be removed — not to mention the clumsy and unnecessary shadow of the two lovers — this poster might finish higher on the list.
So why is it here? The saving grace of the whole affair is Shelly Winters, who looks extraordinary: iconic and noir-ish to the nines in her beret, red dress, and fox fur. This is exactly what a noir dame is supposed to look like. I’ve taken a fair amount of heat in the years since I originally published this countdown for not including the poster for that most iconic of noir films, Out of the Past. Although I made that decision in part to court some controversy, I’ve never liked OotP ’s rather dull depiction of Jane Greer, whose image could have very well been lifted from the poster for an 18th or 19th century period piece.
So why is it here? The saving grace of the whole affair is Shelly Winters, who looks extraordinary: iconic and noir-ish to the nines in her beret, red dress, and fox fur. This is exactly what a noir dame is supposed to look like. I’ve taken a fair amount of heat in the years since I originally published this countdown for not including the poster for that most iconic of noir films, Out of the Past. Although I made that decision in part to court some controversy, I’ve never liked OotP ’s rather dull depiction of Jane Greer, whose image could have very well been lifted from the poster for an 18th or 19th century period piece.
I’d like this poster more if not for two things: first, the contrived pose of Dan Duryea (I can just see the photographer giving him direction, “Dan, hold the gun a little higher…”), and the fact that the designer has made it appear as if he is standing in Oscar the Grouch’s garbage can. The suggestion of violence is tantalizing, but why does the artwork have to be so forced and awkward? There’s also something amiss about the size relationship between Duryea and Mr. Lupino, whoops, I mean Howard Duff—in all likelihood they were not photographed together.
I’d like this poster more if not for two things: first, the contrived pose of Dan Duryea (I can just see the photographer giving him direction, “Dan, hold the gun a little higher…”), and the fact that the designer has made it appear as if he is standing in Oscar the Grouch’s garbage can. The suggestion of violence is tantalizing, but why does the artwork have to be so forced and awkward? There’s also something amiss about the size relationship between Duryea and Mr. Lupino, whoops, I mean Howard Duff—in all likelihood they were not photographed together.
I’d like this poster more if not for two things: first, the contrived pose of Dan Duryea (I can just see the photographer giving him direction, “Dan, hold the gun a little higher…”), and the fact that the designer has made it appear as if he is standing in Oscar the Grouch’s garbage can. The suggestion of violence is tantalizing, but why does the artwork have to be so forced and awkward? There’s also something amiss about the size relationship between Duryea and Mr. Lupino, whoops, I mean Howard Duff—in all likelihood they were not photographed together. So why is it here? The saving grace of the whole affair is Shelly Winters, who looks extraordinary: iconic and noir-ish to the nines in her beret, red dress, and fox fur. This is exactly what a noir dame is supposed to look like. I’ve taken a fair amount of heat in the years since I originally published this countdown for not including the poster for that most iconic of noir films, Out of the Past. Although I made that decision in part to court some controversy, I’ve never liked OotP ’s rather dull depiction of Jane Greer, whose image could have very well been lifted from the poster for an 18th or 19th century period piece.
Here we have a strong counterpoint to the poster for The Blue Dahlia. What that one did wrong, Alias Nick Beal does right. A simple, strong composition from top to bottom, it offers us a wonderfully colorful glimpse at Audrey Totter (even if the angle of her figure makes her hips seem strangely narrow), as well as a space-filling sketch at the bottom that provides some insight into the setting and the intrigue of the film. The characters have been arranged to accommodate the expansive red box that holds the film title and the stars’ names — and here we don’t have stars of such magnitude that they require the top of the poster to be wrecked, despite the fact that unlike the Dahlia stars, Milland was an Oscar winner. Finally, notice how the images of the performers are engaged with one another. Sure, Totter is objectified, but at least she’s attracted the attention of Milland, who in turn is eyeballed by Mitchell.
All of this visual noise frames a photograph of Steve Cochran pistol-whipping some cluck in a pinstripe suit. The expansive field of red in the background is also potently useful; it frames the artwork and anchors the many compositional elements, while suggesting a film that’s brimming over with blood and action. (It’s true— Highway 301 is brutal.) Through the choice of color, the immediacy of the shadows that morph into brushstrokes at the very top, and the diagonal composition, this vaguely recalls theposter, but this arrangement wins out. All of the elements work together to complete the overall rectangular shape, and thetitle graphic points us leads the eyes to the poster’s unmistakable focal point: Steve Cochran—and it’s all accomplished with just two ink colors!
Enter the realm of ugly but effective. As I mentioned at the beginning of the post, originality will be rewarded. Why? Because it sticks in the memory — and being memorable is everything. I don’t mean to imply that designers and illustrators are vain; it just makes sense that a unique design will linger in the mind longer than something run-of-the-mill or derivative, and’ll pull in more sets of eyes and consequently sell more tickets. Besides, anyone who’s seen knows that a traditional approach to the poster would have done the movie a disservice.
It’s impossible not to catch the reference to Hawthorne: instead of a large “A” (and befitting the radioactivity of the atomic age) we are confronted with a woman who is quite literally glowing scarlet. In addition to the inventive (and economical) use of two ink colors, I love how the designer has cast us as voyeurs. All of the poster’s scenes are domestic — amorous, violent, indifferent — and we peer at them as if through the panes of an uncurtained window. There’s something very much in keeping with the film noir milieu here; the poster reminds us that for many folks the American Dream was a sham, and not every 1950s home was a happy one. I’m bothered a little by the lowest image panel — it seems unrelated to the two above; and for that matter the “vampire” panel is confusing as well. Although this poster asks more questions than it answers, it’s evocative enough to warrant a spot in the countdown.
Like the forthcoming poster for The Beat Generation, I’ve included the poster for Wicked Woman because it’s so unusual. It isn’t an attractive poster, but it can’t be dismissed, And there may be more going on here than initially meets the eye. It’s impossible not to catch the reference to Hawthorne: instead of a large “A” (and befitting the radioactivity of the atomic age) we are confronted with a woman who is quite literally glowing scarlet. In addition to the inventive (and economical) use of two ink colors, I love how the designer has cast us as voyeurs. All of the poster’s scenes are domestic — amorous, violent, indifferent — and we peer at them as if through the panes of an uncurtained window. There’s something very much in keeping with the film noir milieu here; the poster reminds us that for many folks the American Dream was a sham, and not every 1950s home was a happy one. I’m bothered a little by the lowest image panel — it seems unrelated to the two above; and for that matter the “vampire” panel is confusing as well. Although this poster asks more questions than it answers, it’s evocative enough to warrant a spot in the countdown.
Finally, all designers will confide that the worst word to include in a design (especially a logo) is “the,” because although it’s insignificant as hell it almost always comes first! As you examine film posters, try to decide whether or not “the” is handled well. The designer here solved the pesky problem of beautifully; the designer on The Blue Dahlia poster, for example, did not.
See how the long shadows cast by the killers lead us right to the doomed lovers? That’s an example of a designer using composition to keep our eyes from straying off the poster while also reinforcing the concept of the movie. I’m also conscious of the attention to detail: despite the small scale and extreme angle, anyone who knows this film (of course you do!) will tell you that the killers on the poster are the very same killers from the film.
Again and again, Burt Lancaster is handled curiously on movie posters: it’s amazing how often he’s rendered in profile, holding a woman in his arms. The posters for Criss-Cross, Kiss the Blood Off My Hands, From Here to Eternity, and The Rainmaker all show Burt this way. This one is the best of the bunch; he’s in love, she couldn’t care less. And even though the quality of the illustration is poor (that doesn’t really look like Ava, does it?), the overall composition more than makes up for it. See how the long shadows cast by the killers lead us right to the doomed lovers? That’s an example of a designer using composition to keep our eyes from straying off the poster while also reinforcing the concept of the movie. I’m also conscious of the attention to detail: despite the small scale and extreme angle, anyone who knows this film (of course you do!) will tell you that the killers on the poster are the very same killers from the film. Finally, all designers will confide that the worst word to include in a design (especially a logo) is “the,” because although it’s insignificant as hell it almost always comes first! As you examine film posters, try to decide whether or not “the” is handled well. The designer here solved the pesky problem of beautifully; the designer on The Blue Dahlia poster, for example, did not.
Finally, notice the ends of the stars’ names along the right-hand edge; draw an imaginary vertical line with your eye — those names should line up with each other, and with the sleeve of the standing figure at the bottom of the design as well. The human eye craves structure, and wants badly for things to “line up.” We’d appreciate this poster more were that the case.
Oddly, some of Hollywood’s most striking faces don’t translate particularly well to posters, while others become even more beautiful. Ella Raines is one of the unfortunates — take a look at her posters and you’ll realize she never looks as good in art as she does in life. (Lizabeth Scott, on the other hand, shines in her posters like no other actress.) This example is one of the rare exceptions, as the artist has done a fine job of capturing Raines’s extraordinary looks. An equally fine job has been done with George Sanders.
Oddly, some of Hollywood’s most striking faces don’t translate particularly well to posters, while others become even more beautiful. Ella Raines is one of the unfortunates — take a look at her posters and you’ll realize she never looks as good in art as she does in life. (Lizabeth Scott, on the other hand, shines in her posters like no other actress.) This example is one of the rare exceptions, as the artist has done a fine job of capturing Raines’s extraordinary looks. An equally fine job has been done with George Sanders. This poster scores points for not only the quality of the illustration, but also for the striking way in which Sanders’s direct, pleading gaze confronts the viewer. I appreciate the strong diagonal composition, but wish the female figure at the top didn’t seem so awkwardly perched atop Sanders’s head, like a halo on…… a Saint? (Sorry!) Finally, notice the ends of the stars’ names along the right-hand edge; draw an imaginary vertical line with your eye — those names should line up with each other, and with the sleeve of the standing figure at the bottom of the design as well. The human eye craves structure, and wants badly for things to “line up.” We’d appreciate this poster more were that the case.
So why is this poster included when so many hundreds of others were not? The rendering is superb, even if the names at the top seem crammed into the available space. The representations of Ladd and Lake (though less so) are iconic, and the cigarette smoke that cleverly draws the viewer’s eyes across Veronica’s breasts is the icing on the cake. Too bad big Bill is sporting lipstick, and Doris Dowling (of Bitter Rice fame) is positioned so clumsily — though I’ll admit that her shoe poking through the title typography is a nice touch.
Here’s a poster that would certainly have been placed higher (it’s used on the cover of my book, after all) were it not so crowded, but I like opening with such a well-known film. As we go through the countdown we’ll see numerous examples of posters designed in the style of mass-market paperbacks by famous authors, meaning that the names of the stars are more important than the title of the picture, and have been placed more prominently in the design. Don’t forget that motion picture marketing relies on star power. Yet this poster could have been executed better. It’s still attractive, but nearly as generic: these three mug shots could have been pulled from any Ladd / Lake / Bendix vehicle. Here’s a movie with a flower in the title, so why not work that motif into the poster, or perhaps include the neon “Blue Dahlia” sign we see in the film? Give me a more precise reference to the content of the movie and I’ll give a higher ranking.
My personal taste. The least significant of the criteria. My choices are guided primarily by the above, though it would absurd to imagine my personal likes and dislikes — as well as my emotions — didn’t play some part in my choices. However I’m not hiding behind personal opinion: this is not a list of my favorites. This is an empirical list of what I consider to be the best, with my personal likes and dislikes shoved as far to the side as possible. And while any such list is, of course, purely opinion, not all opinions carry equal weight: this one is highly educated, professionally seasoned, and exercised daily!
Here’s how this started: This was a countdown about graphic design first and foremost. This is not a ranking of movies themselves, but of their posters. In the real world I’m a university graphic design professor (as well as chair of the department of art and design here at my school) and longtime professional designer. My designs have appeared in what professionals refer to as “the annuals,” (like Print, How, and Graphis ) more than 300 times. I’ve organized several gallery exhibitions of film posters, and have been collecting movie paper for as long as I can remember. I decided it made a ton of sense to do some sort of a countdown that would blend my love of movies with my life as a designer and educator.
The reception to this poster countdown continues to amaze me. The post was featured on more than 100 different web sites worldwide, and ultimately led Fantagraphics to ask me me to turn it into a book, which was released in September 2014. The book features an introduction by none other than William Friedkin — who says blogging isn’t worthwhile? Click the cover image below to find the book on Amazon! On the the countdown!
Of course it’s possible that some readers could be bothered by the inclusion of a poster such as this in the countdown (though we’ve already seen a few milder examples in the posters for Wicked Woman and The Big Heat ), but such violence and imagery are inescapable aspects of the film noir underworld, and I make no apologies for considering such posters. Besides, it’s worth noting that at least in this film the girl has it coming — if ever Liz Scott played a femme fatale, it’s in this picture; she practically devours anyone who gets in her way, especially Dan Duryea. And if I were a betting man, I’d place my bills on the lady: Scott would kick the crap out of Duryea. I mean, look at the hand on that guy — even the poster artist couldn’t toughen him up. My one qualm is with the illustration of Scott, who looks a whole lot more like Cybill Shepherd than she does herself. Otherwise this poster is a home run: extreme scale in the illustration of Duryea and Scott, with competing diagonals running all over the place, including the excellent placement of the tagline. Notice also that the tagline appears to be coming from Duryea’s mouth almost as if it were a comic book word balloon, which puts the violence into an almost cartoonish context and makes it that much more palatable. My favorite thing about the illo is also the most subtle, and that’s the slick foreshortening of Scott’s left arm. It’s almost Kirby-esque in how it creates a sense of depth and movement, and ties together the illustration with the yellow box and the narrative scene in blue at the bottom of the composition. For those of you who may not have seen this film, that scene at the bottom is incredibly relevant to the movie, and sets up all of the drama of the film. If you do track this down though, try to score a good print: this has been in the public domain for a long time, and there are hardly any prints out there that are actually worth watching.
Most of you already know that this is a remake of the 1941 film High Sierra (be on the lookout for that poster in a few weeks!) starring Jack Palance and Shelley Winters in the Humphrey Bogart and Ida Lupino roles from the earlier film. Palance lacked Bogie’s pathos, and Winters was missing Lupino’s vulnerability, so the remake falls short of the original, but the poster is still a gem. It’s also worth noting (and this might help explain the some of the design choices here), that unlike High Sierra, I Died a Thousand Times was shot in color. The poster is simply marvelous. I don’t feel compelled to explain this one away, I’m sure you are all on the same page with me on this one. It’s just a stunning design with a wonderfully stilted composition and vivid use of color. The large image is sexy as hell, and all of the panels combine to form a fantastic broken stained glass effect. And can you beat a film with Gonzalez Gonzalez in the cast? Somebody get me one of these!
Jack Palance, he of the chiseled face and the one-armed pushup, makes two appearances this week as well. The poster for House of Numbers may slip past you at first glance — it did me. Yet each time I looked at the thing it resonated with me more and more — so much so that I finally tracked down a copy for my collection. It’s an iconic image of Palance, not that that says much — Palance has one of the great faces in film history, but not so much because it was adorable. It’s the gigantic question mark that makes this poster tick, and the way in which the little icon-style images (OK, they look like clip-art.) invite the viewer to try to solve the puzzle presented by the film. After all, House of Numbers is a prison-break picture — and a pretty good one, even if a little far fetched. Beyond the clever use of the question mark, note how large the thing is, and how it is used (along with the red shaded area) to suggest some extraordinarily heavy burden thrust upon Palance’s shoulders. I also dig the prison-issue typography here, and how the designer managed to use Palance’s clothing as a framing device, without creating a sense of too much clutter. You guys are liable to think I’m screwy on this last point, but I love these little instances of visual surprise and non-conformity: check out how the red shaded area leeches down into the white frame of the poster for absolutely no good reason. Why does it do that?! Jack’s body stops at the edge of the frame to allow for the fine print, why not the red? Who knows, maybe it’s a mistake — but an intriguing one.
It’s almost every film noir fan’s favorite prison picture, and the movie is hard-boiled enough to live up to its title. I have to admit that it’s also nice to see Burt Lancaster looking tough for once, and not wrapped in the arms of his latest conquest. A superb poster that gets the job done without the use of photography, this features vivid, stylistically consistent illustrations from top to bottom forming an “L” shape that frames the equally well-rendered title typography. Note how tactfully the cast listing is handled here: the designer had to include the names of eleven different cast members, and place them in some sort of hierarchy by gender and billing. It works really well, and the prison-style taglines are a nice touch. This is a busy design, but from the other side of the street we’ll come away with the big image of Burt and the title — the only things necessary to get us into the theater.
What would a noir poster countdown be without that particular facial expression from Joan Fontaine? I guess it’s a little ironic that I should accuse Joan of having limited facial expressions when she appears alongside Dana Andrews on this poster. Dana’s mug shows up twice this week and, you got it, he has the exact same expression in both posters. Andrews was the kind of guy that could show up in one of those “Jib Jab” animations and appear completely normal. Ouch, I go too far. I love the guy dearly — if you read my essay on The Fearmakers you’ll know how much. Nevertheless, Andrews’ range wasn’t one of his strong suits. The poster here is quite nice, with the puzzle pieces doing exactly the same thing as the question mark in the poster for House of Numbers and the title typography in the poster for The Verdict — it looms over the main characters and casts some sort of ominous pall over their lives and their fates. It’s the burden they must suffer under. Here the pieces seem to be closing in on the couple, like some angry mob, shortly to overwhelm them — or at least, one of them…
Here’s another one of the great limited palette posters from Warner Bros. Yet unlike so many of the others done in this style this one uses just a single photograph and piece of display typography to shoulder the weight of the entire poster. No insets, no taglines, no cheesecake, and no violence; just a deliciously dark photograph of the film’s three leads looking off-screen, riveted by some unknowable nemesis. The title typography is great — this is one of the first (along with that of the previous poster) instances of a conceptual type treatment we’ve seen thus far. It appears to have been stamped, in red ink of course, by some colossally large bureaucrat with absolutely terrific force, as if on a correspondingly large manila envelope. It hangs in the air, looming above the three unsuspecting characters that strain under the weight of the verdict itself. The oversized red box that holds the star names is the only major drawback — as if the photograph couldn’t do the job of identification just as easily — after all, Lorre and Greenstreet were stars of the first order. The box is too big; it covers up too much of the photo, and weighs the whole thing down. It also bothers me that the red boxes are perfectly parallel to one another; if the lower box were set at a different angle, we might also get the impression of the boxes tumbling through space, as surely the characters in The Verdict must be.
Feel free to argue with me on this one, it’s another poster that I struggled to place in the right spot in the countdown. Along with the poster for The Verdict, this one features title typography that functions conceptually, in order to drive the message of the film home to viewers. Let’s forget the junky illustrations of Dana Andrew and that makeshift broad somehow supposed to resemble Gene Tierney — all the good stuff here is happening in the box with the title typography. I’ll happily acknowledge that the poster as a whole should be darker, and much of what the artist has made blue should instead be black, but there is something powerfully indicative of the film noir milieu in the use of yellow here. We’ve seen yellow used so often before simply for its brightness and ability to contrast with black. Here, we have the yellow of a streetlight — and it shines down harshly on the drama playing out amongst the typography. What appears from a distance to be a man who has perhaps, fallen down on the street corner — drunken maybe, instead turns out to be two men locked in a struggle, or better yet — one man dragging the body of another. Whatever is happening there under the harsh glare of the lights is fascinating, and viewers are certain to have wanted to see more. Finally, the conceptual device of the type “ending” along with the sidewalk itself is conceptual and witty, not to mention “designerly” — the designer in me is happy to spend a few minutes simply enjoying the skill with which the artist was able to wrap the type along the curb, while maintaining readability of the letters. Any professional designer will look at this and tell you that things such as this, no matter how simple, effortless, or natural they appear to be, are notoriously difficult to get approved.
This is one of the great noir pictures; if you haven’t seen it move it to the top of your list. If we can make the argument that Edward G. Robinson gives the greatest supporting turn of all time by a male actor in Double Indemnity, then an equally strong case for a supporting actress can be made for Thelma Ritter’s in this film. It’s Sam Fuller’s best movie, and maybe Richard Widmark’s as well. Tough, cynical, and subversive; this is everything a mature film noir ought to be. The poster is fine: nice title type holding up a traditional, if a bit too symmetrical composition. The star names are down at the bottom where they belong, and the inset images give us an idea of the film’s content and frame up the large artwork of Peters and Widmark nicely. The white background isn’t very indicative of the dark subject matter of the film, but it works on the poster and contributes to the all-American color palette, which must be intentionally ironic given the movie’s cynical jab at the government.
Here’s a poster from Fox that set the standard for those black, white, and red posters from Warner Bros. There’s nothing about the design for 1940’s Johnny Apollo that really shouts at you, but there’s a lot to enjoy in the details. And I’ve placed it here in the countdown because it anticipates all of those of the fine Warner posters we’ve already seen. I love the palette: the warm sepia tones of the photography and the secondary type combined with black and the rich red of the title. The attention to detail in the text type is a plus as well — showing us that the designer really cared about the quality of the finished piece — a dedication to craftsmanship often absent from the mass-produced style of the later fifties. The combination of script typography for the first names, with big bold surnames in deco-style hand lettering is just beautiful — as is the cheesecake photo of Dorothy Lamour. Edward Arnold’s part in this film is huge, so his presence in the poster is necessary, but I’d like this a bit more if we could nix him while reflecting the photograph of Tyrone and Dotty in order to get their faces to line up with their names.
Long has Ride the Pink Horse held a place in my heart as the greatest film noir title of all time (along with Kiss the Blood Off My Hands ), and I love the poster just as much. For my money this is the best image of Robert Montgomery on a film poster, and any image whatsoever of the divine Wanda Hendrix is welcome anytime. It’s a bizarre poster to say the least: a “Hotel Stack” collage illustration scheme, some highly incongruous and suspect typography, a bizarre cartoon-style scene at the bottom, and a shade of green that brings poison gas to mind. Yet for some reason (and probably a visceral one, at least as far as I’m concerned), it all works. The power of gestalt is happening here in some wonderful way and this becomes a poster that just grabs at me. Combine its super magical power with Montgomery’s intense gaze and the poster lands here in the countdown. This is one of those times where being offbeat goes a long way to the positive.
Look at those gams, that plunging neckline, those curls. Holy smokes, sometimes design has to take a back seat to a blonde in a red dress — but this isn’t that time, because the design here is just as good as the girl — or is it just as “bad” as the girl? Sometimes noir gets confusing. Seriously though, what a great noir statement this poster makes: the idealized and idolized woman surrounded by the men who revolve around like so many satellites. Great color palette, super composition, strong type treatments (especially in having Martha seated on the box that contains the cast names — talk about getting your money’s worth out of a simple box), quality negative space, and I’ll say it once again: the girl in the red dress. We’ll see better cheesecake posters before we get to the end of the countdown, but not much better.
Look at those gams, that plunging neckline, those curls. Holy smokes, sometimes design has to take a back seat to a blonde in a red dress — but this isn’t that time, because the design here is just as good as the girl — or is it just as “bad” as the girl? Sometimes noir gets confusing. Seriously though, what a great noir statement this poster makes: the idealized and idolized woman surrounded by the men who revolve around like so many satellites. Great color palette, super composition, strong type treatments (especially in having Martha seated on the box that contains the cast names — talk about getting your money’s worth out of a simple box), quality negative space |
us all warm. Seriously, this is JANUARY weather already.
(And yeah, I kinda feel like a wimp, having seen all the pix of people who got snow before Halloween and are currently buried under feet of the stuff, but still -- this is “Hotlanta.” MILD winters, guys. MILD.)
In any case, these have been the most technically tricky thing I’ve ever made, I think. I’ve had to rip and re-do a couple of the fingers a few times, and I’m not really sure why -- but I know that I’ve done my best! The second glove is a WAY better fit than the first even though the row count is almost exactly the same.
I will be really happy to have this done and see my daughter skedaddle off to the bus stop (she still insists on riding the bus) with them on her hands.
FINISHED! My gauge is so much tighter and the work is so much neater on the second one! I’m OK with that, though -- I still consider myself a beginner knitter, and I learn more and more with each project I do.
Now I’m itching to make a pair for myself! :-D
FUNNY STORY FOLLOW-UP: So I’ve picked up the wee one from school and we’re driving home. Guilty look: “Momma, look. I only have one.” Skeptical, thinking that I’m totally being trolled: “Oh yeah? What happened to the other one?” “I dropped it in the gutter.” “Uh huh. Why didn’t you pick it up?” “It went into the sewer thing.” “Yeah, sure. Right. Where?” (still thinking she’s pulling my leg) “At the bus stop.” Remembering that there is, indeed, a sewer/drainage thingie at the bus stop “How in the world did you manage to drop it into the sewer? How does that possibly happen?!” “I was tying my shoe and it just fell down.” So anyway, following much disbelief on my part and, yes, some ranting and raving -- but not mean -- I got home and started rummaging through the garage. Grabbed a fishing pole before husband came out with an awesome thing that he had made for me -- a stick with a wire hook on the end -- and we drove up to the bus stop and, miracle of miracles, snagged it out of the cistern that it had fallen into. Long story, happy ending. Kiddo lucked out!!More purely objective scientific research from the purlieus of America's universities finds that conservatives are more apt to "startle" at disgusting images and loud noises than are laid-back open-minded liberals. As Time describes the study involving 46 Nebraskans and published last week in Science:
Researchers shied away from using labels such as conservative and liberal in their study, but they concede that volunteers who registered a heightened sense of threat also tended to subscribe to conservative attitudes. "It's not that conservatives are 'fraidy-cats," says Kevin Smith, a political science professor at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and one of the study's co-authors. "It's that people who support socially protective policies — which, yes, can be interpreted as people taking a conservative position on those policies — are more sensitive to environmental threat." To measure that sensitivity, researchers conducted two tests. In one, they showed volunteers a series of photos that included some threatening images — for example, a picture of a man with a spider on his face or an infected open wound — while measuring the electrical conductance of the volunteers' skin, a technique also used in polygraph testing. In a separate experiment, researchers subjected the volunteers to sudden bursts of loud white noise to test their startle reflexes, measured by sensors attached to the muscle below the eye that recorded how hard people blinked. People who blinked harder than others and registered a heightened response to threat on the conductivity test tended to support the death penalty and military spending. People with a mellower startle response were more likely to support abortion rights and gun control. The study also looked at several broader political tendencies, including compromise (the willingness to yield to a middle-ground solution) and obedience (the tendency to follow a set path), and found that people who were more sensitive to threat were less amenable to the former and more inclined toward the latter.
National Geographic reported:
"[People displaying] measurably lower physical sensitivities to sudden noises and threatening visual images were more likely to support foreign aid, liberal immigration policies, pacifism and gun control," the team wrote in its report, to be published in the journal Science tomorrow. "Individuals displaying measurably higher physiological reactions to those same stimuli were more likely to favor defense spending, capital punishment, patriotism and the Iraq War."
However, one suspiciously fair-minded critic wondered how the results would have been interpreted had they come out the other way:
Duke University political scientist Evan Charney said that such studies run the risk of "pathologizing conservatism … and I say that as a left-wing liberal." The study could be read as, "Conservatives are a hell of a lot more threatened than liberals," Charney said. "But if the results had come out the other way, we might be reading [interpretations] that liberals are more attentive than conservatives or more concerned than conservatives."
reason has been covering research into the psychopathology of conservativism for some time.Mayor Rob Ford now says he wants to scrap the five-cent plastic bag fee. To many stores, his opinion may not matter. Even if Ford succeeds in persuading city council to eliminate the bylaw that makes the fee mandatory, some retailers will simply continue charging shoppers for bags, says Councillor Denzil Minnan-Wong, a Ford ally.
A shopper walks outside the Metro store at College Park. Mayor Rob Ford said this week that he plans to attempt to scrap the five-cent plastic bag fee in Toronto. ( STEVE RUSSELL / TORONTO STAR )
A senior official at the industry group that represents Canada’s major grocery store chains said Ford’s Wednesday pronouncement on the bag fee had caught the companies unprepared: They believed they had been assured by the mayor’s office in early December that Ford would not try to eliminate the fee. “From our perspective, this is surprising. It seems there’s been a change of heart,” said Allen Langdon, vice-president for environmental issues at the Canadian Council of Grocery Distributors. Ford told the Toronto Sun in early December that he had not decided whether to attempt to scrap the fee or to alter it so that the city, rather than retailers, kept the money. He told the National Post Wednesday that holiday-season conversations with shoppers who “can’t stand” the fee have convinced him it should be abolished.
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The Toronto Environmental Alliance and World Wildlife Fund Canada said the fee should be preserved. Councillor Glenn De Baeremaeker, an environmentalist, said its elimination would be “idiotic.” And while Langdon said the grocery industry group would not issue an opinion until more details emerged, he said its members considered the fee a success. Several major retailers, Loblaws included, extended the fee across Canada even though they weren’t required to do so. At Loblaws alone, World Wildlife Fund Canada spokesman Josh Laughren said, fees have produced a nationwide reduction of 1 billion bags. Langdon said the number of bags distributed at companies that belong to his group has dropped by 71 per cent in Toronto since the fee bylaw took effect in 2009. Loblaws spokesperson Julija Hunter said the company would not yet comment on what it might do if council scrapped the bylaw. She also noted, however, that the company has been charging for bags at Real Canadian Superstores in Western Canada since the early 1990s and at No Frills stores in Ontario since the 1980s. “We have a history of supporting the reduced use of plastic bags,” Hunter said. In early December, Ford said of the fee: “In the grand scheme of things, is it better for the environment? Yes.” But he said then, and again this week, that he was irked retailers received profits from the fee — 3.5 to 4 cents per bag, according to the Canadian Plastics Industry Association — and decided how they would be spent. Economic development committee chair Michael Thompson joined Ford in voting against the fee in 2008. He said Thursday, however, that the city should itself collect the fee, and spend the proceeds on environmental initiatives, rather than eliminate it. He also disputed Ford’s argument that Torontonians detest the five-cent charge.
“At the end of the day, if it were removed, I don’t have a problem with that. But the thing is, we know the use of plastic bags has decreased,” Thompson said. “I think people have become extremely comfortable with it. People have become accustomed to the fact they have to pay. In my car, I have a lot of cloth bags, so when I go shopping I just take one out.” Deputy mayor Doug Holyday, who opposed the fee in 2008, also did not express unequivocal support for Ford’s position. “I’d want to see some reports and see what the results have been. If some good has come by it, maybe you do have to take another look at the matter,” Holyday said. “If it’s turned out that, yes, it’s cost people money but has done something for the environment — I think we have to know just what’s happened.”
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Right-leaning councillor Peter Milczyn and left-leaning Paula Fletcher said the city did not have the authority to levy a tax like the one Thompson proposed. Milczyn and Councillor Karen Stintz, another Ford ally, said they did not think even the current bylaw is legitimate. “It’s outside our jurisdiction,” said Stintz. “We have no business telling retailers what they should charge for their goods.” Franz Hartmann, executive director of the Toronto Environmental Alliance, urged Ford to consider the savings to taxpayers the fee produces by reducing the number of bags that must be sent to landfills and picked up as litter by city workers. De Baeremaeker noted that, in addition to the environmental benefits of the fee, many of the retailers have donated some of their revenues to charitable causes. “Why would Mayor Ford want to cancel a fee where the end result will be more garbage, more litter and less money to charity?” he said. Ford did not say when he would try to bring the matter before council. His spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment. With files from Dana FlavelleCops: Pair of felons posted Facebook photos posing with assault rifle The photos were taken at a Bellevue gun range, reports say
A pair of 24-year-old felons with multiple convictions were arrested last week after photos of themselves holding assault rifles were posted to Facebook, according to Seattle police. A pair of 24-year-old felons with multiple convictions were arrested last week after photos of themselves holding assault rifles were posted to Facebook, according to Seattle police. Photo: Facebook Photo: Facebook Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Cops: Pair of felons posted Facebook photos posing with assault rifle 1 / 1 Back to Gallery
A pair of 24-year-old felons with multiple convictions were arrested last week after photos of themselves holding assault rifles were posted to Facebook, according to Seattle police.
The photos were taken at a Bellevue firing range and another felon, 22, is believed to have joined one of them on at least one occasion.
The social media photos led police to learn that the 24-year-old men appeared to have visited and used several guns at the firing range during a string of visits between August and November, defying court orders not to possess firearms as a result of their felony histories.
A federal agent with the Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives department found a Facebook profile photo of one of the 24-year-old men holding a black AK-47 style rifle and brought it to the attention of a Seattle gang unit detective who works with federal agents Dec. 12.
The Seattle detective believed the man in the photo to be someone with seven felony convictions, including residential burglary and vehicle theft. The birth date listed in the man's Facebook profile matched that of the felon he believed him to be, police reports indicate.
The detective also believed the photo was taken at Wade's Eastside Guns in Bellevue.
Federal agents spoke to an employee at Wade's Eastside Guns, who confirmed that the 24-year-old in the photo had been to the firing range on several occasions, sometimes with another 24-year-old man with a felony history and once with a 22-year-old with several felony convictions.
Employees provided investigators with receipts showing the men's rentals and purchases from the firing range between August and November. While they sometimes rented firearms from the range, it appears they also brought their own guns to the range during other visits, police reports indicate.
As part of the rental agreement, the men signed a contract indicating they are legally allowed to possess firearms and that they have no criminal convictions or pending charges.
Detectives believe both 24-year-old men posted photos of an AK-47 style rifle on Facebook. They claim they both possessed at least seven different firearms in the 2 1/2-month window they investigated.
The 24-year-old men and the 22-year-old are known associates of the East Union Street Hustler gang, according to police reports.
Officers found the 24-year-old men in an idling car in Burien. One of them admitted to visiting Wade's Eastside Guns with the other man, renting guns and taking photos with the AK-47, reports say.
The 22-year-old man has not yet been arrested in the matter, jail records indicate, but he was arrested in September for investigation of robbery.“Angry Birds” are so over, and no one wants to play anything on an actual game station these days, but lucky for us, the geniuses over at So Much Drama Studios have created something new and brilliant that may just be the greatest mobile game ever — “RuPaul’s Drag Race: Dragopolis.”
What, you may ask, is “Dragopolis?”
“Dragopolis” is a fantabulous adventure starring a drag queen fighting for the spotlight, as they often do. Users must get our heroine to the nightclub to reclaim her title as Queen of Dragopolis by jumping and clawing her way past increasingly difficult fierce minions of the evil drag queen Apocalypstyk, all while serving up new looks for the paparazzi! Along the way players can customize their ferocious drag character with sickening wigs, outfits, and even their own face.
WERQ!
What’s more, gamers can recruit celebrity drag queens like RuPaul’s Drag Race contestants Manila Luzon, Pandora Boxx and Yara Sofia, who are no doubt the fearcest competitors around.
The game will be available May 6 for free download on iTunes, with 99 cents getting gamers the ability to recruit the aforementioned celebrity drag queens.
“Drag is such an amazing form of entertainment,” said Jeff Meador, the game’s creator and head of So Much Drama Studios. “I love the wit, theatricality, and heart that drag performers bring, and ’RuPaul’s Drag Race: Dragopolis’ is a great way to celebrate that. We’ve had so much fun making this game, and the support we’ve been getting from the drag community has been incredible. It’s so rewarding to see that people love playing ’RuPaul’s Drag Race: Dragopols’ as much as we loved making it.”
We thank you Jeff.
Sharon Needles’ Advice To Aspiring Drag Queens: WATCH
RuPaul Releases ‘Responsitranity’ Video: WatchPhotos by Art Bicnick
“Iceland Is the same Size as Corpus Christi, Texas, or Anaheim, California. They can figure it out. If the United States can’t figure it out, then no business being involved. Because if Iceland … an area that small as Corpus Christi, Texas. I have to repeat this … if they can figure this out, how can the United States not figure this out? In your own region?”
https://youtu.be/tgFh729L2oA?t=6m34s
How can’t you indeed Americans?
The quote above is part of a rant by American football commentator Taylor Twellman following the US’s feeble loss to Trinidad and Tobago (sorry, not sorry Trinis for breaking your record for smallest nation to qualify for the World Cup). He rightly pointed out that you are 320 million, while we are just over 320 thousand, or one thousandth of your population. So, while we’ll be celebrating winning the World Cup next summer, you’ll be … doing what ever it is you do.
You know we at the Grapevine, as all Icelanders do, love to smite. But unlike the miners of West Virginia, who as Trump promised would win so much they’d get tired of winning, we don’t get tired of smiting. But we are also generous and we want to help you. We like you Americans, you’ve brought us so many great things, such as cheeseburgers, Ben Affleck, FDR and Cold War tensions. Therefore, we are going to offer you some well deserved help.
It’s football stupid
Part of the problem is that you call football “soccer”. When you hear “soccer” what do you hear? Well, you hear “sucker”. According to the Oxford English Dictionary a sucker is a “freshwater fish with thick lips that are used to suck up food from the bottom, native to North America and Asia.” It feeds on small worms, basically its a bottom feeder with big lips. Sort of like Coco Austin.
A sucker
The Icelandic national team, however, is more akin to the majestic saltwater fish steinbítur. A mighty predator, which, while not the prettiest, is effective at crushing crabs and other bottom feeders. You Anglophones are even so enthralled by it that you call it the Atlantic wolffish (see the difference?). Also, like the Icelandic people, there are not many of them and they contain natural anti-freeze, what do Americans contain? McDonalds? Hah! We don’t even have McDonalds!
Stefanía the steinbítur on a good day
Join us
So what can you do? And how can we help?
To tell the truth, nothing, you should just give up. Forget about your own team and support us. You even have an Icelander in your team, Aron Jóhannsson, who chose to play for the US instead of Iceland so he could play in the World Cup (the irony is palpable). We are a welcoming people and you, despite being somewhat loud, are pretty great. Therefore, we want to invite you to join operation #SmiteTheWorld and finally you might be able to do something powerful in Russia. You know, actually make Putin sad.
It may be hard for Americans to get an Icelandic work visa, but to get a visa to our hearts you only need two things: Being able to “húh!” on command and an insatiable love for smiting. Don’t be a sucker.
So stop being trite and start to smite. Clad yourself in our armour and join the smiting magic on Twitter.
ÁFRAM ÍSLAND!Individuals with disabilities can have a difficult time finding housing that is accessible and meets their special needs. In its 2007 report to Congress, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) reported that there were more than 600,000 disabled adults in this country who were categorized as having worst case housing needs. The good news is that affordable housing programs are available, many of which may be found through searchable databases. One of the best places to start looking is to contact government agencies and nonprofit organizations within your home community.
1 Locate accessible, affordable housing through Accessible Space (ASI), a nonprofit organization that offers housing opportunities to adults with disabilities (see Resources). The program offers disabled adults who need supportive services the option of living independently in apartments or cooperative homes. ASI currently offers housing in 27 states, including California.
2 Go online to the HUD website to locate rental properties that are available to people with disabilities (see Resources). Search for HUD-insured and HUD-subsidized properties by state. There are several qualifying properties within the San Francisco Bay Area. The information available on the site is collected from property owners or managers and is updated periodically. Subsidized housing developments usually have long waiting lists; therefore, there may be no vacancies at the time you apply.
3 Visit the local housing authority in your community (see Resources). Disabled individuals who are looking for affordable housing in the San Francisco area should get in touch with the public housing authority of San Mateo County. Ask about the availability of subsidized rental housing or public housing for low-income individuals with disabilities. Public housing developments are usually apartments or townhouses funded by either the state or federal government and managed by the local public housing authority.
4 Contact your local and state chambers of commerce for information about local and national grants, which offer housing assistance to individuals in the community with disabilities (see Resources). Private foundation grants are another source of assistance offered to disabled persons. The San Francisco Chamber of Commerce can give you information about apartments for rent in the Bay Area that are handicapped accessible. You can also log on to the Gov Benefits website for a current listing of government assistance programs available to individuals with certain disabilities (see Resources). View individual program descriptions, details and eligibility requirements.
5 Find your local Habitat for Humanity or nearest affiliate in the surrounding area (see Resources). Enter a preferred zip code to begin your search. Habitat for Humanity is an international, nonprofit Christian housing ministry that provides safe and affordable housing to families in need. Families are chosen based on their level of need and ability to repay the mortgage loan. If selected, a family must contribute labor to the construction or renovation of the home.
About the Author Amber Keefer has more than 25 years of experience working in the fields of human services and health care administration. Writing professionally since 1997, she has written articles covering business and finance, health, fitness, parenting and senior living issues for both print and online publications. Keefer holds a B.A. from Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania and an M.B.A. in health care management from Baker College.
Photo Credits handicap image by Byron Moore from Fotolia.comPhoto by Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
Last July 29, Troy Tulowitzki arrived in Toronto, shocked and disoriented by the trade that wrenched him from his longtime Colorado home. But inside the Blue Jays clubhouse, he quickly forged a new friendship.
Tulowitzki and Josh Donaldson are kindred spirits. They share a passion for perfection, ever knowing it cannot be achieved. They are old-school, constantly talking baseball, scrutinizing its nuances, trading ideas, embracing the tedium of practice, seeking ways to get better.
All of which brought them together as housemates in spring training and recurrently took them to a practice field, away from prying eyes, after the team's regular drills were finished for the day.
READ MORE: The Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Show Has Begun
Donaldson came out of his MVP season dissatisfied with his defence, dazzling though it was at times. Tulowitzki, one of the great shortstops of the past decade, served as tutor and model while working on his own game in Dunedin. Day after day, they practised routine plays and difficult plays, imagining they were playing in a game.
"When we went out there on the back fields, we're big leaguers and no one's going to say anything if we just go out and take ground balls however we want," Tulowitzki said. "But we really got after it, diving, doing things like that. We came back in the locker room full of sweat. I think that's probably the biggest difference for Josh. I think he took his ground balls maybe a different way than he had in the past."
Tulo and Donaldson talking shop during spring training. Photo byKim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
It has been a two-way street. Donaldson loves to talk about hitting. Tulowitzki found that out in his first few days as a Blue Jay. Each is eager to help and eager to learn.
"If you're a hitter, I think you're going to go in the cage and watch what Josh does, and compare, and take things from him," Tulowitzki said. "I think he did that with me on the field."
***
It is natural to think of Josh Donaldson first as a great hitter. So far this year, his encore to an MVP season is an even better one. His slash line reads.304/.418/.598 with 23 homers after 89 games. A year ago in his first 89 games, his comparable numbers were.293/.351/.532 with 21 homers. His walk rate is up. His strikeout rate is down. He leads all of baseball with 80 runs scored.
Across the majors, only Mike Trout's WAR (5.5) exceeds Donaldson's (5.4) among position players. Donaldson ranks third behind David Ortiz and Trout in wRC+, a stat that measures a player's total offensive value, adjusted to league and park. The average wRC+ is 100. Donaldson's is 167.
Clearly, he did not neglect his offence in spring training. But defence—especially his throwing—received special attention from a man who was drafted as a catcher and did not become an everyday third baseman until 2013, when he was with Oakland.
"Defensively, in the past few years—early on in Oakland—I had a tendency to throw some balls away," he said. "I really wanted to come in and work on my footwork and try to put myself in a better position to make more accurate throws. I feel like my range and everything else has been there since I've been at third. The second step is always finishing off the play. At times I didn't put myself in the best position to do that."
Donaldson and Tulo captain the Blue Jays' strong infield defence. Photo by Kevin Sousa-USA TODAY Sports
When Jays fans think of Donaldson on defence, they see him diving headlong into the stands to catch a pop-up, or racing to the line to make a backhanded stop and throwing from foul ground, or leaping to cut off a liner that seemed destined for a double.
But from 2013 through 2015, Donaldson made 57 errors, 40 on throws. As a Blue Jay last year, he had 13 throwing errors vs. five fielding.
This year: six errors in total, only two on throws.
He thanks the coaching staff for their help. And in this case, the Jays' shortstop was one of his coaches.
How did he learn from Tulowitzki?
"First of all, just watching him," Donaldson said. "I'm a visual learner, and being able to watch him every day is a treat for me and it should be for the fans. We lived together in spring training and we talked baseball a lot. We talked about how to prepare before the season starts.
"I came out of spring training feeling the best defensively that I've ever felt. That really gave me a good feeling about where I was at, and I think it has led to some of my success on defence."
Much of that success stems from footwork. Some of it is about deciding whether to make a throw at all.
***
Proper footwork is the key to good throws. Put simply, when an infielder catches a ground ball and steps toward his target, his trailing foot should land in the footprint of his front foot, says infield coach Luis Rivera. That keeps his body on a straight line toward first base as he plants his trailing foot to throw.
Before this year, Donaldson sometimes did not hold to that line.
"When he moves his feet now, he just replaces one foot with the other (as he moves toward first base) and he's in a good direction to throw the ball to the target," Rivera said. "I think that has been the key. In the past, once in a while he would put one foot behind the other and other times he would go in front. He wasn't consistent with his footwork. Now every throw that he makes, it's always the same."
During the years when his throwing errors reached double-digits, Donaldson sometimes made errors on throws he shouldn't even have tried.
"Some of the throwing errors he made last year, he really had no play and he was trying to make something out of nothing," Rivera said. "He's learning now to make a throw when there's a play and just put the ball in his pocket when there's not going to be a play."
Donaldson and Tulowitzki chat during batting practice before Game 2 of the ALCS last fall.Photo by John Lott
Tulowitzki's unorthodox yet elegant throwing and uncanny accuracy begin with impeccable footwork, whether he's ranging into the hole or charging a slow bouncer.
"Tulo talks to all the infielders about the importance of making good throws and putting yourself in a good position to throw," Rivera said. "He has been a big influence to everybody on the infield."
Tulowitzki doesn't just talk. As Donaldson points out, he serves as an example by the way he prepares. In his 11th season, Tulowitzki still takes his daily drills seriously.
"When people ask what makes me successful (on defence), one thing I say is—being out there and putting yourself in game situations and game plays, so when the game comes, you've done all those different plays, whether it be slow rollers, balls to your left and to your right, really putting pressure on yourself, not just going through the motions," he said.
***
While Donaldson's defensive diligence has paid dividends, his gaudy offensive stats are even more remarkable because he has endured a series of relatively minor but irksome injuries—a calf strain, a sore hamstring and a painful thumb bruise. A week ago he took a pitch off his right elbow, which may have influenced manager John Gibbons' decision to use him as the DH in the two games before the all-star break.
"The first month of the season, I actually was producing better than I felt like I should be producing because I wasn't able to recognize pitches in the way I normally do," he said. "And when you're fighting (injuries) to get on the field, it takes a little bit away from your prep work before the game."
Plenty of players battle similar aches and pains, but Donaldson admits they can sometimes disrupt a hitter's timing. ("Milliseconds are huge to us," he said.) After a downturn in May, however, he heated up again at the plate.
"The fact of the matter is, I've been able to log enough at-bats now where I feel like I can recognize pitches and adapt pretty quickly," he said. "And having Eddie (Encarnacion) behind me and producing the way that he is, they've got to pitch to one of us. Then Tulo the last three weeks has been swinging the bat really well. When you lengthen that lineup out, it just makes everybody a little bit more dangerous."
Toronto's superstar left side of the infield is bringing it both on offence and defence. Photo by Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports
The Blue Jays entered the break with a 51-40 record, eight wins in nine games and in second place in the AL East, two games behind Baltimore. In their past 28 contests, they have averaged 6.55 runs per game. In the 63 games before that, they averaged 4.19.
Over the past month, Donaldson's slash line is.411/.526/.776, complemented by nine homers and 33 runs scored. All the while, he has played solid to sensational defence, buoyed by all that preparation alongside Tulowitzki in spring training.
No matter what Donaldson and Rivera say, Tulowitzki downplays his contribution.
"Josh was the MVP, and if you're the MVP, why do you have to look for ways to improve your game? But he really made it a point in spring training," Tulowitzki said. "Every time I went on the back fields, he'd go over there, work on his defence and ask questions and really try to get better. That's why he's the best. He's never satisfied. Honestly, I don't take any credit because he's the one that put in the work."In a rare victory for ‘common sense’ within the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), the director general of the organisation has rejected a call from Members of Parliament to stop using the word ‘Islamic’ when describing terrorist group ISIS.
Rehman Chishti, a Muslim, Conservative Party MP wrote to the BBC urging that they change the name they use on air from ‘Islamic State’ to ‘Daesh’, a derogatory term used by allies of Bashar al-Assad to refute ISIS’s Islamic heritage.
The French government bowed to such calls last year, with Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius stating, “This is a terrorist group and not a state. I do not recommend using the term Islamic State because it blurs the lines between Islam, Muslims and Islamists. The Arabs call it ‘Daesh’ and I will be calling them the ‘Daesh cutthroats’.”
But Mr Chishti and 119 fellow MPs, including London Mayor Boris Johnson, have had their recommendation turfed out by the BBC, which has defended its position, bizarrely, on the basis of “impartiality” towards ISIS.
“There is no tradition as I understand it, of acronyms in Arabic,” Lord Hall wrote back, “and the word Da’esh is not an acronym… but instead a pejorative name coined in Arabic by [ISIS’] enemies including Assad supporters…
“The BBC takes a common sense view when deciding how to describe organisations, we take our cue from the organisation’s description of itself.
“We have recognised that used on its own the name Islamic State could suggest that such a state exists and such an interpretation is misleading. So we have caveated the name “Islamic State” with words which qualify it eg “so called Islamic State”.”
The news comes just days after Prime Minister David Cameron hit out at the BBC for using “Islamic State”, instead saying he prefers “ISIL”, leading to widespread mockery, given that ISIL is an acronym for Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant”.
Critics have noted that the BBC however continues to refuse to label attacks by groups like Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad as “terrorist attacks”.By Paul Comben
Publisher Vento Nuovo Games
Designer Emanuele Santandrea
(Some images courtesy of BoardgameGeek.com)
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Inevitably, some games on some subjects have us searching around our catalogue of game play experience looking for the most apposite terms of reference. However, from time to time you get a game that really does not put us in mind of anything else. My recent review of W1815 for The Boardgaming Life highlighted such a game; and now, I come to a second Waterloo game which is unique and entirely of itself.
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Superficially, this Vento Nuovo title might prompt considerations of similarity with several Columbia designs – especially their Borodino – but beyond a certain resemblance in physical format, Waterloo 200 has very little in common with Columbia’s work. What we have here is an entry-level block game, which, surprise surprise, emphasizes fog of war, but adds to that impulse movement on an area based map, as well as the wearing friction of command, maneuver and combat, the various crises pertaining to battlefield commitment, and all this alongside a dice-less combat system, which, at least initially, will leave many a player scratching their head and wondering what to do. My advice to such players: leave your personal Waterloo baggage elsewhere and give this game time to work its charms on you, because this is really rather special.
The Terrain and the Material
Waterloo 200 presents the famous field divided into a large number of areas, each graded for an inherent defence value (how much benefit is afforded defending units) as well as a colour to denote the area’s movement cost and stacking capacity. As such, Wellington’s line is replete with higher defence values and choke points, where room for mass maneuver is decidedly on the tight side. Alongside Hougoumont and La Haie Sainte, the eastern farms of Frischermont and Papelotte are also present, as well as what the game refers to as the “Chemin Creux.” This represents both the sunken lane running along much of Wellington’s front, and the concealment of the reverse slope – defence values go up, stacking capacities for both sides go down, and the Anglo-Allied player has the ability to deploy an extra unit from his small reserve to a newly attacked Chemin Creux area (potentially giving the French a nasty surprise or two). Also presented are symbols for victory areas (you really need to get to know these and how to approach them), as well as the HQ administration areas for the armies, the Prussian entry areas, and the initial deployment areas – these coded by corps and unit type.
One thing that should be apparent and noted by any experienced Waterloo player is that this design’s interpretation of the Waterloo territory favours the eastern side of the field. There is no maneuver room west of the Nivelles Road; but by contrast, the Prussian approach area is considerable, as is, by consequence, the potential for the French army to unhinge the Duke’s position from the east. Overall, the placement of the victory areas gives due emphasis to compromising the Duke’s position, (Hougoumont and La Haie Sainte are very much part of that), as well as representing what might be called the heart, brain and limbs of the French army – its initially controlled victory areas being Napoleon’s position at Rossomme, along with La Belle Alliance and Plancenoit.
Looking briefly at some practicalities, the play area is presented on reasonably thick stock, with its graphics showing contours, decorative areas of cultivated fields around individual houses and villages, woods, streams, and a range of administrative tracks (mainly game turn and losses) along the western map edge.
The stickers for the units are colourful and attractive, and match well with the map’s presentation. Armies consist of brigades of infantry and cavalry, corps assets of artillery, key tactical leaders, and the three army commanders – and just in case you are wondering, there is no Ney for you to dash around with. Of course, the look of these units can invite a certain sense of similarity to Columbia designs (pips for strength and rotation of the block to denote losses or command wear and tear), but beyond these superficial considerations, this game really does go its own way. Key to this is the grading of units by pip colour – from red for superior forces, to white, then to black. Forces can degrade in colour as they lose strength, whilst entirely black pip forces (as you will find in some Anglo-Allied and Prussian units) are basically accidents waiting to happen. Just how |
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About The Author
Baden Smith (July 2002)
smithnet.caIn an effort to collect previously undisclosed millions of dollars he’s owed by an oligarch-backed Ukrainian political party, Donald Trump’s campaign chairman Paul Manafort has been relying on a trusted protégé whose links to Russia and its Ukrainian allies have prompted concerns among Manafort associates, according to people who worked with both men.
The protégé, Konstantin Kilimnik, has had conversations with fellow operatives in Kiev about collecting unpaid fees owed to Manafort’s company by a Russia-friendly political party called Opposition Bloc, according to operatives who work in Ukraine.
Story Continued Below
A Russian Army-trained linguist who has told a previous employer of a background with Russian intelligence, Kilimnik started working for Manafort in 2005 when Manafort was representing Ukrainian oligarch Rinat Akhmetov, a gig that morphed into a long-term contract with Viktor Yanukovych, the Kremlin-aligned hard-liner who became president of Ukraine.
Kilimnik eventually became “Manafort’s Manafort” in Kiev, and he continued to lead Manafort’s office there after Yanukovych fled the country for Russia in 2014, according to Ukrainian business records and interviews with several political operatives who have worked in Ukraine’s capital. Kilimnik and Manafort then teamed up to help promote Opposition Bloc, which rose from the ashes of Yanukovych’s regime. The party is funded by oligarchs who previously backed Yanukovych, including at least one who the Ukrainian operatives say is close to both Kilimnik and Manafort.
Kilimnik has continued advising Opposition Bloc, which opposes Ukraine’s teetering pro-Western government, even as the party stopped fully paying Manafort’s firm, leaving it unable to pay some of its employees and rent, according to people familiar with the firm and its relationship to Opposition Bloc.
All the while, Kilimnik has told people that he remains in touch with his old mentor. He told several people that he traveled to the United States and met with Manafort this spring. The trip and alleged meeting came at a time when Manafort was immersed in helping guide Trump’s campaign through the bitter Republican presidential primaries, and was trying to distance himself from his work in Ukraine.
Russia and its relationship with Ukraine have emerged as a major issue in the race as have Manafort’s connections in the region. Allies of Trump’s Democratic rival Hillary Clinton have sought to use Trump’s stances on, and ties to, Russia to cast him as the preferred candidate of one of the U.S.’ top geopolitical foes.
That criticism intensified last month after a series of events. First, Trump’s campaign gutted a proposed amendment to the Republican Party platform that called for the U.S. to provide “lethal defensive weapons” for Ukraine to defend itself against Russian incursion, backers of the measure charged. The move defied a strong GOP consensus on the issue. Then, the U.S. government blamed Russia for a politically damaging hack of the Democratic National Committee, and finally Trump called for Russia to hack Clinton’s emails, though he later said he was “being sarcastic.”
Joking aside, Trump has demonstrated more interest in Russia’s affairs than in perhaps any other area of foreign policy. And his laissez faire approach toward Russia’s confrontational relations with its neighbors, combined with his open admiration of its authoritarian President Vladimir Putin and his employment of Manafort, have led experts from across the political spectrum to predict that a Trump presidency would augur to the Kremlin’s benefit.
With Trump receiving his first classified security briefings, and concerns about him spiking in the intelligence community, talk of Kilimnik’s connections to Russian intelligence — combined with his affiliation with the Russia-allied Opposition Bloc — could become a liability for Trump, predict associates of Manafort and Kilimnik.
That’s quite a turnabout from Manafort’s work in Ukraine, where Kilimnik’s Russian military background was seen as an advantage in working for the pro-Russian Yanukovych.
“There was a time that that didn’t bother us because our interests converged, but then at the end when Yanukovych was going down the wrong path, our interests diverged, and for whatever reasons, Paul kept him on,” one operative close to Manafort said of Kilimnik.
**
Kilimnik, a short man who goes by “Kostya” or sometimes “KK,” was born in the sprawling industrial city of Kriviy Rikh, Ukraine, in 1970, back when Ukraine was still a part of the Soviet Union.
Kilimnik attended a Soviet military school where he learned to speak fluent Swedish and English, which complemented the Russian and Ukrainian he already spoke. He joined the Russian Army as a translator, work that closely aligned him with the army’s intelligence services — an account pieced together from a handful of people who worked with him or were briefed on his background, including a former senior CIA official with direct knowledge of Kilimnik’s activities.
But the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, when Kilimnik was only 21, and it’s unclear whether he spent much time in active service. After the dissolution of the Communist-controlled country, Kilimnik bounced around a bit, doing freelance translating, until eventually landing a job in 1995 in the Moscow office of the International Republican Institute. The nonprofit group, which has branches around the world, works with political parties and candidates to bolster the democratic process — a mission viewed with suspicion in post-Communist Russia.
Kilimnik did not hide his military past from his new employer. In fact, when he was asked how he learned to speak such fluent English, he responded “Russian military intelligence,” according to one IRI official, who quipped, “I never called [the Russian military intelligence agency] GRU headquarters for a reference.”
It soon became an article of faith in IRI circles that Kilimnik had been in the intelligence service, according to five people who worked in and around the group in Moscow, who said Kilimnik never sought to correct that impression.
“It was like ‘Kostya, the guy from the GRU’ — that’s how we talked about him,” said a political operative who worked in Moscow at the time. “The institute was informed that he was GRU, but it didn’t matter at the time because they weren’t doing anything sensitive.”
IRI spokeswoman Julia Sibley confirmed that Kilimnik worked at IRI but wouldn’t comment on his background, explaining “Mr. Kilimnik hasn’t worked with IRI in over a decade and has no affiliation with us.”
Kilimnik — presented with a series of questions about his background, his relationship with Manafort and his current work — declined to comment.
People who worked with Kilimnik at IRI and in subsequent jobs describe him as an easygoing person and a brilliant linguist who was not prone to braggadocio, at least early in his career. They also say he was largely non-ideological or, if he was driven by any particular ideology, it was not easily detectable. For instance, they say he didn’t come across as opposed to the democratization of Russia, but nor did he appear to be an ardent reformer.
“He took the job at IRI for the money, not because he believed in the mission,” said another former IRI official. “When there was better more lucrative employment, he took that.”
In fact, Kilimnik, while still employed by IRI, did accept a second, higher-paying job translating and interpreting for a Manafort team that was working for the pro-Russian Ukrainian oligarch — and leading Yanukovych backer — Akhmetov in early 2005, according to four people who worked in or around IRI at the time.
Kilimnik “was always smart enough to get close to the money, and there was good money working for Akhmetov,” said a fellow Russian who was a longtime acquaintance.
At the time, Akhmetov was assembling a team of consultants to burnish the reputation of his business. It was facing regulatory action from a new government that had taken over when Yanukovych, who had been prime minister, lost his hold on power after his party tried to rig an October 2004 election to make him president.
Kilimnik was recruited to join Manafort’s team by a former IRI official named Philip M. Griffin, who had worked with Kilimnik at the institute. When IRI officials found out, they asked Kilimnik to resign for violating the nonprofit’s moonlighting prohibition. Several people around IRI say they suspected the institute regarded Kilimnik as too closely allied with Russia — even before he went to work for Akhmetov.
Whatever the reason, IRI employees were warned not to associate with Kilimnik after his resignation in April 2005, even though he continued to travel in the same circles as the group’s officials, according to one former IRI employee.
“I was advised that this is not a person that I want to be having a conversation with — that he could not be trusted,” the former employee said.
By the time Kilimnik left IRI, he had a wife and two children living in a modest house near Moscow’s Sheremetyevo International Airport.
He started spending more time in Kiev and apart from his family, and he eventually started adopting a flashier lifestyle. He hung out with the political movers and shakers in the city’s Hyatt hotel and was ferried around town by a chauffeur in European luxury sedans. He started wearing expensive suits and began living in a lavish mansion with a pool.
The lifestyle was sort of a JV version of the jet-setting existence of his boss, Manafort. Kilimnik and Manafort would work closely together over the next decade, traveling together and developing a bond that associates say continues to this day.
**
Manafort, now 67, made his name helping Republican presidents Gerald Ford and Ronald Reagan in the 1970s and 1980s. But he spent most of the past three decades carving out a lucrative niche as a globe-trotting consultant to deep-pocketed foreign politicians and businessmen often looking to buff away stains on their reputations from allegations of corruption, plundering or human rights abuses. Among the boldfaced names in his client portfolio were Angolan guerilla army leader Jonas Savimbi, and former presidents Ferdinand Marcos of the Philippines and Mobutu Sese Seko of Zaire.
But those jobs would pale — both in terms of financial reward and degree of difficulty — to the gig to which Akhmetov referred Manafort and his team: returning Yanukovych to power.
A former trucking official who had been convicted and incarcerated as a teenager for serious crimes, Yanukovych had become a popular symbol of the corruption that plagues Ukraine after his team tried to rig the 2004 presidential election. A series of protests, which became known as the Orange Revolution, forced a re-vote, which Yanukovych lost.
While Manafort initially protested that Yanukovych was too deeply flawed to revive, Akhmetov eventually prevailed upon his American consultant to help Yanukovych and his political party, the Party of Regions, try to make a comeback in the 2006 parliamentary elections.
Manafort and his team, including Kilimnik, set about to recast Yanukovych as an inspiring leader who could work with the West. Under Manafort’s guidance, Yanukovych began studying English, and communicated in Ukrainian with the pro-European western part of the country, while using Russian to push pro-Russian themes in the east, which is linguistically, culturally and religiously aligned with Russia.
Manafort also implemented polling, micro-targeting and get-out-the-vote strategies that are de rigueur in American politics, but which Yanukovych had not previously used. Manafort even coached Yanukovych on his appearance, reportedly urging him to start blow-drying his hair, though one Manafort associate called the blow-drying claim a myth that was “total bullshit.”
Remarking on the transformation, a U.S. diplomat, in a hacked cable posted on WikiLeaks, wrote that the “Party of Regions is working to change its image from that of a haven for mobsters into that of a legitimate political party. Tapping the deep pockets of [Akhmetov], Regions has hired veteran K Street political help for its ‘extreme makeover’ effort … [Manafort’s firm] is among the political consultants that have been hired to do the nipping and tucking.”
Kilimnik was key to this effort, according to several people who worked with the team.
“The language was so important because you wanted to capture the nuances,” said one operative who worked with Manafort for the Party of Regions. “And because Paul doesn’t speak Russian or Ukrainian, he always had to have someone like that with him in meetings, so KK was with him all the time. He was very close to Paul and very trusted.”
The Party of Regions won the most seats in the 2006 parliamentary elections, and again in 2007 elections, paving the way for Yanukovych’s re-ascension as prime minister.
Manafort’s team began parlaying their connections into business ventures in the region, with Manafort and Rick Gates, who is now Manafort’s right-hand man on the Trump campaign, in late 2006 creating a private-equity fund in the Cayman Islands. The fund, called Pericles, used millions of dollars contributed by the Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska to purchase a Ukrainian cable and internet company.
But the venture soon collapsed. And, in a Cayman Islands legal filing to recoup Deripaska’s cash, lawyers named Kilimnik as one of seven “key individuals” involved in the partnership along with Manafort, Gates, and a handful of then-associates. Gates declined to comment.
A lawyer involved in the effort to recoup the investment didn’t respond to a request for comment.
Manafort entered into other ventures with other oligarchs, as well. And the operative who worked with Manafort’s team said, “These guys had a lot of stuff going on outside the campaign context, and KK was involved in all of that as well.”
In 2009, Yanukovych declared his candidacy for president in the following year’s elections. Manafort beefed up the operation running out of his Kiev office, and Kilimnik began playing a bigger part, orchestrating key campaign logistics in a way that transcended his initial role as translator and interpreter.
Throughout the Yanukovych campaigns, the operative said, “There was no secret that [Kilimnik] had been in the intelligence services back in the Soviet Union. He would talk about it. Others on the campaign — Paul, Phil Griffin, Rick Gates — they were pretty open about his background.” But the operative added, “The view was that they were all in the Soviet Union at one point in time, and now they’re Ukrainian and they’re trying to get something going in their own country.”
When Yanukovych finally won the presidency in 2010, he shelved his promises about adopting a more open, pro-Western government. He moved to exert increased control over the media, as well as the legislative and judicial branches of government, the latter of which prosecuted, convicted and jailed his vanquished 2010 election rival. He backed away from a commitment to the European Union, and moved closer to Russia, eventually accepting a $15-billion aid package from the Kremlin.
Some on Manafort’s team began raising concerns about Kilimnik’s background in the Russian military and rumored affiliation with the country’s intelligence service.
Griffin, who did not respond to a request for comment, had been serving as Manafort’s deputy, but he left the team for another consulting gig in 2011. Kilimnik assumed many of his duties, taking charge of Manafort’s Kiev office and running the operation while Manafort was out of the country, which was much of the time, according to people who worked with and around Manafort’s firm.
Unrest was spreading in Ukraine as activists alleged rampant corruption and plundering by Yanukovych’s regime and demanded closer ties with Europe, while Russia sought to exert more control.
But Manafort continued working for the Party of Regions, and he and Kilimnik continued traveling the country together. The pair flew aboard a private jet to Crimea for a day in mid-2013, according to Ukrainian border control records and a flight manifest.
The Party of Regions paid Manafort’s firm millions of dollars a year, multiple sources said.
Ukraine’s anti-corruption agency obtained documents showing that from 2007 through 2012, Yanukovych’s party had earmarked $12.7 million in off-books cash payments for Manafort, The New York Times revealed this week.
Manafort, who’s been criticized by some former colleagues for prioritizing cash over principles, rejected the report. He asserted in a statement that “the suggestion that I accepted cash payments is unfounded, silly, and nonsensical.”
The statement stressed that in his domestic and overseas campaign work, “all of the political payments directed to me were for my entire political team: campaign staff (local and international), polling and research, election integrity and television advertising.”
**
Yanukovych’s reign came to an abrupt end in early 2014, when widespread protests over corruption and a demand for more integration with Europe prompted him to step down and flee to Russia under Putin’s protection.
But Yanukovych’s exile wasn’t the end for Manafort and Kilimnik. They began working for Opposition Bloc, which won some seats in Parliament during an October 2014 election.
Manafort this week issued a statement declaring that his “work in Ukraine ceased following the country’s parliamentary elections in October 2014.” But his trips to Ukraine continued, according to entry data reviewed by POLITICO and interviews with people who worked with or around Manafort in the country; Manafort traveled to Kiev several times after that election, all the way through late 2015. And one Russian-language media report indicated that he offered advice to Opposition Bloc politicians in late 2015.
Asked about the report and whether his travels to Ukraine last year contradicted his claim that he ceased working in Ukraine after the 2014 elections, Manafort told POLITICO via text message: “I had no contract and did no business after 2014 elections.”
He did not respond to questions about his relationship with Kilimnik, the unpaid bills from Opposition Bloc or whether his protégé’s background was a cause for concern.
The Trump campaign did not respond to requests for comment, nor did Opposition Bloc.
Ukrainian political insiders say that Kilimnik did continue working for Opposition Bloc after the 2014 parliamentary elections.
Kilimnik has represented Opposition Bloc in meetings with international diplomats, according to several people in the international business and diplomat community in Kiev, where Kilimnik is regarded as an important liaison both to Opposition Bloc and to an influential oligarch who is playing a leading role in the party. “From 2013, he was the face of the organization here,” said one operative in Kiev.
At some point, Opposition Bloc had stopped paying what it had owed Manafort’s firm, according to people familiar with the situation. They said that the party still owes Manafort’s company a significant amount of money.
One person with direct knowledge of the unpaid bills wouldn’t say how much was owed to Manafort, but said, “It’s an amount you would definitely want it in your bank account.” Another person who has discussed the unpaid bills with people close to Manafort said the amount was in the “millions” of dollars.
When the party stopped paying its bills, Manafort’s Kiev office, which was being run by Kilimnik, began running late on its rent and employees’ salaries, according to several people familiar with the situation.
“They didn’t pay the Ukrainian office. They didn’t pay rent or salary for people,” said a person who worked in the office.
Another former team member said “KK is averse to conflict, so when the money wasn’t coming in, he just went dark and that pissed a lot of people off.” The former team member recalled that when Manafort traveled to Kiev in 2015 to try to secure the cash he was owed, he was “ambushed” in the lobby of the city’s Hyatt hotel by the landlord for his office demanding back rent.
Some U.S. foreign policy types see Kilimnik as a reasonable representative of an oligarch who can be reasoned with, and they discount talk about his ties to Russian intelligence.
“I always understood that he was in the Russian Army intelligence for a couple years,” said an international political consultant, who has worked with Kilimnik, and who stressed that, at the time, all Russian men were required to serve in the military. But the consultant added, “I don’t think it was as big a deal as people made it out to be.”
Bill Browder, an American-born investor whose business in Russia led to him being blacklisted by Putin’s regime as a national security threat, differed. “It’s not like you can say, 'I used to work for [Russian intelligence].' It’s a permanent affiliation. There is no such thing as a former [Russian intelligence] officer.”
David Stern, Bryan Bender, Michael Crowley, Josh Gerstein and Nahal Toosi contributed to this report.
CORRECTION: This article was updated to correct a reference to Rinat Akhmetov, who is Ukrainian, not Russian.How to reduce the environmental impact of a loaf of bread?
In a groundbreaking study researchers from the University of Sheffield have now calculated the environmental impact of a loaf of bread and which part of its production contributes the most greenhouse gas.
The group of interdisciplinary researchers from the University’s Grantham Centre for Sustainable Futures, analysed the complete process from growing and harvesting the wheat; milling the grain; producing the flour; baking the bread and the production of the final product, ready to be sold by retailers.
The findings, published in the journal Nature Plants, show ammonium nitrate fertiliser used in wheat cultivation contributes almost half (43 per cent) of the greenhouse gas emissions – dwarfing all other processes in the supply chain.
Dr Liam Goucher, N8 Agrifood Research Fellow from the University of Sheffield who carried out the study, said: “Consumers are usually unaware of the environmental impacts embodied in the products they purchase - particularly in the case of food, where the main concerns are usually over health or animal welfare.
“There is perhaps awareness of pollution caused by plastic packaging, but many people will be surprised at the wider environmental impacts revealed in this study.
“We found in every loaf there is embodied global warming resulting from the fertiliser applied to farmers’ fields to increase their wheat harvest. This arises from the large amount of energy needed to make the fertilizer and from nitrous oxide gas released when it is degraded in the soil.”
How to produce sufficient healthy and affordable food for the world’s growing and more demanding population, whilst protecting the environment is one of the biggest challenges of the 21st century.
It is estimated that up to 60 per cent of agricultural crops are now grown with the use of fertilisers. Although they can dramatically boast the growth of plants and vegetables – assisting the growing demand of food yields – fertilisers consist of substances and chemicals such as methane, carbon dioxide, ammonia and nitrogen. The emissions from these substances in synthetic fertilisers contribute to greenhouse gases.
Professor Peter Horton FRS, Chief Research Advisor to the Grantham Centre for Sustainable Futures at the University of Sheffield and corresponding author of the paper, said: “Our findings bring into focus a key part of the food security challenge – resolving the major conflicts embedded in the agri-food system, whose primary purpose is to make money not to provide sustainable global food security.
“High agricultural productivity - necessary for profit for farmers, agri-businesses and food retailers, whilst also keeping prices low for consumers - currently requires high levels of application of relatively cheap fertilisers.”
He added: “With over 100 million tonnes of fertiliser used globally each year to support agricultural production this is a massive problem, but environmental impact is not costed within the system and so there are currently no real incentives to reduce our reliance on fertiliser.
“How to achieve sustainable global food security is not only a technical question but a political economic one, and requires interdisciplinary research of the kind we do here at Sheffield.”
The study was made possible by a pioneering collaboration with the agricultural and food manufacturing sector developed by Richard Bruce, a co-author of the paper and Business Engagement Lead for the Grantham Centre for Sustainable Futures at the University of Sheffield.
The data analysed in the study was processed using an advanced life-cycle assessment tool – SCEnAT - developed by Professor Lenny Koh, Director of the Advanced Resource Efficiency Centre at the University’s Management School and co-author of the paper.
“This tool handles large and complex data sets and yielding data on the environmental impact, including greenhouse gas emissions of all the stages in the supply chain,” said Professor Koh.
“The tool identifies the processes that yield the most impact – the hotspots.
“The findings raise a very important issue – whose responsibility is it to bring about the implementation of these interventions: the fertiliser manufacturer, the farmer, the retailer or the consumer?
“There is a growing recognition for a range of industrial processes of the notion of extended producer responsibility – the producer being responsible for downstream impact, expanded to the idea of shared producer and consumer responsibility. The consumer is key, whether being persuaded to pay more for a greener product or by applying pressure for a change in practice.”
The paper also highlights the solutions available which could potentially reduce these impacts in the future.
Co-author Professor Duncan Cameron, Co-director of the P3 Centre for Translational Plant and Soil Science explains: “The fertiliser problem is solvable – through improved agronomic practices”.
“These harness the best of organic farming combined with new technologies to better monitor the nutritional status of soils and plants and to recycle waste and with the promise of new wheat varieties able to utilise soil nitrogen more efficiently”.“Stand up…. Now, put out your arms,” the instructor stood watching us.
“OK, pull your right arm back past your body.”
This was a EDR 500 level class, a graduate course in teaching remedial reading to pre-school and elementary aged schoolchildren. On this first night, we did not know what to expect.
“Now try with the other arm.”
We waved our arms erratically in the air.
He paused for a moment, looked amused and asked, “Can you teach someone to swim like this?”
The 26 of us were standing in a very dry classroom with no water in sight.
We all shook our heads in agreement, “No”, “Not Really”, “Probably not.”
“Well, how can you learn to teach reading without actually working with students?”
We were surprised. Our instructor was admitting to the disconnect in teacher preparation programs.
“You need to be in the classroom to learn how to teach,” he admonished, “any thing else is waving your arms in the air.”
In this class, we were a mixed group in age and experience. Some of us were already employed as teachers in classrooms; others were completing degrees in order to be hired. All of us were learning how to improve student reading from 4:30-7:30 PM on a Tuesday night in a classroom. With not a student in sight, we were learning in the abstract.
Learning in the abstract is not unusual. A large percentage of learning for students in pre-K through grade12 is spent learning in the abstract. For 13 years, students practice skills they will use in college or in real world careers.
However, for those preparing to be teachers, the “real world” is the classroom. Our instructor was acknowledging that the classroom environment is the pool and prospective teachers and veterans should be immersed in that pool in order to learn how to teach. Unfortunately, the evening time slot and location of the class distanced us from authentic practice.
Accessing classrooms and students for teacher prep is largely unavailable under our current agrarian model of education. There are logistical problems for colleges and universities in scheduling, supervision, and, in today’s tense climate, security. Nevertheless,hands on classroom experience is a critically important part of undergraduate teacher preparation, and a semester or two of supervised student teaching is not enough. Teaching training programs need regular and continuous access to students. At minimum, there are must be more integration and collaboration between the teacher training programs, graduate and undergraduate, and local classrooms that are geographically located near these programs.
In addition, the professors/instructors in teacher preparation programs must be current in the practices that new teachers are expected to know. They must be current on how their state is integrating the Common Core State Standards, the surrounding controversies around the adoption of these standards, and the testing programs that have been funded to access the effectiveness of these standards.
Also professors/instructors must be current in their state’s evaluation programs and how the teacher competencies being evaluated. Information disseminated through handouts and powerpoint presentations on these topics is not sufficient; classroom practice in teaching strategies through simulations, feedback, reflection and extensive discussions on these standards and evaluation procedures are critically important at every level of teacher training.
Finally, the professors/instructors in teacher training programs must be familiar with the wide range of technologies being used in preK-grade 12 classrooms. The disconnect between college programs and the use of technology in real-life classrooms has been widening. The professors/instructors in today’s teacher preparation programs must develop proficiency with the software teachers are expected to use. They must be familiar with Google Apps for Education, Edmodo, Twitter, Quizlet, Dropbox, Khan Academy, Class Dojo, Pinterest, Evernote.
There are forces outside the education profession that are exerting pressure and changing the face of education for new and seasoned educators alike. There is political pressure from legislators designing state evaluation and curriculum standard programs combined with pressure from testing companies. The voice that is missing in response to these pressures is leadership from those who design and implement teacher training programs in colleges and universities.
Leadership is more than just an advertising slogan or an elective course offered by colleges and universities. Teacher training programs need the leadership of professors/instructors who connected with the realities of the classroom. That kind of leadership requires direct involvement and reflection on the curriculum, instruction strategies, and means of assessment in classrooms today.
Only that kind of leadership can design programs that meet the needs of the classroom today as well as anticipate the training that prepares new and veteran teachers with both pedagogy and experience for success.
In this current sea change of education, teacher training programs must become the force that exerts pressure and change, not the institutions forced to respond. Teacher training programs currently offered by colleges and universities must move from the abstract, from the practice of training on dry land, in order to move teacher preparation into deep waters of classroom experience.
Anything else is just waving arms in the air.news I Was in the Room While Jordan Peterson and Senators Debated My Human Rights
Canadian trans rights legislation passed another hurdle this week. Bill C-16 now heads to a third and final vote in the Senate.
On May 17, I travelled to Ottawa to watch the Senate committee hear witnesses testify against Canadian federal trans rights legislation, known as Bill C-16. It was also the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia (IDAHOT). The sad irony of this was not lost on the many trans and non-binary people in the room.
Just before the hearing, trans people and allies held a rally for trans rights on the front lawn of Parliament Hill. The sun was shining down on the pink, blue, and white trans flag, blowing proudly in the wind in front of the Parliament buildings. It was a beautiful and emotional sight. At just over 100 people, it was a small but mighty crowd. Many got up to speak, including trans folk and politicians, such as NDP LGBTQ critics MPP Cheri DiNovo and MP Randall Garrison, who have both spent years fighting for trans rights.
Bill C-16 would amend the Canadian Human Rights Act and the Criminal Code, adding gender identity and gender expression to the list of prohibited grounds of discrimination, in addition to sex, religion, race, and sexual orientation. Some Conservative senators, including Senator Don Plett, have been extremely vocal in their opposition to the bill and have actively crusaded to water it down with amendments.
And it was Plett who invited University of Toronto professor Jordan Peterson to speak. Peterson gained notoriety last year for his continued refusal to use gender-neutral pronouns to address his students. In a series of videos, he claimed that his free speech is threatened by what he considers to be “political correctness,” and that the bill is a slippery slope to a “totalitarian regime.”
Many considered it an insult that Peterson was invited to testify at all. Even more frustrating that well-known trans advocates and allies such as DiNovo, who introduced Toby’s Act and Susan Gapka, founder of the Trans Lobby Group, were not invited to speak.
Inside the Senate building, I prepared to pass through security and began to feel anxious about what I was going to hear. I wondered if I could sit quietly as my identity and my right to live as who I am, free from discrimination and violence, was debated by cis people.
I took a seat in the back and for two hours I listened to wealthy cis white men including Peterson express anguish over how protecting trans rights would limit free speech.
It’s always about free speech to these men. They see no hypocrisy when they can use their free speech to organize and speak out and oppose human rights legislation. But free speech is never free from criticism.
Peterson was allotted one hour of the two-hour Senate committee to speak. The psychology professor and his lawyer, Bruce Pardy, made preposterous claims about how C-16 could potentially land them in jail for not using a trans person’s chosen pronouns. Peterson’s outlandish statements, such as how trans people’s gender is subjective and that science has not yet proven that trans is even a thing, had my eyes rolling.
He claimed that activists use trans children as propaganda tools, even suggesting the gender unicorn is a tool used by trans adults to twist the minds of children into thinking they are trans. It was even argued that, since trans people made up only.3 per cent of the general population in Canada, that special provisions were absurd. Even if we are only.3 per cent of the population, we should still matter and be treated fairly as humans.
Peterson and Pardy are both extremely concerned about being legally “compelled” into using pronouns they don’t respect, even suggesting jail was a possible outcome.
The Canadian Bar Association cleared this up in a statement on May 10, stating that this was a gross misunderstanding of Bill C-16, and that freedom of speech was in no way being restricted or censored.
“Recently, the debate has turned to whether the amendments will force individuals to embrace concepts, even use pronouns, which they find objectionable. This is a misunderstanding of human rights and hate crimes legislation,” it states.
Nobody will face criminal charges for the casual or accidental misgendering of a trans person. However, what the legislation will do is enshrine into law that willful, repeated, deliberate misgendering of trans people is potential harassment and worthy of investigation.
I was sitting there in the back of the room listening to cis white men debate my rights, my existence, and the lack of “credible” science that would prove I am who I say I am. Trans people are constantly debated, dehumanized, and degraded. Cis people often talk about us as though we are not even here in the room, living out our lives.
Thankfully, Peterson did not manage to sway the votes. On May 18, after two weeks of hearings, the Senate committee passed C-16 with no amendments or observations. We are likely to see this bill pass into law. Tears of joy rolled down my face.
Bill C-16 now heads to a third and final vote in the Senate, before receiving royal assent. There have been six parliamentary incarnations of trans rights legislation moving through the House of Commons, or stalled in the Senate, since a law was first proposed by NDP MP Bill Siksay in 2005.
Throughout this process, the term “gender expression” has been the most controversial point. Many still do not understanding the differences between identity and expression. My identity is who I am; my expression is simply an expression of my identity. A good example of why gender expression was needed in the bill would be to protect trans people who are gender fluid, such as an individual who may wear a dress to work one day, then a more typical masculine outfit the next day, like a suit. Sometimes this is also called being non-binary.
Notice how that’s often acceptable for folks who are assigned female at birth, but not so much for those assigned male at birth.
Gender expression protection would also keep federal employees safe from termination in their jobs and offer recourse if they experience discrimination or harassment.
Many trans folks have found themselves locked out of bank accounts and, in some cases, accused of fraud, when banks do not believe their voice or presentation matches the gender they have on file.
Bill C-16 makes it clear |
statement in relation to the personal character or conduct of the candidate on the one hand and a false statement in relation to the public or official character of the candidate on the other hand. I accept … that every false statement in relation to the public character of a candidate may in one sense reflect upon the candidate’s personal character, but before there can be an illegal practice in terms of the statute, the false statement of fact must be directly related to the personal character or conduct of the candidate …”
[31] A false statement of fact “in relation to the candidate’s personal character or conduct” may arise out of or emanate from what appears prima facie to be a public or political statement, or event, or circumstances. Thus in R (Woolas) v Parliamentary Election Court [2012] QB 1, the divisional court, having observed that a court hearing a claim must decide whether a statement –
“… is one as to the personal character or conduct or a statement as to the political position or character of the candidate. It cannot be both … [paragraph 111]”
then gave an example of a statement of fact “in relation to the candidate’s personal character or conduct” which had nevertheless arisen out of or in the context of what was, prima facie, a public or political matter: for in paragraph 121, they reasoned as follows:
“… when it was asserted in ‘The Examiner’ that those whose votes were being wooed by Mr Watkins [an unsuccessful candidate] were those who were not simply extremists but those who advocated extreme violence, in particular against Mr Woolas [the successful candidate] it plainly suggested, as the election court found, that Mr Watkins was willing to condone threats of violence in pursuit of political advantage. It was not then a statement about the type of support he was wooing, but a statement that he was willing to condone threats of violence. That further statement took the statement from being a statement as to Mr Watkins’s political position to being a statement about his personal character – that he condoned criminal conduct. It was not simply an implied statement in relation to a political matter, but a statement that goes to his personal character as a man who condones extreme violence …”
The divisional court therefore agreed with the election court that the circumstances described in paragraph 121 amounted to a statement of fact “in relation to … the personal character or conduct” of a candidate, Mr Watkins. They further agreed that Mr Woolas had properly been found guilty of an illegal practice and his election correctly determined to be void. The court referred to Fairbairn with approval, and also cited, inter alia, North Louth (1911) 6 O’Malley & Hardcastle 103 where the court had, at page 158, described a statement about a candidate as affecting “his veracity and honour even more than his political character”.
[32] We do not therefore accept the submission by senior counsel for the first respondent that the context of the statement under challenge (namely the fact that he was being asked questions in his capacity as Secretary of State for Scotland, it being understood that the leak had come from the Scotland Office) automatically has the result that the statement should be categorised as one given “in relation to the public or official character of the candidate” (Fairbairn, Lord Ross at page 396). On the contrary, we consider that a false statement of fact may be “in relation to the candidate’s personal character or conduct” even although it is made in a political context by someone who is the holder of an office in a particular party and relates to events involving politicians, political campaigning, political parties’ offices, staff, publications and so on. Each case must be considered on its own facts, and the question may often be one of fact and degree. Circumstances can be envisaged where a false statement of fact is of such a nature that the effect in relation to a candidate’s personal character or conduct transcends the political context. In other words, being involved in a political matter will not necessarily provide protection from the effect of section 106. We consider therefore that it is necessary for this court to examine the facts surrounding the statement and its context with some care. The question of the type of relationship between the statement and the personal character and conduct of the first respondent is one which requires evidence, including evidence as to the motive or reason for giving the false statement. We do not accept, therefore, that it is sufficient simply to provide the court with a written narration of events and to invite the court to reach a view on the basis of the statute and the authorities (such as the guidance given in respect of the words “in relation to” in paragraph 49 of Martin v Most, cit sup ). On the contrary, we consider that, in a case such as this, there may be subtle but significant inferences and nuances to be drawn from evidence when heard.
[33] As we wish to hear evidence, the question of the sufficiency of the pleadings must be addressed.
[34] In our opinion, the proceedings in an election petition and answers are indeed sui generis. The proceedings are not an ordinary action in the Court of Session or in a sheriff court. The election court is a United Kingdom statutory body which has taken over certain functions of a committee of Parliament. The election court does not ultimately issue an executive judgment, but reports to the House of Commons. As an election petition must, in terms of the 1983 Act, be presented to the Court of Session, it is necessary to have some rules of court governing procedure (chapter 69): but those rules do not, in our opinion, result in the imposition of the strict rules of relevancy and specification applicable to ordinary actions raised in the Court of Session or the sheriff court. Thus we do not accept that strict rules of pleading, such as the “weaker alternative” rule, or the law relating to the use of “believed and averred”, must be applied to election petitions.
[35] Rule 69.13 provides:
“(1) … any party shall, not less than 6 days before the date of the trial, lodge in process a statement of the matters on which he intends to lead evidence …”
Rule 69.14 provides:
“(1) No evidence shall be led at the trial of an election petition other than matters contained in – …
(b) the statement lodged under rule 69.13 (statement of evidence to be led), or
(c) matters which have been sufficiently set out in the petition,
except with the leave of the election court or one of the judges on the rota for the trial of election petitions, on such conditions as to postponement of the trial, payment of expenses or otherwise, as may be ordered.”
[36] Thus the petitioners are entitled to rely upon both their petition and their note of argument (paragraph 1 of which identifies the note as being “also the statement required under rule of court 69.13(1) of the matters on which the petitioners intend to lead evidence”). Those two documents, in our opinion, set out sufficiently clearly an offer to prove facts which may engage the operation of section 106. For example, the petitioners, in paragraphs 15 to 20 of their note of argument/statement of evidence to be led, set out material from which they invite the court to conclude that the only reasonable inference to be drawn is that the statement made by the first respondent was made for the purpose of affecting the return of candidates (including the first respondent himself) in the constituency of Orkney and Shetland.
[37] We accept that criticisms may be made of the petition and note of argument/statement of evidence to be led. For example, senior counsel for the petitioners acknowledged that the averment relating to the general election in statement 9 of the petition had no legal basis in section 106 and should properly be deleted. However in the light of our opinion in paragraphs [34] to [36] above, we consider that this criticism may be dealt with by this court noting counsel’s concession and ruling that no evidence will be permitted in support of that particular averment.
[38] We reserve our opinion on the question of the standard of proof.
Decision
[39] We wish to hear evidence in relation to issues 2 and 3 before giving a determination and reporting to the House of Commons in terms of sections 144 and 158 of the 1983 Act. The next part of the trial will therefore take the form of a by order hearing to discuss further procedure, including the question of the standard of proof.More heartwrenching news from the home of Leila Fowler, the 8-year-old California girl murdered in her own bedroom. Her 12-year-old brother is already in jail, charged with killing his little sister. Now, Leila's dad says his family is receiving threats. He's come out to say they're afraid in their own home.
Come on, really? A family has lost their child, they've got another child facing serious charges, and this is how people respond? With anger and recrimination?
Leila's father and his fiancee have come out of hiding to say the town that once held vigils for their little girl has turned on them, that they've had people bang on their doors, cyberbully them, and make their other kids terrified to be left alone.
Here, take a listen:
Standing on the outside of the community, the Fowlers' confessions are heartbreaking. Don't these people have any compassion?
But a part of me does understand how a community could turn so quickly on this family. Their 12-year-old son, who Barney Fowler, like any good dad, says is innocent, was one of them. They trusted this boy.
Now he's charged with the heinous murder of his little sister.
For people who comforted that little boy, his arrest likely feels like a violation of their trust. It's not hard to imagine that they feel betrayed and confused. Now it seems as if they had a murderer in their midst... and that murderer is someone they trusted with their kids because he WAS a kid.
Still, these people didn't ask for this. They didn't ask for their son to be charged with murder. They didn't ask for their daughter to be murdered.
They aren't perfect, but they are in pain. They are grieving.
Isn't that enough of a reason to leave them alone?
Do you have compassion for this family or has their son's arrest obliterated that?
Image via KCRATVThe last message astronaut Scott Kelly sent from his hugely popular Twitter account before returning to Earth late Tuesday night: “The journey isn’t over.”
Now that he’s back, Kelly must re-acclimatize himself to living on the planet and faces months, perhaps years, of testing to determine the effects after his historic 340 days in space.
“They’ll be going through a variety of different tasks that look a lot like what you might have to do if you had just landed on the surface of Mars and needed to connect to a habitat maybe that had been prepositioned and there’s no one there to help you,” International Space Station Chief Scientist Julie Robinson said in a NASA video of the initial tests.
The tasks sound relatively easy, unless your muscles have been weakened by living in low gravity: climbing ladders, opening hatches, maybe some light programming, and getting back up after falling down. This will help us understand the effectiveness of the countermeasures in place to keep a body healthy enough to be useful after a journey to Mars. If Kelly has lost a significant amount of bone density, it’s an indication we might not be able to keep people fit enough to make the trip. Lost bone density can take up to three years to replace.
New views of the reentry of the #YearInSpace crew earlier returning to Earth from @Space_Station: https://t.co/96LV6YYR3r — NASA (@NASA) March 2, 2016
Then there’s data collection and genetic testing on Kelly, which will happen for at least the next nine months. In what’s likely the most important experiment, researchers will examine Kelly compared to his identical twin brother, former astronaut Mark Kelly.
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Mark Kelly participated in studies on Earth so scientists could compare the effects of space on a genetic duplicate of Scott, who already provided some initial data during his time in space. Scott Kelly tested his own blood and performed ultrasounds on himself and on fellow crew members which can now be compared to Mark Kelly’s body. Some of Scott Kelly’s biological samples remain on the space station and will need to be brought back on next April’s SpaceX capsule launch.
Upon returning to Houston, Kelly will undergo a physical rehab program standard for all astronauts coming back from a six-month stay on the International Space Station. Kelly has been up there double that time, but doctors expect that the usual 45 day timeline of targeted exercises will be all he needs to get back the muscle mass he lost living in low gravity.
While commanding the ISS, Kelly was provided with a NASA ARED exercise machine designed to stimulate normal gravitational resistance. He’ll be tested to see how well that regime worked.
Kelly called the intense studies and long term space journey a “small part” of achieving a necessary goal upon his return.
“By going to Mars one day, it’ll only make things better here on Earth,” he said.President Trump is set to meet with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’s at the White House Wednesday to discuss resuming peace talks with Israel.
In what will be their first face-to-face meeting, the president is expected to press the Palestinian leader to end payments to families of Palestinians imprisoned in Israeli jails, U.S. officials say, one of several actions that could lead to resumed peace talks with Israel
Israel considers such payments a reward for terrorists, but stopping them seems untenable to Abbas, especially at a time of broad Palestinian support for a mass hunger strike of prisoners held by Israel.
Other actions Trump will call for include a Palestinian end to anti-Israel rhetoric and incitement of violence, said officials familiar with planning for the meeting.
President Trump will also use the meeting as an opportunity to recommit the United States to helping the Palestinians improve their economic conditions, U.S. officials say.
Trump ignored the Palestinians early in his presidency, while appearing to side with Israel on key issues. Being shunned by the U.S. would undercut Abbas' remaining political legitimacy just as polls show two-thirds of Palestinians want him to resign.
Peace talks between Israel and Palestine have been stalled since 2014 when former Secretary of State John Kerry failed to facilitate discussions between the two sides.
"We hope this will be a new beginning," Abbas told Palestinians at a meeting in Washington on the eve of the talks.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.9 mllion USD worth of BTC and ETH has been raised within 90 minutes for the crowdsale of Qtum, the most discussed and focused Blockchain project of China in 2017 as it has officially kicked off on March, 16th,, GMT 12:00pm (Beijing Time 20:00). At the press time, Qtum’s crowdsale has reached 81% milestone of the total 51,000,000 Qtum token that are planed to distributed in the crowdsale. The funds are composed of 8,999 BTC and 6,4731ETH, worth of more than 12 million USD.
When interviewed exclusively by 8btc, Patrick Dai, the cofounder of Qtum has expressed his gratitude to the power of the community:
“I expected the recognition. But when all things happened in such an amazing way, I couldn’t help but appreciate the power and dynamics of Chinese and Global community.”
As for the question that whether the crowdsale will end in advance if all 51,000,000 Qtum tokens are sold out before April 15th, Patrick confirmed it by saying:
“We will put an end to the crowdsale if it reaches the target.”
Currently the crowdsale is still underway and is seeing more in-coming investors.
Investment outside China is also fastly contributing to the crowdsale.
Here is the officially recommended platform for overseas investors of Qtum.
qtum.bizhongchou.com
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Of course, SOAD have only teased us with implicit details because… well… it’s System of a Down. But the Armenian-American foursome sure know how to get fans excited once the time has come to hit a new chapter in SOAD’s career.
Last night (Aug. 31), bassist Shavo Odadjian and drummer John Dolmayan shared pics of themselves plus guitarist Daron Malakian practicing in their rehearsal space, along with the hashtag #letsdothis:
There’s no word if System are practicing for potential live dates or if a new album is coming, so all we can do is speculate. However, when SOAD start dropping hints, something awesome is often soon to follow.
It’s been a long 11 years since System of a Down gave us new material with Mezmerize and Hypnotize. We know you’re foaming at the mouth for fresh SOAD cuts, so stay tuned to Loudwire for all your System updates.
See Where Serj Tankian Ranks Among the Top 50 Hard Rock + Metal FrontmenRepublican presidential candidate Donald Trump, center, hugs former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger following the CNN Republican presidential debate in September 2015. | AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill Poll: Schwarzenegger voters for Trump in California
California Republicans who backed a wealthy celebrity candidate named Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2003 are almost three times more likely to back another, Donald Trump, in the June 7 primary, a new California Field Poll released Thursday shows.
“It looks like a lot of the same voters, and a lot of the same message,’’ Field Poll director Mark DiCamillo told POLITICO California.
Story Continued Below
With a mother lode of 172 GOP delegates at stake, the primary figures to be critical and hotly contested. The poll indicates that Trump is positioned to win the largest share, leading Texas Senator Ted Cruz by seven points.
The poll showed Trump to be the choice of 39 percent of the state’s likely GOP voters, with Cruz at 32 percent, and Ohio Gov. John Kasich in third at 18 percent. Currently, 11 percent of state GOP voters are still undecided or will vote for other candidates, the poll showed.
The poll was taken from March 24 to April 4 among 1,400 registered voters in California, including 558 Republicans considered likely to vote in the primary. The margin of error is plus or minus four points for the overall sample.
Though Schwarzenegger and Trump are markedly different on policy issues like immigration, DiCamillo said that the poll shows some surprising parallels. Like Schwarzenegger, who vowed to “blow up the boxes” and rid California of insider politics in the historic 2003 recall election that ousted Democrat governor Gray Davis, Trump has appealed to GOP grassroots voters as “the outsider promising to put things right, to make America great again,’’ said DiCamillo. “It’s the same appeal... to a lot of disaffected voters,’’ he said.
The poll also found wide regional variations in support for Trump and Cruz. Those geographic differences among California Republicans will matter on June 7, DiCamillo noted: a total of 159 delegates to the Republican National Convention, or three delegates in each of the state's 53 congressional districts, will be awarded, with the remainder a bonus for the statewide winner.
In two key regions, the Field Poll showed Cruz with 40 percent leading Trump at 29 percent and Kasich at 18 percent in Los Angeles County; Trump leads the Bay Area with 39 percent, Cruz at 32 percent and Kasich at 23 percent.
DiCamillo said that the poll revealed “a significant gender gap” among GOP voters in California. Trump leads Cruz among men by 17 percent; Cruz is favored over Trump among women by four points.
The poll also revealed what DiCamillo called deep divisions within the state's GOP rank-and-file. Nearly four in 10 California Republicans (38 percent) say they would be dissatisfied or upset if Trump is their party's nominee, almost equal (34 percent) to the number of Republicans who make the same claim about Cruz, the poll showed.
The stark divisions were also evident when Republicans were polled about the possibility that Trump, who has won the lion’s share of the popular vote to date, falls short of capturing the necessary 1,237 delegates needed to secure the nomination. A slim majority of Republicans, 52 percent, said the party should award the nomination to Trump, but 48 percent would support nominating somebody else.
Still, in a general election in California, the poll showed both Trump and Cruz would lose by wide margins in November if engaged in a head-to-head with former secretary of state Hillary Clinton. Clinton would beat Trump 59-31 percent, the poll showed; against Cruz, Clinton would win by 55-32 percent.Events are one of the tried-and-true methods of fundraising for non-profit organizations, but not all events are created equal. Below are five ways a non-profit organization can maximize the amount of donations from the events they hold.
1. Launch a Campaign, Not Just an Event
The impact of any one event can be enhanced by including it as the culmination of a larger campaign. Traditionally many non-profits hold their once a year gala, and conduct other fundraising initiatives throughout the year. However, science tells us there is a benefit to leveraging an extended time period to communicate key messages.
Our brains are complex, and memory function is a key component. How our brains process experiences and commit them to memory plays into why fundraising campaigns (i.e., multiple communications and events around a common theme and goal) outperform singular events.
As Ashish Ranpura writes:
Scientists divide memory into categories based on the amount of time the memory lasts… Each type of memory is tied to a particular type of brain function. Long-term memory, the class that we are most familiar with, is used to store facts, observations, and the stories of our lives. Working memory is used to hold the same kind of information for a much shorter amount of time, often just long enough for the information to be useful; for instance, working memory might hold the page number of a magazine article just long enough for you to turn to that page. Immediate memory is typically so short-lived that we don’t even think of it as memory; the brain uses immediate memory as a collecting bin, so that, for instance, when your eyes jump from point to point across a scene the individual snapshots are collected together into what seems like a smooth panorama.
Converting an experience from a working memory to a long-term memory requires time and exposure—things a campaign offers. A memorable campaign creates repeat exposure, increasing the likelihood your target has processed the importance of your message. Using an event as the culmination of a campaign, rather than a one-off, can then boost loyalty and increase donations since attendees already comprehend your organization’s message.
2. Hold Multiple Events
While many non-profits may hold one large fundraising event a year, some are finding that more events, done well, mean more money. Just like adding an extra direct mail piece or other communication can often create another opportunity to solicit donations, multiple strategic events can also help.
Traditionally the challenge with multiple events is concern over tiring your donor base. If you consider adding another large event to your fundraising strategy, add it during a different season than your traditional event. Or, hold a smaller event targeted to a different stakeholder audience. Either way, managing multiple events may add a bit of communication complexity, but often the additional revenue opportunities make it more than worth it.
3. Offer Real Time Gamification of Donations
Fundraising events with donations dynamically displayed on-screen creates an exciting moment of giving that propels more donations. On average conference donations have 38 percent attendee participation.
Consider amplifying that number with mobile pledging. Have a speaker walk your audience step-by-step through the process and display the results on a screen visible to your whole audience (maybe in a fundraising thermometer). This real-time fundraising “game” brings an added ego boost to donors while potentially driving donations through the roof.
4. Empower Your Team to Create Relationships
Feelings, not analytical thinking, powers donations. Often the reason donors fail to give is because they do not feel connected to an organization. That connection can come in many forms, but often is to the very people working on behalf of the organization. Crucial to maximizing donations at events is training your staff on how to interact with donors to create that personal connection.
In Michelle Tillis Lederman’s book The 11 Laws of Likability she recommends always being your authentic self. For many fundraisers this is a challenge because they want to impress their donors. Consider suggesting your staff do the following four things to create a better personal connection with donors:
Talk about why they are passionate about the cause
Discuss how they became involved with the organization
Relate some of the stories of the people the organization impacts
Ask donors about non-issue related points of commonality
5. Say Thank You for More Money
Did you know:
Seventy-three percent of first-time donors never give again because they don’t feel a part of the organization, they don’t feel appreciated—often they don’t even get a thank-you note—so they leave.
If you haven’t already, consider implementing a thank-you program. A proper thank-you program can improve donor retention by 50 percent. Our physiological response to appreciation induces feel-good hormones like norepinephrine. The flow of such dopamine chemicals can help people remember your nonprofit favorably.
Fundraising event campaigns provide your audience more time to process, connect, and donate. By giving your team more time to send out emotionally-compelling thank-yous and invite people to come back and learn more, you can maximize fundraising success.
Interested in hosting a fundraising event at 583 PARK AVENUE? Contact us for more information.The Chicago Red Stars announced that they have removed Japanese international Yuki Nagasato from the disabled list and have added her to the active roster fro the 2017 NWSL season. In order to follow NWSL roster limits and requirements, the Red Stars have additionally waived midfielder Mary Luba.
“We are looking forward to finally having Yuki available for us,” Head Coach Rory Dames said in the official press release. “She has looked great in practice and provides a veteran presence in this last half of the season as we aim for a playoff spot.”
Yuki Nagasato was originally signed by the Red Stars on May 24, but upon arrival she wasn't cleared by medical staff due to a minor knee injury. She then returned to Japan for rehabilitation and was placed on the 45-day disabled list. Over the past month, the 30-year-old has returned to Chicago and she has resumed training with the NWSL club.
Luba (middle row, third from the left) claiming the WPSL championship with the Chicago Red Stars Reserves. | Source: Twitter
Midfielder Mary Luba originally joined the Chicago Red Stars Reserves in 2015. After a strong performance for the Reserves, the Marquette alum earned a contract for the NWSL team later that year in which the Red Stars would see the playoffs. Since then, Luba has spent the past two seasons with the Chicago Red Stars, making four appearances for the club with a grand total of 50 minutes.
“Having to let go of Luba was a difficult decision. We can’t thank her enough for all she has done for this club and community over the last two seasons,” Dames explained in the press release. “We wish her nothing but success on and off the field.”
The Chicago Red Stars return to action this Saturday at home when host the Portland Thorns at Toyota Park. Kick off is schedule for 8 PM Eastern Time and will be streamed on the go90 app.Get the biggest rugby 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
Swansea City will travel to Old Trafford for a glamorous FA Cup third round trip against giants Manchester United.
The League Cup holders will face the Premier League champions, who currently sit ninth, two places above them in the table.
It will also be a trip north for Malky Mackay's Bluebirds, who will face in-form Newcastle United at St James Park.
The 2008 finalists, who lost at Macclesfield Town at the same stage last season, face five crunch league games before cup action starts on the first weekend of January.
Manager Malky Mackay said: "We know it's going to be a tough trip.
"They beat us at our own place in the league, so we know what a good side they are.
"I can understand people saying survival is our ultimate goal and that would be correct but taking Cardiff to Wembley in the League Cup final was one of the proudest moments of my career and we would always welcome a cup run."
If Wrexham can shock League Two leaders Oxford United tomorrow night, they will earn a trip to East London to take on Championship strugglers Charlton Athletic.
The draw
Bournemouth v Fleetwood or Burton
Derby v Chelsea
Ipswich v Preston
Grimsby v Huddersfield
Birmingham v Bristol Rovers or Crawley
Arsenal v Tottenham
Brighton v Reading
Everton v QPR
Blackburn v Manchester City
Bolton v Blackpool
Sunderland v Carlisle
Macclesfield v Sheffield Wednesday
Aston Villa v Sheffield United
Norwich v Fulham
Port Vale v Plymouth
Manchester United v Swansea
Charlton v Wrexham or Oxford
Wigan v MK Dons
Rochdale v Leeds
Newcastle v Cardiff
Southampton v Burnley
Stoke v Leicester
Doncaster v Stevenage
Kidderminster v Peterborough
West Brom v Crystal Palace
Middlesbrough v Hull
Southend v Millwall
Bristol City v Watford
Nottingham Forest v West Ham
Liverpool v Oldham or Mansfield
Yeovil v Leyton Orient
Barnsley v Hartlepool or CoventryThe Syrian Arab Army’s elite special operations division known as the “Tiger Forces” (Qawat Al-Nimr) have served on several fronts in northern Syria and participated in a number of offensives to regain territory from the Islamist rebels and the Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham (ISIS).
With their militaristic flexibility and offensive strength gaining them notoriety, the Syrian Arab Army’s Tiger Forces have become a hot commodity for any government offensive, but their relatively small numbers make it difficult to deploy them to multiple fronts at once.
Luckily, the National Defense Forces (NDF) and Syrian Arab Army units in northern Hama do not have to wait long before their relief arrives, as the Tiger Forces are reportedly being deployed to northern Hama after they lift the two year long siege of the Kuweries Military Airport in the Aleppo Governorate’s eastern countryside.
Once the aforementioned offensive concludes, the Tiger Force’s second largest brigade known as the “Cheetah Forces” will be redeployed, along with their commander Colonel Shady Isma’eel.
According to a private military source in Damascus, the plan is to move the Tiger Forces from the Kuweries front to northern Hama front in order to forestall the Islamist offensive near the Christian city of Al-Sqaylabiyah and to recapture the territory lost in the last two weeks.
Colonel Suheil Al-Hassan (lead commander of the Tiger Forces) will be in charge of the operation, but he will split time between northern Hama and east Homs, where the “Panther Forces” are currently attacking ISIS along the Jazal-Palmyra Road.
The number of soldiers from the Cheetah Forces that are expected to be deployed to this front has not been confirmed; however, it is likely that several hundred could be redeployed to this front in the coming 48 hours if the siege of the Kuweires Airport is lifted.
AdvertisementsScientists highlight the failure to abide by ethical standards of animal research and welfare.
In a scathing commentary published today in the peer-reviewed journal, Canadian Wildlife Biology and Management, scientists from the Raincoast Conservation Foundation and the Universities of Saskatchewan and Victoria denounce the failure of researchers, government agencies, research institutions, and the scientific publishing process to abide by recognized ethical standards of animal research and welfare.
Download the journal paper Maintaining ethical standards during conservation crises
In the November issue of the Canadian Journal of Zoology, a team of researchers described a gruesome wolf culling experiment and last-minute bid to halt the decline of the Little Smoky caribou herd in Alberta. The caribou are endangered because extensive and unabated industrial development of oil, gas and forestry operations has destroyed and degraded the habitat that provides life sustaining food, shelter, and security.
The researchers oversaw a study in which at least 733 wolves and hundreds of other animals suffered and died by methods considered inhumane by the Canadian Council of Animal Care (CCAC). The CCAC provides ethical guidelines that scientists in Canada normally comply with to ensure that animals used in research are treated humanely. Bypassing CCAC standards, managers from Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development administered the killing. Cooperative university investigators assessed the outcome of the cull. Most wolves died violent deaths via aerial gunning from helicopters. Others succumbed to poisoning after ingesting baits laced with strychnine. These methods of killing do not conform to CCAC’s recognized and acceptable standards of euthanasia, owing to the extended pain and suffering they often cause.
“Expedient but inadequate emergency ‘fixes’ have been experimentally implemented to arrest the impending loss of caribou”, said co-author Dr. Ryan Brook of the University of Saskatchewan, “but no context can justify methods that impose such suffering”.
Co-author Dr. Gilbert Proulx, Director of Science at Alpha Wildlife Research & Management Ltd, agreed. “There is a need to improve checks and balances that would normally prevent the approval, execution, and publication of unethical animal research”, he said. Despite questionably modest improvements to caribou declines, the researchers advocated for the continued killing of wolves. “Such short-sighted recommendations add fuel to the fire regarding the growing controversy and scrutiny of the unethical and unscientific Alberta wolf cull”, stated Chris Genovali, Executive Director of the Raincoast Conservation Foundation.
The study also troubled co-author Dr. Chris Darimont, Hakai-Raincoast Professor at the University of Victoria and science director for the Raincoast Conservation Foundation. “Proponents of resource extraction can now announce that a ‘solution’ to the caribou crisis is in hand, enabling additional habitat destruction that harms caribou and wolves. So despite intentions otherwise, wolf control creates greater long-term harm than good to animals and ecosystems, failing a simple test of ethics.”
“In this case, the intended but very uncertain ends cannot justify the means”, said co-author Dr. Paul Paquet, senior scientist at the Raincoast Conservation Foundation and Adjunct Professor at the University of Victoria and. “Experiments that involve the intentional inhumane killing of animals violate the fundamental principles of ethical science and rightfully endanger the reputation of science and scientists, as well as the journals willing to publish them”.
Citation: Brook, Ryan, Marc. Cattet, Chris T. Darimont, Paul C. Paquet, & Gilbert Proulx. 2015. Maintaining ethical standards during conservation crises. Canadian Wildlife Biology and Management Issue 4, pages 72-79.
Available in Open Access format here or download the pdfThis Bitcoin and Ounces of Silver convertor is up to date with exchange rates from February 28, 2019.
Enter the amount to be converted in the box to the left of Bitcoin. Use "Swap currencies" to make Ounces of Silver the default currency. Click on Ounces of Silver or Bitcoins to convert between that currency and all other currencies.
The Bitcoin is the currency in no countries. The symbol for BTC can be written BTC. The symbol for XAG can be written Ag Oz. The exchange rate for the Bitcoin was last updated on February 28, 2019 from coinmarketcap.com. The exchange rate for Ounces of Silver was last updated on February 24, 2019 from Kitco. The BTC conversion factor has 12 significant digits. The XAG conversion factor has 5 significant digits.Summary: Primary ingredient in olive oil can help prevent cancer causing genes from functioning in cells.
Source: University of Edinburgh.
A compound found in olive oil may help to prevent cancer developing in the brain, a study shows.
Research into oleic acid — the primary ingredient in olive oil — has shown how it can help prevent cancer-causing genes from functioning in cells.
The oily substance — one of a group of nutrients known as fatty acids — stimulates the production of a cell molecule whose function is to prevent cancer-causing proteins from forming.
The study team says it is too soon to say whether dietary consumption of olive oil may help prevent brain cancer. Their findings, however, point towards possible therapies based on the oil to prevent brain cancer from occurring.
Scientists from the University of Edinburgh analysed the effect of oleic acid on a cell molecule, known as miR-7, which is active in the brain and is known to suppress the formation of tumours.
They found that oleic acid prevents a cell protein, known as MSI2, from stopping production of miR-7. In this way, the olive oil component supports the production of miR-7, which helps prevent tumours from forming.
Researchers made their discoveries in tests on human cell extracts and in living cells in the lab.
The study, published in the Journal of Molecular Biology, was funded by the Medical Research Council and the Wellcome Trust.
Dr Gracjan Michlewski of the University of Edinburgh’s School of Biological Sciences, who led the study, said: “While we cannot yet say that olive oil in the diet helps prevent brain cancer, our findings do suggest that oleic acid can support the production of tumour-suppressing molecules in cells grown in the lab. Further studies could help determine the role that olive oil might have in brain health.”
About this neuroscience research article
Funding: Funding provided by Medical Research Council, Wellcome Trust.
Source: Catriona Kelly – University of Edinburgh
Image Source: NeuroscienceNews.com image is in the public domain.
Original Research: Full open access research for “Oleic Acid Induces MiR |
, while defending his vote to fund Planned Parenthood through Title X.
“I said, ‘Well, if you’re going to have Title X funding then we’re going to create something called Title XX,'” Santorum recalled. “Which is going to provide funding for abstinence based programs. … I would say that I’ve always been very public, that as president of the United States, I will defund Planned Parenthood. I will not sign any appropriations bill that funds Planned Parenthood.”
Watch this video from CNN, broadcast Feb. 22, 2012.“The United States had absolutely nothing to do with this,” said Tommy Vietor, a spokesman for the National Security Council. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton appeared to expand the denial beyond Wednesday’s killing, “categorically” denying “any United States involvement in any kind of act of violence inside Iran.”
“We believe that there has to be an understanding between Iran, its neighbors and the international community that finds a way forward for it to end its provocative behavior, end its search for nuclear weapons and rejoin the international community,” Mrs. Clinton said.
The Israeli military spokesman, Brig. Gen. Yoav Mordechai, writing on Facebook about the attack, said, “I don’t know who took revenge on the Iranian scientist, but I am definitely not shedding a tear,” Israeli news media reported.
Like the drone strikes that the Obama administration has embraced as a core tactic against Al Qaeda, the multifaceted covert campaign against Iran has appeared to offer an alternative to war. But at most it has slowed, not halted, Iran’s enrichment of uranium, a potential fuel for a nuclear weapon. And some skeptics believe that it may harden Iran’s resolve or set a dangerous precedent for a strategy that could be used against the United States and its allies.
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Neither Israeli nor American officials will discuss the covert campaign in any detail, leaving some uncertainty about the perpetrators and their purpose. For instance, Karim Sadjadpour, an Iran expert at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said he believed that at least some of the murdered scientists might have been killed by the Iranian government. Some of them had shown sympathy for the Iranian opposition, he said, and not all appeared to have been high-ranking experts.
“I think there is reason to doubt the idea that all the hits have been carried out by Israel,” Mr. Sadjadpour said. “It’s very puzzling that Iranian nuclear scientists, whose movements are likely carefully monitored by the state, can be executed in broad daylight, sometimes in rush-hour traffic, and their culprits never found.”
A more common view, however, is expressed by Patrick Clawson, director of the Iran Security Initiative at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. “I often get asked when Israel might attack Iran,” Mr. Clawson said. “I say, ‘Two years ago.’ ”
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Mr. Clawson said the covert campaign was far preferable to overt airstrikes by Israel or the United States on suspected Iranian nuclear sites. “Sabotage and assassination is the way to go, if you can do it,” he said. “It doesn’t provoke a nationalist reaction in Iran, which could strengthen the regime. And it allows Iran to climb down if it decides the cost of pursuing a nuclear weapon is too high.”
A former senior Israeli security official, who would speak of the covert campaign only in general terms and on the condition of anonymity, said the uncertainty about who was responsible was useful. “It’s not enough to guess,” he said. “You can’t prove it, so you can’t retaliate. When it’s very, very clear who’s behind an attack, the world behaves differently.”
The former Israeli official noted that Iran carried out many assassinations of enemies, mostly Iranian opposition figures, during the 1980s and 1990s, and had been recently accused of plotting to kill the Saudi ambassador to the United States in Washington.
“In Arabic, there’s a proverb: If you are shooting, don’t complain about being shot,” he said. But he portrayed the killings and bombings as part of a larger Israeli strategy to prevent all-out war.
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“I think the cocktail of diplomacy, of sanctions, of covert activity might bring us something,” the former official said. “I think it’s the right policy while we still have time.”
Israel has used assassination as a tool of statecraft since its creation in 1948, historians say, killing dozens of Palestinian and other militants and a small number of foreign scientists, military officials or people accused of being Holocaust collaborators.
But there is no exact precedent for what appears to be the current campaign against Iran, involving Israel and the United States and a broad array of methods.
Video
The assassinations have been carried out primarily by motorcyclists who attach magnetic bombs to the victim’s car, often in heavy traffic, before speeding away.
Iran’s Mehr news agency said Wednesday’s explosion took place on Gol Nabi Street, on Mr. Roshan’s route to work, at 8:20 a.m. The news agency said the scientist, who also taught at a technical university, was deputy director of commercial affairs at the Natanz site, evidently in charge of buying equipment and materials. Two other people were wounded, and one later died in a hospital, Iranian officials said.
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Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations, Mohammad Khazaee, sent a letter of protest to Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, blaming “certain foreign quarters” for what he called “terrorist acts” aimed at disrupting Iran’s “peaceful nuclear program, under the false assumption that diplomacy alone would not be enough for that purpose.”
The ambassador’s letter complained of sabotage, a possible reference to the Stuxnet computer worm, believed to be a joint American-Israeli project, that reportedly led to the destruction in 2010 of about a fifth of the centrifuges Iran uses to enrich uranium. It also said the covert campaign included “a military strike on Iran,” evidently a reference to a mysterious explosion that destroyed much of an Iranian missile base on Nov. 12.
That explosion, which Iran experts say they believe was probably an Israeli effort, killed Gen. Hassan Tehrani Moghaddam, who was in charge of Iran’s missile program. Satellite photographs show multiple buildings at the site leveled or heavily damaged.
The C.I.A., according to current and former officials, has repeatedly tried to derail Iran’s uranium enrichment program by covert means, including introducing sabotaged parts into Iran’s supply chain.
In addition, the agency is believed to have encouraged some Iranian nuclear scientists to defect, an effort that came to light in 2010 when a scientist, Shahram Amiri, who had come to the United States, claimed to have been kidnapped by the C.I.A. and returned to Iran. (Press reports say he has since been arrested and tried for treason.) A former deputy defense minister, Ali-Reza Asgari, disappeared while visiting Turkey in 2006 and is widely believed to have defected, possibly to the United States.
William C. Banks, an expert on national security law at Syracuse University, said he believed that for the United States even to provide specific intelligence to Israel to help kill an Iranian scientist would violate a longstanding executive order banning assassinations. The legal rationale for drone strikes against terrorist suspects — that the United States is at war with Al Qaeda and its allies — would not apply, he said.
“Under international law, aiding and abetting would be the same as pulling the trigger,” Mr. Banks said. He added, “We would be in a precarious position morally, and the entire world is watching, especially China and Russia.”
Gary Sick, a specialist on Iran at Columbia, said he believed that the covert campaign, combined with sanctions, would not persuade Iran to abandon its nuclear work.
“It’s important to turn around and ask how the U.S. would feel if our revenue was being cut off, our scientists were being killed and we were under cyberattack,” Mr. Sick said. “Would we give in, or would we double down? I think we’d fight back, and Iran will, too.”Is today’s report from the Equality and Human Rights Commission, citing that widespread inequality is “entrenched” in Britain and risks increasing race tensions even news?
As an ethnic minority in Britain, I feel different every day. Post-Brexit, there is growing discomfort too. I walk down the street and I wonder if I’ll see somebody being abused, or if this time it’ll be me.
David Isaac the Commission Chairman acknowledged today in the report that “if you are black or an ethnic minority in modern Britain it can still feel like you are living in a different world, never mind being part of a one nation society.” If you are perceived to be foreign by your name or appearance, this is the reality of living in Britain in 2016.
The report also showed that black graduates earn on average 23.1 per cent less than white ones, and more ethnic minorities are unemployed. Today’s report follows Maria Miller’s report just last week, which found that Muslim women face the most discrimination at work.
I’m glad we are talking about it, but reports are only worth the glossy paper they are written on if they don't lead to tangible change.
Having spent time in Washington and across the United States as a guest of the US State Department, I saw firsthand some of the things we could learn from the US when it comes to racial discourse and calling out failings. A progressive Government that wants to seriously tackle racial disadvantage cannot simply focus on poverty, educational attainment amongst children or employment. It must address racial inequality and why it exists, not simply tell us it exists. President Barack Obama has openly spoken on inequality in the work place, saying: “We must fight the impulse to call Johnny back for a job interview, but not Jamal."
I am proud to be British. This country is my home. My family came here in 1971 from Uganda fleeing the regressive and hateful Idi Amin regime. Since then they, like many others, have integrated and have lived more of their lives in Britain than anywhere else. They see Britain as home.
Nevertheless, my parents and sisters faced a struggle. Leaving behind businesses and personal wealth, being called “monkeys” and “P***s” in school, to being bullied for sounding different - that was their reality. Whilst a far cry from the regime they fled, the United Kingdom was, and is, united in name only
Two days or so after the EU Referendum vote, I found myself in a friend’s living room telling police officers about the racist abuse I’d received. My story was accompanied by her 15-year-old daughter asking questions like: “Does mum have to sell the business now because 'they' don’t want us here?" and: "They keep talking about it in school, where shall we go?”
The uncomfortable reality is that we don’t appear to have progressed since 1971. In 2016, school children are still being singled out by their religion and ethnicity. We are allowing scars to be inflicted on a whole generation, and scars do not heal easily, if at all.
There is liberal, left-wing middle class complacency in Britain about tackling race inequality, and it’s getting worse. The failure to expose deep rooted inequality and divisions in society is apparent.
We can change it, we have to. I believed Theresa May when she said she wanted to “build a better Britain”. This woman has a track record of getting things done. In her maiden speech as PM, she acknowledged that “if you’re black you are treated more harshly by the criminal justice system than if you are white”. This admission is powerful in itself. Only by exposing these issues, can we begin to eradicate them through education and, if necessary, quotas.
Inequality will prevail until we force the systems around us to change. A full 14 per cent of the UK population is BAME, and yet we are still underrepresented in positions of power. Today’s report acknowledges that out of the 2,686 judges who declared their ethnicity, only 159 were from a Black, Asian or minority ethnic background. In Parliament only 6.3 per cent of MPs are from a minority group and many elected officials are not fit to be there. Wayne David, the Labour MP for my home town of Caerphilly, said recently: “The only people with coloured skin in my town run takeaways.” The failure of Labour to properly hold him to account on his views is telling in itself.
In recent weeks I have marched in a number of the “Black Lives Matter” demonstrations which have spread to the UK from the USA. The actions of the US police are the target of the movement’s anger. If we look at the UK police force, this is where we see one of our biggest institutional failings. There are currently no ethnic minority Chief police constables across England and Wales. That’s ZERO. And 94.5 per cent of police officers are white. Is racism "entrenched"? The numbers rather speak for themselves.
The recommendations in today’s report range from the restructuring of ministerial responsibilities to introducing "targets" for ethnic minorities. Oddly enough the recommendations are silent on the misuse of tasers on black ex-Aston Villa footballers.
Before we start drawing up targets and reorganisations, we have got to do two things:
1. Deal with prejudice. We shouldn’t aim to be “tolerant.” Tolerance is not good enough. Let acceptance and fairness be our goals. We must overcome the unease of talking about race honestly and bypass this hideous false sense of cultural sensitivity and political correctness. It’s taken us backwards, not forwards.
2. Answer the following. Why are people who look and sound different underrepresented? What tangible steps are being taken to change that now, so that future generations do not feel the burden of being singled out for living their lives in the skin that they were born?
Shazia Awan is an Equality Activist. She is partner in The African Centre for Entrepreneurship and is launching Women Create, a social enterprise to help women and young people from disadvantaged backgrounds into enterprise and employment. She is Vice President of the Council for Voluntary Youth Services in Wales and she was the first Asian woman to address a Welsh Tory party conference.Brian Damage
By the year 2001, the landscape of professional wrestling had changed dramatically. Both ECW and WCW had been gobbled up by the WWE and TNA was another year away from existence. The brother of Bret Hart…Bruce Hart got together with a number of investors and started a little promotion that would emphasize a young high flying, aerial product. The promotion would be based out of Calgary, Alberta, Canada and be taped at one of Calgary’s most famous landmarks….The Palace Nightclub of Calgary. It would be renamed “The Rat’s Nest.”
To add a legitimacy to this upstart promotion…Eric Bischoff and actor/entrepreneur Jason Hervey were brought on board. They would assist in the development and distribution of what would be known as MatRats. What exactly was a Mat Rat? Well, if you call little children rug rats….what would you call teenage wrestlers? Mat Rats of course! What made this company so unique and set it apart from the WWE…there were no wrestlers over the age of 21.
In fact, the age bracket for the wrestlers would be between the ages of 14 years old to 21 years old. As crazy as it sounds to have a bunch of teenagers wrestling…the logic was it was much safer to have them compete in an organized environment rather than someone’s backyard.
The talent roster was pretty impressive as well. Some of the names included, Harry Smith, Nattie Neidhart, TJ Wilson (Tyson Kidd) Jack Evans, Rene Dupree and Teddy Hart. The announce team consisted of the great Joey Styles and Don Callis from ECW.
The ring itself was also pretty unique. Fans like to talk about TNA’s six sided ring as something that stands out. The Mat Rats ring was square, but the top turnbuckle had platforms attached to them. Making it easier for the wrestlers to balance themselves for high flying maneuvers. In lieu of a traditional ring announcer like Howard Finkel or Michael Buffer…they used an attractive, young blonde girl who was surrounded by other pretty young girls who would squeal with excitement every time a wrestler was introduced.
The talent was young, but talented and the concept was innovative. So what went wrong? Trying to get a TV deal with the selling point being underage kids performing dangerous moves didn’t exactly appeal to any sponsors or networks. While the costs to produce the show were relatively low….rumored at about $175,000…nobody wanted to touch it. Child labor laws were certain to come into play and groups like the Parents Television Council would guaranteed be protesting this show and its advertisers if aired.
Before long, the ambitious Mat Rats concept was a little too ambitious and the carpet was pulled from beneath their feet. Eric Bischoff wound up going to the WWE and company folded before it ever really got going. Would it have worked? Maybe…maybe not…here’s the trailer for Matrats and decide for yourself….Kathleen Sebelius met monthly with the president and more often as the launch neared. Making of ACA management failure
In the days after HealthCare.gov went live, White House chief of staff Denis McDonough quietly dispatched Jeff Zients, a favorite West Wing fixer, to assess the operation and report back.
When Zients did, President Barack Obama learned the project was in worse shape than suspected — riddled with coding problems, management issues and communication gaps, according to a senior administration official.
Story Continued Below
It was only then that Obama and his top aides realized the extent of what they didn’t know.
(PHOTOS: 10 Sebelius quotes about the Obamacare website)
The story of how a technology-obsessed White House failed to head off a technological disaster may be as simple as it is mind-boggling to the law’s supporters. Senior White House officials claim they just never anticipated the magnitude of the problems that would unfold — there was concern, yes, but not an impending sense of doom.
The notion that Obama wasn’t clued in seems to defy logic, given the warning signs from both within the administration and outside it, the importance of the law’s success to his presidency and his own understanding of the power of technology. But ever since the troubled launch, administration officials have tried to keep Obama as far as possible from the debacle, describing him as engaged in the implementation but unaware of the depth of the website issues.
The question of how much the White House knew will get a fuller, public airing Wednesday when technology officials in charge of the website testify before House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.
(WATCH: 6 major players in HealthCare.gov debacle)
Inside the West Wing, the explanation is that the things they were worried about didn’t turn out to be their biggest problem. Officials fretted over server capacity, rate shock, premium increases, the readiness of the state exchanges and driving traffic to the site — but not the fundamental health of the website.
Obama’s main line to the people working most directly on the project were his monthly meetings with Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services director Marilyn Tavenner and other top officials, including White House chief technology officer Todd Park, who will testify Wednesday. They met more frequently in the weeks before the launch, and Obama pressed for unvarnished assessments, but the White House didn’t receive signals that a website fiasco was looming, aides said.
He tried to convey that his staff needed to bring problems to his attention before they spun out of control. Obama even told them that unless they got HealthCare.gov right, nothing else mattered. The response he got, aides said, was that it would work.
(PODCAST: Questioning Obamacare glitches - who knew what, when?)
In the final weeks, White House aides often heard of flare-ups but they would quickly receive explanations for how the problem was resolved. They didn’t feel knowledgeable enough about IT issues to determine whether the solution was adequate, aides said.
A CMS spokeswoman declined to comment for this story.
In an Obamacare briefing for POLITICO four days before the launch, senior administration officials dismissed insurance industry concerns about the technology.
One official said during the briefing that he had learned a lot about software fixes and patches but that they were moving closer by the day to a good consumer experience. The official acknowledged that there would be glitches but that they felt very good about where they were on the operations side.
“There was a belief within the Department of Health and Human Services that the website would work and that the reports we were getting and others who strongly support the ACA was, sure, there were likely to be glitches,” said Ron Pollack, the founder of Enroll America, which has spent millions promoting the law. “But I don’t believe that anyone with major responsibility for the ACA implementation knew the problems would be as significant as they turned out to be.”
Yet there was palpable concern.
Two federal officials with direct responsibility for the federal insurance marketplace hinted back in March of a potentially dysfunctional system.After several years of hard work to climb the proverbial Everest of anime journalism, we here at Anime Maru have finally been able to reap our reward: an all-expenses paid trip to Japan, the birthplace of weebs.
This is Akihabara, a mecca for Otaku. Tokyo is famous for its overcrowding, but it really is something else in person.
Just look at all the people in cosplay. This is what everyday life is like here in Japan.
Akihabara is full of of maid cafes such as this one. Those Japanese are such perverts, you can’t get anything like this in America!
Here in the background is the famous Japanese Staples Center, named for Monogatari character Hitagi Senjougahara. You’ll notice it’s located on Pico Blvd, named for another famous anime character.
Japan is wonderful because the people are so friendly and polite.
Here is a traditional Japanese Ramen stand for all you Ace Attorney fans out there! They’ve even got sexy anime girls as advertising mascots. Good ‘ol wacky Japan!
And here’s a shop that sells onigiri, or rice balls. Jelly filled are my favorite. Nothing beats a jelly filled rice ball!
Anime is everywhere in Japan! Here’s an advertisement for an upcoming anime movie, Phantom Thief Gru, the Moon Thief 3.
We’ll continue to post photos of our trip throughout the weekend!An unofficial render for the new iPhone 8. Martin Hajek The next iPhone — expected to be named the iPhone 8, the iPhone X, or the iPhone Edition — is "unlikely" to cost the $1,200 (£925) that numerous media outlets reported, according to analysts at UBS.
Instead, they believe that it is more likely to start at around $900 (£694) for a 64GB model, increasing to $1,000 (£771) for a 256GB model.
It's unclear if there will be two or three storage options, but UBS thinks there will be two.
In a note to investors, UBS analyst Steven Milunovich and UBS associate analyst Benjamim Wilson said they "questioned the logic" of a $1,200 flagship iPhone, which is expected to come with no physical home button, a new almost edge-to-edge OLED screen, and facial unlocking technology.
They pointed out that Apple usually prices its flagship Plus models at a slight discount to Samsung's premium Galaxy Note devices. The latest Note 8 device, which was made available for preorder at the end of August, costs $929.99 (£717).
"Apple tends not to price far from the high end competition," the analysts wrote. "With the Galaxy Plus at $840 and the Note at [almost] $950, we think a $900 price tag for the base OLED model makes sense."
They added: "There seems to be a belief that Apple has to charge over $1,000 for the phone. We challenge this premise. The arguments we've heard for a $1,200 phone are, 'to manage supply constraints' and 'because the phone costs more.' Both are inconsistent with how Apple thinks about pricing.
"We don't think Apple thinks 'How much can we charge?' Rather it chooses a price band worth playing in and then develops a product to fill that space. For example, Apple decided the $900-1,000 notebook market was worth entering. It then asked 'What does our $900 MacBook look like?' Enter the MacBook Air. If Apple cannot deliver an experience worthy of the brand at a given price band and profitability level, it does not proceed."
In addition to the next-generation iPhone, Apple is expected to announce two new iPhone 7 models: the iPhone 7S and the iPhone 7S Plus. They're expected to be cheaper than the iPhone 8 but they won't have the same radical redesign.
On August 31, Apple sent out invitations for an event at its new headquarters in California on September 12. At the event, Apple is expected to announce the new iPhones alongside a new version of the Apple Watch, a new version of Apple TV that has 4K resolution, and new iOS 11 software for iPhone and iPads.
Pricing for all of the new iPhones outside the US is even less clear but the new iPhone 8 could be over £1,000 in the UK based on how much some of Apple's other new products currently retail at.
Apple does not comment on rumours and speculation.Easy Lentil Burgers Recipe:
Up front I must admit that I am not a Vegan, Vegetarian or any type of no meat diet type person. So if you are then there will be items to substitute in any vegetable dish that I prepare. In this Lentil Burgers Recipe for instance one of my favorite go-to sauces L & P Worcestershire has anchovies, and the recipe does call for eggs.
Ingredients for Easy Lentil Burgers Recipe:
If you’re not a dyed in the, well not wool perhaps corn silk, vegetarian, you could substitute the water for chicken or beef stock to add a little more subtle flavor. If you are a vegetarian, then you’ll need a substitute for the L&P and the eggs, and for that I am not an expert.
1½ cups dried lentils 3-4 cups water or vegetable stock 1 Tbs garlic salt 1 Tbs butter 1 tsp Olive oil 1 medium to large carrot finely diced 1 stalk celery finely diced 2 Tbs minced onion 4 Tbs dried parsley 1-2 Tbs Worcestershire sauce 2 whole eggs ¼ – 1 cup plain or italian bread crumbs Salt and pepper to taste
Like all recipes, that are not true formulas, the amounts of the ingredients aren’t written in stone. If you want it spicy, add more Worcestershire or add pepper flakes. Spice it with the addition of other herbs that you think will go well.
Directions for Lentil Burgers:
In a large sauce pan, place the combed through lentils and cover with water or stock so that it covers the lentils by at least 2 inches ( check the cooking instructions for the type of lentil you are using, some may require soaking before cooking).
Cook for the approximate time as suggested by the lentil package, usually 30- 45 minutes on boil.
Place the cooked lentils into a fine sieve and allow to drain and cool.
Take the carrot and celery and saute in the butter and oil until softened over medium heat, about 10 minutes.
Just before the carrot and celery are done add the dried onion and parsley.
Place the drained and cooled lentils in a large bowl add the carrot mixture and mash all with a potato masher. Don’t over mash, it is fine to leave some of the lentils whole.
Taste at this point and adjust seasoning if necessary.
Add the eggs and about ¼ cup of bread crumbs and stir to combine all the ingredients. Continue to add bread crumbs until you have a slightly moist not wet mixture.
Form into patties, I like thick big burgers so this recipe yields 4 big burgers for me, but you can make them smaller and get 6-8 out of the recipe. Place the formed patties onto a plate and layer with waxed paper in between. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour.
To cook it is best to use either a large saute pan or a griddle on the BBQ, these burgers don’t do well on BBQ grates. Cook at medium to medium high heat until warmed through and a nice crust has formed on the outside, Depending on the thickness of the burgers anywhere from 3-7 minutes per side.
To serve you can place on a bun with the usual accoutrements or go crazy with whatever you think will go, garlic aioli, roasted peppers. Serve without the bun with grilled pineapple, BBQ sauce the choices are endless.
Here are a few items to help make this recipe:
Weber 7421 Gourmet BBQ System Griddle
Premium Fine Mesh Strainer Set – Stainless Steel Strainers with Non Slip Handles – Set of 3
Enough is enough, trying to make vegetables “look” like meat is ridiculous. My gourmet palate and nose can detect “faux” meat a mile away. Wake me up when the roast beef goes in the oven.
Print Yum Easy Lentil Burgers Recipe Prep Time: 11 hours Cook Time: 10 minutes Total Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes Yield: 4-8 patties Ingredients If you're not a dyed in the, well not wool perhaps corn silk vegetarian, you could substitute the water for chicken or beef stock to add a little more subtle flavor. If you are a vegetarian, then you'll need a substitute for the L&P and the eggs, and for that I am not an expert. 1½ cups dried lentils 3-4 cups water or vegetable stock 1 Tbs garlic salt 1 Tbs butter 1 tsp Olive oil 1 medium to large carrot finely diced 1 stalk celery finely diced 2 Tbs minced onion 4 Tbs dried parsley 1-2 Tbs Worcestershire sauce 2 whole eggs ¼ - 1 cup plain or italian bread crumbs Salt and pepper to taste Instructions Like all recipes, that are not true formulas, the amounts of the ingredients aren't written in stone. If you want it spicy, add more Worcestershire or add pepper flakes. Spice it with the addition of other herbs that you think will go well. Directions for Lentil Burgers: In a large sauce pan place the combed through lentils and cover with water or stock so that it covers the lentils by at least 2 inches ( check the cooking instructions for the type of lentil you are using, some may require soaking before cooking). Cook for the approximate time as suggested by the lentil package, usually 30- 45 minutes on boil. Place the cooked lentils into a fine sieve and allow to drain and cool. Take the carrot and celery and saute in the butter and oil until softened over medium heat, about 10 minutes. Just before the carrot and celery are done add the dried onion and parsley. Place the drained and cooled lentils in a large bowl add the carrot mixture and mash all with a potato masher. Don't over mash, it is fine to leave some of the lentils whole. Taste at this point and adjust seasoning if necessary. Add the eggs and about ¼ cup of bread crumbs and stir to combine all the ingredients. Continue to add bread crumbs until you have a slightly moist not wet mixture. Form into patties, I like thick big burgers so this recipe yields 4 big burgers for me, but you can make them smaller and get 6-8 out of the recipe. Place the formed patties onto a plate and layer with waxed paper in between. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour. To cook it is best to use either a large saute pan or a griddle on the BBQ, these burgers don't do well on BBQ grates. Cook at medium to medium high heat until warmed through and a nice crust has formed on the outside, Depending on the thickness of the burgers anywhere from 3-7 minutes per side. To serve you can place on a bun with the usual accoutrements or go crazy with whatever you think will go, garlic aioli, roasted peppers. Serve without the bun with grilled pineapple, BBQ sauce the choices are endless. Schema/Recipe SEO Data Markup by Yummly Rich Recipes 0.1 https://www.rantsravesandrecipes.com/easy-lentil-burgers-recipe/
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copyright © rantsravesandrecipes 2015 all rights reservedYour casters are Avast and SLIN with mathsad on camera.
In possibly the most unlikely result for an ESEA Grand Final ever, Ascent will face off against Team SoloUber in the fight for 1st place. The winner of the upper bracket final Ascent, has to win one best of three over TSU, while TSU must win 2 best of threes.
1 #1 Oasis 5 Frags – + HYPE HYPE
2 #2 zilly 58 Frags – + http://i.imgur.com/DTvmvfT.jpg YOMPS [img]http://i.imgur.com/DTvmvfT.jpg[/img]
YOMPS
3 #3 -Riley 34 Frags – + ESEA invite champ incoming Show Content http://i.imgur.com/dEzfcW8.png ESEA invite champ incoming [spoiler] [img]http://i.imgur.com/dEzfcW8.png[/img][/spoiler]
4 #4 Wholegrain 12 Frags – + shrugger, two time esea invite champion, to reassert his dominance over north america shrugger, two time esea invite champion, to reassert his dominance over north america
5 #5 Oasis 32 Frags – + Elepimp ESEA invite champ http://i.imgur.com/rTzUDry.jpg ew [quote=Elepimp]ESEA invite champ [img]http://i.imgur.com/rTzUDry.jpg[/img][/quote]
ew
6 #6 Sheo 7 Frags – + y i m p s y i m p s
7 #7 lias 7 Frags – + lias easy win for showstopper [quote=lias]easy win for showstopper[/quote]
8 #8 vibhavp 13 Frags – + TWO best of threes? https://static-cdn.jtvnw.net/emoticons/v1/88/1.0 TWO best of threes? [img]https://static-cdn.jtvnw.net/emoticons/v1/88/1.0[/img]
10 #10 botmode 16 Frags – + vibhavp TWO best of threes? https://static-cdn.jtvnw.net/emoticons/v1/88/1.0 For those unfamiliar with the format, if ascent wins the first bo3 they win. TSU has to win two bo3 to win as they are coming from the lower bracket [quote=vibhavp]TWO best of threes? [img]https://static-cdn.jtvnw.net/emoticons/v1/88/1.0[/img][/quote]
For those unfamiliar with the format, if ascent wins the first bo3 they win. TSU has to win two bo3 to win as they are coming from the lower bracket
11 #11 HotCoffee 5 Frags – + Thank god no granary. Thank god no granary.
12 #12 Hudsyn -3 Frags – + HotCoffee Thank god no granary. Thank goodness as well. Honestly, I'm almost pooling to have a vote cast to have granary replaced since it can be such a boring map. But what would replace it? I have no idea. Any potential ideas anyone? Also note this is a what if question. [quote=HotCoffee]Thank god no granary.[/quote]
Thank goodness as well. Honestly, I'm almost pooling to have a vote cast to have granary replaced since it can be such a boring map. But what would replace it? I have no idea. Any potential ideas anyone? Also note this is a [b]what if[/b] question.
13 #13 aim- 12 Frags – + if it goes to match 6 tsu wins if it goes to match 6 tsu wins
14 #14 USA_PWNS 41 Frags – + http://i.imgur.com/3vCULXV.jpg the face of a true froyo slayer [img]http://i.imgur.com/3vCULXV.jpg[/img]
the face of a true froyo slayer
15 #15 Golden111 3 Frags – + #TSU #TSU
16 #16 puddingkip 4 Frags – + KonceptLegacy HotCoffee Thank god no granary.
Thank goodness as well. Honestly, I'm almost pooling to have a vote cast to have granary replaced since it can be such a boring map. But what would replace it? I have no idea. Any potential ideas anyone? Also note this is a what if question. Gravelpit, obviously [quote=KonceptLegacy][quote=HotCoffee]Thank god no granary.[/quote]
Thank goodness as well. Honestly, I'm almost pooling to have a vote cast to have granary replaced since it can be such a boring map. But what would replace it? I have no idea. Any potential ideas anyone? Also note this is a [b]what if[/b] question.[/quote]
Gravelpit, obviously
17 #17 Hellbent 2 Frags – + NO. NO.
18 #18 2112 3 Frags – + coalplant is better since it's been worked on, and i'm p sure it's the best koth map we have right now besides viaduct coalplant is better since it's been worked on, and i'm p sure it's the best koth map we have right now besides viaduct
19 #19 glitture 11 Frags – + #TSUnami #RideTheWave #TSUnami #RideTheWave
20 #20 Fox 3 Frags – + cheering for shrugger, rando, and bdonski cheering for shrugger, rando, and bdonski
21 #21 kalieaswari 5 Frags – + JimiJam http |
made
“I think the campaign should have reached out to the community representatives of 14,000 people — absolutely,” Mr. Katz, who voted for Mrs. Clinton and canvassed for her in Pennsylvania, told The Post. “We are not just a memorial and a park. We’re a thriving community of 14,000 people. It’s just tone-deaf to ignore that.”
Sally Minard, president of the Four Freedoms Park Conservancy, promised to reschedule the Imagination Playground event.
“We’ll definitely put it on a different weekend,” she told The Post. “People just love it.”
Copyright © 2019 The Washington Times, LLC. Click here for reprint permission.'You and the Rest': Twenty Years Since NASA's Dramatic Hubble Repair Mission (Part 1)
Twenty years ago this week, the singular space shuttle mission which marked the demarcation between past and future took place. Since the resumption of flights in September 1988, following the horrific loss of Challenger, NASA had steadily rebuilt the nation’s confidence in the capabilities of the reusable spacecraft, but the failure of Mars Observer to reach the Red Planet in August 1993 and the much-publicized problems with the Hubble Space Telescope in the aftermath of its 1990 launch left the space agency in an unenviable position. By the middle of the decade, NASA hoped to begin construction of Space Station Freedom—a project whose future still hung under the axe of possible cancellation—and a spectacularly successful Hubble repair mission was acutely needed to reinvigorate public and political enthusiasm. From 2-13 December 1993, that success was accomplished, when the crew of Endeavour on STS-61 broke virtually every record in the book and restored Hubble to its rightful place as the United States’ dazzling icon of science.
It was a mission that every astronaut wanted. In the summer of 1992, Jeff Hoffman was in quarantine, preparing to launch aboard his third shuttle flight, when he fell into conversation with Don Puddy, the head of Flight Crew Operations at the Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston, Texas. Puddy was interested in Hoffman’s future plans. Several astronauts had already been approached about their willingness to be considered for flights to the Mir space station, but Hoffman’s height ruled that out. Only one other mission captured his attention. The first Hubble servicing mission stood out like a jewel on the shuttle manifest in December 1993, and as a professional astronomer Hoffman found that it exerted an irresistible pull.
“What I’d really love,” he told Puddy, “is to go on this Hubble mission.”
Puddy laughed. “Oh, yeah. You and the rest of the office!”
Hoffman assumed that his chances of selection were minimal, but in addition to his flight experience he had one other credential which made him an attractive choice for the mission: He was one of few astronauts in the office, at that time, with EVA experience. Several years earlier, in April 1985, Hoffman had participated in the shuttle program’s first contingency spacewalk in a fruitless attempt to activate a deployment switch on the malfunctioning Leasat-3 satellite. With several intricate and complex EVAs scheduled for the Hubble mission, NASA mandated that all members of the four-person spacewalking team must have prior EVA expertise. This obviously disappointed several unflown members of the office, including rookie astronaut Leroy Chiao.
“I was doing EVA training and showing some proficiency at it in the water tank,” Chiao told the NASA oral historian. He had been approached by Dave Leestma, then serving as deputy chief of the office and later to serve as head of Flight Crew Operations, with what Chiao perceived to be a strong hint that he was in line to receive one of the EVA spots on the Hubble mission. “I was very excited about that,” Chiao continued, “and my classmate Eileen Collins … had heard through the grapevine that she was going to get assigned as the pilot on that flight. Then I started hearing rumors that the crew for that flight was going to be changed. They didn’t want any rookies, at least on the EVA team. I have to say that was hard to swallow, because I had worked hard and I had shown proficiency and I had been told I was going to be on that flight and then, for political reasons or visibility reasons, they wanted to be able to say that it was an experienced crew if something had gone wrong.”
Certainly, in March 1994 Flight International noted that Collins’ name had been proposed, “but was overruled because it was felt that an experienced pilot was needed.” It was not simply a case of NASA being overly cautious. With the loss of Challenger still fresh and the embarrassing failure of Hubble’s ability to resolve distant objects, due to a flaw in its primary optics, the mission to fix the $1.5 billion showpiece telescope was crucial. Congressional support for Space Station Freedom hung on the edge of a knife, and any failure on NASA’s part could spell its cancellation.
Today, Hubble has earned itself a well-deserved reputation as one of the most successful space-based observatories ever launched. Across more than two decades of operations, its instruments have peered deeper into the cosmos than ever before. It has acquired images of distant galaxies, made breakthroughs in physics and cosmology by accurately determining the Universe’s rate of expansion, detected planets around far-off stars, witnessed the impact of a comet into Jupiter, tracked cloud movements in the atmospheres of Uranus and Neptune, and created the best currently achievable “map” of the surface of Pluto.
With the advent of the Space Age, it was hardly surprising that plans for a space-based telescope would become an important step forward and an attractive option for the fields of astronomy and astrophysics. Yet the ideas long pre-dated even the launch of Sputnik. Shortly after the Second World War, physicist Lyman Spitzer of Yale University had argued that an orbiting telescope would offer enormous advantages over ground-based instruments, its abilities unimpaired by the distorting effect of Earth’s atmosphere and its sensors able to detect high-energy emissions, including X-rays, from distant celestial sources. Following the creation of NASA, the first real efforts to develop a space telescope got underway, and in 1975 the agency tried to sell the project to the politicians. Funding was initially denied by the House Appropriations Subcommittee, who reasoned that it was too ambitious, too expensive at around $400 million, and lacked the required support from the National Academy of Sciences. This prompted large-scale lobbying from NASA and leading astronomers and a supportive report from the National Academy of Sciences. International co-operation was directed by Congress and the newly-formed European Space Agency was invited to participate, with its role encompassing the creation of inexpensive solar panels for the telescope. The size of the mirror was reduced from 10 feet (3 meters) to 8 feet (2.4 meters), and together these measures halved the cost from $400 million to $200 million. There were other reasons for the reduction in mirror size. “The Shuttle could not lift a 3-meter telescope to the required orbit,” wrote Andrew Dunar and Stephen Waring in their book Power to Explore. “In addition, changing to a 2.4-meter mirror would lessen fabrication costs by using manufacturing technologies developed for military spy satellites. The smaller mirror would also abbreviate polishing time from 3.5 years to 2.5 years.”
In 1977 Congress granted approval for what was then known as the Large Space Telescope. The primary candidates for the fabrication of the observatory’s mirror were Perkin-Elmer Corporation, whose bid ran to $64.2 million, and Eastman Kodak, teamed with the defence contractor Itek, at almost $99.8 million. Despite being significantly higher, the Kodak-Itek joint bid included two independent tests of the grinding and polishing quality of the finished optics … a “double-checking” provision which Perkin-Elmer did not offer and which would not go unnoticed more than a decade later, when investigators dug into the cause of the telescope’s unfortunate spherical aberration.
Perkin-Elmer received approval from NASA to proceed with their bid in 1979. Meanwhile, Lockheed would build the spacecraft itself and the Europeans would make the solar arrays. In anticipation of the research bonanza, a Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) was established at the Johns Hopkins University in Maryland in 1983, and the telescope was scheduled for launch by the shuttle in 1985. By this time, it had been named in honor of the American astronomer Edwin P. Hubble, who, in the earlier part of the century, had not only conducted extensive research into the structure of stars and galaxies, but also made the surprising discovery that the Universe was expanding. The mirror was one of the most complex headaches of the project. Optically, Hubble was a Cassegrain reflector and its two hyperbolic mirrors offered good imaging performance across what, for such a large telescope, was a wide field of view … whilst also having shapes which were difficult to fabricate and test. Perkin-Elmer used custom polishing machines to precisely grind the mirror and, in case problems were encountered, NASA required the company to subcontract to Kodak to build a backup mirror using traditional polishing techniques. (The Kodak mirror is today on permanent display in the Smithsonian.)
In 1979, the construction of the Perkin-Elmer mirror began and was completed two years later, washed in hot, deionized water and coated with aluminum and protective magnesium fluoride. NASA remained sceptical about Perkin-Elmer’s ability to competently fabricate the mirror, and the delays ultimately pushed Hubble’s launch back from April 1985 to first the summer and then the fall of 1986. By this time, the total cost of the project had risen to a little more than $1 billion. At the time of its completion, Hubble housed five instruments: the Wide Field Planetary Camera (WFPC, nicknamed “the whiffpick”), the Goddard High Resolution Spectrograph (GHRS), the High Speed Photometer (HSP), the Faint Object Camera (FOC), and the Faint Object Spectrograph (FOS). These devices gave the telescope a range which encompassed not only the visible area of the electromagnetic spectrum, but also the ultraviolet. Physically, Hubble was a cylindrical spacecraft, measuring over 43 feet (13 meters) in length and weighing nearly 24,300 pounds (11,000 kg), which meant that it virtually filled the payload bay. It had been designed to be serviced by future shuttle crews and, as such, was fitted with EVA-friendly hand holds and would be deployed and retrieved using the Remote Manipulator System (RMS) mechanical arm.
By the time that Challenger was lost, further processing delays had pushed Hubble’s launch back to October 1986. The problems faced by Perkin-Elmer have already been mentioned, but the manufacturer of the telescope’s bodywork, Lockheed, had also suffered difficulties. By the end of 1985, Hubble was over budget by 30 percent and three months behind schedule, bringing it close to breaking the “ceiling” which Congress had imposed on its budget. If Challenger smashed the dreams of so many within America’s space program, it also provided breathing room for payload development. Hubble came through a major thermal vacuum test with flying colors in June 1986, and the enforced down time was used to add more powerful solar arrays, enhance redundancy capabilities, improve the software, install better connectors, and replace the nickel-cadmium batteries that were prone to failure with nickel-hydrogen ones. As a result, by 1990 the Hubble team felt confident that their observatory heralded a new dawn in the study of astronomy.
In the first few weeks after Hubble’s April 1990 launch, the problems seemed reasonably benign: a few communications glitches, drifting star trackers, and snagged coaxial cables were part and parcel in the process of wringing out a new spacecraft. More serious concerns arose when temperature changes bent materials in the solar arrays’ booms, the effect of which was magnified by the orientation mechanism in such a way that it “bounced” the whole telescope. The result was a jittering in Hubble’s images and, since the booms only stabilized in the final few minutes of orbital daylight, the pointing system was only able to meet its design specifications for a fraction of its orbit. Engineers at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., worked with their counterparts at Lockheed to change the control program in the spacecraft’s computer and successfully counteracted the vibrations. On 21 May, Hubble returned its first images of a double star in the constellation of Carina and these were lauded as being much clearer than were achievable with ground-based instruments.
Four weeks later, calamity befell the mission in a manner which could hardly have been anticipated. On 24 June, Hubble failed a focusing test. Its secondary mirror had been adjusted to focus the incoming light from a celestial source, but a fuzzy ring encircled even its best images, creating a blur. Additional tests revealed that the telescope was suffering from a “spherical aberration” in its primary mirror; in essence, Perkin-Elmer had ground it to the wrong specification, removing too much glass and polishing it too flat … by a mere fiftieth of the width of a human hair. The consequence was that Hubble was unable to acquire sharp images. With mounting horror, NASA realized that its attempts to sell its scientific showpiece on the basis of its ability to see further into the cosmos than ever before, with unprecedented clarity, now became very hollow indeed. The promised white knight of astronomy was now a white elephant. Even Hubble’s chief scientist, Ed Weiler, admitted that it was comparable only to “a very good ground telescope on a very good night.” Marshall staff were astounded and Senator Barbara Mikulski of Maryland exploded that Hubble wasted taxpayers’ money and was little more than “a techno-turkey.” Meanwhile, Senator Al Gore—then a Democrat for Tennessee and later vice president during the Clinton Administration—observed that, for the second time in less than half a decade, quality control shortcomings at NASA had been publicly exposed. The media had a field day. On 28 July 1990, the New York Times noted that, had Kodak-Itek’s bid been accepted, then the mirror would have been subjected to two independent checks of its grinding and polishing accuracy, which certainly would have caught the error and enabled it to be rectified before launch.
NASA responded to critics by asserting that, with 20-20 hindsight, it would have cost in excess of $100 million to incorporate additional testing and independent checking of the telescope optics into Perkin-Elmer’s contract, but the effect on the general public was the same. The once-proud agency was rendered a laughing-stock on late-night TV talk shows. David Letterman compiled a pejorative list of Top Ten Hubble Excuses, whilst others criticized the Marshall Space Flight Center for having been in charge of both the Hubble development and the shuttle’s Solid Rocket Boosters (SRBs). Several analysts noted that NASA’s attitude had changed from the 1960s, in which problems were anticipated and incorporated into planning, into one where there was apparently little effort to prepare for unforeseen obstacles.
In early July 1990, NASA established an investigating committee, chaired by Lew Allen, head of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. His report, published in November, harshly criticised the incorrect assembly of the “reflective null corrector,” an optical device used to determine the figure of Hubble’s mirror. The location of a lens in the device was improperly measured, and the null corrector guided the polisher to shape a perfectly smooth mirror … with the wrong curvature. Analysis revealed that the curvature flaw in the primary mirror exactly matched the flaw in the null corrector. A second null corrector, made only with lenses, was also built to measure the vertex radius of the finished mirror. It, too, identified an error in the primary mirror. However, neither of these warning signs were heeded and Allen’s report noted that “both indicators of error were discounted at the time as being themselves flawed.” During the fabrication process, technicians had simply assumed the perfection of the mirror and of the reflective null corrector and therefore had rejected information from other independent tests, having convinced themselves that no problems existed. These errors were ultimately traced back to 1981-82, when Perkin-Elmer and the Marshall Space Flight Center had been distracted by serious cost and schedule difficulties. Allen’s report was particularly critical of Perkin-Elmer quality control and communications failures, as well as the failure of Marshall to correct them.
In orbit, the spherical aberration was particularly obvious in its effect on Hubble’s WFPC and FOC, both of which suffered in terms of spatial resolution and their ability to acquire images of individual celestial objects, including planets, star clusters, and galaxies. Having said this, the aberration was well characterized and stable, and, over time, astronomers were able to optimize the results obtained from Hubble by using sophisticated techniques, such as “deconvolution,” whereby software algorithms and microwave image processing was employed to remove many of the blurring effects of optical distortion. However, the results were still less than ideal. Spectroscopy by the FOS and GHRS instruments was less severely affected, because the instruments required less focused light, and by increasing exposure times it became possible to gather valuable images. Nevertheless, by the end of 1991 Hubble had made almost 2,000 quality observations of hundreds of astronomical objects, including storms on Saturn and images of Pluto’s moon, Charon. At the start of the following year, a quarter of all the papers presented before the American Astronomical Society’s meeting drew on Hubble data. A repair was critical in order to restore the telescope to its pre-flight billing, although NASA announced in July 1991 that it was “not planning an early visit” to repair the telescope, preferring instead to stick with the previous schedule of an all-up servicing mission in late 1993. Even though Kodak-Itek had produced their mirror, this could not simply be inserted into the spacecraft, so the solution would have to overcome the problem with the existing primary mirror. A new device—the $50 million Corrective Optics Space Telescope Axial Replacement (COSTAR)—would need to be developed and manifested onto the first servicing mission to revitalise its vision. In October 1991, NASA awarded a $30.4 million contract to Ball Aerospace to fabricate COSTAR, whose 10 small, coin-sized mirrors were expected to correct the spherical aberration and restore the potential of the affected instruments.
Interestingly, Bruce McCandless, one of the astronauts who carried Hubble into orbit on STS-31 in April 1990, was closely involved with the development of the optics, as related by his former crewmate Kathy Sullivan. She remembered McCandless telling her that all ideas of how to restore its capabilities were entertained, even the wildest and most outlandish ones, such as directly entering Hubble’s telescope barrel. “The bad news is you did indeed screw up the mirror by an amount that is significant and should be avoidable in figuring astronomical mirrors,” Sullivan told the NASA oral historian. “The good news is you screwed it up very precisely! This meant you knew the actual mirror shape, very precisely, and could do a precise difference calculation of the actual versus the desired and determine the needed correction out of that.” This realization was met with a determination that the correction could be accomplished through reflective lenses, instead of transmissive ones, and was intricate in its scope and brilliantly clever. As Sullivan put it: “I don’t have to make all that light come through a lens. I can bounce it off several mirrors and through a couple of steps basically restore it to the focus that it should have had.”
COSTAR’s mandate was to optically correct the effects of spherical aberration upon the instruments … at the expense of losing the phonebooth-sized High Speed Photometer, which had been rendered virtually useless by the solar array jitters. COSTAR was invented by the Hubble Space Telescope Strategy Panel, a group of scientists and engineers convened by the STScI in late 1990, and, after the removal of the HSP, would be installed in its stead. “Once in place,” explained NASA’s pre-mission press kit, “COSTAR will deploy a set of mechanical arms, no longer than a human hand, that will place corrective mirrors in front of the openings that admit light” into the affected instruments. In doing so, it would refocus light from Hubble’s primary mirror before it reached those instruments and was expected to bring their overall optical performance “very close” to original specifications. Subsequent instruments for the telescope would be specifically designed with their own corrective optics. Dr. John Wood of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., was placed in charge of the COSTAR development effort. Its installation and that of a new whiffpick (WFPC-2) would come atop an already hefty pile of work for the First Servicing Mission (SM-1), which already involved the replacement of Hubble’s twin solar arrays and drive electronics, two of the three Rate Sensing Units, one of two Electronic Control Units, one of two magnetometers, and fuse plugs to correct wiring and sizing discrepancies.
“Whoever was going to be doing something on the Hubble mission had to have done it before,” recalled Jeff Hoffman in his NASA oral history. “You had to have somebody who had already been a commander, somebody who had already been a pilot, four people who had already done EVAs and somebody who had already done a significant arm operation.” In March 1992, Story Musgrave was assigned as payload commander for the flight, designated STS-61, and in August Hoffman and fellow astronauts Kathy Thornton and Tom Akers joined him to support at least five ambitious EVAs. The mission thus morphed into something which would represent nothing less than an opportunity for NASA to prove itself triumphantly … or fail spectacularly.
In its January 1990 manifest, the agency listed SM-1 as a five-day flight with a crew of five, suggesting a maximum of only two or three EVAs, but as 1991 wore into 1992 and onward into 1993 it became increasingly clear that the mission would run to as long as 11 days and evaluations of underwater simulations convinced managers that they should schedule as many as five back-to-back EVAs over five days. According to Mission Director Randy Brinkley, the decision served to “repackage our margin” and offered the chance to “respond to the dynamics, or unknowns, of spacewalks.” (The flight plan actually provided for a sixth and seventh EVA, and a mission duration of up to 13 days, although ultimately this did not become necessary.)
Such an enormous workload demanded a crew of seven, with two alternating teams of spacewalkers, to reduce fatigue and enhance the likelihood of mission success. Original plans called for all tools to be kept outside, in the shuttle’s payload bay, but the crew recognized at an early stage that EVA time was a critical limiting consumable and decided that the hour spent preparing equipment at the start of each excursion could be better spent starting the repair work. It was therefore decided that some tools would be kept inside Endeavour’s crew cabin, enabling the spacewalkers to load-up before opening the airlock and utilising their suits’ consumables. “What we’ve done by going to five EVAs, rather than three, is to repackage our margin,” said STS-61 Mission Director Randy Brinkley, “so that we have the capability to respond to the dynamics, or unknowns, of spacewalks. It improves the probabilities for mission success, while providing added flexibility and adaptability for reacting to real-time situations.”
In December 1992, Dick Covey, Ken Bowersox, and Swiss astronaut Claude Nicollier were named, respectively, as commander, pilot, and operator of the RMS arm, which would pluck Hubble out of orbit, anchor it into the payload bay for repairs, and subsequently deploy it back into space to begin its reinvigorated studies of the Universe. According to Tim Furniss, writing in Flight International in March 1994, Nicollier was specifically requested by NASA Administrator Dan Goldin for the RMS task, “to reflect the European involvement in the Hubble programme.” Having received such a plum assignment, the STS-61 team bore the brunt of much good-natured ribbing from their fellow astronauts. On one occasion, Thornton quipped to her crewmates: “Well, guys, everybody is gonna hate us now!”
Covey’s arrival on the crew was particularly interesting; in Flight International, Tim Furniss noted that he had been “strangely sidelined” since his last mission, STS-38. Covey had flown the Leasat-3 retrieval and repair mission in August 1985 and thus was well-versed in the rendezvous, proximity operations, and servicing associated with a large payload, but his previous stints as acting chief of the astronaut office and acting head of Flight Crew Operations certainly also factored into his selection. Late in 1992, he was called to a meeting by JSC Director Aaron Cohen and his deputy, Paul Weitz, and offered a choice: He could either be the permanent chief of the astronaut office or he could command the Hubble flight. By his own admission, it took Covey “about two seconds” to make his choice.
“Doing five [EVAs] really pushed the bounds of what people thought we could do,” Covey recalled in his oral history. “Even with four EVA crew members, even with an 11-day mission, it just started pushing the bounds. There was a lot of scrutiny on it and a lot of focus on it.” The size of their quarry posed additional problems. Hubble was far larger than anything with which the shuttle had previously rendezvoused in orbit, and Claude Nicollier was faced with the unenviable challenge of manoeuvring his EVA crewmates, along with phonebooth-sized pieces of hardware, into position with extreme delicacy and precision. “The integrated operations,” said Covey, “of Shuttle maneuvering, RMS activities and EVAs, although now commonplace, wasn’t back then. So integrating all of those activities and the crew activities together was a big part of my role as the commander.”
To be fair, the audacity of the mission filled NASA’s top brass with dread and the memory of Challenger still loomed large in many minds. In May 1993, the Task Force on the Hubble Space Telescope Servicing Mission, established by NASA Administrator Dan Goldin the previous January and chaired by Dr Joe Shea, concluded that “the mission is achievable.” This was primarily due to the fact that Hubble and most of its subsystems were originally designed for orbital maintenance. However, Shea’s report noted that such missions were enormously complex in their scope and required more EVA time than had been achieved on any flight up to that time.
With this stark reality in mind, the group advised that planning for the next Hubble servicing should enter the planning stage within 6-12 months of STS-61, in order to “handle tasks that might not be completed during the first mission or respond to failures that occur in the intervening months.” Shea also found that the appointment of a Mission Director (Brinkley) was “necessary if the mission is to be carried out with confidence.” However, the August 1993 loss of Mars Observer, only days before it was due to enter orbit around the Red Planet, added to the popular sense of NASA as an organisation of failure. An article in Aviation Week hinted that WFPC-2 might also be flawed, and it so unnerved the Clinton Administration that Goldin was invited to attend an audience with the president to discuss the agency’s level of preparedness for SM-1. It has been suggested that Clinton told Goldin that the agency had either to make the Hubble repair mission work or be drastically restructured. Mistakes could not be tolerated.
The heat was on the agency, on the STS-61 crew, and on the thousands of engineers and technicians responsible for ensuring that COSTAR and WFPC-2 were ready for launch in December 1993. Nerves frequently became frayed in the final months. Late in September, NASA announced that “further testing” of WFPC-2 “might be necessary,” requiring it to be shipped back from the Kennedy Space Center to the Goddard Space Flight Center, although such a move was not expected to affect the scheduled launch in early December. According to Joseph Rothenberg, Associate Director of Flight Projects for Hubble Space Telescope at Goddard, results from earlier tests suggested that the focus point for HST might be outside the COSTAR adjustment range and that focusing both it and WFPC-2, simultaneously, might not be achievable. As circumstances transpired, such a move was unnecessary, but time constraints were critical.
Are we missing something? was the introspective question often asked of themselves and each other. Others were irritated by constant claims that they were “testing things to death” and therein causing further delays, which prompted one manager to explode: “We wouldn’t be here if you guys had tested this thing to death the first time!” Some engineers jokingly offered to spend the New Year in Acapulco, figuring that if SM-1 succeeded they might be able to return home to the United States, and if it failed they would be forced to wait on restaurant tables in Mexico for the rest of their lives!
The second part of this article will appear tomorrow.
Want to keep up-to-date with all things space? Be sure to “Like” AmericaSpace on Facebook and follow us on Twitter: @AmericaSpaceRemember the shock you felt when, four Drag Race seasons ago, Roxxxy Andrews, sequined hem-deep in the best lip-sync of her life, ripped off a full wig of luscious locks to reveal another wig underneath? The twist on the second edition of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars is bigger than that… way bigger. The returning contestants seem to agree, as evidenced in EW’s exclusive clip from the upcoming season’s first episode.
In a shocking alteration to the reality show’s format, which typically sees the bottom two queens performing for a single remaining spot in the competition, during the premiere of All Stars season 2 (and in the clip, below), RuPaul reveals he won’t be eliminating a queen at the end of the episode — or anyone at all, for that matter.
“There are so many fierce queens I could have invited back, but you 10 were chosen because I believe that each of you still has something to prove to me, to your fans, and, most importantly, to yourself,” RuPaul says to the group of competitors, which includes fan favorites like Alaska, Adore Delano, Katya, Detox, and Alyssa Edwards.
He continues: “So, from this moment on, everything you do is about building your legacy. But, wait, there’s more! Because you’re all-stars, I will not be eliminating any queens this season.”
It turns out the queens themselves will hold the power of elimination in their hands. Instead of lip-syncing for their lives, the week’s top two queens will lip-sync for their legacy. The winner will then choose that week’s unlucky eliminee.
“Bitch, what?” Ginger Minj exclaims shortly after RuPaul’s announcement. Detox adds: “What’s happening? We’re all freaking out!”
Season 5 runner-up, Alaska, tells EW that no one in the cast saw the twist coming.
“It’s terrible! It was a complete surprise and a complete shock,” he says. “We were more surprised than the American public will be.”
Edwards adds: “You gotta keep your friends close and your enemies closer! Look, I think the change makes the show interesting, ’cause we were all told on day one, ‘I won’t be sending you home’ [by RuPaul], so we were all like ‘Yay!’ Naww, go ahead and settle down sug[ar]. It’s gonna make the season exciting and beyond interesting. What alliances will be formed? What friends will stay? What friends will throw you under the bus? What friends will get in the driver’s seat of that bus and run you over? What kind of friend are you?”
Find out who gets the boot (or studded stiletto, in this case) on the first episode of RuPaul’s All Stars Drag Race‘s second season when it premieres this Thursday, Aug. 25 at 8 p.m. ET on Logo.
From now until our huge fall TV preview hits newsstands Sept. 9, EW is bringing you 50 scoops in 50 days. Follow the hashtag #50Scoops50Days on Twitter and Instagram to keep up with the latest, and check EW.com/50Scoops50Days for all the news and surprises.The Washington Redskins are all set to face off against the Dallas Cowboys on "Thursday Night Football" but one thing needs to be settled: What will they be wearing? For the past two years, the NFL has mandated that teams wear their Color Rush jerseys on "TNF" (with the exception of Thanksgiving), but team president Bruce Allen is trying to avoid wearing them.
Allen wanted to ban the jerseys earlier this year, but he was shot down by other owners. Per the Richmond Times-Dispatch, he believes that the jerseys are "garish," a word which here means "bright and unappealing to viewers." Allen is fighting higher powers here, and the Redskins have ducked the jerseys for the past two years. In 2016, they played on CBS, and Color Rush games were only on NFL Network. It might be unavoidable this time.
They're certainly bright, and if they played the Buccaneers it would be the Ketchup & Mustard Bowl (like Buccaneers-Rams in 2015), but as of now they're exploring avenues to avoid wearing them. According to the Richmond Times-Dispatch, head coach Jay Gruden isn't even sure what the team will look like on Thursday, but it's unlikely he bothers thinking about such matters for the most part.
The game will be Thursday at 8:25 p.m. ET at AT&T Stadium, and who knows how or when this will be resolved. Maybe we'll see the Redskins in burgundy, but it's more likely that the league will put its foot down regarding Color Rush 2017.The first half of 2017 has seen a spurt in the number of deaths and infections caused by Influenza A (H1N1), popularly referred to as swine flu in India.
Till July 9, H1N1 affected 12,460 people and caused 600 deaths as against 1,786 infections and 265 deaths in the whole of last year.
Experts are also alarmed at the number is high among young adults. About 40% of the deaths and 50% of the infections are among people in the 20-50 years age group, with no co-morbid conditions.
Dr Pradeep Awate, state surveillance officer, Maharashtra, said this could be because young people move a lot, and are therefore vulnerable to swine flu, which is an air-borne infection. His state has topped the list in the country with 2,324 cases and 284 deaths so far.
Authorities blamed it on indiscriminate testing — even when unnecessary — by private laboratories.
“Flu outbreaks offer people a herd immunity that lasts for a year or two. Since Maharashtra had fewer cases in 2016, there is a higher number this year,” Dr Awate said.
What is encouraging, according to experts, is that the situation no longer demands isolating H1N1-positive people as was done to contain the spread in 2009, when the virus was new to India and affected close to 50,000 people and killed more than 2,700.
Antigenic Shift
The National Institute of Virology, Pune, ruled out mutation theory and some experts believe that the jump in numbers could be attributed to two factors: antigenic drift and the spread of a different strain (sub-type of virus) of H1N1 virus.
According to the US Centres of Disease Control, “antigenic drift are small changes in the genes of influenza viruses that happen continually over time as the virus replicates. These small genetic changes usually produce viruses that are closely related to one another… and an immune system exposed to a similar virus will usually recognise it and respond. But these small genetic changes can accumulate over time and result in viruses that are anti-genically different.... When this happens, the body’s immune system may not recognise those viruses.”
Dr Chand Wattal, honorary consultant in clinical microbiology at New Delhi’s Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, however, said antigenic drift was not a major issue. “If the virus mutates, then we consider it a problem.”
The Michigan Strain
On the other hand, the studies point towards a new strain of H1N1 virus: the Michigan strain, which has been in circulation since the end of 2016 and has replaced the earlier California strain.
NIV says it is not more virulent than the California strain. “Before the H1N1 came to India in 2009, H3N2 was the dominant flu strain since 1919. Now it is H1N1, and till everyone has immunity, waxing and waning of cases and deaths will happen,” said a researcher from National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).
“Also, if we compare deaths reported due to communicable diseases such as TB or diarrhoea, the swine flu-related deaths are much lower,” he said. The World Health Organisation has also recommended a vaccine for the new strain, named as A/Michigan/45/2015 to replace A/California/7/2009.
Testing for Flu
The government’s guidelines do not recommend anyone with fever to be randomly tested, and divides cases in three categories — a, b and c, wherein category ‘a’ is of people who experience mild symptoms, category ‘b’ is people with moderate symptoms and ‘c’ are those with severe symptoms. They recommended use of medicines in category ‘b’ and ‘c’ patients, as those with mild symptoms are capable of recovering at home with symptomatic treatment, and treatment if symptoms are serious and the person has difficulty breathing.
Vaccines and Medicines
On the new vaccine recommended by WHO, Dr Soumya Swaminathan, director of the Indian Council of Medical Research said it was needed as the current one “may be ineffective”.
Though no vaccine provides 100% protection, it is advisable to take a shot if one is at high risk, especially if suffering from diabetes, hypertension, on immunosuppressants, cancer treatment, etc.
The Drug Controller General of India (DGCI) recently eased norms for the sale of anti-viral medicine Oseltamivir and Zanamivir, which are used to treat H1N1.
The sale so far was restricted to only a handful of chemists until now, but the new notification allows more pharmacies to sell the medicine. However, a signed and stamped prescription from a registered medical practitioner is still needed to buy |
– die. We treat each other like brother and sister, and that’s the least sexy relationship imaginable.”
Most couples have cans in their cupboards that have lasted longer than their romantic phase. A study by the dating site ForgetDinner found that people who had been married one year spent 40 minutes of an hour-long dinner in conversation. After 20 years of marriage, it was 21 minutes; by 30 years just 16 minutes. Those married 50 years were talking for only three minutes.
Therapist Francine Kaye, author of The Divorce Doctor, says self-discovery is impossible outside of a relationship: “The best place to find yourself is with an imperfect partner. You can’t try to find yourself through travelling, because you take yourself with you wherever you go.”
But what of those marriages that can’t be rescued? Elissa Da Costa-Waldman, a 56-year-old lawyer, left her husband of eight years because he “would rather watch DVDs of trains than talk to me”.
“It was very tough,” she says. “It was not easy being single when you’re older. It’s daunting walking in to a room on your own. But I’m so glad I found the courage to do it.”
Lucy Valantine’s ex-husband is now happily remarried with a baby. And while she relishes her new existence, she hopes one day for a family life, too. “I still believe in marriage,” she says. “I didn’t leave mine lightly and many times I have wondered if I did the right thing. There have been nights when I’ve ended up sobbing, thinking 'What am I doing in a strange country with no job, no husband, no friends, no home?’ But through quitting the conventional path I discovered who I really am.”March 5th, 2008
I have issues and everyone knows it. It’s really only a question of degree.
While waiting to collect two friends for lunch yesterday, I was standing by one of their desks and noticed it was not aligned with the wall. “Rich, why is your desk crooked?”
“I don’t know. Does it bother you?”
“Yeah. I know. It shouldn’t. But fix it.”
And so he lifted the 200 pound desk and righted it because he knows if he doesn’t, I will whine and complain and then no one’s getting to lunch on time.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) is an anxiety disorder:
characterized by recurrent, unwanted thoughts (obsessions) and/or repetitive behaviors (compulsions). Repetitive behaviors such as handwashing, counting, checking, or cleaning are often performed with the hope of preventing obsessive thoughts or making them go away. Performing these so-called “rituals,” however, provides only temporary relief, and not performing them markedly increases anxiety.
I’m pretty sure I don’t qualify clinically, but I have my fair share of odd behaviors that might put me in the ballpark. Here’s my list of things that some might consider obsessive, irrational or just plain stupid. Is there an NIMH definition for stupid?
Let’s begin.
1. While driving, I’m troubled if I’m delayed by anything that puts my car under a bridge, however briefly. I don’t like to sit under an overpass because I think the bridge will fall and crush me.
2. I’ve never pressed the mileage reset button in my car. When I bought it new 7 years ago, there were only 16 miles on the odometer. I have never pressed the button that resets it to zero. I can’t do it. I don’t know why. I just can’t.
3. If it’s raining and I pull into my garage, I have to keep my wipers going until all the rain is cleared. I can’t let one or two streams of water crawl down the windshield. No drips allowed.
4. If I turn off a two-way lamp that has only a single-wattage bulb in it, I have to turn it to the OFF position, not the second position because I’m afraid juice will continue to flow and somehow that will start a fire.
5. I must align picture frames wherever I find them crooked. I’ve realigned pictures in my colleagues’ offices, in other people’s houses, and just recently, in a restaurant. Does that embarrass me? Yes, but I do it anyway and I feel better.
6. I won’t take a shopping cart at a store if it has papers or coupon flyers in it. I won’t pull them out. I’ll pick another cart.
7. I never let a microwave run down to zero on the timer. I have to catch it to within 10 seconds of finishing and manually shut it off. I love catching it at the one second mark. It makes me feel like I beat it in a race.
Shake your head if you will, but I would bet some of you have weirder things on your lists. Do you have any rituals? Anything you always have to do (or can’t do), yet can’t explain?
Please share. The only thing that keeps me afloat is knowing there are people worse off than me.
—–Abuse and Accountability in the Arts Scene: A Reckoning By Maura Callahan and Rebekah Kirkman
Illustrations by Kirsty Hambrick
Lindsay asked Bob why he tweeted something sexual at a friend of hers, and Bob got violent. “He slammed me down on my back, pinned my upper arms while digging his nails into them, screamed in my face and spit on me while screaming,” she says. He left large, hand-shaped bruises on her arms, which she showed to some close friends, some of whom still didn’t believe her—that Bob had hurt her. He told some of their mutual friends that she did it to herself. He continued to harass and threaten her over the phone and email for at least six months after he broke up with her. “The threats always involved discrediting me to my friends, especially friends in the art scene, or making sure I ended up ‘with nothing’ if I told anyone what he did,” she says. He was involved in the local art and noise music scenes. She’s a poet, which she says didn’t count to Bob as being an artist. A few of her close friends were supportive and tried to keep him away from her, but she was still afraid and stopped going out to shows. Many of her and Bob’s mutual friends in the art scene alienated her. She says their response to his abuse felt like shunning: They called her crazy or attention-seeking, they said she’d made it up. “I think they valued having one more male art friend over my safety or health,” she says, adding that a friend of hers curated Bob’s artwork in a few shows even after finding out about the abuse. “It was always about how charming and silly he was, like he could do no wrong, like creating visual art and also being abusive to women can’t occur concurrently.” Lindsay wanted people who were aware of her situation to know that she was coming forward, but still wanted to maintain some anonymity, so we’re only using her first name. Her ex-partner’s name has been changed. Other names in this story have been changed or cut, too, because the victims and artists who shared their testimonies with us feared physical or legal retaliation from their abusers or ostracization from the art scene. In a community as small and tight-knit (yet in many ways fractured) as the one that enfolds Baltimore’s galleries, small theaters, studios, and warehouses, these fears are valid. But despite the dangers of speaking out—despite putting their careers, their creative practices, their senses of belonging at risk—survivors of abuse like Lindsay find that silence is not sustainable. We see notes of warning scrawled on bathroom walls, we hear concerns from friends and friends of friends, we see more and more semi-public social media posts from survivors fed up and needing to talk about the abuse they have endured. Over the last few years, we’ve tried to pay attention to these issues particularly within the art scenes we cover for City Paper. Stories and names circulate every now and then, and what we’ve suspected becomes more tangible. Public statements from survivors are met by (mostly) validating support, and serve as warnings to other vulnerable members of the arts community. People ponder what can be done to stop enabling abusive behavior, to make our scenes safer, but still the scene is the same. The names of abusers continue to appear on lineups at shows, on the boards of nonprofits, in press releases announcing award and grant recipients, in directorial positions at institutions with growing clout. Incidents of abuse are always unique and absolutely complicated, which is all the more reason for a collective local effort to try and untangle the stories when they come into the public realm, to reconsider what this somewhat haphazard community stands for. There is not one but many artist communities in Baltimore, clusters that often overlap while others remain stubbornly (or forcibly) isolated. Here, we refer primarily to a pocket of the “scene” for which Baltimore is fairly well known despite existing ostensibly under the DIY and “under-the-radar” label—a certain prestige and detachment that make for an environment suitable for unchecked abuse. Experiences of abuse elsewhere are no less significant, but we can’t speak to every experience. What we can do, though, is examine how, in this particular microcosm, abusers are enabled and what the community can do to about it. We believe that effort begins with centering survivors, not abusers. We’re also more interested in searching for accountability and resolution, not punishment. Even though we use them in this piece, we recognize the limits of labels—that “survivor” versus “abuser” reinforces a false binary of good person versus bad person; that being a survivor doesn’t preclude you from causing harm to others; that having a history of abusive behavior doesn’t mean you can’t change. So, we decided to put this story together to contribute to this conversation, largely without details identifying abusers and survivors. This is a collage of experiences and ideas from survivors, supporters, activists, and others about what resolution could look like in a world held up by inherently misogynist and racist social structures, and how art and its surrounding communities both ease and complicate trauma.
I. THE MASCULINIST BOHEMIAN During Lindsay’s relationship with Bob, he would tell her that she couldn’t relate to his problems because she wasn’t an artist. “I was 32 and not an ‘art girl’ no matter how much I wrote or readings I put on, so I didn’t serve to further his career,” she says. A lot of Lindsay’s conversations with Bob went back to his art and his struggle, and she says she felt like it was on her to make things feel OK. “Because someone is an artist and also a male you must nurture them, ask no questions, expect no maturity, expect no equanimity,” she says. “They’re entitled to their temper because they’re so fragile in their creative headspace, and that’s more important than anyone else’s physical well being.” Artist communities are prime territory for misogyny and abusive behavior in ways that are reflected in the rest of society but persist through avenues that are in some ways more navigable here. Because these communities exist under the guise of the avant-garde or even activism—ostensibly freed from the ties that bind society at large—patterns of sexism, racism, trans/homophobia, and abuse regularly go on unchecked: We’re not like the rest of society, therefore we do not share its diseases that, on the surface, we condemn. Or, we’re not like the rest of society, therefore we do not have to follow its moral codes. Maybe it’s easier to pretend that your scene is so cool and warm and progressive because the misogyny and racism and predation and abuse that do exist are simply more coded than their louder and more widely recognized forms. Sometimes you find that your abusive artist ex has more in common than you thought with your midwestern cousin’s shitbag Trump-voting husband who hits her and treats her like she’s nothing. We raise up “The Artist”—especially the male artist, especially the white male artist, whose creations have long been the default, the canon, the exalted—to the point that, like God The Creator Himself, they are above reproach. While the white male artist pushes the right shades of colorful mud around a canvas in his very special way, he doesn’t have to take responsibility for his treatment of others even when he’s harming them. His friends or cohorts shake off allegations; at most they might say he’s being an asshole (which doesn’t really cover it), boys will be boys. This is a corollary to the way that patriarchy operates in general, along with how, often, these men’s female partners are expected to take care of them. It’s important to note that everyone is capable abuse, including women, but men have misogyny on their side. “While an overreliance on gender as the explanation for domestic violence undermines efforts to address same-sex domestic violence, most abuse is committed by men against women, with approximately eighty-five percent of victims being female and ninety percent of perpetrators being male,” writes Jane K. Stoever in the Vanderbilt Law Review, citing studies by the Department of Justice, the American Medical Association, and the Department of Health and Human Services. “Despite concentrated efforts to combat domestic abuse, each year approximately 1.3 million women in the United States are physically assaulted by an intimate partner, and women experience over five million physical assaults and rapes by intimate partners yearly.” In the arts scene, patterns of abuse often continue unimpeded, perhaps out of an unspoken, collective fear that interrupting it would “sterilize” a culture that prides itself on dirt and darkness, the selective rejection of established values and that hot, continually misunderstood or deliberately redefined buzzword, “censorship.” It’s tough to grapple with, when you love the art and hate the artist. Many complain that if we condemn Great Men like Bill Cosby and Woody Allen and Paul Gaugin and Bob Dylan and Roman Polanski and Charlie Chaplin and Pablo Fucking Picasso, we’ll have no culture left. It’s true that if you dig deeply enough (or not much at all) you’ll find unsavory accounts of abuse at the hands of a good chunk of the names in your art history textbook. But the withholding of forgiveness does not equal cultural erasure (look, we don’t want to live in a world without the music of Michael Jackson, either). The point is not to eliminate the art. It’s to prevent the actions, the behavior, the harm from repeating. They got away with it then; they shouldn’t get away with it now. Looking to the future: If you’re concerned that active awareness and confrontation of abusive behavior will prevent the fruit of “genius” from entering our cultural canon, consider all the brilliant artists who never received due recognition or even the opportunity to create because they were abused, silenced, and written off as nothing more than muses (the ultimate consolation prize), femme fatales, or madwomen by those Great Men. The Cuban-American artist Ana Mendieta reclaimed space—as an exile, as an immigrant, as a woman of color—by pressing her body into the earth. Sometimes these impressions (which exist to us today through photographs and videos) are then layered with water, blood, sticks, stones, and flowers, these things that could be symbols simultaneously of pain and oppression and light and care, these realities that she faced. On Sept. 8, 1985, Mendieta got into a fight with her partner, artist Carl Andre, and either threw herself out their apartment window or was pushed. Andre was tried and acquitted of her murder. “The ‘Silueta’ series shows the imprints of a woman’s body in the earth. Mendieta’s body cracking an imprint in concrete 35 stories down. It is partly because of the power of her art that her death cannot be extracted from it,” writes Maya Gurantz in her essay “‘Carl Broke Something’: On Carl Andre, Ana Mendieta, and the Cult of the Male Genius.” Andre, still living today, received his most recent retrospective at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles last April, the final stop of a worldwide tour. Said Philippe Vergne, director of MOCA and co-curator of the retrospective: “We are a museum, not a court of law, and he is one of the most important artists of our time.” Art itself—theater, painting, filmmaking, music, literature, everything in between—is steeped in a history that champions male “genius” and silences or diminishes everything else. Only in the last century has that pattern even begun to be publicly challenged. For centuries, male artists have quite literally gotten away with murder and certainly the abuse and creative theft of their women counterparts. The ensuing distress these women experience as a result of their abuse and silencing is written off as hysteria. But when you step back (or understand from experience) the “mad” behavior actually seems a proportionate response to the weight of abuse and silencing that cannot be fought. Some things are truly maddening. In her book “Heroines,” about the wives and muses and sources of the men of Modernism, Kate Zambreno writes of T.S. Eliot in reference to his tumultuous marriage to the historically she-demonized writer Vivienne Haigh-Wood (who died in an asylum): “He played the part of the martyr to perfection. Strange, is Tom wearing green face powder? All of Bloomsbury sided with him. ‘You see, sir, one must make allowances for artists.’ Genius always excuses ill behavior. And she? She with the clever words? She who lacked discipline? She who preferred life to writing? He the object of pity—she of scorn.” Catherine Pancake, an artist and founder of Baltimore’s Transmodern Festival, says she left Baltimore in 2010 in part because she wanted to be part of a more progressive scene, and to escape the scene’s toxic pattern of misogyny and abuse. She found that too many artists and organizers had this attitude that inappropriate or extreme behavior was just “part of the package” of being in a subculture that champions abnormality and the avant-garde. “Sometimes the men that I saw in those scenes [and] women in the scene, including myself, were tolerating a kind of aberrance that could also lead to great creative ideas,” she says, “but that same aberrant lack of boundaries would spill over into assault and attacks.” Pancake is gay, so although she wasn’t romantically involved with these men, some of them were misogynistic, homophobic, and occasionally physically violent toward her too. One time, she spent the night with a woman who told Pancake that she was in an open relationship. “And then that was followed by that person’s other male partner getting up in the middle of the night and basically verbally screaming at me a bunch of homophobic slurs,” Pancake says. “And they said I had to leave the warehouse. I had never had that in my life until I came to Baltimore.” When she lived here, Pancake was aware of other men, some prominent artists, being physically violent toward women—beating them, pushing them down stairs. “That’s the painful thing, it’s a super friendly communal scene,” she says, “so when there are these bad actors, kind of like a small town, I feel sometimes like people are like ‘oh yeah yeah, I know, but you know he’s always lived on bric-a-brac street’ but you’re like ‘yeah, but he hits people!’” Experiences like Lindsay’s and Pancake’s throw a wrench in the idea that the “Baltimore arts scene” as it currently exists is one cohesive and supportive community—unless you’re looking at it from the side of an abuser. Even if there’s not outright shunning of survivors, there is a heavy complicity in silence. And while there are many people who do speak out against abuse, who support survivors, who fight against different forms of oppression, and work towards shifting the current paradigm those things ought to be the impulse. “He’s always seemed nice to me”—a common response from men when confronted with claims of another man’s oppressive behavior. For cisgender men, sexism is always secondhand. They may never witness this behavior from a notorious misogynist, or the behavior might not register as oppressive because they themselves have never experienced it—which is why to argue that because they’ve never seen a particular man behave that way means they do not behave that way, and that they are innocent, is illogical. “When these kind of men are called on their shit or even criticized, frequently they freak out,” Pancake says. “You spend all your time creating work that’s so subversive that you attack people in your work, you’re very critical of people in your work, and then the minute [someone’s] like ‘I’m not gonna tolerate this’ or ‘this is not acceptable’ then there’s this kind of complete freakout, denial.” Obviously, the “masculinist bohemian,” as Pancake calls him, is far from unique to Baltimore. You’d be hard-pressed to find an artistic or intellectual community anywhere free from the pandemic of misogyny and abuse left unchecked in the name of creative progress. Last year, Jia Tolentino wrote for Jezebel about abuse accusations leveled against Thomas Sayers Ellis, a poet, musician, and former professor at Case Western, Sarah Lawrence, and the Iowa Writers Workshop. “The accusations against Ellis portrayed him as a familiar sort of figure. The story of the important, inappropriate literary man is so common and entrenched as to feel depressingly unremarkable. Women often circulate warnings about them in private, never sure what to do: they talk about incidents that are disturbing but often shy of criminally reportable, and they distribute warnings via hearsay, and they tell you they wish they, or their friend, or their friend of a friend, had known to stay away....In terms of artistic value, this man is often phenomenal, the type that can define and support an institution; in terms of his effect on half the women writers he encounters, this man frequently adds up to shit.” The “important, inappropriate literary man” here may as well be the important, inappropriate thespian man, or noise musician man, or photographer man, and so on. Different artistic mediums and the communities that surround them offer different opportunities for harm, some more than others. The world of theater, for one, is particularly ripe for abuse. The primary medium is the body, and actors make themselves emotionally and physically vulnerable by performing in front of an audience. Last summer, the Chicago Reader published an alarming story on the physical and verbal abuse that went on behind the scenes—and onstage, unbeknownst to audiences—at Profiles Theatre, a nearly 30-year-old, highly-touted company in a Chicago storefront known for dark and gritty productions. Several young actresses alleged that Darrell Cox, a co-artistic director, actor, and director at the theater, had sexually harassed them, screamed at them during rehearsals, and ignored choreography during sexual or violent scenes, instead engaging in real acts of violence and violation onstage with actresses—among other forms of misconduct. Profiles closed permanently not long after the Reader story came out. One young woman involved in the small theater scene in Baltimore left the city after an abusive relationship with the director of the company she worked in heightened her struggle with mental illness. The woman, who asked to remain anonymous, wrote to City Paper: “In the beginning, he talked with me about his past failed relationships, and his addictions. While he sort of admitted to cheating and lying to previous partners (he called it failed polyamory—a classic misogynist tactic), he never mentioned the physical abuse or stalking. At times, he seemed to be really attempting to be a better person, at least when we talked about his ‘ex’ and our relationship together. But, agreeing to have a relationship with someone half his age (me), and who he then hired as an employee, was probably not ‘the next right thing’ for his newfound desire to improve on past slimy/grimy behavior. He eventually became verbally abusive toward me and discouraged me from getting mental health treatment when I really needed it. My untreated mental illness flared during my time working with him, and I have since left the theatre scene and Baltimore area altogether to seek treatment. I want to return to Bmore someday, but I doubt I will return to the small theatre scene because of this experience—and I will definitely never fuck the director again. Lesson learned.” Players in artist circles seem to forget that even if their work exists in the DIY or otherwise on the fringes of society, it’s still work, and therefore “professionalism” isn’t entirely without meaning. So, whether or not say, a director making sexual advances toward a young performer, intern, volunteer, or stagehand should or should not be considered offensive behavior is, on one hand, beside the point: A superior coming on to a subordinate in a place of work is unprofessional and can create a hostile work environment, simply because it occurs within an imbalanced power dynamic. In the arts, especially, when opportunities are hard to come by, the subordinate in this situation will often feel pressured to succumb to their superior’s advances. Whether or not this is an abuse of a person, it is certainly an abuse of power.
II. NOT JUST RAPE Over the course of several years, Wanda, a local artist, was psychologically abused by two men in separate, consecutive relationships. (Because she feared retaliation, all names have been changed.) She describes both of those men as narcissists and says that one was psychologically abusive in more overt ways, the other more covert. The first one, Earl, a musician, was more overt; he was physically and verbally abusive too. “He would just scream at me, drill sergeant style,” she says. He would berate her constantly and compare her to other women, making her feel like she “deserved” to be treated badly because of her appearance. If she showed that she was hurt by something he did or said, she says, it would damage his ego—and he would attack. One night she was at Earl’s house, and he got violent. “He said something that hurt my feelings,” she says, “and all he did was he saw my face drop.” He screamed in her face, called her crazy, told her she’s “so bad at controlling [her] emotions.” He yelled at her to get out of his house. When she told him she didn’t have any money for a cab, he grabbed change and threw it at her face. He wouldn’t let her get her shoes, so she walked a few miles barefoot to get home. After that relationship eventually ended, it took Wanda about three years to stop feeling terrified all the time that she might run into Earl. Around that time, she started seeing Tom, a musician she’d known loosely for years around Baltimore. Their relationship hit the ground running, in ways that Wanda says felt enthralling at first, though retelling it now, she views his early intense affection as manipulation. He toyed with the definitions and boundaries of their relationship constantly—pulling her in and pushing her away, telling her he loved her and then not talking to her for days. If she expressed discomfort with any of that she says she would “get kinda punished for it,” or he’d give her the silent treatment. Tom did other subtle things that made her feel diminished and insecure: He’d make her second-guess her art; he’d make fun of her taste in music and art; he’d boast about past sexual experiences with other women in ways that made her feel like she had to do those things too; he’d let her use his computer and purposefully leave up his chat windows with other women he was talking to. “I feel like he manufactured this intense attachment,” she says, “and then intentionally does this thing to watch you squirm because it does this thing that makes them feel really powerful.” Often, emotional abuse is not considered to be as serious as more overt forms of abuse, like physical and sexual assault—and still, even these more overt forms of abuse are too often met with complicity, victim-blaming, and even condonation. There’s a lot of misunderstanding about how microaggressions and abusive behaviors are intertwined, all rooted in the control and subjugation of another person. Abusive behaviors overlap, but not always—someone may be psychologically abusive but never hit their partner, or they might do both, or they might do that and/or verbally abuse and/or sexually abuse. For a survivor, unraveling what they went through—the insidious manipulation, the abuse, the behaviors that built up over time—and understanding how it all has affected their logic and emotions, both short-term and long-term, can be difficult to work through, or to even try to describe it to someone else. “It’s a really complicated mindfuck,” Wanda says. “But if you’re still in it and you’re still paying attention to it, you’re not going to believe it’s a mindfuck. You’re going to think it’s just you.” Sometimes even simply listing out the behaviors and signs of emotional abuse can seem to undermine their severity: He embarrasses you; he doesn’t listen; he undermines your work; he flirts with others in front of you; he diminishes your problems but expects you to deal with his own; he condescends to you about your taste in art, music, and films; he talks shit about your friends and family; he keeps tabs on you and your time and who you’re with; he deflects blame—always. These behaviors pile up. He’s sweeter when he sees you pulling away. And then the cycle starts again. “That pattern of abusive behavior starts with relatively minor, smaller things and over time just sort of grows into more of a prominent pattern,” says Dr. Sara Nett, a Baltimore-based clinical psychologist who provides evidence-based psychotherapy for people who have experienced trauma and interpersonal violence. As Nett puts it, conflict, or “bad behavior,” is “a one-off, or something a partner is working on that isn’t showing up repeatedly,” whereas abuse is a pattern of behavior that doesn’t change, that builds up over time, and often escalates in severity. “Sometimes you can have an undesirable behavior that’s maybe sort of more mood-based versus something that’s intentionally done to establish and maintain control over another person,” she says. Another distinguishing factor in recognizing abuse, Nett says, is fear—often, an abuser will cause their victim to feel like they have to tiptoe around an issue or conflict because they don’t want to anger the abuser. This type of abuse is common: According to a 2010 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report on intimate partner violence (IPV) in the United States, 48.4 percent of women and 48.8 percent of men have experienced “psychological aggression” by an intimate partner in their life. Statistics vary and instances of IPV can be hard to measure because they’re often underreported. And because it can be so hard to quantify, some studies on IPV don’t even include psychological abuse, like a 2015 Bureau of Justice Statistics report—which here includes rape, sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault, and simple assault—which found that between 1994 and 2010, four out of five victims of IPV were female. Power struggles can exist in any relationship, but abuse is not simply a power struggle. It has everything to do with gaining and maintaining power and control over someone, and nothing to do with victims themselves: They don’t bring it upon themselves by acting a certain way; it’s not that they’re too insecure or timid or defenseless. The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV) defines the abuse of power this way: “In relationships where domestic violence exists, violence is not equal. Even if the victim fights back or instigates violence in an effort to diffuse a situation. There is always one person who is the primary, constant source of power, control, and abuse in the relationship.” In other words: To describe a relationship as “mutually abusive” suggests that there is an equilibrium in power dynamics—but abusive relationships are, by nature, unequal. If someone’s fighting back, it’s often in defense. That’s not to say one person is always entirely in the right and the other entirely in the wrong, that a relationship cannot be mutually toxic, but abuse itself is not reciprocal. The NCADV describes the abuser’s behavior as “manipulative and clever” in order to instill fear in the victim (they often manipulate friends and others in their circle, too); the abuser’s tactics include cycles of “periods of good times and peace and periods of abuse”—the cycles often repeat and intensify with time. There’s also often a cycle of abuse after the relationship ends which can last a very long time. Nett says that within these cycles, the abuser might offer up an apology without taking actual responsibility for their actions, and instead will externalize blame: The abuser might make the victim believe they did something to bring it upon themselves, the abuser might blame an addiction that they’re struggling with, or their own past experience having been abused by someone else. “We know that a lot people who are hurting others have been abused in the past, but certainly being abused doesn’t mean someone’s going to be an abuser, so there’s definitely a break in that link there for a lot of individuals,” Nett says. A person who’s been abused will often go through periods of anxiety, depression, and feeling low about their self worth, according to Nett, in addition to “even confusion about their own perception of what’s going on, so, really doubting their own intuition or doubting their own opinions about what’s happening in their own relationship or in their life.” They might lose their ability to trust not only themselves and other intimate partners but others in their lives too. Abuse can distort the survivor’s ability to find a healthy balance of power and control in their relationships: “When you’re in a relationship where someone is dominating and dictating, it can be really difficult to share responsibility, to assert oneself, to own an opinion, to ask what you need,” Nett says. “Those ideas around give and take in relationships can get really difficult.” After her relationship with Tom ended, Wanda agonized over him—and today, she still fears running into Earl. “It zapped me of my creative ability to do anything,” she adds. “For a while I thought I’m the one who caused the destruction of the relationship because I’m so crazy or because I’m so needy, I’m so obsessed with this person. So instead of being able to take care of myself and go on with my life I’m stuck in all these ruminations of what happened and why it happened.” Wanda feels like she lost a year of her life after her relationship with Tom ended. She still made art and performed here and there, but it wasn’t the same. “I was definitely struggling inside to be somebody or to do anything or to have a voice because I felt like I was so devastated,” she says. “I felt like I was damaged in a way that I could not have relationships.” She saw Tom’s name in local publications (including City Paper) often, and fliers for Earl’s band in and around her home, which she says would paralyze her. “When it’s somebody that’s prominent, it’s hard because there’s this other layer of feeling,” she says, “this jolt of fear and trauma every time you see them mentioned and you have to work extra hard to block them out because they are a prominent person.”
III. SPEAKING UP AND CALLING OUT When Alain Ginsberg’s poem was published on an online literary journal recently, they shared the link to it on Facebook, along with their story about someone who they say raped them a few years ago. They had been silent about the assault for years because until recently, they didn’t feel like they had enough social support to do it. “I didn’t feel comfortable with the friends I had begun to make after [the assault], and now I do have that kind of friendship but that’s something you need to build over time,” Ginsberg says. Opening up about this has been difficult for Ginsberg, but they said it felt necessary—they already felt cut off from some of the queer/arts community because the person who assaulted them is several years older and is friends with some people who are understood as the scene’s gatekeepers. “From both an artistic standpoint and a health standpoint it just didn’t seem feasible for my sanity to keep it under wraps while trying to move on and continue doing performances and writing and art and stuff,” they say. Ginsberg is from here and wants to live here—simply moving away to get away from their abuser isn’t an option for them. Since they went public about it, Ginsberg says, people have reached out and offered support, and it’s all still freshly bewildering for them. Nothing yet long-term, in terms of accountability, has begun. The community or scene becomes not only implicated but actively involved in an abusive situation in the wake of what some often dismissively deem exercises in “call out culture.” Decades ago, this may have looked like fliers plastered around the city or graffiti in a bathroom stall warning people of a particular community member’s harmful behavior—or simple word of mouth. In 2017, this more often looks like a social media post (though you’ll still see the occasional word of warning in the Crown’s feminine spectrum bathroom, for example). To dismiss public denunciations or warnings as simply “call out culture” or spectacle reinforces the misplaced notion that by naming their abusers and describing their abuse, people are simply seeking attention or retribution (or money, in the case of high-profile civil suits). As we detail here, the poor treatment of victims is not attention worth seeking. Between two and 10 percent of reported sexual assaults are proven false (this variation is due to inconsistent methodologies and definitions from study to study)—and men are more likely to be sexually assaulted than falsely accused of sexual assault. An estimated 63 percent are never reported to the police to begin with. There are reasons for this, and they’re often the same reasons why abused individuals avoid coming out about other forms of abuse (criminal or otherwise) on public platforms. In artist communities, survivors who speak up risk not only the aforementioned retaliation from their abuser, but ostracization from the scene altogether. In thinking about coming forward, they face a troubling series of what-ifs. “If I speak up against him,” Catherine Pancake postures, “I’m never going to get a show at such and such venue or I’m going to get cut out of this grant because that person might be on the grant panel or might be on the board of something. And those people are going to reject me.” It’s not that simple for allies of survivors, either. A member of a local small theater company who wished to remain anonymous says she continued to work with a man who she knew to be abusive from the firsthand account of a friend. She felt that she had no choice but to remain silent to |
other mothers in this subculture—saying these exact same words.
Some find the Duggars “quaint” and somehow attractive, in spite of their position on women’s rights or their involvement in cult-like Christian ministries. Others prefer to snark at the Duggars, laughing at them and treating them as comedic entertainment. I would argue that neither approach is helpful to the Duggar children, but there’s something more than that—neither approach fully takes into account the Duggar’s investment in politics and the problematic nature of the causes they support.
Yes, everyone has the right to be involved in politics. But if you support causes that are intolerant to people who are different from you, that makes you a bigot, and if you have political muscle because of the prominence of your name or the amount of money you have to toss into politics, that makes you a powerful bigot, and if you successfully use politics to actively discriminate against vulnerable groups, that makes you both dangerous and malicious.
It’s long past time to see the Duggars as “quaint” or snark fodder. It’s time we fully understood the political influence the Duggars and other families like them wield or seek to wield, and the real world effects of that influence. It’s time we understood the world they aim to create—a world where LGBTQ individuals are marginalized and denied their rights at best, and forced to undergo anti-gay conversion “therapy” at worst. It is a world where gay people will be barred from the teaching profession, stigmatized, and treated as dangerous and depraved. This dystopia may look far fetched at the national level, but it is likely not so far fetched in Fayettville, Arkansas.Lightning is perhaps one of the most beautiful, and at the same time, one of the most frightening phenomena in nature. While it is terrifying, and could be fatal when it happens at close quarters, its beauty from a distance is often breath-taking.
Thomas-François Dalibard (1709-1778), a French scientist, in May 1772 established that lightning contains electricity, based on an experiment originally suggested by the famous American polymath Benjamin Franklin. The experiment consisted of raising a metal wire into the cloud and seeing whether it is electrified. While Dalibard used a 40-foot steel rod, Franklin used a kite to raise one end of a wire to such heights, and both were able to extract sparks from the lower end of the wire.
Air is normally electrically neutral and a bad conductor of electricity. However, inside a cumulonimbus, electrical charges tend to separate and accumulate in different regions of the cloud with positive charges generally moving upwards and negative charges moving towards the bottom. These charged accumulations eventually lead to such high potential differences within the cloud, between clouds, and between cloud and surface of the earth below that ions that are always present in the air are accelerated to high speeds. Such fast ions collide with air molecules and ionise them. This leads to a ‘cascade’ of ions that travel quickly through the air, conducting current.
Eventually these form a conducting path between the charge collections, helping the charges to flow freely through air, constituting an electric current. Such currents are so huge that the air in its path gets suddenly heated to a very high temperature, often 30 to 40 thousand degrees. This may seem enormous, but insignificant when we remember that the temperature at the surface of the Sun is 6,000 degrees! This heat produces the light we see in lightning and the sound we call thunder, which is due to the sudden expansion of the heated air.
The data from the National Crime Records Bureau show that more than 2,000 people in India lose their lives annually from lightning. Of this, around 70 are from Kerala, which is one of the highly lightning-prone areas in India. Other than Kerala and much of the Western coastal areas, highly lightning prone areas in India are in the northeast, including Assam, West Bengal and Odisha.
Studies by Dr. S. Murali Das, Centre for Earth Science Studies, Thiruvananthapuram have shown that thunderstorms in Kerala are mainly formed when the sea breeze reaches the Western Ghats and the humid air rises, causing it to cool and form clouds. Hence, most parts of Kerala are lightning-prone, though the highest incidents of lightning strike are reported from the district of Kollam, followed by Kannur. The least lightning-prone area in Kerala is the area to the West of the Palghat gap, a wide gap in the Ghats that provides a passage between Kerala and the rest of India.
Safety measures during lightning activity depend on where you are located. First, being in an open area is highly risky. Hence, if one is located in a football ground or lake when a thunderstorm approaches, you need to rush to a safe building. In case you are far from a safe building, the best thing to do is to crouch with your feet close together and your head bent. The idea is to keep as low as possible and the points of contact with the ground as close together as possible. If you are in an open area, never stand near a tree, as lightning may strike it and from there affect you by a side flash or from the lightning current that flows through the ground, which creates a step voltage between two points on the ground. Also, you should keep away from metallic objects including posts, towers, wire fences, etc. Fishing or boating is best avoided when lightning activity commences.
Contrary to popular belief, automobiles with metallic bodies are very safe. Therefore, it is perfectly safe to continue driving your car, if it has a fully metallic body when there is a thunderstorm. All buildings with lightning protection systems installed are safe. Buildings made of reinforced cement concrete are relatively safe as they have steel rods embedded in the concrete. If lightning strikes the electric current will pass mainly through the steel. But just being inside such buildings cannot make one completely safe, although it saves one from the possibility of direct strikes. Lightning can strike power and telephone, data cables or water pipes which could then carry the electric current into the buildings. Hence, to be safe from such sources, one has to keep away from device that use power, such as television, refrigerators, air conditioners, electric heaters, etc. It is also not safe to use water taps during lightning.
Adequate precautions can thus easily ensure safety from lightning.[GSTL] Humble Beginnings Text by Heyoka Graphics by HawaiianPig WEEKS 1 & 2 Humble Beginnings Or a similar cliché What We Do
Week 1 Recap
Week 2 Recap
Hacking It: Fantasy Report
A Sage Tale
Week 3 Preview
Though the season is young, we have already found ourselves with two all kills. Both performances by relatively unknown players, Sage and Hack, the latter is perhaps more obscure as seen by his
Now several matches in here is where we sit with the standings. Also
With playing only a few matches each week, it is still far too early to make any strong conclusions. That in mind, let's go to the games themselves! The first two weeks of the expanded Gom TV Team League are now over, and as we enter the third week it is time for a look at how things have shaped up.Though the season is young, we have already found ourselves with two all kills. Both performances by relatively unknown players, Sage and Hack, the latter is perhaps more obscure as seen by his lack of his own Liquipedia page. As with any league, battle is fought and heroes are made and destroyed on a nightly basis. Past champions show their strength, team lineup upheavals mark new beginnings, and FXO fights to show they have what it takes Now several matches in here is where we sit with the standings. Also stolen from Liquipedia With playing only a few matches each week, it is still far too early to make any strong conclusions. That in mind, let's go to the games themselves!
Week 1
vs
FXOpen battling StarTale
by Divinek vsFXOpen battling StarTale
+ Show Spoiler [Results] + qxc <Xel'Naga Caverns> Tiger
Sheth <Metalopolis> Tiger
Sheth <Xel'Naga Fortress> Curious
Oz <Tal'Darim Altar> Curious
Oz <Dual Sight> Squirtle
mOoNan <Crossfire SE> Squirtle
FXO 2 - 4 Startale FXO 2 -
Both QXC and Tiger begin the series by expanding off a handful of units. QXC patters along his standard tech path while tiger goes for the ever-sneaky hallucination supported DT rush. When the DTs arrive in both of his mining bases QXC is forced to wait for scans because he doesn't even have an engineering bay at this point. Eventually stabilizing and holding off the cloaked assault, QXC finds himself massively behind economically. In a final use for their player the remaining dark templars morph into archons to better support the natural busting push by Tiger to end the game.
Against the lap-zerg Tiger opens up with 2 stargates off a nexus first, while sheth responds with a 3rd base. Sheth ends up being very well prepared despite only scouting 1 of the 2 stargates. Though sheth loses a baker's half dozen in overlords to the protoss air force, he responds in haste by destroying a protoss assimilator. Sheth does lose the initial main army engagement along with his 4th base (eventually), the voidray dps follows on through blazing through the zerg 3rd as well. Sheth brilliantly engages the protoss in a position of his natural that is covered by 3 spore crawlers, decimating the protoss air force easily allowing the ground army to follow suit. Great defense! From here sheth only had to macro and a-march his zerg units to victory
Sheth then goes into what looks like an uncomfortable match up for him, at least on TV. Curious got some nice early zergling and drone kills from his banes, Sheth let this happen a little too easier than he should have. Immediately after curious gets a solid surround on Sheth's initial roaches with some zerglings, and right when things are about to stabilize Curious demonstrates the devastation of a ling speed advantage. From here on out it's a simple numbers gained by curious, and eventually he just attacks with more roaches before Sheth's infester tech can kick in.
The FXO PvZ ace comes out in a man that names himself after the race he intends to kill. A very passive game initially with both players going full force on the macro throttle. Oz has his sentry heavy army caught out of position by speedlings, but minimizes his losses with some great forcefields. Oz eventually engages the roach heavy army of Curious, and crushes through the zerg's 30+ supply lead with some excellent usage of blink and forcefields. Ending the game with a wonderful manner nexus!
The next game was a simple case of Squirtle going DT and Oz not having detection,
Quickly moving on Squirtle brings a voidray supported by 3 warpgates to Moonan's front door. Normally this would be a pressure move that shouldn't be able to end the game, however combining nice micro from Squirtle with some sloppy mistakes from Moonan allowed Squirtle to take the game with this initial pressure.
vs
Incredible Miracle clashes with fOu
by confusedcrib vsIncredible Miracle clashes with fOu
+ Show Spoiler [Results] + Happy < Crevasse > Nuclear
Happy < Dual Sight > Lucky
Happy < Terminus RE > GuMiho
Younghwa < Xel'Naga Caverns > GuMiho
Younghwa < Crossfire SE > sC
LosirA < Tal'Darim Altar > sC
YoDa < Xel'Naga Fortress > sC
IM 4 - 3 fOu - 3 fOu
I now love the
Choya, despite being 22 years old, looks so young, that when he is standing next to IM's manager, I just want to root for him. He looks like such an underdog, and for this match, indeed they are just that. fOu's lineup isn't much deeper than Gumiho and sC, other than that there is really only Leenock and TheBest, who no one is expecting an all kill from.
For game one, IM chooses Happy while fOu chooses asd, both relatively unknown Terrans. But in reality it's IMScrooge vs. GreedyfOu. GreedyfOu (asdfOu) goes command center first while IMScrooge (IMHappy) goes one barracks expand on Crevasse. Both players get their third bases before a single siege tank is created. Since both players are doing near mirror builds, it comes down to army efficiency. GreedyfOu just wastes too many marines in failed micro attempts. This combines with IMScrooge's superior positioning and result in a win for IM. It was a little bit titillating, but to be honest, also pretty standard. And it takes more than just your standard TvT to titillate me.
fOu sends out their next player Lucky to try and kill IMHappy, who showed some pretty strong play last game. Happy manages to defeat Lucky using a very creative build. This match is worth watching, Thor hellion marine timings are somewhat of a rarity in TvZ now a days. In fact, this timing will make grandpa Zergs cringe (back when I was a kid I had to deal with thor hellion with no roaches, on Lost Temple, in the snow, both ways).
Let's see if GuMiho can turn IMHappy into IMUnhappy (haha). Both players open banshee, and despite GuMiho taking more damage than happy, he has an expansion up so is able to recover a few minutes later. Happy keeps GuMiho contained for 8 minutes until GuMiho pulls a ton of SCVs and breaks the contain. Despite the SCV pull, he is still economically ahead due to Happy's inability to protect from cloak banshees. GuMiho is able to use his superior macro and positioning to force the gg from IMHappy. This turned into an awkward TvT, with weird contains and banshee harass that did way too much damage on both sides,don't watch it, unless you're into that sort of thing.
IMYongHwa has undoubtedly been training to snipe GuMiho. This is because GuMiho is one of fOu's two real star players. YoungHwa is quite successful in his endeavor, holding off GuMioh's drops and then winning the big battle that really mattered. He's then patient as he goes to finish GuMiho off and take the game. This one isn't really worth watching. It's really just a big turtle until both players are near maxed and then the balls engage. Not too fun to watch.
fOu sends out their next best player – sC - to try and defeat YongHwa. YongHwa smashes through sC's attempted early game contain very cost efficiently and is far in the lead afterward. sC get's a very late third while YongHwa is pushing off of two abses – once his main is mined out. sC gets an emp on all of YongHwa's Templar and is able to kill off all of his colossus. After that engagement, YongHwa is too far behind and makes one last desperate push before being forced to gg.
IM sends out Losira against sC, an interesting choice considering sC's superiority in TvZ. sC does a cool hellion opening into huge two base marine maurader medivac play. sC continuosly drops behind Losira's natural on Tal'Darim Altar, forcing him to have superior position then Losira for engagements. Once Losira has lost all of his banelings, he really doesn't have a hope to hold the constant agression and is forced to gg. After the match, the first instance of drama for the day occurs, with sC knocking on the booth and then thumbs downing Losira.
IM sends out Yoda to try and defeat sC. Yoda is aggressive early on, and forces sC to one base for much longer than he would like to. This puts Yoda into a big lead going into the midgame. Yoda is able to be the agressor on Xel'Naga Fortress, allowing him to do some very cute positioning tactics. Those tactics allow him to contain and drop sC until he has no army left and is forced to gg.
This team battle wasn't too exciting as a whole to be honest. Aside from sC's Losira taunt there was no real drama and every game aside from Happy vs. Lucky was pretty standard.
vs
SlayerS fighting MVP
by Divinek vsSlayerS fighting MVP
+ Show Spoiler [Results] +
Alicia Noblesse
Alicia <Bel'Shir Beach> viOlet
Alicia GuineaPig ( )
BoxeR <Xel'Naga Caverns> GuineaPig ( )
BoxeR <Crevasse> DongRaeGu
GanZi <Dual Sight> DongRaeGu
MMA <Xel'Naga Fortress> DongRaeGu
SlayerS 3 - 4 MVP
To start off the match, Alicia quickly takes a hidden expansion at the gold base fortunately noblesse is quick to scout this. However not long after setting up a second base of his own Alicia manages to break his natural with an immortal lead push. Meanwhile every probe at the protoss gold falls to a banshee during the action. Alicia then pulls a brilliant move by harassing the third base of Noblesse, pulling the entire terran army in this direction. Then, while this army is out of position Alicia runs straight into the terran main and prevents the army from stopping him with forcefields at the ramp. Two bugged out colossi and a razed main later Noblesse is unable to win the game with his final standing army
Following this, Violet comes to a very similar conclusion that most of us would in the scenario of alicia vs most opponents: he's probably going to win. Based on this he goes for an extremely aggressive 1 base roach ling all-in type build. Alicia manages to hold this off with some amazing forcefields, the little cannon that could, and a little help from violets rather poor control. Alicia retorts with a devastating voidray + phoenix attack, decimating the zerg drone line as well as the overlord count in both the main and the natural. Alicia simply rides this momentum, ending the game with a massive sentry stalker push supported by his previous air units.
Even though he scouted Guineapig first Alicia's reaction to the discovery of his opponent's race being protoss is a little weird in this third game. Alicia is caught in strange positions a few times early on and eventually out of position again when the big battle came and Guineapig won it easily
In a very boxer-esque fashion the emperor places his two initial barracks somewhere in the middle of the map, his presence on the stage is now known. Upon realizing that his opponents main Guineapig promptly puts down a bunk....a command center. With no static defense the marine micro of boxer is simply too good and Guineapig's economy falls to pieces. The game is over as soon as the random player realizes that boxer's eventual banshee does indeed have cloak.
If at first you succeed, do do again! That's the boxer motto for openings this game, again proxying 2 barracks in an attempt to bunker push the natural of DRG. Unlike his team mate, DRG realizes the importance of static defense and gets a spine crawler up to comfortably defend this pressure. DRG takes a hidden expansion in the corner while demonstrating his muta presence on the map. The zerg expansions begin devouring the map while Boxer is contained by the ever mobile air force to just inside his natural for far too long. Once the terran ball moves out the zerg easily counters into the natural, leveling it, and then shortly doing the same to the remaining ground army.
DRG carries right on through the emperor rearing to tear into Ganzi. The beginning of this game is a world of action where DRG struggles to maintain his third and every time Ganzi moves out a flood of lings pour into his natural. Eventually after all the drops and back stabs and lost 3rds there is an engagement in the center and despite his recently finished upgrades DRG can't break through the sick spread Ganzi has set up. After both players set up their 3rd bases, the players are very even in every respect but DRG manages to achieve far more efficiency out of his armies. The clashes go more and more in the zerg favour until DRG is able to pick completely away at Ganzi, forcing a final game.
We finish off with a rematch of last team league's finals. DRG goes into his usual muta style to control the map, while MMA techs to a diverse ground army in order to secure his 3rd. DRG gets off a sick baneling bomb once the SCVs transfer. As MMA pushes towards the zerg 3rd, the mutalisks fly in and ravage the main mineral line. From here the mutas keep MMA in his main while DRG continues to become miles ahead. Once maxed DRG pushes in and crushes the terran 3rd with his massive army. After this MMA has no answer for the insane mutalisk harass of DRG and is eventually plowed over by the never ending stream of zerg. Revenge for DRG! Both QXC and Tiger begin the series by expanding off a handful of units. QXC patters along his standard tech path while tiger goes for the ever-sneaky hallucination supported DT rush. When the DTs arrive in both of his mining bases QXC is forced to wait for scans because he doesn't even have an engineering bay at this point. Eventually stabilizing and holding off the cloaked assault, QXC finds himself massively behind economically. In a final use for their player the remaining dark templars morph into archons to better support the natural busting push by Tiger to end the game.Against the lap-zerg Tiger opens up with 2 stargates off a nexus first, while sheth responds with a 3rd base. Sheth ends up being very well prepared despite only scouting 1 of the 2 stargates. Though sheth loses a baker's half dozen in overlords to the protoss air force, he responds in haste by destroying a protoss assimilator. Sheth does lose the initial main army engagement along with his 4th base (eventually), the voidray dps follows on through blazing through the zerg 3rd as well. Sheth brilliantly engages the protoss in a position of his natural that is covered by 3 spore crawlers, decimating the protoss air force easily allowing the ground army to follow suit. Great defense! From here sheth only had to macro and a-march his zerg units to victorySheth then goes into what looks like an uncomfortablematch up for him, at least on TV. Curious got some nice early zergling and drone kills from his banes, Sheth let this happen a little too easier than he should have. Immediately after curious gets a solid surround on Sheth's initial roaches with some zerglings, and right when things are about to stabilize Curious demonstrates the devastation of a ling speed advantage. From here on out it's a simple numbers gained by curious, and eventually he just attacks with more roaches before Sheth's infester tech can kick in.The FXO PvZ ace comes out in a man that names himself after the race he intends to kill. A very passive game initially with both players going full force on the macro throttle. Oz has his sentry heavy army caught out of position by speedlings, but minimizes his losses with some great forcefields. Oz eventually engages the roach heavy army of Curious, and crushes through the zerg's 30+ supply lead with some excellent usage of blink and forcefields. Ending the game with a wonderful manner nexus!The next game was a simple case of Squirtle going DT and Oz not having detection,Quickly moving on Squirtle brings a voidray supported by 3 warpgates to Moonan's front door. Normally this would be a pressure move that shouldn't be able to end the game, however combining nice micro from Squirtle with some sloppy mistakes from Moonan allowed Squirtle to take the game with this initial pressure.I now love the new IM uniforms, because they remind me of my good, personal friend, Wiz Khalifa.Choya, despite being 22 years old, looks so young, that when he is standing next to IM's manager, I just want to root for him. He looks like such an underdog, and for this match, indeed they are just that. fOu's lineup isn't much deeper than Gumiho and sC, other than that there is really only Leenock and TheBest, who no one is expecting an all kill from.For game one, IM chooses Happy while fOu chooses asd, both relatively unknown Terrans. But in reality it's IMScrooge vs. GreedyfOu. GreedyfOu (asdfOu) goes command center first while IMScrooge (IMHappy) goes one barracks expand on Crevasse. Both players get their third bases before a single siege tank is created. Since both players are doing near mirror builds, it comes down to army efficiency. GreedyfOu just wastes too many marines in failed micro attempts. This combines with IMScrooge's superior positioning and result in a win for IM. It was a little bit titillating, but to be honest, also pretty standard. And it takes more than just your standard TvT to titillate me.fOu sends out their next player Lucky to try and kill IMHappy, who showed some pretty strong play last game. Happy manages to defeat Lucky using a very creative build. This match is worth watching, Thor hellion marine timings are somewhat of a rarity in TvZ now a days. In fact, this timing will make grandpa Zergs cringe (back when I was a kid I had to deal with thor hellion with no roaches, on Lost Temple, in the snow, both ways).Let's see if GuMiho can turn IMHappy into IMUnhappy (haha). Both players open banshee, and despite GuMiho taking more damage than happy, he has an expansion up so is able to recover a few minutes later. Happy keeps GuMiho contained for 8 minutes until GuMiho pulls a ton of SCVs and breaks the contain. Despite the SCV pull, he is still economically ahead due to Happy's inability to protect from cloak banshees. GuMiho is able to use his superior macro and positioning to force the gg from IMHappy. This turned into an awkward TvT, with weird contains and banshee harass that did way too much damage on both sides,don't watch it, unless you're into that sort of thing.IMYongHwa has undoubtedly been training to snipe GuMiho. This is because GuMiho is one of fOu's two real star players. YoungHwa is quite successful in his endeavor, holding off GuMioh's drops and then winning the big battle that really mattered. He's then patient as he goes to finish GuMiho off and take the game. This one isn't really worth watching. It's really just a big turtle until both players are near maxed and then the balls engage. Not too fun to watch.fOu sends out their next best player – sC - to try and defeat YongHwa. YongHwa smashes through sC's attempted early game contain very cost efficiently and is far in the lead afterward. sC get's a very late third while YongHwa is pushing off of two abses – once his main is mined out. sC gets an emp on all of YongHwa's Templar and is able to kill off all of his colossus. After that engagement, YongHwa is too far behind and makes one last desperate push before being forced to gg.IM sends out Losira against sC, an interesting choice considering sC's superiority in TvZ. sC does a cool hellion opening into huge two base marine maurader medivac play. sC continuosly drops behind Losira's natural on Tal'Darim Altar, forcing him to have superior position then Losira for engagements. Once Losira has lost all of his banelings, he really doesn't have a hope to hold the constant agression and is forced to gg. After the match, the first instance of drama for the day occurs, with sC knocking on the booth and then thumbs downing Losira.IM sends out Yoda to try and defeat sC. Yoda is aggressive early on, and forces sC to one base for much longer than he would like to. This puts Yoda into a big lead going into the midgame. Yoda is able to be the agressor on Xel'Naga Fortress, allowing him to do some very cute positioning tactics. Those tactics allow him to contain and drop sC until he has no army left and is forced to gg.This team battle wasn't too exciting as a whole to be honest. Aside from sC's Losira taunt there was no real drama and every game aside from Happy vs. Lucky was pretty standard.To start off the match, Alicia quickly takes a hidden expansion at the gold base fortunately noblesse is quick to scout this. However not long after setting up a second base of his own Alicia manages to break his natural with an immortal lead push. Meanwhile every probe at the protoss gold falls to a banshee during the action. Alicia then pulls a brilliant move by harassing the third base of Noblesse, pulling the entire terran army in this direction. Then, while this army is out of position Alicia runs straight into the terran main and prevents the army from stopping him with forcefields at the ramp. Two bugged out colossi and a razed main later Noblesse is unable to win the game with his final standing armyFollowing this, Violet comes to a very similar conclusion that most of us would in the scenario of alicia vs most opponents: he's probably going to win. Based on this he goes for an extremely aggressive 1 base roach ling all-in type build. Alicia manages to hold this off with some amazing forcefields, the little cannon that could, and a little help from violets rather poor control. Alicia retorts with a devastating voidray + phoenix attack, decimating the zerg drone line as well as the overlord count in both the main and the natural. Alicia simply rides this momentum, ending the game with a massive sentry stalker push supported by his previous air units.Even though he scouted Guineapig first Alicia's reaction to the discovery of his opponent's race being protoss is a little weird in this third game. Alicia is caught in strange positions a few times early on and eventually out of position again when the big battle came and Guineapig won it easilyIn a very boxer-esque fashion the emperorplaces his two initial barracks somewhere in the middle of the map, his presence on the stage is now known. Upon realizing that his opponents main Guineapig promptly puts down a bunk....a command center. With no static defense the marine micro of boxer is simply too good and Guineapig's economy falls to pieces. The game is over as soon as the random player realizes that boxer's eventual banshee does indeed have cloak.If at first you succeed, do do again! That's the boxer motto for openings this game, again proxying 2 barracks in an attempt to bunker push the natural of DRG. Unlike his team mate, DRG realizes the importance of static defense and gets a spine crawler up to comfortably defend this pressure. DRG takes a hidden expansion in the corner while demonstrating his muta presence on the map. The zerg expansions begin devouring the map while Boxer is contained by the ever mobile air force to just inside his natural for far too long. Once the terran ball moves out the zerg easily counters into the natural, leveling it, and then shortly doing the same to the remaining ground army.DRG carries right on through the emperor rearing to tear into Ganzi. The beginning of this game is a world of action where DRG struggles to maintain his third and every time Ganzi moves out a flood of lings pour into his natural. Eventually after all the drops and back stabs and lost 3rds there is an engagement in the center and despite his recently finished upgrades DRG can't break through the sick spread Ganzi has set up. After both players set up their 3rd bases, the players are very even in every respect but DRG manages to achieve far more efficiency out of his armies. The clashes go more and more in the zerg favour until DRG is able to pick completely away at Ganzi, forcing a final game.We finish off with a rematch of last team league's finals. DRG goes into his usual muta style to control the map, while MMA techs to a diverse ground army in order to secure his 3rd. DRG gets off a sick baneling bomb once the SCVs transfer. As MMA pushes towards the zerg 3rd, the mutalisks fly in and ravage the main mineral line. From here the mutas keep MMA in his main while DRG continues to become miles ahead. Once maxed DRG pushes in and crushes the terran 3rd with his massive army. After this MMA has no answer for the insane mutalisk harass of DRG and is eventually plowed over by the never ending stream of zerg. Revenge for DRG!
And, because we are just that awesome, we also have recaps from a second week! Its like getting double meat at Taco Bell!
Week 2
vs
TSL wages war with Prime
by Divinek vsTSL wages war with Prime
+ Show Spoiler [Results] + Killer <Tal'Darim Altar> Nettie
Killer <Metalopolis> BBoongBBoong
Gentleman <Xel'Naga Caverns> BBoongBBoong
Gentleman <Crevasse> MarineKing
Gentleman <Xel'Naga Fortress> Polt
TSL 4 - 1 Prime - 1 Prime
The old pvp 4 warp gate dance of doom ensues to start off the match, with Killer being the aggressor. Nettie handles this situation well, showing strong micro and forcing Killer to retreat. From here there are a few haphazard attempts at aggression, until Killer catches Nettie trying to tech and expand at the same time. Coupling the unit lead with a nice flank is enough for Killer to overwhelm his protoss opponent
Killer's next opponent the ever terrifying baby flatulence steps into the arena. Killer opts for a fast expand in this game accompanied with an embarrassing rally point for his probes to start things off. Once this is established BB executes a sick zergling runby and manages to get almost a dozen inside the protoss main. Needless to say the protoss economy is crippled from losing 11 workers and a ton of mining time. Killer tries to counter the zerg 3rd with zealot voidray, but BB is more than prepared for this with his lead. Killer committed enough to this attack that from here he can only wait for BB to macro up to a maxed army and run him over.
TSL sends out their most upstanding player to deal with the menace of funny noises. Gentleman kills 3 of BB's drones with an initial marine and scv to open the game, immediately followed up with a 2 kill reaper. From here his blue flame hellion harass is completely denied by the zerg. The hellions continue as Gentleman transitions into mech while taking his 3rd base and destroying a zerg expansion. BB responds well initially taking over the map and macroing up, but his downfall becomes his indecision. Constantly feigning aggression in the form of taking excessive siege tank rounds while losing his recently taken bases. Eventually the terran mech ball becomes a death ball that he can't stop due to his pointlessly whittled forces.
Prime is forced to respond with their utmost in skill to deal with the grace and elegance of a Gentleman. This very same Gentleman attempts some early pressure with hellions and a banshee, however his micro isn't quite good enough to accomplish any damage. MKP counters with a battalion of his favourite force killing plenty of SCVs and some hellions. Once his blue flame finishes Gentleman counters with his hellions again, this time more than compensating for the damage MKP inflicted earlier. Gentlemen flowing through to more and more positives, completely denying a drop while sneaking a 3rd. What ensues is a beautiful time of each player taking great small victories over the other in succession. Eventually Gentleman wins out because of his air superiority allowing for better siege tank positioning and leaving no medivacs for the bio section of MKP's army.
Even though Gentleman's previous TvT was insanely strong, Prime decides to send out their ace into this match up in hopes of defeating the pinnacle of suave. Gentleman steps up his banshee harass this time against the GSL champion; taking out depots and SCVs alike. Much like last game Gentleman is again able to stifle the harass coming from his opponent while slowly chipping away with his own. He then simply pushes to a great position on the lowground of his opponents main, wiping out most of the production facilities and denying the counter attack. This guy is far too good at TvT.
vs
fOu engages New Star Hoseo
by bobq vsfOu engages New Star Hoseo
+ Show Spoiler [Results] + Sirius < Xel'Naga Caverns > sculp
Sirius < Tal'Darim Altar > Sage
asd < Xel'Naga Fortress > Sage
sC < Crossfire SE > Sage
Leenock < Metalopolis > Sage
fOu 1 - 4 Hoseo fOu 1 -
Even Tastosis admitted that this wasn’t exactly a headline match-up; these teams have about five players anyone has ever heard of between them. That said, the number of question marks going into this game was just staggering. No one really knew who would play, let alone who would win, and with this season is already furthering |
igrate the plaintiff.[29] The respondent does not seek to challenge this finding by Notice of Contention.
The application of s 33
[32] The applicant submits that the learned trial judge’s determination that the respondent had established there was no real chance of harm to the plaintiff’s reputation was wrong.[30] The relevant grounds of appeal in respect of this proposition proceed on the basis that the term “any harm” in s 33 is limited to harm to reputation. [31] What is submitted is that his Honour erred in applying s 33 by having regard to matters other than the circumstances of publication. The applicant further submits that had s 33 been correctly applied the defence of triviality could not be made out.[32] [33] The principles as to how s 33 should be applied are not in dispute.[33] These principles arise from the words of the section.[34] First, the inquiry whether the applicant was unlikely to sustain any harm is directed to the time of publication. As observed by Moffitt P in Chappell v Mirror Newspapers Ltd[35] the defence “is directed to the occasion or circumstance of the publication as the operative factor to render the defamation trivial”. This is because actionability is determined at the moment of publication[36] and harm to reputation is done when a defamatory publication is comprehended by the reader or listener. Until then, no harm is done.[37] [34] Secondly, the court must make a prospective inquiry in applying s 33. Specifically, for the defence under s 33 to succeed, the court must be satisfied “that the circumstances of publication were such that the plaintiff was unlikely to sustain any harm”. As stated by Moffitt P in Chappell:
“The quality of the circumstances of the publication determines at the moment of publication whether it is or is not actionable; Morosi (supra at p. 799). Actionability does not depend upon an inquiry as to what thereafter happens and in particular whether or not harm in fact probably resulted from the publication. The defence depends entirely on the causative potency of the circumstances “of the publication” to produce immunity from harm.”[38]
[35] The prospective nature of the inquiry was also identified by the New South Wales Court of Appeal in Morosi v Mirror Newspapers Limited:
“That section is concerned with ‘the circumstances of the publication’ and the likelihood of harm. It looks to those circumstances as at the time of publication, and requires the tribunal of fact, being aware of those circumstances, to consider prospectively as it were, the likelihood of harm ensuing, and not whether harm did actually ensue.”[39] (citations omitted)
[36] Thirdly, it is accepted that the phrase “unlikely to sustain any harm” refers to “the absence of a real chance” or “the absence of real possibility of harm”.[40] [37] Fourthly, the major circumstances the court should consider in deciding whether the circumstances of the publication were such that the plaintiff was unlikely to sustain any harm include:
(a) the content of the publication;
(b) the extent of the publication;
(c) the nature of the recipients and their relationship with the plaintiff.[41] This may include the recipients’ knowledge of the plaintiff’s reputation. As explained by Beazley JA (as her Honour then was) in Jones v Sutton:
“... reputation may have some role to play in s 13, depending upon who the recipients are of the defamatory publication and the circumstances in which it was made. This is because the recipient of the communication is proximate to it. It is arguable that any special characteristics of him or her as recipient such as personal knowledge of the person defamed may be caught up in the circumstances of the publication.”[42]
[38] The learned trial judge referred to these principles in his Reasons:[43]
“[35] Section 33 of the Act requires the defendant to prove that the plaintiff was unlikely to sustain any harm by the publication of the defamatory matter. The likelihood of harm is determined at the time of publication (see Chappell v Mirror Newspapers Ltd (1984) Aus Torts Reports 80-691 at 68,947; and Jones v Sutton [2004] NSWCA 439; (2004) 61 NSWLR 614 at [12]; and Barrow v Bolt & anor [2015] VSCA 107 at [34]) having regard only to the circumstances of publication, which includes the content and extent of the publication, the nature of the recipients and their relationship with the plaintiff: see Sutton at [15] and Bolt [35], [65].
[36] In order to prove harm is unlikely the defendant must show there is an absence of “a real chance” or “a real possibility” of any harm: see Sutton at [45] and [49]; and Bolt at [36].” [39] There is no suggestion that his Honour erred in identifying the relevant principles including the principle that the likelihood of harm is determined at the time of publication. The applicant submits however, that his Honour erred in the application of this principle by inquiring as to whether or not harm in fact resulted. This error is sought to be established by reference to three paragraphs of the Reasons:[44]
“[40] In this case the plaintiff knew he had involved himself in a family dispute and conceded the following in cross-examination:
Counsel: If I suggested to you that the defendant in calling you Dennis Denuto to your daughter-in-law and son would not have caused you injury, would you disagree with me?
Plaintiff: If it had been contained to my daughter-in-law and son, arguably.
[41] At the time they were made, the statements did not cause Sally and Jarrad to think less of the plaintiff and there was little chance of republication. The circumstances of publication under s 33 of the Act do not include the subsequent media interest in the matter generated by the plaintiff’s claim and the defence filed in the Court: see Sutton at [54]. [42] I am satisfied that the defendant has proved that, at the time of the publication of the defamatory matter, the circumstances of publication were such that the plaintiff was unlikely to sustain any harm to his reputation as the statements were confined to two members of his family with whom the defendant was in dispute, and they were able to make their own assessment of the imputation. The three statements did not convey any breach of duty, illegal acts or dishonesty on behalf of the plaintiff and they were not made in a form that was intended to be or likely to be published by the defendant beyond Sally and Jarrad.” [40] The reasoning at [41] of the Reasons is said to be infected by his Honour’s findings of fact at [21]:[45]
“Sally said she did not think less of the plaintiff as a result of the statements, and she continued to retain him as her solicitor. Jarrad refused to say whether as a result of the statements he thought less of his father other than to say “it affected me”.”
[41] By reference to [40] and [41] of the Reasons the applicant submits that his Honour did not apply the inquiry posed by s 33 prospectively. The inquiry is not whether the applicant did in fact suffer any harm of the kind referred to in s 33 but rather whether the circumstances of publication were such that there was an absence of a real chance or a real possibility of the plaintiff sustaining any harm. [42] The applicant therefore submits that his Honour committed the same error identified by the New South Wales Court of Appeal in Enders v Erbas & Associates Pty Ltd.[46] In Enders the trial judge made a number of references to being satisfied that the plaintiff had not suffered any harm. Tobias AJA (as his Honour then was) accepted that this reasoning disclosed an error:
“Although reliance was placed by the respondents upon the statement by the primary judge at [185] that the present case was one where the applicant “would not suffer any harm at all”, in my view her Honour’s findings at [183] and [184] that she was satisfied that the applicant did not suffer either hurt to feelings as claimed, or any harm of any kind, involved the application of the wrong test. I am not prepared to tease out the statement at [185] that the present was a case where the applicant “would not suffer any harm at all” a finding that the applicant was “unlikely” to sustain any harm. Having applied the wrong test, in my view her Honour’s upholding of the defence under s 33 must be set aside.”[47]
[43] I do not accept the applicant’s submission that [40] and [41], when read with [21] of the Reasons, discloses error in his Honour’s application of s 33. A fair reading of the Reasons requires the statements in [21], [40] and [41] to be read in the context of [35], [36] and in particular [42].[48] At [42] his Honour made the finding that he was satisfied that the defendant had proved that, at the time of the publication of the defamatory matter, the circumstances of publication were such that the plaintiff was unlikely to sustain any harm to his reputation. This is the correct test. His Honour applied this test to the circumstances of the publication. This is to be distinguished from the error identified in Enders. In that case the trial judge made findings that she was satisfied that the plaintiff did not in fact suffer any harm. [44] The reference made by his Honour to evidence that the statements did not cause the applicant’s daughter-in-law and son to think less of him does not of itself reveal error. Whilst such evidence is of limited relevance it may fortify a conclusion. As observed by the New South Wales Court of Appeal in Morosi:[49]
“The subsequent acts or statements of persons from which it appears, or may be inferred, that the person defamed was or was not upset by the defamatory publication can have only a limited bearing on whether the person’s reputation was likely to be damaged or his feelings were likely to be hurt.”
[45] To similar effect is the observation of Kaye JA in Barrow v Bolt:[50]
“It follows that subsequent events and circumstances, including the plaintiff’s experience of feelings of distress and hurt, can only have, at most, a limited relevance to the determination of that question. At best, such evidence might fortify a conclusion, based on the circumstances at the time of the publication, that those circumstances were in fact such that it was likely that the plaintiff would suffer distress to his feelings as a result of the publication.” (citations omitted)
[46] The applicant submits, however, that [42] of the Reasons reveals error in his Honour’s identification of the circumstances of the publication. In [42] of the Reasons his Honour identified the following circumstances of the publication:
(a) the statements were confined to two members of the applicant’s family with whom the respondent was in dispute;
(b) the two members of the applicant’s family were able to make their own assessment of the imputation;
(c) the defamatory statements did not convey any breach of duty, illegal acts or dishonesty on behalf of the applicant; and
(d) the three statements were not made in a form that was intended to be or likely to be published by the respondent beyond Ms Smith and Jarrad Smith.
[47] According to the applicant the identification of these circumstances and the omission of a further circumstance discloses error. First, it is submitted that the reference to the two members of the applicant’s family being able to make their own assessment of the imputation can only be read as a reference to the preceding paragraph [41]. This submission should be rejected. The circumstance identified by his Honour relates to “the nature of the recipients and their relationship with the applicant”.[51] The applicant further submits that his Honour’s reference to the content of the statements erroneously identifies what they do not allege, such as breach of duty, illegal acts or dishonesty, rather than what is alleged, namely allegations of incompetence and unprofessional behaviour by a solicitor. The content of the publication is a relevant circumstance. His Honour’s discussion of the content of the publication should be read in the context of the confined nature of the publication. I understand his Honour’s reference to more serious imputations, such as dishonesty, as simply making the point that irrespective of how confined the publication, the more serious the imputation the more likely the plaintiff will sustain harm.[52] [48] The applicant submits that his Honour’s reference to the respondent’s intention, that the statement not be published beyond Ms Smith and Jarred Smith, constitutes an irrelevant circumstance of publication. This submission should be rejected. His Honour’s reference is to the extent of the publication which is a relevant circumstance.[53] The first statement in which the applicant was referred to as “Denis Denuto” was an email sent by the respondent to Ms Smith and only Ms Smith. The second statement was an oral statement made to Ms Smith and Jarred Smith and the third statement was an oral statement made only to Jarred Smith.[54] [49] The circumstance of publication said by the applicant to have been overlooked by his Honour is the fact that at the times of publication, the applicant was acting in a professional capacity as Ms Smith’s solicitor. The applicant therefore submits that given the imputation found by his Honour of incompetence and unprofessional conduct, the defence of triviality in the circumstances of the case could not be made out.[55] The applicant relies on the following statement in Morosi: [56]
“Section 13 seems to be intended to provide a defence to trivial actions for defamation. It would be particularly applicable to publications of limited extent, as, for example, where a slightly defamatory statement is made in jocular circumstances to a few people in a private home. It may be that the knowledge of the plaintiff’s reputation by the persons to whom the publication is made in such a case, and their acceptance of that reputation as truly reflecting the plaintiff’s character, can be taken into account in deciding whether the plaintiff is likely to suffer harm.”
[50] It may be accepted that the present case is not one of jocularity. As found by the learned trial judge the words in each of the three statements were used between parties in dispute and in an unfriendly and derogatory way and were said in order to denigrate the applicant.[57] The reference by the New South Wales Court of Appeal in Morosi to the application of s 13 of the Defamation Act 1974 (NSW) to publications where a slightly defamatory statement is made in jocular circumstances to a few people in a private home, should be understood as an example of circumstances in which the defence may apply. Whether or not the triviality defence applies depends upon the application of the words of s 33. It does not depend on the circumstances being “jocular” nor the publication being made “to a few people in a private home”. Beazley JA in Jones v Sutton quoted with approval the statement of Badgery-Parker J in Perkins which explains why defamatory publications, even of serious content, may still be caught by the triviality defence:
“... The question to which s 13 directs attention is whether the circumstances of the publication were such that the plaintiff was unlikely to suffer harm. It appears to me, with respect, that the characterisation of the defamation as trivial involves circularity of reasoning: a defamation, no matter what the substance of the imputation, will be trivial only if the circumstances of its publication were such that the plaintiff was unlikely to suffer harm. Obviously, since the circumstances include, as the court said in Morosi, the nature of what was published, the defence is less likely to be made out where the content of the imputation is serious than when the content of the imputation is trivial, but it is misleading, in my view, to embark upon a consideration of s 13 from the stand point that its application is only in respect of trivial defamations. The question whether a defamation is trivial can only be answered after, not before, the circumstances of the publication have been evaluated in terms of s 13.”[58]
[51] Badgery-Parker J considered that it would be relatively easy to make out the defence in circumstances where the publication was to a small number of persons well acquainted with the plaintiff and able themselves to make a judgment of their own knowledge as to the likelihood that there was any substance in the imputation conveyed.[59] [52] In my view no error is disclosed in his Honour dismissing the applicant’s claim on the basis of the defence of triviality. The applicant accepted that even if error was identified in his Honour’s application of s 33, there are sufficient uncontested findings of fact which permit this Court to apply s 33.[60] His Honour noted that Ms Smith had been married to Jarred Smith since May 2012.[61] He identified the circumstances in which the applicant came to act for Ms Smith.[62] Even if error was revealed in his Honour’s application of s 33 a consideration of the trial transcript reveals further relevant circumstances which inform how well acquainted Ms Smith was with the applicant and therefore able to make her own judgment as to the likelihood that there was any substance in the imputation conveyed. Whilst Ms Smith and Jarred Smith were married on 12 May 2012, they first met in late 2009.[63] It may be inferred therefore that Ms Smith was acquainted with the applicant for a number of years prior to him acting for her. The applicant acted for Ms Smith pro bono.[64] At the time the applicant was acting for Ms Smith she had a poor opinion of the respondent.[65] Jarred Smith also had a very poor opinion of the respondent at the time of the publications.[66] Ms Smith recalls that the applicant was engaged after she and Jarred Smith discussed with the applicant whether he would be “okay” in acting for her in order to obtain $525 in outstanding day care fees.[67] Ms Smith stated that she was well acquainted with the applicant and had a good relationship with him.[68] She was grateful for the applicant’s assistance and regarded him as a good lawyer.[69] Ms Smith thinks very highly of the applicant and by inference thought highly of him prior to receiving the email of 31 January 2013.[70] [53] Prior to Ms Smith receiving the email of 31 January 2013 from the respondent, the applicant had been successful in causing the respondent to pay the outstanding day care fees of $525.[71] Even if it was thought that his Honour erred in failing to take into account a relevant circumstance, namely that Ms Smith was a daughter only by marriage who had not known the applicant for a long time,[72] in the context of the limited publication to Ms Smith and Jarred Smith, persons well-acquainted with the applicant, the audience of the publication was able to assess whether there was any substance in the imputation conveyed. When one adds to this the other circumstances of publication identified by the learned trial judge, including the confined nature of the publications in the context of a dispute involving Ms Smith’s previous husband, it may be accepted that the respondent proved the circumstances of publication were such that the applicant was unlikely to sustain any harm to his reputation.
Proper construction of section 33
[54] As I have concluded that his Honour’s application of s 33 of the Act (limited to reputational harm) does not disclose error, it becomes necessary to consider whether the words “any harm” in s 33 are limited to reputational harm or extend to harm to feelings. This is a question of statutory construction. The starting point is a consideration of the text itself. The question should be determined by construing the language of s 33 in accordance with the objects of the Act. This exercise also requires a consideration of the context, including the general purpose and policy of the provision and the mischief the provision is seeking to remedy.[73] For reasons which follow I am of the view that the words “any harm” in s 33 are confined to reputational harm and do not extend to harm to feelings. [55] The preamble to the Act relevantly states that it is an Act to provide in Queensland provisions promoting uniform laws of defamation in Australia and to repeal the Defamation Act 1889 (Qld). [56] An object of the Act stated in s 3(c) is “to provide effective and fair remedies for persons whose reputations are harmed by the publication of defamatory matter.” The term “defamatory matter” is not a defined term in the Act nor is the word “defamatory”. The Act, in Schedule 5, does however define the word “matter”. Part 4, Division 3 of the Act deals with remedies, primarily damages. [57] The reference in s 3(c) of the Act to “persons whose reputations are harmed by the publication of defamatory matter” may be understood as constituting a reference to persons who are defamed. An object of the Act is therefore to provide effective and fair remedies for persons who are defamed. [58] Part 2 of the Act deals with general principles and provides in s 6(1) that the Act relates to the tort of defamation at general law. Section 6(2) provides that the Act does not affect the operation of the general law in relation to the tort of defamation except to the extent that the Act provides otherwise (whether expressly or by necessary implication). The law of defamation has traditionally sought to protect personal reputation.[74] As stated by French CJ, Gummow, Kiefel and Bell JJ in Radio 2UE Sydney Pty Ltd v Chesterton[75]:
“The common law recognises that people have an interest in their reputation and that their reputation may be damaged by the publication of defamatory matter about them to others. In Uren v John Fairfax & Sons Pty Ltd Windeyer J explained that compensation for an injury to reputation operates as a vindication of the plaintiff to the public, as well as a consolation.” (citations omitted)
[59] Their Honours continued:
“A person's reputation may therefore be said to be injured when the esteem in which that person is held by the community is diminished in some respect.”[76]
[60] Section 3(c) of the Act by referring to “persons whose reputations are harmed by the publication of defamatory matter” identifies in effect the essential elements of the tort of defamation. [61] Section 33 falls within Part 4, Division 2 of the Act which is headed “Defences”. The defence of triviality in s 33 is, by its terms, a defence to “the publication of defamatory matter”. This is the same term used in s 3(c). Section 3(c) therefore provides the relevant context by which the statutory defences including the defence of triviality, are to be construed. I accept the respondent’s submission that s 3(c) contemplates that a remedy for the publication of defamatory matter should not be available unless a person’s reputation is harmed. It follows, as submitted by the respondent, that if a person’s reputation is not harmed (or not likely to be harmed) no remedy should be available.[77] [62] The word “harm” is not defined in the Act. The word appears in s 11(2) and s 11(3). Section 11 falls within Part 2, Division 3 headed “Choice of Law”. Sections 11(1), (2) and (3) provide:
“11 Choice of law for defamation proceedings
(1) If a matter is published wholly within a particular Australian jurisdictional area, the substantive law that is applicable in that area must be applied in this jurisdiction to determine any cause of action for defamation based on the publication. (2) If there is a multiple publication of matter in more than 1 Australian jurisdictional area, the substantive law applicable in the Australian jurisdictional area with which the harm occasioned by the publication as a whole has its closest connection must be applied in this jurisdiction to determine each cause of action for defamation based on the publication. (3) In determining the Australian jurisdictional area with which the harm occasioned by a publication of matter has its closest connection, a court may take into account—
(a) the place at the time of publication where the plaintiff was ordinarily resident or, in the case of a corporation that may assert a cause of action for defamation, the place where the corporation had its principal place of business at that time; and
(b) the extent of publication in each relevant Australian jurisdictional area; and
(c) the extent of harm sustained by the plaintiff in each relevant Australian jurisdictional area; and
(d) any other matter that the court considers relevant.
[63] Senior counsel for the applicant conceded that the reference to “harm” in ss 11(2) and (3) must be limited to harm to reputation.[78] This concession is consistent with the observations of Kaye J (as his Honour then was) in Szanto v Melville.[79] Kaye J accepted that the use of the word “harm” in s 11(3)(c) could only refer to injury to reputation. Such a conclusion flows from a consideration of the words of ss 11(2) and (3). Section 11 is concerned with the choice of law for defamation proceedings. A court may take into account in determining the Australian jurisdictional area with which the harm occasioned by a publication of matter has its closest connection, the extent of harm sustained by a plaintiff in each relevant Australian jurisdictional area. This can only be a reference to reputational harm since harm to feelings would not differ across various jurisdictions.[80] [64] The word “harm” is also used in s 15(1)(g) of the Act. Section 15 falls within Part 3, Division 1 of the Act. Part 3 deals with the resolution of civil disputes without litigation. Division 1 concerns offers to make amends. Section 15 states the content of an offer to make amends. By s 15(1)(g) such an offer to make amends:
“may include any other kind of offer, or particulars of any other action taken by the publisher, to redress the harm sustained by the aggrieved person because of the matter in question, including (but not limited to)—
(i) an offer to publish, or join in publishing, an apology in relation to the matter in question or, if the offer is limited to any particular defamatory imputations, the imputations to which the offer is limited; or
(ii) an offer to pay compensation for any economic or non-economic loss of the aggrieved person; or
(iii) the particulars of any correction or apology made, or action taken, before the date of the offer.”
[65] Part 3 of the Act seeks to achieve the object identified in s 3(d) namely to promote speedy and non-litigious methods of resolving disputes about the publication of defamatory matter. It may be accepted, as submitted by the applicant, that the word “harm” in s 15(1)(g) encompasses harm to feelings.[81] It is however, unsurprising that the word “harm” in s 15(1)(g) extends to harm to feelings as well as reputational harm because s 15(1)(g) is concerned with an offer to pay “compensation” to the aggrieved person for any economic or non-economic loss. Such loss would include damages not only for reputational harm, but also for harm to feelings. However, the use of the word “harm” in the context of describing a remedy, albeit one without the imprimatur of a court, for defamatory publications, is qualitatively different to the use of “harm” in s 33. A consideration of the word “harm” in s 15(1)(g), in the context of the payment of compensation pursuant to an offer to make amends, does not assist in construing the words “any harm” in s 33. [66] The word “harm” also appears in s 26(b) of the Act which provides the defence of contextual truth:
“It is a defence to the publication of defamatory matter if the defendant proves that—
(a) the matter carried, in addition to the defamatory imputations of which the plaintiff complains, 1 or more other imputations (contextual imputations) that are substantially true; and
(b) the defamatory imputations do not further harm the reputation of the plaintiff because of the substantial truth of the contextual imputations.”
[67] The phrase used in s 26(b) is “do not further harm the reputation of the plaintiff”. The applicant submits that where the legislature considered it necessary to limit the reference to “harm” to “harm to reputation” it has done so expressly by using those words in s 3(c) and s 26(b) of the Act.[82] I do not accept this submission. The words “harm the reputation” in s 26(b) do nothing more than encapsulate the elements of the defence of contextual truth. This defence requires an inquiry as to whether defamatory imputations of which the plaintiff complains do not further harm the reputation of the plaintiff because of the substantial truth of the contextual imputations. It is the nature of the defence of contextual truth that requires a specific reference to the defamatory imputations not further harming the reputation of the plaintiff. As a matter of construction, the language of the defence of contextual truth, namely “do not further harm the reputation of the plaintiff” in s 26(b) does not inform the meaning of “any harm” in s 33. No reference to s 26(b) permits the words “any harm” to be given the wider meaning contended by the applicant simply because the legislature did not expressly specify in s 33 “harm to reputation”. [68] Sections 34 and 36 of the Act also contain the word “harm”. These sections provide:
“34 Damages to bear rational relationship to harm
In determining the amount of damages to be awarded in any defamation proceedings, the court is to ensure that there is an appropriate and rational relationship between the harm sustained by the plaintiff and the amount of damages awarded.
...
State of mind of defendant generally not relevant to awarding damages
In awarding damages for defamation, the court is to disregard the malice or other state of mind of the defendant at the time of the publication of the defamatory matter to which the proceedings relate or at any other time except to the extent that the malice or other state of mind affects the harm sustained by the plaintiff.”
[69] The applicant submits and it may be accepted that the reference to “harm” in s 34 and s 36 encompasses both harm to reputation and harm to feelings. Such a construction of the word “harm” in these sections is consistent with the subject matter which they address, namely, damages for defamation. Both sections fall within Part 4, Division 3 of the Act which deals with remedies. In the same way that the use of “harm” in s 15(1)(g) is relevant to the remedy but not to the constitutive element of a claim under the Act, the word “harm” in s 34 and s 36 is relevant to the compensable harm suffered by a plaintiff. By contrast, section 33 falls within a different division, namely Part 4, Division 2 of the Act which deals with defences. The applicant however, further submits by reference to s 34 and s 36 that the word “harm” as it appears in s 33, s 34 and s 36 should be construed uniformly so that “harm” in s 33 encompasses both harm to feelings and harm to reputation. In support of this submission the applicant refers to observations of Kaye JA in Barrow v Bolt. His Honour had previously considered the meaning of the word “harm” in s 33 in Szanto v Melville. In that case his Honour observed:
“The correct construction of the term “harm” in s 33 is not without difficulty. The use of the same word, in s 34 and in s 36, supports the view that the word “harm” encompasses both injury to reputation and injury to feelings. Indeed, the use of the word “harm”, in s 33, may be contrasted with the specific reference to the requirement, in s 26, in respect of the defence of contextual truth, that the defamatory imputations do not further “harm the reputation” of the plaintiff because of the substantial truth of the contextual imputations.” [83]
[70] His Honour made a similar observation in Barrow v Bolt:
“As a matter of statutory construction, the question, as I have already observed, is not without its difficulties. The use of the term ‘the harm’ in s 34 and 36 of the Act, militates in favour of the view that the phrase ‘any harm’, in s 33 does include injury to feelings and distress resulting from the publication of the defamatory material to other persons. On the other hand, the use of the term ‘harm’ in s 11(3)(c) of the Act tends to support the opposite conclusion.”[84]
[71] In neither case was it necessary for his Honour to express a concluded view as to the proper construction of s 33. As stated by his Honour in Barrow v Bolt:
“As I stated, it is not necessary for me to reach a concluded view about this question on this appeal. It is undesirable that I express my views concerning the resolution of the question, since it is preferable that the issue ultimately be determined in a case in which it arises directly for decision. As I earlier stated, I have referred to the matters that I have set out above as, it seems to me, they (among other matters) may require some consideration, when the issue ultimately falls for determination.”[85]
[72] The matters referred to by Kaye JA include consideration of “the fundamental basis of a claim for damages for defamation” and the nature of a cause of action in defamation.[86] There is an important distinction to be drawn, however, between the use of the word “harm” in s 33 and its use in s 34 and s 36. As I have already observed, s 33 falls within Division 2 of Part 4 dealing with defences, whereas s 34 and s 36 fall within Division 3 of Part 4 dealing with remedies. Section 33 provides a defence to the publication of defamatory matter. The section therefore addresses a different subject matter to that addressed by s 34 and s 36. As the word “harm” is not a defined term in the Act it may (as correctly observed by the learned trial judge) have different meanings in different sections.[87] The Act may be constructed as achieving its purposes without requiring the word “harm” to have a uniform meaning in s 33, s 34 and s 36. [73] By reference to the legislative history of s 33 of the Act, both in Queensland and New South Wales, the applicant submits that “the change in language is so distinctive as to mean there must have been an intended change in effect”[88] so that the reference to “any harm” in s 33 encompasses harm to feelings. A consideration of the legislative history of s 33 does not however assist the applicant’s construction. [74] In the Queensland context, the triviality defence was originally found in s 20 of the Defamation Act 1899. It was limited to oral publications:
“20 Trivial matters not in writing
In any case other than that of words intended to be read, it is a good defence to an action for defamation, or a prosecution for publishing defamatory matter, to prove that the publication was made on an occasion and under circumstances when the person defamed was not likely to be injured thereby.”[89]
[75] The phrase in s 20 of the Defamation Act 1899 (Qld) “not likely to be injured” must be read in the context of the definition of “defamatory matter” in s 4(1):
“Any imputation concerning any person, or any member of the person’s family, whether living or dead, by which the reputation of that person is likely to be injured, or by which the person is likely to be injured in the person’s profession or trade, or by which other persons are likely to be induced to shun or avoid or ridicule or despise the person, is called “defamatory”, and the matter of the imputation is called “defamatory matter”.
[76] No part of this definition of “defamatory matter” in the 1899 Act contemplated injury to feelings. Section 7 of the Defamation Act 1889 (Qld) provided that it was the unlawful publication of defamatory matter that constituted an actionable wrong. [77] The term “likelihood of injury” in s 20 of the 1899 Act can only be understood as being a reference to injury to a person’s reputation or a person’s profession or trade or an imputation concerning a person by which other persons are likely to be induced to shun or avoid or ridicule or despise the person. The injury contemplated by s 20 did not extend to hurt feelings. [78] This is even clearer in the New South Wales context when one considers s 2 of the Slander and Libel Act 1847 (NSW) 11 Vic 13:
“Provided always and be it enacted That on the trial of any action for defamatory words not imputing an indictable offence it shall be competent to the jury under the plea of not guilty to consider whether the words set forth in the declaration were spoken on an occasion when the plaintiff’s character was likely to be injured thereby and if the jury shall be of opinion that the said words were spoken on an occasion when the plaintiff’s character was not likely to be injured thereby to find a verdict for defendant.”
[79] The reference in s 2 of the Slander and Libel Act to “the plaintiff’s character was not likely to be injured” can only be construed as injury to reputation and not to feelings. [80] Section 5 of the Defamation Act 1912 (NSW) was in similar terms:
“(1) On the trial of any action for defamation words not imputing an indictable offence, the jury under the plea of not guilty may consider whether the words set forth in the declaration were spoken on an occasion when the plaintiff’s character was likely to be injured thereby.
(2) If the jury are of opinion that the said words were spoken on an occasion when the plaintiff’s character was not likely to be injured thereby, they may find a verdict for the defendant.”
[81] This section was considered by Rich J in Lang v Willis:[90]
“The section of the Defamation Act already quoted was first introduced into the statute law of New South Wales in 1847, and was required to meet the hard conditions of pioneer days. It appears to provide a wider protection than that afforded by the doctrine of privilege at common law |
is something he's taken advantage of. I've been very happy to see him display what he can do offensively, in addition to what he does rebounding. I think for him, it's a matter of becoming a little more physical to really be able to impose his will on the game. But the skillset and the ability is definitely there.
Moe Harkless is another guy who is very talented. He's long, he's athletic, he has a lot of ability, but he also has a passion for the game. It's a combination that, when developed the right way, can make him a very good pro. Not just from his god-given talents, but also through his work ethic. He has a competitive side to him, and I see a lot of room for growth with him into a really, really good player.
Tobias Harris is another guy who has a hunger to be better. You can always appreciate and respect players who have the desire to be better, and Tobias is a clear case of that. He has a pretty versatile game. He rebounds the ball well and attacks guys off the dribble, but can also shoot the three. That's a pretty wide-ranging skill set. Like Nik, he's seized his opportunity to put that on display immediately. He just has to stay consistent and committed, and he's going to be a very good player as well.'She lost confidence': Parents of Penn track star, 19, who jumped to her death from a parking garage, begged her not to go back to school when she revealed she was unhappy over Christmas
Madison Holleran took her life in Philadelphia city center on Friday night
Her death has shocked the UPenn community, where she was a member of the track and field team, and her hometown in New Jersey
Her father said she was struggling with school work and had shared her suicidal thoughts with her family and was seeing a psychiatrist
She left a suicide note and gifts to her family on the roof before jumping
The parents of a popular track star at the University of Pennsylvania who committed suicide on Friday, begged her not to go back to school when she revealed she was unhappy over Christmas.
The death of 19-year-old freshman Madison Holleran has rocked UPenn community and sent shockwaves through her hometown of Allendale, New Jersey.
And the tragedy has come even more into focus as her devastated family and friends have revealed her sadness stemmed from the strains the student found herself under since going to college.
Her father James Holleran told the New York Post the student was struggling with her school workload while a family friend revealed her supportive parents told her she could stay home or transfer at Christmas.
But sadly the determined teen insisted on going back.
Holleran posted an image of a sunset over Rittenhouse Square to her Instagram account around 6pm on Friday night - just an hour before police say she jumped to her death from a city center building.
She was pronounced dead at the scene at 7.17pm, the New Jersey Record reported. No one else was injured.
Loss: Madison Holleran, a track and field star at UPenn, has jumped to her death. Her father James, right, said she had taken her life because she was overwhelmed by the workload at her new school
Final moments: She posted this image of Rittenhouse Square to Instagram an hour before her death
Her father told the New York Post that she killed herself because she was overwhelmed with schoolwork at UPenn - changing her from the happy student she had been throughout high school.
'There was a lot more pressure in the classroom at Penn,' James Holleran tearfully told the Post. 'She wasn't normal happy Madison. Now she had worries and stress.'
Mr Holleran said that she had told her parents in December that she was feeling suicidal and was seeing a therapist.
'We knew she needed help,' he said. 'She knew she needed help. She had lost confidence in academics and she also lost confidence in her track abilities.'
On the day that she jumped to her death, her father texted her that morning encouraging her to see a therapist for some anti-depressants, and she said she would.
But just hours later, she took her life. She left her parents a note and gifts for her family on top of the parking garage before she jumped. Her family would not detail the contents of the note.
Distraught: Madison, who was one of five children, poses at a Penn meet with her mother Stacy Beautiful: Hundreds of friends have shared their condolences on Madison's social networking pages
Popular: Madison, pictured left with a friend just months ago at Halloween, was remembered as 'bright and well-liked' by university staff Mr Holleran said that he did not blame the school for his daughter's suicide but that he wanted to warn other parents.
Family friend Bob Weckworth said the high-achiever ultimately couldn't cope with the expectations she'd set herself. 'People talked to her within hours of her act of suicide and there were no red flags, warning signs, nothing,' he told the Daily News.
“This kid didn’t have a boyfriend. There were no drug issues. There were no mental health issues in her background. It was just the last two, three weeks where they saw a change in her,' said Weckworth. 'Something snapped.'
'She got a 3.5 her first semester, and I think just the high expectations that she put on herself was that that’s just not acceptable. 'She was not happy at Penn, but the parents had told her then, ‘Don’t go back. We’ll transfer. We’ll look at other schools. There’s no reason to go back, it’s OK,’' he said.
Madison's funeral will be held today and her family have asked well-wishers to donate to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention in lieu of flowers.
Holleran was a member of the university's varsity track and field team at UPenn. Her teammates were given the option of whether or not they wished to compete in Saturday's meet. The school also canceled formal recruitment for sororities, in which Holleran was set to take part.
'The entire Penn community is deeply saddened by the death of Madison Holleran,' Penn president Amy Gutmann said in the statement. 'She was bright and well-liked with an incredible future ahead of her. There are simply no words that can properly convey the sense of heartache that we all feel at such a tragic loss.' 'Our thoughts and prayers are with [Holleran's] family and friends,' said Steve Dolan, Penn's director of track and field, in a statement to the Daily Pennsylvanian.
Promising: The athlete had been one of the most promising track stars to come out of her New Jersey county
Missed: The UPenn community was shaken by the death of Holleran, right, on Friday evening
'This is a challenging time for everyone involved with the program, but we will support each other in the weeks to come and help her teammates and friends find their own ways to honor her memory.'
Holleran, who was majoring in philosophy, politics and economics, had been a standout track and soccer athlete in her high school.
She originally planned to play soccer at Lehigh University before switching her mind, and choosing to run at Penn.
She had been named to the New Jersey Star-Ledger's all-state girls track team last year, while the Record named her its Spring Athlete of the Season and Girls Indoor Track Athlete of the Year in 2013, the Star Ledger reported.
Northern Highlands Girls Varsity Soccer, for which Holleran had played, tweeted: 'RIP Madison. You are our beloved NHGS sister forever and always. You have and always will be such a special person. We love you.'
A funeral for Holleran, who is one of five children, is expected to be held on Tuesday.
Tragic: She fell to her death on this Philadelphia city center street, but there has been no indication why
The tragedy is the third undergraduate death at UPenn since the start of winter break, the Daily Pennsylvanian reported.
Senior Kevin Zhao died while traveling with his family in China over the break while junior Pulkit Singh died last Sunday in his off-campus house.
For confidential support in the U.S., call the National Suicide Prevention Line on 1-800-273-8255.
For confidential support call the Samaritans on 08457 90 90 90, visit a local Samaritans branch or see www.samaritans.org.According to a report from The Wall Street Journal, Apple has hired a seasoned veteran from the automotive industry for its rumored car initiative. The report claims that Apple has hired Doug Betts, who previously led global quality control at Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. Betts worked at Fiat Chrysler until last year and started at Apple earlier this month.
Sylvania HomeKit Light Strip
While details of Betts’ role at Apple are sparse at this point, he has updated his LinkedIn page to reflect his new position. His profile says he joined Apple in July, but only lists his title as “Operations – Apple Inc.” out of San Francisco.
The report goes on to state that Apple also recently hired one of the top autonomous vehicle researchers from Europe. Earlier this year, the WSJ reported that Tim Cook approved Apple’s electric car project back in 2014 and has assigned “hundreds” of employees to the project’s team. It has been reported in the past that Apple has hired president and CEO of Mercedes-Benz Research & Development Johann Jungwirth, along with other auto industry execs. We broke down some of the notable members of Apple’s car team here, as well.
Furthermore regarding hires for its electric car team, Apple has been in an ongoing poaching war with Tesla. Although earlier this year, Tesla CEO Elon Musk pointed out that his company has poached 5 times as many employees from Apple as Apple has from Tesla. Musk also commented that he “hopes” Apple will enter the car market.
Apple is hoping to launch its own car by the year 2020, according to reports from earlier this year.By KYLE WALKINE
Tribune Staff Reporter
kwalkine@tribunemedia.net
FORMER Deputy Prime Minister Brent Symonette yesterday branded Minister of Foreign Affairs and Immigration Fred Mitchell as “anti-American” telling The Tribune that Mr Mitchell’s statements since taking office appear to have a slant against the United States.
“Mr Mitchell, as Minister of Foreign Affairs, has continuously appeared to be anti-American with his comments,” Mr Symonette, the former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Immigration, said.
“He is even on record attacking me for being fairly liberal and close to the US because the charge d’affaires is my neighbour. Matter of fact, he took me to town on that.”
Mr Symonette was commenting on allegations that the US National Security Agency (NSA) is spying on the Bahamas.
On Tuesday Mr Mitchell suggested that if the allegations are true then the Ingraham administration would have to account for the claims because the timeline for the allegations relate to a period “in and around 2011,” when Mr Symonette was Foreign Minister.
Yesterday he accused Mr Mitchell of trying to cloud the conversation by dragging the Ingraham administration into the debate.
“I think it is a total smokescreen and a red herring,” he said. “He sits in Cabinet, which has a Minister of National Security and an Attorney General. To try and allude to the fact that this was authorised by the FNM is totally outrageous. He should do his investigations as a minister and report, rather than talk ahead of that report and stir up emotions and fears that might not be warranted.
“He is shooting from the hip, which is his usual style and is trying to get the public to believe that he can back up those comments.”
Concerns that the US is allegedly spying on the Bahamas emerged this week after an article published Monday on the website The Intercept alleged that all cell phone conversations in the country were being intercepted and recorded by the NSA.
Mr Symonette said this matter is serious and questioned Mr Mitchell’s ability to handle the controversy.
Yesterday in the House of Assembly, acting Minister of Foreign Affairs Philip Davis gave an update on the government’s investigations into the matter.
He said the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Bahamas’ ambassador to Washington along with the deputy chief of mission met with US officials seeking a full explanation into the claims.
“The US side undertook to respond. We agreed to await for the same,” he said.
“In the meantime, we urge all Bahamians to remain calm about this matter, keeping our eyes on the fundamentals of the relationship between the two states and our longer term interests. This does not derogate, however, from the principles of the rule of law and the respect for the right to privacy.”
He also raised questions about what the Ingraham administration knew about the allegations of spying by the NSA.
“I invite them to search the history of their files in regard to this matter,” Mr Davis said.
On Tuesday, Mr Mitchell said the allegations of possible surveillance are “startling” and, if proven, then the behaviour would be “clearly illegal”.
Earlier this week the NSA released a statement to The Tribune about the matter but did not confirm or deny the allegations. The allegations are contained in the documents leaked by NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden.
“Every day, NSA provides valuable intelligence on issues of concern to all Americans – such as international terrorism, cyber crime, international narcotics trafficking and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction,” the statement said. “The fact that the US government works with other nations, under specific and regulated conditions, mutually strengthens the security of all.
“NSA’s efforts are focused on ensuring the protection of the national security of the United States, its citizens, and our allies through the pursuit of valid foreign intelligence targets. Moreover, all of NSA’s efforts are strictly conducted under the rule of law and provide appropriate protection for privacy rights.”
Earlier this month, FNM Deputy Leader Loretta Butler-Turner raised concerns that the Christie administration is allegedly spying on Bahamians through the newly created National Intelligence Agency (NIA).
When asked to comment on the NIA concerns, Mr Symonette said because there is little information in the public domain about the government agency there is “the potential for a grave injustice and intrusion on people’s lives.”Politicians from across the party divide have rallied around the Labour MP who found herself the subject of online abuse after objecting to demands for a debate on men's rights.
Supporters and politicians from across party lines tweeted their support for Jess Phillips, who found herself subjected to rape threats after scoffing at a call for men's issues be debated in parliament on International Men's Day.
Vile threats against one of best MPs. Abuse& threats poison the internet. We can't let them. #IStandWithJessPhillips https://t.co/7BQKHHOa0m
Shadow education secretary Lucy Powell called the remarks "disgusting", as did Conservative Gavin Barwell.
Ms Phillips, speaking on BBC Two's Newsnight programme, said the abuse she had received would not stop her speaking out.
"Perhaps I wouldn't be so flippant, and I will protect myself in future, but I will not stop speaking up though against people who, frankly, use equality as a tool for their own ridiculous agenda," she said.
The abuse erupted after the MP for Birmingham Yardley told Conservative Phillip Davies that she felt as though "every day" was International Men's Day when he asked the backbench business committee to allocate time to a discussion about the event.
"I suffered a huge torrent of very noisy abuse from men's rights activists, which very unfortunately, led to a very dark bit of the internet calling for me to be raped, bound and raped publicly," she told the BBC.
The exchange with Mr Davies occurred earlier in the week, but support for Ms Phillips grew after she publicised some of the threats she had been receiving.
International Men’s Day will be held on 19 November this year.Researchers with the Department of Veterans Affairs and Boston University on Friday announced the results of their ongoing study into the prevalence of a degenerative brain disease among NFL players.
The results will not shock you.
The study examined the brains of 91 deceased NFL players. It found evidence of chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, in 87 of them.
“The disease is widely believed to stem from repetitive trauma to the head, and can lead to conditions such as memory loss, depression and dementia,” PBS wrote in announcing the results its Web site.
In total, the researchers examined the brains of 165 people who played football either professionally, semi-professionally, in college or in high school. They found 131 with evidence of CTE in the brain tissue. Forty percent of them played either on the offensive or defensive line, where head trauma occurs on just about every play.
“That finding supports past research suggesting that it’s the repeat, more minor head trauma that occurs regularly in football that may pose the greatest risk to players, as opposed to just the sometimes violent collisions that cause concussions,” PBS writes.
Said Ann McKee, chief of neuropathology at the VA Boston Healthcare System: “People think that we’re blowing this out of proportion, that this is a very rare disease and that we’re sensationalizing it. My response is that where I sit, this is a very real disease. We have had no problem identifying it in hundreds of players.”
There is one caveat to the study, as noted by PBS:
But the figures come with several important caveats, as testing for the disease can be an imperfect process. Brain scans have been used to identify signs of CTE in living players, but the disease can only be definitively identified posthumously. As such, many of the players who have donated their brains for testing suspected that they had the disease while still alive, leaving researchers with a skewed population to work with.
“We are dedicated to making football safer and continue to take steps to protect players, including rule changes, advanced sideline technology, and expanded medical resources. We continue to make significant investments in independent research through our gifts to Boston University, the [National Institutes of Health] and other efforts to accelerate the science and understanding of these issues,” the NFL said in a statement.Is there a treasure worthy risking life and limb in the Grand Line? How about a super sweet gold PS3 with Luffy on it! The special edition console will ship with One Piece: Kaizoku Musou and retail for ¥38,170. I'm a late starter with One Piece, somehow Perdro Cortez has tricked me into getting hooked, now 50 episodes in I'm wanting to get my hands on this console!
I love that it has a map actually etched in on the top of it. Anyone excited for this game? I've kind of felt burnt by the last couple Musou games I've jumped on, but the moves in this one loo pretty good. Make sure to check out some gameplay after the jump.
[Via Alafista]
You are logged out. Login | Sign upMervyn Edward Griffin Jr. (July 6, 1925 – August 12, 2007) was an American television host and media mogul.[2] He began his career as a radio and big band singer who went on to appear in film and on Broadway. From 1965 to 1986, Griffin hosted his own talk show, The Merv Griffin Show. He also created the internationally popular game shows Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune through his television production companies, Merv Griffin Enterprises and Merv Griffin Entertainment.
Early life [ edit ]
Griffin was born July 6, 1925, in San Mateo, California, to Mervyn Edward Griffin, Sr., a stockbroker, and Rita Elizabeth Griffin (née Robinson),[3] a homemaker. The family was Irish American. Raised as a Roman Catholic, Griffin started singing in his church choir as a boy, and by his teens was earning extra money as a church organist. His abilities as a pianist played a part in his early entry into show business.
He attended San Mateo High School, graduating in 1942, and continued to aid in financing the school. He attended San Mateo Junior College and then the University of San Francisco.[4] He was a member of the international fraternity Tau Kappa Epsilon.[5]
During World War II, Griffin was declared 4F after failing several military physical examinations due to having a slight heart murmur.[6] During the Korean War several years later, he was examined and deemed healthy enough to serve, but by that time was above age 26 and therefore exempt from the draft.
Career [ edit ]
Singing [ edit ]
Griffin started as a singer on radio at age 19, appearing on San Francisco Sketchbook, a nationally syndicated program based at KFRC. Griffin was overweight as an adolescent and a young man, which disappointed some radio fans when they saw him in person.[6] He wrote years later in his autobiography that originally there was a deliberate effort to keep the public from finding out how he looked. Embarrassed by the weight issue, Griffin resolved to change his appearance, losing 80 pounds in four months.[7]
Freddy Martin heard him on the radio show and asked Griffin to tour with his orchestra,[1] which he did for four years.[8]
Griffin had an uncredited role as a radio announcer in the 1953 horror/science fiction classic The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms.
By 1945, Griffin had earned enough money to form his own record label, Panda Records, which produced Songs by Merv Griffin, the first U.S. album ever recorded on magnetic tape.[9] In 1947, he had a 15-minute Monday–Friday singing program on KFRC in San Francisco.[10]
He became increasingly popular with nightclub audiences, and his fame soared among the general public with his 1950 hit "I've Got a Lovely Bunch of Coconuts". The song reached the number one spot on the Hit Parade and sold three million copies.[11]
At one of his nightclub performances, Griffin was discovered by Doris Day. Day arranged for a screen test at the Warner Bros. Studios for a role in By the Light of the Silvery Moon. Griffin did not get the part, but the screen test led to supporting roles in other musical films such as So This Is Love in 1953.[12] The film caused a minor controversy when Griffin shared an open mouthed kiss with Kathryn Grayson. The kiss was a first in Hollywood film history since the introduction of the Production Code in 1934.[13]
Griffin would go on to film more pictures (The Boy from Oklahoma and Phantom of the Rue Morgue), but soon became disillusioned with movie-making. Griffin bought his contract back from Warner Bros. and decided to devote his attention to a new medium: television.[5]
In the summer of 1954, Merv Griffin and Betty Ann Grove sang & danced for a show called "Summer Holiday" (and "Song Snapshots from a Summer Holiday"). The premise of the show was a "Live musical show with two singers simulating a trip to various places in the world." The show name had alternating titles for the same show, different nights, but were filled with the patter of songs and feet by the two hosts. Merv and Betty were brought together by Byron Paul, producer of "The Jane Froman Show", and Irving Mansfield, the show's creator. Mansfield remembered Merv for his singing in the Grace Moore picture and for his hit song, "I've Got a Lovely Bunch of Coconuts." The producer of the show (Byron Paul) had already considered Miss Grove for the summer replacement show, but "it was just a matter of finding a boy," Byron said. "I'm quite excited. They're both young, fresh, work well together, work well independently. And I've never met two people who are easier to get along with." The show ran for one summer.[14][15]
In March 2001, Griffin returned to singing with the release of the album It's Like a Dream.
Game show host [ edit ]
From 1958 to 1962, Griffin hosted a game show produced by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman called Play Your Hunch. The show appeared on all three networks, but primarily on NBC. He also hosted a prime time game show for ABC called Keep Talking. Additionally, he substituted for a week for the vacationing Bill Cullen on The Price Is Right, and also for Bud Collyer on To Tell the Truth. In 1963, NBC offered him the opportunity to host a new game show, Word for Word, which Griffin produced. He also produced Let's Play Post Office for NBC in 1965; Reach for the Stars for NBC in 1967; and One in a Million for ABC in 1967.
Talk show host [ edit ]
Griffin scored a coup when Tonight Show host Jack Paar accidentally emerged onto the set of Play Your Hunch during a live broadcast, and Griffin got him to stay for a spontaneous interview. After Paar left The Tonight Show, but before Johnny Carson took over (Carson was still hosting Who Do You Trust? for ABC), Griffin was one of the many guest hosts who presided over Tonight in the interim. Griffin was considered the most successful of the guest hosts,[16] and was rewarded with his own daytime talk show on NBC in 1962. This live, 55-minute program was not successful however, and was cancelled in 1963.
In 1965, Griffin launched a syndicated talk show for Group W (Westinghouse Broadcasting) titled The Merv Griffin Show. The show aired in a variety of time slots throughout North America; many stations ran it in the daytime, others aired it in prime-time and a few broadcast it opposite Johnny Carson's The Tonight Show. Griffin's announcer/sidekick was the veteran British character actor Arthur Treacher, who had been his mentor. After Treacher left the show in 1970, Griffin would do the announcing himself, and walk on stage with the phrase: "And now..., here I come!" According to an obituary article on August 24, 2007 in Entertainment Weekly, The Merv Griffin Show was on the air for 21 years and won eleven Emmy Awards during its run.
Griffin was not shy about tackling controversial subjects, especially the Vietnam War. The guests on the Westinghouse show were an eclectic mix of entertainers, authors, politicians, and "personality" performers like Zsa Zsa Gabor. Griffin also booked controversial guests like George Carlin, Dick Gregory, Richard Pryor, Norman Mailer, and Bertrand Russell. Griffin received critical acclaim for booking such guests, but was also widely criticized for it. When philosopher and anti-war activist Bertrand Russell used Griffin's show to condemn the war in Vietnam, Griffin was criticized for letting Russell have his say. Arnold Schwarzenegger, later the 38th Governor of California, made his talk show debut in the United States on Griffin's talk show in 1974 after moving from Austria.
Griffin dedicated two shows to the topic of Transcendental Meditation and its founder Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, one in 1975, the other in 1977; the 1977 edition aired separate from the main series as a standalone special in some regions such as Canada. Griffin himself was an enthusiastic student of the practice.[17]
Griffin would also frequently chat with audience members.[5] One regular audience member, Lillian Miller, would become a fixture on Griffin's program throughout its run.
Griffin's best friend since the sixth grade, Robert (Bob) Murphy, was the producer of The Merv Griffin Show, and eventually became president of Merv Griffin Enterprises.
Late-night host [ edit ]
CBS gave Griffin a late-night show opposite Carson in 1969, a move which proved disastrous. The network was uncomfortable with the guests Griffin wanted, who often spoke out against the Vietnam War and on other taboo topics. When political activist Abbie Hoffman was Griffin's guest in April 1970, CBS blurred the video of Hoffman so viewers at home would not see his trademark American flag pattern shirt even though other guests had worn the same shirt in the past, uncensored. Griffin disliked the censorship imposed by CBS and complained.[5]
Sensing that his time at CBS was ending, and tired of the restrictions imposed by the network, Griffin secretly signed a contract with rival company Metromedia. The contract with Metromedia would give him a syndicated daytime talk show deal as soon as CBS canceled Griffin's show. Within a few months, Griffin was fired by CBS. His new show began the following Monday and ran until the mid-1980s. By 1986, Griffin was ready to retire and ended his talk show run. Thanks to profits from his highly successful game shows, Griffin had become one of the world's wealthiest entertainers.[5]
Game show creator [ edit ]
Griffin created and produced the successful television game show Jeopardy! in 1964; in an Associated Press profile released right before the show premiered, Griffin talked about the show's origins:[1]
My wife Julann just came up with the idea one day when we were in a plane bringing us back to New York from Duluth. I was mulling over game show ideas, when she noted that there had not been a successful 'question and answer' game on the air since the quiz show scandals. Why not do a switch, and give the answers to the contestant and let them come up with the question. She fired a couple of answers to me: '5,280' and the question of course was how many feet in a mile. Another was '79 Wistful Vista.' That was Fibber and Mollie McGee's address. I loved the idea, went straight to NBC with the idea, and they bought it without even looking at a pilot show.
The show, originally titled What's the Question?, premiered on NBC on March 30, 1964, hosted by Art Fleming, and lasted for 11 years. Griffin wrote the 30-second piece of music heard during the show's Final Jeopardy! Round, and which later became the iconic melody of the theme for the syndicated version of the show hosted by Alex Trebek.
In 1975, NBC canceled Jeopardy! after moving it twice on its daytime schedule, despite having an additional year on its network contract left to fulfill. Griffin produced the show's successor, Wheel of Fortune, which premiered on January 6, 1975. Wheel, with Chuck Woolery as host and Susan Stafford as the hostess, had successful ratings throughout its network run. From December 1975 to January 1976, the show expanded to an hour, in response to the successful 60-minute version of The Price Is Right on CBS.
"Wheel" barely escaped cancellation in 1980, when NBC replaced three of its other game shows with a daytime talk show starring David Letterman; NBC finally cancelled it in 1989, when CBS picked it up for a year (only to return to NBC, when the daytime version was finally cancelled for good in 1991). The show became a phenomenon, when on September 19, 1983, a nighttime version hit the syndication market with Pat Sajak and Vanna White as host and hostess, respectively. Around the same time, Griffin composed the show's best-known theme song, "Changing Keys", which was used in several variants from then until 2002.
As for Jeopardy!, two different revivals of the show would be produced: one on NBC that ran for five months in late 1978/early 1979 with Art Fleming returning as host, and the other airing in first-run syndication beginning on September 10, 1984, starring Alex Trebek. The syndicated versions of both Jeopardy! and Wheel remain on the air today.
In 1990, Griffin had an ambitious but unsuccessful attempt at adapting the venerable board game Monopoly into a game show of the same name. His last game show was a wild game show called Ruckus, which emanated from the Resorts International Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City, which he owned at the time. Involving slapstick stunts and a somewhat truncated version of his old Reach for the Stars, the show initially aired locally in New York, with the intent of national syndication early the following year. The Amazing Johnathan left the show after 65 episodes because of a contract dispute and the show was scrapped before it was to be nationally syndicated. A national audience did get a look at it, via reruns that aired for a time on GSN.
Upon his retirement, Griffin sold his production company, Merv Griffin Enterprises, to Columbia Pictures Television (now known as Sony Pictures Television), at the time a unit of The Coca-Cola Company, for US$250 million on May 6, 1986, the largest acquisition of an entertainment company owned by a single individual at that time. Following the sale, Forbes named him the richest Hollywood performer in history. He retained the title of creator of both his game shows.
The two powerhouses spun off numerous programs, and Griffin often would sign on as a creative consultant. The spin-offs included Wheel 2000 on CBS in 1997 and the short lived Jep! on GSN in 1998, both for children; Rock & Roll Jeopardy! on VH1 in 1998 for purveyors of pop music trivia; a teen-oriented game called Click!, which introduced Ryan Seacrest as its host, and – in association with Wink Martindale – Headline Chasers in 1985.
On May 14, 2003, Griffin was honored with the Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) President's Award at its annual Film and Television Awards ceremony, for having created some of America's best-known game show melodies.[18]
In 2007, Griffin's production company, Merv Griffin Entertainment, began production on a new syndicated game show Merv Griffin's Crosswords (originally titled Let's Play Crosswords and Let's Do Crosswords). The show taped in Los Angeles after initial reports that it would be produced at WMAQ-TV in Chicago. The show was produced in association with Program Partners and the William Morris Agency and began airing September 10, 2007. NBC-owned-and-operated stations in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco and Dallas carried the show, with many stations airing two episodes per day. The show lasted only one season, ending on May 16, 2008 in first-run and September 5, 2008 in reruns.
Business ventures [ edit ]
Merv Griffin Way with the Beverly Hilton in the background
Griffin ventured into real estate, purchasing the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills. In 1988 Griffin purchased Resorts International and two of their hotels, in Atlantic City, NJ and Paradise Island in The Bahamas from Donald Trump and other investors. Part of the deal was that Trump would buy Resorts' interest in the yet to be constructed Taj Mahal project for $273 million.[19][20] Griffin subsequently sought bankruptcy court protection on Dec. 23, 1989 for Resorts International Inc., his troubled hotel and casino operator.[21]
The background to this was on Nov. 12, when Resorts reached a tentative agreement with certain bondholders, several bondholders petitioned the United States Bankruptcy Court in Camden, New Jersey, to put the company into involuntary bankruptcy to protect legal claims they might have against Trump, the real estate investor Griffin outbid for Resorts the prior year. As a result, this literally wiped out or greatly reduced the investments of the bondholders, so that Mr. Griffin could sue Trump and yet still retain a significant portion for himself.
Besides Resorts International, the holding company for casinos in Atlantic City and the Bahamas, three company affiliates also filed for Chapter 11 protection: Griffin Resorts Inc., Resorts International Financing Inc. and Griffin Resorts Holding Inc.
An active desert resident, he was a supporter of the La Quinta Arts Festival and the owner of the Merv Griffin Givenchy Resort & Spa in Palm Springs, now The Parker. He owned a ranch near La Quinta, California where he raised thoroughbred racehorses, as well as St. Clerans Manor, a boutique hotel, set in an eighteenth-century estate once owned by director John Huston, near Craughwell, in County Galway, Ireland. In the 1980s, Griffin purchased the Paradise Island Resort and Casino in the Bahamas for US$400 million from Trump, but he later sold it for just US$125 million. Griffin sold his empire to The Coca-Cola Company for $250 million in 1986, then went on a buying spree of hotels, so that his wealth in 2003 was said to be around $1.2 billion.[22]
Personal life [ edit ]
Griffin kept many details of his personal and business life private. In 1991, he was sued by Deney Terrio, the host of Dance Fever, another show Griffin created, alleging sexual harassment. The same year, Brent Plott, a longtime employee who worked as a bodyguard, horse trainer and driver, filed a $200 million palimony lawsuit. Griffin characterized both lawsuits as extortion.
Griffin's Los Angeles Times obituary repeated a 1991 statement he had made regarding Plott's lawsuit: "This is a shameless attempt to extort money from me. This former bodyguard and horse trainer was paid $250 a week, lived in one of two apartments underneath my former house as part of his security function, and left my payroll six or seven years ago. His charges are ridiculous and untrue."[23]
Ultimately, both suits were dismissed. He consistently evaded answering questions about his sexuality with a characteristic quip. In an interview with The New York Times published on May 26, 2005, Griffin said: "I tell everybody that I'm a quarter-sexual. I will do anything with anybody for a quarter."[24]
Until his death, Griffin remained friends with his ex-wife Julann Griffin, whom he credited with creating the premise of Jeopardy!
On being wealthy, he said that "if people know you're rich, they don't talk with you when you walk down the street." He kept his wealth an open secret, amassing media outlets, hotels and casinos with a net worth widely estimated at more than a billion dollars. Griffin stated he did not really know his worth because it "would keep me from sleeping at night".[4] Former First Lady Nancy Reagan and he exchanged birthday greetings each July 6 for their shared birthday. Griffin was also an honorary pallbearer at the funeral of President Ronald Reagan in 2004, having been friends with both of the Reagans for many years.[25]
Honors [ edit ]
In 1974, Griffin was inducted to the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 1998, a Golden Palm Star on the Walk of Stars was dedicated to him.[26] In 2005, he accepted the degree Doctor of Laws (honoris causa) from the National University of Ireland, Galway, and in 2008, he was posthumously inducted into the Television Hall of Fame.
Illness and death [ edit ]
Griffin's prostate cancer, treated originally in 1996, returned and he was |
UCmhHxYL pic.twitter.com/3JgFkrMh4t — Elsevier (@Elsevier) 15 января 2016
Germany has been experiencing a wave of refugee-related sexual harassment and assaults toward women, as over 500 criminal complaints have been filed by women in Germany accusing small groups of purportedly Arab and North African men with robbing, threatening or sexually assaulting them on New Year’s Eve.
Earlier in the day, the municipal office of the western German town of Rheinberg announced of cancelling next week’s carnival procession to one of its suburbs due to heightened risks of assaults by refugees.It wasn’t until I started doing dishes that I realized men in my family don’t do dishes.
At parties, I rarely saw Martins men helping out in the kitchen. Instead, our grandmothers, aunts and female cousins (all Portuguese and Argentine immigrants) would cook and serve the meal, and afterward the men would stack their plates near the sink like a Jenga tower before returning to the table, where they would finish their wine and pick their teeth as the women cleaned up.
I decided I would be a different kind of man. When I moved in with my girlfriend, Natalie, I became a man who did dishes.
This was in 2015, after we moved to San Francisco from San Diego and started living together after seven years of dating. At 25, we wanted to be closer to family.
Natalie already had a good job in the tech industry. I was bartending. In our new life, she cooked and I cleaned up. She fed vegetables into the Spiralizer, creating noodles from zucchini and beets, and made dishes like parsnip-kale gratin, which tasted wildly nutty and was surprisingly filling.I loved the original Final Fantasy X, especially in the scenes when Tidus would shut the hell up about his daddy issues. Beyond that though, it’s one of the last great games in that franchise,before the current lull set in. A remake is on the way,that includes the fan service sequel, and it looks like there’ll be more than just a 16:9 anamorphic ratio thrown into this update.
SiliconEra did some translating from a recent issue of Shounen Jump, which revealed that Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD will have a brand new ending cinematic that will be around 30 minutes in length. Considering the quality of Square Enix animations, this pleases me…greatly.
So how much longer until the game is out then? Not that long actually. BT Games has the title listed for an October 18 release, not far off at all, while Kalahari has the game listed for an October 17 launch.
Now hopefully Square Enix can include a mode that makes Tidus just that little bit less insufferable, and the remake will be perfect.
Big thanks to Karl Thomson and ShyGuy for the link.
Last Updated:How to Play Jazz Drums
Jazz is one of the most artistic styles of music around, especially for drummers. Jazz gives the drummer the opportunity to show their true colors and skills. The problem is most drummers do not take the time to learn how to play jazz drums; which is a big problem. Playing jazz drums is not too hard theoretically; however, most drummers are used to 4/4 rock drumming. Jazz is played with a lot of triplets. It has a totally different feel than rock, and the drummer has a different job. So let’s take the time to learn how to play basic jazz on the drums. Alot of jazz includes fast drumming, so make sure you check out this article on boosting your stick speed. Also, jazz is a very unique style of music that requires perfect timing, so make sure you check out this article on developing your timing!
How to Play the Jazz Swing Groove
The first thing you need to learn when playing jazz is the basic jazz swing groove. A jazz drummer’s main job is to keep time for the rest of the group. You never want to overpower the rest of the band. To do this, simply use your hi hat and ride cymbal. Let’s start with your hi hat. With your foot, step on the 2 and 4 count. It is VERY important to keep this groove over top of everything you play in jazz. Although it is only you’re hi hat, it is very important for the swing groove. Next we will add the ride cymbal. This is played with a triplet feel as you will see in the sheet music provided. Take your time to master this groove.
How to Add the Bass Drum
Jazz drums are sometimes very subtle compared to the rest of the band. This being the case, the bass drum shouldn’t be too dominant. Make sure you do not play the bass drum to loudly at all. A good technique for this is heel down bass drum playing. This way you can control the volume of the kick. A technique jazz drummer’s use is feathering the bass drum. This is done by lightly tapping the bass drum on the quarter, or eighth notes. Usually the bass drum will follow the bass guitar player, so try and determine what kind of progression the bass player is playing and try to follow him. Make sure you cannot hear the bass drum too much but rather feel it.
This is the basic jazz swing groove that you will hear most commonly in jazz music. The hi hat and ride cymbal are very important, so make sure you have a solid groove developed with those before moving on. The bass drum should be more of a feeling and not an over powering thump like in rock drumming. As for your left hand, this is totally up to you depending on the song. The snare can be used to help accent the rest of the band, or can be used to play straight quarter notes. It is all personal. Try learning how to play the shuffle pattern, this is another variation of jazz that is very fun to play! Check out this article on Drum Soloing to give you some ideas for adding in some jazz solos nad fills. Also, the Moeller Method has become very popular with this style of music. So take your time and develop this jazz swing groove, and you will be playing along with the pros in no time!
Learn jazz drum lessons with Mike Michalkow's complete Drumming System!Pink Amazon River Dolphin Facts
There are five species of dolphins that make their homes in rivers, being the most popular of them the Pink Dolphins also known as Boto, Boutu or Amazon River dolphins as it inhabits the Amazon River.
The scientific name of the Pink Dolphins from the Amazon is Inia Geoffrensis and they belong to the genus Inea, part of the family Platanistoidea, which is conformed by the five species of river dolphins.
Pink dolphins are not the same dolphins that you would see in the ocean; they have special adaptations to their habitat. In fact, river dolphins are only distantly related to sea dolphins.
They belong taxonomically speaking to different families. The oceanic dolphins belong to the family delphinidae while river dolphins belong to the family Platanistoidea as we said above.
Among the five species of river dolphins, Amazon pink dolphins are considered the most intelligent of them, with a brain capacity 40% larger than that of humans.
Pink dolphins inhabit the Amazon River, but they can also be found in the Orinoco basins and the upper Madeira River as well. While they are mostly pink, these dolphins have various colored skins, which can be light gray, pink, or brown.
The Amazon River pink dolphins conform the largest population of river dolphins in existence as the other four species are functionally extinct or close to extinction.
The river dolphins are among the most endangered species of all the world’s cetaceans. Pink dolphins have been listed by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as a “vulnerable species-threatened” and recently was moved to “endangered species-threatened”
These friendly and social creatures have been living for centuries in the Amazon and its tributaries, but the accelerated destruction of the Amazon basin have put them in a every time more dangerous situation.
The raise in contaminant levels of mercury have caused and increased number of deaths among pink dolphins, especially near gold mines where mercury is used as part of the gold mining process.
The increase of traffic in the Amazon River, also threatens these creatures as they are curious by nature and they sometime approach to vessels where they are easily hurt by the sharp propellers.
Additionally, the noise produced by engines and motors and the sound pollution caused by them, has been considered to produce a disorienting phenomenon in their navigations systems, causing the death of many pink dolphins.
What do Pink Dolphins Eat?
Pink dolphins eat crabs, catfish, small river fish and even small turtles.
As crabs and turtles have to be catch mainly at the bottom of the river, pink dolphins spend a lot of time while swimming looking at the bottom of the river for food.
The boto cervical vertebrae are not fused allowing them to move their head up to 180 degrees, which is a great help for hunting in shallow waters and floodplains.
Hunting fish require some techniques like herding, where they round a fish pod to concentrate fish and take turns for feeding. This procedure is largely used by their oceanic cousins.
Physical Description of Pink Dolphins
In the Amazon Region…There is a legend about the Boto or Pink Dolphin. According to the legend, the Boto turns from man to dolphin and backwards, changing shape at will.
The legend also states that when dolphins find young women on the shore, they changes shape and impregnate them.
This comes from the similarites between certain body parts of the Boto and humans.
There are several other superstitions about the Pink Dolphins in the Amazon River and around.
Pink dolphins can be found in pink, light gray or brown colors but there is not conclusive evidence of the reason why pink dolphins are pink.
It could be an adaptation to the river life or caused by the presence of capillaries near the surface of the skin what provide them such impressive color. Additionally, pink dolphins get pinker when they are excited or surprised, resembling blushing in humans.
The Amazon River dolphin is between six and eight feet long, and weighs between 185 and 355 pounds when it is fully grown.
River dolphins are typically smaller than sea dolphins but they have longer snouts, an adaptation provided by evolution, which is needed to hunt at the bottom of the river. River dolphins also tend to have more pointy teeth than sea dolphins.
Most species of river dolphins are almost blind, due to navigating muddy waters, but their brains are extremely large and well developed, however pink dolphins are considered to have a relatively good sight.
Unlike sea dolphins, river dolphins have what resembles fingers on the ends of their flippers, and their dorsal fins are much smaller than that of sea dolphins or even have humpbacks instead of dorsal fins like the pink river dolphin.
Behavior of Pink Dolphins
Pink dolphins appear to be the friendliest of all the river dolphins when approaching to humans and some stories of people being pushed to the shores by them are common among some tribes in the Amazon.
They swim up to 30 kilometers in one day, although they usually swim slowly looking for food at the bottom of the river.
“Amazon River Pink Dolphins are typically smaller than sea dolphins but they have longer snouts, an adaptation provided by evolution…”
How do Pink Dolphins Reproduce?
Males and Females mate to start a gestation period which is believed to last from nine to twelve months. Copulation is performed between males and females belly to belly.
Calves are born about 75 cm long and weighing a bit more than 1 Kg.
Pink dolphins deliver their babies when the Amazon River is at its high between the months of May and July.
Pink Dolphin Conservation
The World Conservation Union, also known as International Union for the conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) is an international organization based in Gland, Switzerland, devoted to the conservation of natural resources.
It was founded in 1948 and groups 83 states, 108 governmental agencies and more than 10,000 scientists and experts from countries around the world.
The IUCN publishes a red list of threatened species which is a reference in the field and the base for conservation of species.
Frequently Asked Questions about Pink Dolphins
How Do Pink River Dolphins Reproduce
Why Are Pink River Dolphins Endangered
Why Are Pink Dolphins Pink
Where Do Pink Dolphins LiveEditor's note: TED is a nonprofit organization dedicated to "ideas worth spreading," which it makes available on its website. Ric Elias is the chief executive and co-founder of Red Ventures, a company based in Fort Mill, South Carolina, that specializes in using technology to help brands acquire customers.
(CNN) -- When you start your own company and become your own boss, you think, "Life is good." When you actually start making money and growing your business, you think, "Life is great." But when you're sitting in seat 1D of an airborne plane that's completely silent because the engines have been shut down, and you hear the pilot say, "Brace for impact," none of it really matters.
As I sat in the first row of Flight 1549, just moments before it crashed in the Hudson River that day in January 2009, the things that had once seemed so important no longer mattered. I didn't have to talk to the flight attendant anymore. I could see a very distinct look in her eyes. It was the look of terror. And I was going to die.
It was a true miracle that I didn't die that day. It was also an experience that changed me forever. It gave me a tremendous appreciation for life and an immense amount of gratitude for the pilot, Chesley Sullenberger, and the people who were sitting next to me. I took many lessons from that flight, three in particular that will shape the rest of my life.
I learned that everything changes in an instant. We all have this bucket list of the things we want to do in life. And I sat there thinking about all the people I wanted to reach out to that I didn't, all the fences I wanted to mend, all the experiences I wanted to have and never did. So I came up with a new saying for myself: I collect bad wines. Because if the wine is ready and the person is there, I'm opening it. I no longer want to postpone anything in life. And that urgency, that purpose, has changed me -- as a husband, as a father, and as a business owner.
TED.com: 9/11 healing and the mothers who found forgiveness
The second thing I learned that day -- and this was as we cleared the George Washington Bridge, which was by not a lot: I thought, "Wow, I really feel one real regret." I've lived a good life. I've learned from my mistakes and I've tried to get better at everything I do. But in my humanity, I've also allowed my ego to get in. And I regretted the time I wasted on things that didn't matter.
I thought about my relationship with my wife, with my friends, with people. And as I reflected on that, I decided to eliminate negative energy from my life. Things aren't perfect, but they're a lot better. I haven't had a fight with my wife in two years. It feels great. I no longer try to be right -- I choose to be happy.
The third thing came to me as my mental clock started counting down, "15, 14, 13." I could see the water coming and started hoping, "Please blow up. Please blow up. I don't want this thing to break in 20 pieces like you seen in those documentaries."
And as we were coming down, I had a sense of -- wow, dying is not scary. It's almost like we've been preparing for it our whole lives. But it was very sad. I didn't want to go. I love my life. And that sadness really came together in one thought, which was, I only wish for one thing. I only wish I could see my kids grow up.
TED.com: The hidden beauty of pollination
About a month later, I was at a performance for my 7-year-old daughter. And I started bawling. I was crying, like a little kid. And it made all the sense in the world to me. I realized at that point, by connecting those two dots, that the only thing that matters in my life is being a great dad. Above all, above everything else, the only goal I have in life is to be a good dad.
I was given the gift of a miracle, of not dying that day. I was also given another gift, which was to be able to see into the future and come back and live differently. It was the perfect near-death experience. I challenge you to imagine your life if the same thing happened on your next flight. How would you change? What would you get done that you're waiting to get done because you think you'll be here forever? How would you change your relationships and the negative energy in them? And more than anything, are you being the absolute best parent you can be?
The TED conference was the first time I've ever shared my story publicly. I felt compelled to share it with the tech community as a way to say thanks. I never expected it to resonate with so many people. I've received hundreds of e-mails from people across the globe, letting me know this story has made an impact on their lives. It has allowed me to connect with old friends. In many ways, this story has given me more gifts than I ever thought possible.
The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Ric Elias.A general view shows the headquarters of the Federal Security Service (FSB) (L) in central Moscow, Russia, November 10, 2015. REUTERS/Sergei Karpukhin
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia’s intelligence service said on Saturday that the computer networks of 20 organizations, including state agencies and defense companies, have been infected with spyware in what it described as a targeted and coordinated attack.
The Federal Security Service, the FSB, said the malware and the way the networks were infected were similar to those used in previous cases of cyber espionage found in Russia and other countries. The agency did not say who it suspected of being behind the attacks.
“Information technology resources of government agencies, scientific and military institutions, defense industry companies and other entities involved in crucial infrastructure have been infected,” the FSB said in a statement on its website.
The FSB’s announcement follows reports of cyber attacks on the U.S. Democratic National Committee (DNC) and the fundraising committee for Democratic candidates for the U.S. House of Representatives.
Cyber security experts and U.S. officials have said there was evidence that Russia engineered the DNC hack to release sensitive party emails in order to influence the U.S. presidential election. The Kremlin has denied any involvement in the incident.× Judge rules four survivors of Colorado theater shooting must pay Cinemark $700K
AURORA, CO – A Colorado judge ruled that four survivors of the Aurora theater shooting must pay a movie theater chain nearly $700,000, the Los Angeles Times reports.
On July 20, 2012, James Holmes walked into Aurora Century 16 theater and opened fire. He killed 12 people and injured at least 70 others during the shooting.
Holmes was found guilty of the crime on August 7, 2015, and he was sentenced to life in prison.
However, his sentencing didn’t close the book on the shooting for the survivors.
More than two dozen survivors and victims’ family members filed a civil lawsuit against the theater’s owner, Cinemark.
The lawsuit claimed the theater did not have enough security measures in place to prevent the shooting.
In May 2016, the jury ruled Cinemark was not liable for the shooting, and many of the survivors ended up taking a small settlement instead.
But four of the survivors refused to take the settlement.
So a judge has ordered those four survivors to pay the third largest movie theater chain in the nation $700,000 for legal bills.
And according to the Los Angeles Times, that dollar amount is just for the state case. The costs in the federal case are expected to be far more than that.Juke is only three weeks old but he's joined a generation of children whose education costs could reach $1 million by the time they finish university.
While Juke's mother, Fran Poisson, is understandably focussed on the challenges of nappy changes, feeding and getting much-needed sleep, she was shocked by findings that parents who choose a "gold standard" in education for their children are looking at paying such an incredible bill.
Fran Poisson with her newborn baby Juke. Credit:Eddie Jim
“It’s too early to even think of whether going to a top private school is going to increase the chance of success for your child to achieve what they want in life," says the Yarraville first-time mother. "But you may be in a position where you have to start saving now to be able to meet some of those costs."
Analysis by Fairfax Media, which draws on data from hundreds of schools on the MySchool website, as well as estimates of tertiary costs in the federal budget, shows that with inflationary increases it could cost nearly $900,000 to provide childcare and education for a child born this year - if parents choose a top-priced preschool, the most elite private schools and a top university degree.Gaga: Five Foot Two demonstrates how the pop auteur has always been far more ‘authentic’ than the clichéd parameters set by the music industry
Text Jake Hall
Over the years, countless interviewers have made it their earnest mission to discover the ‘real’ Lady Gaga. Arguably, only one has actually done it well. In 2011, Anderson Cooper conducted a series of interviews with the star for a short documentary entitled The Art of Fame, which spawned some genuinely revealing quotes. “I have studied the art of fame,” she says with a smile, referencing the themes of her blockbuster debut album. “I know how to maintain a certain amount of privacy without feeling like I’m withholding something from my fans. My philosophy is that, if I am open with them about everything, and yet I art-direct every moment of my life, then I maintain privacy in a way.” It’s important to keep these words in mind when exploring the themes of Gaga: Five Foot Two, the recently-released Netflix documentary which loosely answers the same questions, albeit in a less direct way. In keeping with her earlier statement, Gaga herself has a production credit on the 90-minute film, which follows the creation of latest album Joanne and builds up to her headline-grabbing SuperBowl performance from earlier this year. Unlike most glitzy, performance-driven pop star documentaries, Gaga: Five Foot Two seems to pull no punches. Within minutes, we see the star in tracksuit bottoms and an extremely uncomfortable-looking thong leotard. She is cooking in her kitchen while she calmly, bluntly explains that her threshold for bullshit with men is now non-existent – a reference to the then-crumbling, now-finished relationship with ex-fiancé Taylor Kinney. This scene sets up the feeling of direct honesty which permeates the entire documentary; as well as snippets of conversations with family and fellow artists, we see Gaga crying in agony from the chronic pain which recently halted her European tour, and cradling her late best friend Sonja Durham, to whom she dedicated Joanne bonus track “Grigio Girls”. Lashings of glamour and, occasionally, controversy, are also nestled in alongside these more personal moments. The star even gives a statement about her feud with Madonna, which fans and critics alike have been waiting for since Madge dubbed Gaga ‘reductive’ in an extremely meme-worthy 2012 interview.
“The thing with me and Madonna is that I admired her always, and I still admire her, no matter what she might think of me,” says Gaga, before expressing frustration that the star never had the nerve to insult her to her face. She then makes a (pretty weird, tbh) analogy about a guy who tells her she’s hot through a note rather than having the guts to spontaneously grab her for a make-out session, ending with the deliciously headline-worthy quote: “I just want Madonna to fucking push me up against a wall, kiss me and tell me I’m a piece of shit.” The sense of rawness and vulnerability that characterises Gaga: Five Foot Two is unsurprising, in the sense that it follows on perfectly from her latest album. Joanne has been billed as Gaga’s most personal release yet, an exploration of grief, pain and heartbreak focussed through the deeply personal lens of her late aunt, whose death – from complications caused by lupus, which Gaga also suffers with – devastated her family. This family focus is reiterated throughout the documentary, in the form of glimpses at childhood portraits and anecdotal family stories. One particularly poignant scene shows the star flicking through old photo albums at her grandma’s house before sitting down to play her the album’s simple yet undeniably effective title track. “Girl / Where do you think you’re going?” intones Gaga’s voice through the speakers, as the star herself sits amongst her family, tearing up quietly. “You like it?” She asks her grandma. “I wrote it for you.” “Although now more visible than ever, this ‘human’ side of Gaga has always been there for those willing to look” Although now more visible than ever, this ‘human’ side of Gaga has always been there for those willing to look. 2009 ballad “Speechless” is a stomping, whisky-fuelled ode to her father, who had recently undergone heart surgery at the time. “The Edge of Glory” was written about the final moments of her grandfather’s life. Even ARTPOP featured the one-two punch of “Mary Jane Holland” and “Dope”, which respectively chronicled her use of weed and liquor to battle through chronic pain and the crushing lows which came after she stepped off stage and away from the highs. Gaga’s detractors often either missed or ignored these details, letting themselves be won over only when she played the game. When critics thought the synth-driven production and filtered vocals on her debut were only there to mask a lack of actual musical talent, she took to winning them over by performing with nothing more than a piano. This attitude also buoyed the unashamedly self-indulgent Cheek to Cheek, an album of jazz standards recorded alongside the legendary Tony Bennett. By this point, she didn’t need to prove she could sing – she did it purely because she wanted to. The fact that her image has always been so heavily dissected is also telling of the way women are treated in the music industry. Gaga has said that she’s an academic when it comes to clothes, earning her high-fashion credentials with a series of archive looks pulled from the racks of Mugler, McQueen, Alaïa, and Versace. It’s clear that she’s a die-hard fashion fan and understands the power of clothing to communicate a message, yet when she expressed her creativity through conceptual clothing and gag-worthy looks (“Yasss Gaga, you look so good!”), she was written off as style over substance. This is indicative of the double standards which still plague women in music – they should be sexy enough to win over fans, but serious enough to be deemed credibly by critics.Isaac Becker is officially over social media.
The chef/co-owner of Bar La Grassa and 112 Eatery said that he’s “been sick of it for a while,” but the dealbreaker was a run-in with the Twitterati two Saturdays ago.
It started when Bar La Grassa manager Michael Lecy fielded a late-afternoon call from the concierge service at American Express. Could a party of five take a 7:30 table that evening? Sorry, we wish we could accommodate you, but we can’t, was the response. “I couldn’t even get a table for five if I was calling on a Saturday for that night,” Becker said with a laugh.
AmEx followed with a second call (“They said, ‘The customer is willing to release his name,’ ” said Becker, left) and a third, but there were no tables at 7:30. Honest. “The only way we could accomodate them is if we screwed someone else over, and we don’t do that,” said Becker. Other available times were offered but not accepted.
The customer? Bob Harper, aka Bob the Trainer on NBC’s “The Biggest Loser,” in town for a Mall of America appearance. Enter Twitter. “OMG!! The manager at Bar Lagrasa in Minneapolis was SO RUDE to me. I wanted to have dinner there. Why are people so mean sometimes?”flashed across Harper’s Twitter account. Next up: “And Minneapolis is one of my favorite places...why did the manager at Bar Lagrasa have to be like that?? I still love it here!!:”
There’s just one hitch. “This guy never talked to Mike, and he’s portraying himself as a victim, and getting people wound up about how rude we were to him, and he never spoke to anyone at the restaurant,” said Becker. “He has 125,000 Twitter followers, and we don’t have any kind of recourse.”
Nancy St. Pierre, Becker’s spouse and hyper-hospitality focused business partner, did some investigating. She called American Express, and guess what? All the conversations were recorded. They reviewed them.
“They were very cooperative, and they agreed that it was all very civil, that there was nothing inappropriate on any of them,” said Becker. “How he got this rude thing is so far-fetched.”
Still, Harper’s tweets bounced around Twitter and Facebook, and the phone at Bar La Grassa started to ring. And ring. Lecy estimates talking down about 15 angry Bob the Trainer followers.
“I sat in the back office and fielded calls, not exactly the most entertaining thing to be doing on a busy Saturday night,” he said.
Talk about an image-buster. “He’s got this lady [Jillian Michaels] who is his sidekick, her comment was, ‘They are going to be so sorry,’” said Becker. [Actually, Harper tweeted, “I need @jillianmichaels to unleash on the manager at Bar Lagrasa in Minneapolis. He should be very afraid!!” and Michaels’ response was, “I’ll go beat him up. What’s his name?”].
Ouch, right?
“Jeez,” said Becker. “You see them on TV, and they look so happy and nice. He says his role in life is to inspire people and make them feel better.”
If Harper had made the call himself, he might have learned that the 20 seats at La Grassa’s pasta bar — my favorite place to soak up the restaurant’s considerable energy — are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Not ideal for a party of five, but a workable solution for anyone hungry for Becker’s unbelievable gnocchi with orange-flecked roasted cauliflower.
“We sure got the Bob the Trainer experience,” said Becker. “And we haven’t lost any weight.”ATLANTA -- John Smoltz's career got off to a rocky start.
By the time he was done, it was good enough to ensure no one ever wears his number again for the Atlanta Braves.
The team announced Monday that No. 29 will be retired and Smoltz will be inducted into the Braves Hall of Fame at Turner Field. The honors will take place during ceremonies on June 8, before the Braves begin a weekend series against the Toronto Blue Jays.
"I always wanted to be clutch," said Smoltz, who won numerous big games over his 20-plus years with the Braves.
He is the only pitcher with at least 200 wins and 150 saves. Smoltz spent nearly his entire career with the Braves before a bitter breakup led to him dividing his final season between Boston and St. Louis in 2009. But he's made amends with the Atlanta organization, says the city will be his lifelong home and is seen frequently around the ballpark in his new role as a broadcaster for TBS and the MLB Network.
The right-hander will be the ninth Braves player to have his number retired by the team, joining two other pitchers who helped Atlanta win a record 14 straight division titles in the 1990s and 2000s -- Greg Maddux (31) and Tom Glavine (47).
"We had such an incredible run and relationship," Smoltz said. "Those guys I played with are sure-fire Hall of Famers. They knew how to win baseball games. I learned a whole heck of a lot from them and just had a great time playing with them. I can't think of what life would've been like without those two."
At the beginning, Smoltz had to overcome some significant setbacks.
The Michigan native was drafted by his favorite team, the Detroit Tigers, only to be traded to the Braves in 1987 while he was still a minor leaguer. The deal, which sent veteran Doyle Alexander to Detroit, helped the Tigers seal an AL East title.
But it eventually paid much bigger dividends for the Braves.
"So many things happened for me that turned out for the best, but I didn't know it at the time," Smoltz said. "That trade was devastating in my life. At the time, there was nothing worse that could've happened to me. Obviously, it was just a blip in my life. But when you're 20 and you're getting traded for the first time, you can't imagine what goes through your mind when you feel like you're not wanted by someone."
Then, in 1991, he had a bitter contract dispute with the Braves, actually walking out of spring training for a couple of days, and got off to a 2-11 start that threatened his spot in the rotation. But Smoltz bounced back, going 12-2 the rest of the way, including a complete game that clinched the NL West championship and capped an improbable worst-to-first season for the Braves.
Smoltz said walking out on the team and pitching the first half of the season with a chip on his shoulder were perhaps the only things he would change if he do it all over again. He credited manager Bobby Cox for sticking with him through the tough times.
"Those actions were not reflective of the person I was. That was the hardest thing I ever had to do. I hated it. And, ultimately, it didn't get me anywhere," Smoltz said. "I obviously suffered the wrath for my mistakes in the first half of that season. I had an 'I'll show you' mentality.' I learned that's not the way to go about it."
The '91 season marked the beginning of Atlanta's unprecedented run of division titles, which was highlighted by a lone World Series title in 1995. While the Braves became known for their playoff flops, Smoltz went 15-4 with a 2.67 ERA and four saves in 41 postseason games.
His best season was 1996, when he went 24-8 with a 2.94 ERA and won the NL Cy Young Award. But he is remembered more for his conversion from starter to closer in 2001, a move that was designed to relieve the stress on his elbow coming off major surgery. He wound up becoming one of the top relievers in the game, with a franchise-record 55 saves in his first full season handling the role.
Then, he moved back to the starting rotation, going 44-24 over three seasons before persistent injuries finally ended his career.
"I was not the strongest and I was not the fastest," Smoltz said. "But I was the most determined and the most dedicated. I always thought of myself as the most competitive guy on the field."
Smoltz finished a career record of 213-155, 154 saves and a 3.33 ERA, numbers that might be good enough to land him an even bigger honor -- induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame at Cooperstown.
"John has contributed so much to Atlanta Braves history," said team president John Schuerholz, who was general manager during most of Smoltz's career. "Inducting him into our Hall of Fame and making sure no one else will ever wear his No. 29, are the most meaningful and significant ways we can honor John."(CBS/AP) CARACAS, Venezuela -- The American captain of a U.S. cargo ship was detained at a port in Venezuela early Thursday after three assault rifles were found on board, the U.S. Embassy said.
An embassy official said the captain of the Ocean Atlas was being held for an alleged infraction "involving documentation for three rifles carried on board as part of the ship's anti-piracy security package."
Fourteen other American crew members were still on board the ship, said the official, who agreed to discuss the arrest on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to release the details. The official didn't give the captain's name or hometown.
State Department spokesperson Joanne Moore told CBS News, "We're in contact with the government of Venezuela on this matter. We are working to provide all appropriate consular assistance at the earliest opportunity."
The 396-foot vessel docked in the western port of Maracaibo on Aug. 29. It is operated by Intermarine LLC. The Houston- and New Orleans-based company did not respond to a call seeking comment. Venezuelan Interior Ministry officials couldn't be reached for comment.
President Hugo Chavez announced last month that Venezuelan authorities detained another U.S. citizen and were interrogating him because they suspected him of being a "mercenary."
Chavez, a fierce critic of U.S. policies, said the man could be involved in a purported plot to destabilize the country if the opposition loses the Oct. 7 presidential vote. But the president did not provide any details regarding the man's suspected involvement in the alleged conspiracy.
The socialist leader said the man was arrested Aug. 4, when he was crossing into Venezuela from Colombia on a bus in the middle of the night. Chavez said officials became suspicious when they found a U.S. passport with entrance and exit stamps from countries including Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya.
The detention of the two Americans could stoke long-standing tensions between Venezuela and the United States ahead of the Oct. 7 presidential vote in which Chavez stands for re-election. The contest against Opposition presidential candidate Henrique Capriles is seen by many as the most difficult challenge Chavez has faced in his almost 14 years in power.Arsenal are interested in signing Newcastle United right back Mathieu Debuchy, although they will not match their £12m valuation of the France international.
Debuchy would like to leave Newcastle after the club sold his close friend Yohan Cabaye to Paris Saint Germain back in January and he has given a series of interviews while away on international duty at the World Cup hinting at this fact.
The latest of these indicated he misses playing in the Champions League, something Arsenal are able to offer him. In turn, Arsène Wenger is also looking for a senior right back to replace Bacary Sagna, who has moved |
pressing ahead with ambitious plans to bring driverless passenger cars to the streets. Next year it will trial 100 autonomous cars in Gothenburg and a similar number in London, promising to “revolutionise Britain’s roads” to make them faster, cleaner and safer.
However, the cars will only use specified stretches of major roads in a data-collecting exercise aimed at mapping possible scenarios – a far cry from mining, where unpleasant surprises can be minimised and the environment is far more structured.
“It is hard to speculate how long we will have to wait to see driverless cars on the roads – a decade, perhaps?” says Ola Benderius, an assistant professor working with adaptive systems at the Department of Applied Mechanics at Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg, who is developing automated driving systems that mimic human behaviour.
“The technical systems developed by the automotive industry differ very much from how people drive. Human drivers are still the best.”
Back in the underground hangar, Tofeldt has no illusions about the obstacles ahead. Volvo’s driverless trucks will be piloted in a real mine in northern Sweden in the autumn, which will bring a host of complications.
“These tunnels are like a living room compared to a mine,” he says.Those who headed to Allianz Stadium endlessly cheered, endlessly hoped that Saturday arvo footy would lead to a Wallabies revival. But in the end they were short-changed by the masters of disaster.
When leaving the ground, some in embarrassment hid their Wallabies scarfs underneath their jumpers after being forced to witness the demise of a side that no longer knows how to win, no longer knows how to take its chances, and no longer can claim to boast a credible game plan.
Then again, do the Wallabies actually have a game plan? Probably not, which is understandable when their skill level is so inadequate.
And the common query among those heading to the exits: "What are the All Blacks going to do to the Wallabies?"
The answer does not bear contemplating.
The previous evening we witnessed rugby excellence when the ever intuitive All Blacks toyed with Samoa, blissfully scoring whenever they wanted. Then this. A team allegedly trying to mimic the All Blacks in being reactive and proactive ended up looking like feeble imposters, wasting at least five reasonable chances in the final minutes to win this Test by either losing it at the breakdown, knocking the ball on, or by losing their minds.
WILLIAM WEST/AFP/Getty Images
Then again, so many clues on what was about to occur was on show before kick-off. As they ran through their moves in the warm-up, the Scots were sheer silk. Their handling and passing was first rate. At the Paddington end of the field, the Wallabies had the stutters. So much appeared forced. They did not look like a cohesive team. That trend continued during the game.
For the spectator, the Scottish mystique was enhanced if they had been stupid enough to buy a Test match program. If you were wondering which Scottish player was which, and who were the big names in their team, this program confused you even further.
Nowadays the dithering Australian Rugby Union are quite happy to sell you an official Test match program that doesn't even provide a match day team list. It couldn't even get the name of that day's Australian captain right. Instead in the middle pages were a long list of names- 34 Wallabies and 35 Scots.
Apparently, it was then up to the spectator to become a sleuth and somehow put a number next to a name.
Downright amateur, and a complete rip off.
Sadly, another fizzer was the chance for the spectators to run around on the field after the game. A grand idea, which would have worked perfectly if the Wallabies had made proper use of any of their opportunities in the final minutes to enjoy a heart-thumping victory.
They can't blame the crowd for their loss, because they did all they could to will them over the line. All were on their feet from the 75th minute on, but yet again the Wallabies let them down. Some may never come back. There is only such much exasperation a person can take.
Eventually the crowd were allowed to run onto the ground, and quite a few showed quicker pace off the mark and smarter running lines than a disjointed and sometimes clueless Wallabies attack. But it all felt a bit hollow, as none of the youngsters could go home to boast: "Hey mum, I just ran on the field where the Wallabies enjoyed this sensational last minute win."
Steve Christo - Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images
Instead....
You don't really want to recall occasions when you witnessed Wallaby flops.
Those deserving of admiration were the Scots, who were without three or four core performers, but played a highly skilful, highly motivated, well organised game. That Scottish in your face attitude has for so long irritated the Wallabies, who hate direct confrontation. But there was far more to their triumph than just mongrel. They possessed class.
Scotland's No 10 Finn Russell (yes, I was able to place the right number next to the right name in the match program) was exceptional, and it's no surprise the British & Irish Lions were beckoning for him straight after the game to get to New Zealand as soon as he can for the Test series. Russell controlled his team with aplomb. His passing and use of options was faultless, while scrum-half Ali Price filled the void left by their usual captain Greig Laidlaw being with the Lions. Still no one came near Russell in the man-of-the-match calculations.
Maybe some clues could be provided at the press conferences, which were held in a gymnasium room, next door to a squash court.
Over the years, this room has been the venue of some decidedly odd media conferences especially during a period when the Waratahs couldn't win a game, prompting an out-there journalist in search of a headline once handing a big wooden spoon to a coach in the hope of a provocative moment. Instead there was silence. There were no props on Saturday night, but Wallabies coach Michael Cheika looked ill at ease. He tried to remain upbeat, but his line that his team were 'half a yard behind' in most aspects of the game was damning.We sent Agent Smee to study the case of the L.A. Noire port to PC. This is the detailed report he sent back. Having studied its contents, we have no reason to suspect foul play.
The notebook I carry around everywhere is an unreadable mess. Written in handwriting so poor I can barely sometimes decipher my own words, it’s a collection of incomprehensible interview notes, indecipherable idle thoughts, scrawled doodles, contact details inevitably copied down incorrectly and shopping lists written over one another in different coloured ink before being scribbled out. It’s a nightmare, is what I’m saying, so playing LA Noire in the presence of the hard-nosed Detective Cole Phelps turns out to be some kind of lurid personal fantasy. His notebook, you see, is beautiful. Meticulous, organised, copperplate writing, lifelike portraits and intricate still life pencil compositions, the perfect tool of organised life. It’s not exactly often I find myself jealous of fictional videogame characters, but boy howdy do I want to be able to organise a notebook as well as Phelps.
Sitting down with Rockstar’s rep in their cavernous demo room I played one of the new DLC missions released recently for the consoles: Nicholson Electroplating. All of the DLC content
will be standard issue for the PC release by the way, missions and new outfits included. The man from Rockstar was keen to stress the build wasn’t final, though it was clear gold status wasn’t far off. Apart from a couple of brief loading screens he was at pains to say wouldn’t be in the final release, it ran as smooth as butter on the beefy PC provided and looked great with increased resolutions and higher quality textures than its console origins.
Like Rockstar’s previous effort with GTA IV’s PC conversion, the options screen included all the proper bells and whistles that should be in a proper PC game. Keyboard and mouse played just fine, though a gamepad could easily be switched in without a fuss. On top of the standard configuration, LA Noire supports 3D gaming for those of you who own multiple wallets to carry all your money. Playing in 3D was startlingly fancy and added a strong sense of depth, especially while manipulating evidence during the crime scene investigations. Unfortunately the 3D suffers from the usual effect of darkening the screen, which was a real problem in later shadowy locations. It was also quick about alt-tabbing, so that’s nice too.
The DLC case begins with a bang – an almighty explosion across town blows smoke high in the sky. No objective marker on your mini map, your only recourse is to drive towards the plume, keeping an eye on the smoke-filled horizon as you weave through panicking city traffic. It was enough to make it immediately feel like a different experience than the GTA standard Drive Here, Watch Cutscene, Shoot Men. Then I ended my drive at the scene of the explosion, watched a cutscene and then shot men.
Not off to a particularly revelatory start then, but after the brief battle with opportunistic looters the mood changed to something else entirely. Holstering his piece, Phelps steps up to the ruined remains of a chemical factory and walks into a completely different game. It’s a point and click adventure, frankly. It doesn’t play like a point and click, it doesn’t broadly resemble it: it is, plain and simple, a point and click adventure game, complete with searching the environment for inventory items, combining them and using them to figure out puzzles. Just, you know, in the midst of dozens of dead bodies and the ruins of an explosion with an as yet unknown cause.
I began to quietly wander around the ruined scene, looking for clues in amongst the rubble and the bodies as the mood-perfect 40s soundtrack drifted through the room. There’s more silent gravity felt in this one scene than most action games can muster in their lifetime. Indeed, Rockstar are adamant that LA Noire isn’t an action game at all, calling it a Detective Thriller and describing it as 70% investigation, 30% action, with many cases being entirely conversation/investigation based. Call me old fashioned, but that’s a pretty exciting prospect, especially when I saw how the rest of the case played out.
Investigating a scene, something I did in three different locations during the case, is handled by walking Phelps around and clicking when he’s standing over something of note, allowing him to pick it up for detailed inspection in a zoomed-in first person view. There’s an immediate tactile delight in using the mouse to guide Phelps’ hands to turn over crime scene evidence, looking for any telltale clues. Mouse control during these parts was overly sensitive however, resulting in cack-handed interaction, though Rockstar mentioned that was on the bug list. It was easy to see how naturalistic the movements would be once that’s been sorted.
The mechanics handling these investigation sections manage to tick a number of boxes at once, from the naturalistic positioning of evidence (finding a shirt in a locker and a business’s dry cleaning tag attached to it, for instance) to the dynamic music as more interesting clues were found. A brief piano key tickles your ears when you’re in a searchable area, and Phelps’ head turns to look around him at interesting objects as he walks, Grim Fandango style. There was a huge amount of material scattered around, some obviously important to the case but most incidental.
Still, all of it came together to form part of a narrative that fed into the imagination in the way the set dressing of the recent Fallouts did – who these people were, hints about what their lives were like. It was a relief to uncover a suitcase filled with top secret spy gear. Quickly the mood shifts again – industrial espionage! A rummage in the case points towards a spy on the loose with possible Japanese origins. Deciphering a mystery address using equipment in the spy’s toolkit is a breezy little puzzle, and Phelps automatically notes the location to his notebook, allowing you to drive over there to further the investigation.
Before that little trip however comes the first interrogation of the case. The owner of the factory has just turned up at the explosion site, and Phelps corners him for questioning. The way it works, if you haven’t played LA Noire on the consoles before, is thus: Choosing from a set of questions written in Phelps’ notebook based on evidence you’ve uncovered, you can pump the target for information. After his response, decide then if he’s telling the truth or, more intriguingly, a devious little liar liar pants-on-fire with something to hide. If you think or know the chap might be lying, you’ll need proof in the form of the evidence you’ve gathered so far in the case, which typically nails the sucker. If you don’t have any proof but still suspect them you can opt for Doubt, which ostensibly makes Phelps press the target to give something up. It’s been a common observation since the PS3 release that Doubt turns Phelps into an insane screaming psychopath, though in this mission at least all the Doubt options I went for were reasonable accusations, even if Phelps’ delivery did send my non-confrontational British heart of mine into a panicked quiver at all the angry noises.
It’s a neat, simple system and the brief uses of it during the mission were satisfying to use, especially when I could make a couple of deductive leaps along the way, the suspicious wag that I am. Phelps does however come across as a tad schizophrenic, since there’s no way of knowing what line of questioning Truth/Lie/Doubt will elicit from the lad, and a couple of times he went down a route in response to the subject’s answer I hadn’t even considered when thinking about the evidence I had gathered. It could be seen as taking control away from the player, though personally I was grateful for a small steadying hand during the preview – how my feelings might change over the course of a whole game of this sort of behaviour is something to be left for the full release.
Following that were more thoughtful interrogations and crime scene investigating all over town as Phelps and I gradually uncovered a deceitful money-making plot. Just when I thought I was about ready to nail some suspects in the course of the investigation, the case surprised me by picking up rather a lot of speed, ending with an escape from a burning building, a speedy car chase and a remarkably thunderous finale featuring a two-man assault on a military compound to take out a machine gun nest and a private army, of all things. It was mildly over the top but thrilling all the same – just like an episode of a police drama that begins and ends with a little slice of action, the middle filled with dialogue and investigation. Just put through the action-exaggeration machine.
Of course it’s with the much talked about facial animation technology where LA Noire’s visuals really shine, and shine it does: it’s nothing less than astounding, every time it’s on screen. Unfortunately it has a peculiar side effect of making everything else look worse, even though the environments and city are clearly expensively constructed and meticulously detailed. The problem is the faces look so good and so lifelike compared to the rest of the world, it’s almost as if the game is shot through one of those seaside photo booths that let you stick your face through a hole in a painted cartoon scene. That unfortunate effect however is diminished and frequently defeated during the conversations and interrogations, it’s just that seeing Phelp’s little human face poking out above his little video game body as he’s walking around can be a little creepy every now and then when you catch it at a particular angle.
The actual acting shown in the mission was strong, though sometimes verged a little on the hammy side, especially when an actor’s interpretation of “tell a lie” is to look less convincing than a guilty child standing next to a broken vase. Rockstar sees this as a benefit however: “Now the acting can be a little hammy, but we wanted it to be that way sometimes, to empower the player. To show that this guy really is a slimy sleaze scumbag who needs to be taken down – that’s really satisfying.” True enough, though I’m looking forward to cracking harder nuts all the same. On the other hand, the two lead actors were solid performances.
Detective Cole Phelps played by Ken Cosgrove, Accounts From Mad Men is professional and guarded during the case, and at all times was partnered with the adorably surly Herschel Biggs, played by Oh You Know, That Police Officer The Joker Taunts In Batman Dark Knight And Also Kidnaps Angel’s Baby In Season 3 And Turns Him Into Pete Campbell From Mad Men And Wasn’t It Odd When He Had Sex With Cordelia?. The cast is filled with similar “Oh, him!” moments, making the experience a rather jolly novelty. It’s a feeling uncommon to gaming, as previously only distinctive celebrity voices sometimes stand out, and all builds on the mood of a police drama, with the guest actor of the week making a stand out appearance.
So it looks like it’s LA Noire on PC. Is that surprising to hear? As far as I can tell from a couple of hours playing, it has all the strengths and weaknesses it had when it came out on console, wrapped up in a really nice looking package. There’s no doubt the PC version is looking fab with its sharp textures and anti aliasing. It’s pretty much everything you want in a good PC conversion, though it doesn’t actually feel like a conversion – with its point and clicking, note keeping and mostly sombre pace, it feels like it’s the best extension yet of classic, very PC adventure games.
It’s coming home on November 8th in the US and November 11th in Europe.Looking for news you can trust?
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On Thursday, President Donald Trump portrayed his decision to pull the United States out of the historic Paris climate deal as a key part of his campaign pledge to put America first. “I was elected to represent the citizens of Pittsburgh, not Paris,” the president said.
“I was elected to represent the citizens of Pittsburgh, not Paris,” Trump says of pulling out of a deal that’ll affect every person on Earth pic.twitter.com/4jPTuCqbSG — David Mack (@davidmackau) June 1, 2017
There’s just one problem: The citizens of Pittsburgh are strongly supportive of climate action. According to a recent study from the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication, 68 percent of adults in the Pittsburgh metro area support strict limits on carbon emissions from coal-fired power plants—a key element of the US commitment under the Paris deal. For Allegheny County, which includes Pittsburgh, that number is 74 percent. For Pennsylvania’s 14th Congressional District, which also includes Pittsburgh, it’s 78 percent.
Roughly two-thirds of Pennsylvanians—and Americans as a whole—believe the United States should remain in the Paris agreement, according to the Yale research.
There doesn’t appear to be any data on the popularity of the Paris agreement within Pittsburgh itself, but it’s worth noting that the city’s mayor, Bill Peduto, actually traveled to Paris during the 2015 negotiations to help press for an agreement. “Pittsburgh and other cities are on the front lines of the climate change crisis, and it is our responsibility to address the deep challenges it is creating for us, our children and our grandchildren,” he said in a statement at the time, according to the Pittsburg Post-Gazette.
Peduto took to Twitter Thursday to express his displeasure with Trump’s comments:
Fact: Hillary Clinton received 80% of the vote in Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh stands with the world & will follow Paris Agreement @HillaryClinton https://t.co/cibJyT7MAK — bill peduto (@billpeduto) June 1, 20173.7K Shares Share
This article was originally published on Medium and was republished here with the author’s permission.
To me, as a queer activist and young scholar in the early 1990s, the term queer seemed to capture it all — the political urgency of combating heterosexism, my feeling and knowledge that the binaries of gender and sexual orientation were created through forced conformity and repression, the indeterminateness of my own experiences of gender and sexual attraction.
Bisexual as a term seemed too a-political, too evasive, too namby-pamby, too binary; it sounded too much like a disavowal of gayness rather than an avowal of anything. For twenty-five years or so, I’ve identified as queer — a queer person, a queer activist, a queer-theoretically informed sociologist.
During this time, I sat uncomfortably among those queers who for some reason seemed ‘realer’ to me — mostly gay men and lesbians, for whom queerness reflected their edginess and intellectual incisiveness. Looking back, as certain as I was that I was bisexual, I was afraid in some ways to be identified as bisexual.
In college, I was a charter member of the U of C Bisexual Union (UCBU, which I pronounced uck-boo), and published a letter to the editor of the student paper about bisexuality. Closeted isn’t what I’ve been.
My college sweetheart was a man and as sweet and fun as that relationship was, it was almost unbearable for me to be thought of as straight by virtue of having a “sweetie” whom others simply saw as my “boyfriend.”
When that relationship ended amicably, I determined never to have a serious relationship with a guy again. Feeling a sense of home and commonality with other queers, who mostly identified as gay or lesbian, I didn’t want to be an outsider, and I especially didn’t want to be an outsider exiled back to “straight” space.
There are straight people in my life whom I love very much — I can joke ironically that “some of my best friends are straight” — but to be straight, or to be thought to be straight, is something I still have trouble bearing. Foreclosing a real relationship with a man was for me a way of securing my place among queers, a way to belong fully.
I felt a kinship with other queer-identified bisexuals, but I often couldn’t bring myself to say with them that I was bisexual. I felt a kinship with trans people and certainly with nonbinary people, but only now can I see that I was both hiding and trapped by an invisible stigma, while they were often burdened by a more visible one — if not visible on their bodies, visible in their documents or biographies.
Something didn’t quite make me feel at home in the queer theory crowd. Even brilliant queer theorists — who I knew didn’t see gender as the most important determinant of whether someone was attractive, hook-up-worthy, or relationship material — seemed to downplay their bisexuality.
Queer theorists spoke of disrupting binaries such as male/female and hetero/homo, but the fact that bisexuals’ lived experience of gender disrupts both of those binaries never seemed to even enter the conversation.
Even Judith Butler’s 1993 Bodies That Matter, a book that was crucial in the development of queer theory, of the creation of new ways of being gendered, and of my own thinking, mentioned bisexuality only once — in a sentence expressing almost surprise that the term was being claimed by “bisexuals and straights for whom the term expresses an affiliation with anti-homophobic politics” (p. 230).
It always seemed to me that gays, lesbians, and straights all saw gender as the most important characteristic determining whether someone was attractive or not and that not being affected that way by others’ gender was pretty damned queer, maybe even more so than being gay or lesbian.
But here was a brilliant visionary of feminist and queer politics, someone who literally made trans and genderqueer identifications thinkable and possible for some people, basically defining bisexuality as pretty much straight, thinking bisexuals to be as affected by homophobia as straight people who find it disagreeable or wrong.
As “queer,” I could study queer theory, study how conformity was reproduced and enforced. I even wrote about how bisexuality was among the things ruled out of existence both by Christians who viewed homosexuality as sinful and by their liberal Christian interlocutors who insisted that same-sex relationships were okay because gay people “couldn’t help it.” I vocally and repeatedly challenged that “can’t help it”/”bad choice” language everywhere I could.
I explained what bisexuality meant to those who didn’t understand; I commented on how anti-LGBT activists, well-intentioned liberals, and radical queers all foreclosed bisexuality from the world of possibility.
But I remained more invisible than I realized under a giant queer umbrella that I thought conveyed my truth, not realizing the extent to which no one could see it.
Seeing the Invisible
In Fall 2015, I was doing fieldwork on evangelical, fundamentalist, and other conservative Christians’ growing acceptance of LGBT identities, same-sex marriage, and gender transition.
At a Christian conference, someone caused me to shift my whole paradigm. Eliel Cruz was leading a workshop on bisexuality at a conference of The Reformation Project. He spoke of bi-invisibility and bi-erasure, concepts developed by bisexuals in the 1990s, but that I had completely ignored, so busy was I making myself fit in.The Airtricity League returns tonight after the mid-season break and the season is only going to get more interesting from here. We look at the 5 storylines to look out for this weekend.
1) Can St Pats bounce back from defeat in Dundalk?
Pats have started other seasons quite well, and have always faded away. Many Pats fans lay the blame for that on European treks to Kazakhstan, Ukraine and Bosnia etc. While the reason for their slumps may be unclear, the fact that they happened is in no doubt. This team is clearly better than those in previous years though and there has been nothing to suggest that they can't sustain a title challenge. If they want to continue to lead the league, they'll need to beat the inform Bray Wanderers complete with goalscoring hero Jason Byrne. It'll be pretty ominous for Pats if they can't win tonight.
2) Can Shamrock Rovers continue to claw their way back into contention?
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Rovers have won 4 and drawn 2 of their 6 games in the second series so far gaining ground on all the top teams. Tonight they travel to Drogheda where they have a ridiculously good record to face a team missing 4 through suspension. With manager Trevor Croly looking to add a striker to his squad in July, there'll be plenty of teams looking anxiously over their shoulder at Rovers
3) Can Derry City go top again?
They'll need Pats to lose, but Derry can go top for the second time this season if that happens and they beat a struggling Bohemians side in the Brandywell tonight. Aaron Callaghan was strongly criticised by sections of the Bohs support after their 3-0 defeat to bottom side Shelbourne 2 weeks ago and he'll be looking for a big reaction this evening. Even without the suspended Rory Patterson, Derry should have enough goals in them to win this. The sides also face each other on Monday in the EA Sports Cup quarter-final.
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4) Can Sligo bring Shels back down to earth?
After just 1 win in 16 and only 6 goals scored, Shels 3-0 win away to Bohs shocked the league. Not that they won, but the fact they scored 3 times. New manager John McDonnell seems to have them better organised than Alan Mathews but will that be enough to prevent Sligo from gaining all 3 points? Sligo had struggled for goals with 4 scoreless outings before blasting 5 past UCD last time out. They haven't won any of their last 4 away games either but Ian Baraclough's men will be expecting that run to stop tonight.
5) Can Dundalk keep their away form up?
Dundalk travel to Limerick with 7 wins from 8 away games and on the back of a 2-1 win over leaders St Pats. Stephen Kenny's charges are in 4th position and have to be considered as challengers now. Their first experience of Thomond Park will be a test though as Limerick look to consolidate their mid-table position boosted by the news that Scottish striker Craig Curran is signing permanently when his loan deal ends this weekend.
Whatever happens, enjoy the games!One year ago schoolgirl Malala Yousafzai was shot in the head by Taliban gunmen - her "crime", to have spoken up for the right of girls to be educated. The world reacted in horror, but after weeks in intensive care Malala survived. Her full story can now be told.
She is the teenager who marked her 16th birthday with a live address from UN headquarters, is known around the world by her first name alone, and has been lauded by a former British prime minister as "an icon of courage and hope".
I didn't want my future to be imprisoned in my four walls and just cooking and giving birth Malala Yousafzai
She is also a Birmingham schoolgirl trying to settle into a new class, worrying about homework and reading lists, missing friends from her old school, and squabbling with her two younger brothers.
She is Malala Yousafzai, whose life was forever changed at age 15 by a Taliban bullet on 9 October 2012.
I have travelled to her home town in Pakistan, seen the school that moulded her, met the doctors who treated her and spent time with her and her family, for one reason - to answer the same question barked by the gunman who flagged down her school bus last October: "Who is Malala?"
The Swat Valley once took pride in being called "the Switzerland of Pakistan". It's a mountainous place, cool in summer and snowy in winter, within easy reach of the capital, Islamabad. And when Malala was born in 1997 it was still peaceful.
Just a few hours' driving from Islamabad brings you to the foot of the Malakand pass, the gateway to the valley. The winding road up to the pass leaves the plains of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, formerly known as the North-West Frontier Province, far below.
I remember it well from childhood holidays in Pakistan. But my latest trip felt very different - the BBC crew made the journey with a military escort. Although the Pakistan army retook control of Swat from the Taliban in 2009 and it is arguably now safer for foreigners than some other areas, the military clearly didn't want to take any chances.
Historically, the north-west has been one of Pakistan's least developed regions. But Swat, interestingly, has long been a bright spot in terms of education.
Find out more Watch Mishal Husain's Panorama special on Malala on Monday 7 October at 20:30 BST on BBC One Malala: Shot for Going to School
Until 1969, it was a semi-autonomous principality - its ruler known as the Wali. The first of these was Miangul Gulshahzada Sir Abdul Wadud, appointed by a local council in 1915 and known to Swatis as "Badshah Sahib" - the King. Although himself uneducated, he laid the foundation for a network of schools in the valley - the first boys' primary school came in 1922, followed within a few years by the first girls' school.
The trend was continued by his son, Wali Miangul Abdul Haq Jahanzeb, who came to power in 1949. Within a few months, he had presented the schoolgirls of Swat to the visiting prime minister of Pakistan, Liaquat Ali Khan, and his wife Raana. As his grandson Miangul Adnan Aurangzeb says: "It would have been unusual anywhere else in the [North-West] Frontier at that time, but in Swat girls were going to school."
The new Wali's focus soon turned to high schools and colleges, including Jahanzeb College, founded in 1952, where Malala's father, Ziauddin Yousafzai, would study many years later. Soon, Swat became known across Pakistan for the number of professionals it was producing - especially doctors and teachers. As Adnan Aurangzeb says, "Swat was proud of its record on education… one way to identify a Swati outside of Swat was that he always had a pen in his chest pocket, and that meant he was literate."
Against this backdrop, the fate that befell the schools of Swat in the first years of the 21st Century is particularly tragic.
By the time Malala was born, her father had realised his dream of founding his own school, which began with just a few pupils and mushroomed into an establishment educating more than 1,000 girls and boys.
Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Malala Yousafzai: In Pakistan "we know that terrorists are afraid of the power of education"
It is clear that her absence is keenly felt. Outside the door of her old classroom is a framed newspaper cutting about her. Inside, her best friend Moniba has written the name "Malala" on a chair placed in the front row.
This was Malala's world - not one of wealth or privilege but an atmosphere dominated by learning. And she flourished. "She was precocious, confident, assertive," says Adnan Aurangzeb. "A young person with the drive to achieve something in life."
In that, she wasn't alone. "Malala's whole class is special," headmistress Mariam Khalique tells me.
And from the moment I walk in, I understand what she means. Their focus and attention is absolute, their aspirations sky-high. The lesson under way is biology, and as it ends I have a few moments to ask the girls about their future plans - many want to be doctors. One girl's answer stops me in my tracks: "I'd like to be Pakistan's army chief one day."
Part of the reason for this drive to succeed is that only white-collar, professional jobs will allow these girls a life outside their homes. While poorly educated boys can hope to find low-skilled work, their female counterparts will find their earning power restricted to what they can do within the four walls of their home - sewing perhaps.
Malala's diary: 3 January 2009 I had a terrible dream yesterday with military helicopters and the Taleban. I have had such dreams since the launch of the military operation in Swat. My mother made me breakfast and I went off to school. I was afraid going to school because the Taleban had issued an edict banning all girls from attending schools Only 11 students attended the class out of 27. The number decreased because of Taleban's edict. My three friends have shifted to Peshawar, Lahore and Rawalpindi with their families after this edict. Diary of a Pakistani schoolgirl Faces of the year: Malala and others Schoolgirls in Birmingham on Malala
"For my brothers it was easy to think about the future," Malala tells me when we meet in Birmingham. "They can be anything they want. But for me it was hard and for that reason I wanted to become educated and empower myself with knowledge."
It was this future that was threatened when the first signs of Taliban influence emerged, borne on a tide of anti-Western sentiment that swept across Pakistan in the years after 9/11 and the US-led invasion of Afghanistan.
Like other parts of north-west Pakistan, Swat had always been a devout and conservative region, but what was happening by 2007 was very different - radio broadcasts threatening Sharia-style punishments for those who departed from local Muslim traditions, and most ominously, edicts against education.
The worst period came at the end of 2008, when the local Taliban leader, Mullah Fazlullah, issued a dire warning - all female education had to cease within a month, or schools would suffer consequences. Malala remembers the moment well: "'How can they stop us going to school?' I was thinking. 'It's impossible, how can they do it?'"
But Ziauddin Yousafzai and his friend Ahmad Shah, who ran another school nearby, had to recognise it as a real possibility. The Taliban had always followed through on their threats. The two men discussed the situation with local army commanders. "I asked them how much security would be provided to us," Shah recalls. "They said, 'We will provide security, don't close your schools.'"
Image copyright Getty Images
It was easier said than done.
By this time, Malala was still only 11, but well aware of how things were changing.
Malala's diary: 18 January 2009 My father told us that the government would protect our schools. The prime minister has also raised this issue. I was quite happy initially, but now I know but this will not solve our problem. "Here in Swat we hear everyday that so many soldiers were killed and so many were kidnapped at such and such place. But the police are nowhere to be seen. "Our parents are also very scared. They told us they would not send us to school until or unless the Taleban themselves announce on the FM channel that girls can go to school. The army is also responsible for the disruption in our education. Diary of a Pakistani schoolgirl (ii)
"People don't need to be aware of these things at the age of nine or 10 or 11 but we were seeing terrorism and extremism, so I had to be aware," she says.
She knew that her way of life was under threat. When a journalist from BBC Urdu asked her father about young people who might be willing to give their perspective on life under the Taliban, he suggested Malala.
The result was the Diary of a Pakistani Schoolgirl, a blog for BBC Urdu, in which Malala chronicled her hope to keep going to school and her fears for the future of Swat.
She saw it as an opportunity.
"I wanted to speak up for my rights," she says. "And also I didn't want my future to be just sitting in a room and be imprisoned in my four walls and just cooking and giving birth to children. I didn't want to see my life in that way."
The blog was anonymous, but Malala was also unafraid to speak out in public about the right to education, as she did in February 2009 to the Pakistani television presenter Hamid Mir, who brought his show to Swat.
I was surprised that there is a little girl in Swat who can speak with a lot of confidence, but I was concerned about her security Hamid Mir
"I was surprised that there is a little girl in Swat who can speak with a lot of confidence, who's very brave, who's very articulate," Mir says. |
the pitch. In these zones Mata can not only make more telling passes, but score more goals.
For example, here Mata and Hazard have switched positions, Hazard coming more central, taking defenders away from the run of Mata, who can ghost into the space behind the defense and slot home.
The Evolution of Chelsea
The new players recruited by Chelsea this season have also had a massive impact on Mata’s performances. As suggested, the likes of Hazard gives a new dimension to Mata’s play, as he now has a top quality, intelligent player whom he can play into the space behind or switch positions with. This allows Mata to get in behind and score more freely.
However, probably the most important signing this season, for Chelsea and Mata, is Oscar. With Oscar dropping and dictating play from deep, Chelsea have a player who can consistently and effectively get the ball forward to the feet of Mata. For example, this season Oscar has an open-play pass completion rate of 86 per cent, a final third pass completion rate of 75 per cent, and an attacking zone pass completion of 78 per cent.
This shows Oscar’s importance from a passing standpoint, as when he makes a pass it generally finds its target. This is vitally important to Chelsea, as getting the ball into the feet of Mata is essential. Without this, Mata’s, and therefore Chelsea’s, attacking edge is negated, as the quick ball into the play-maker’s feet is stopped and the counter-attack is halted. This slows the play down and makes it much harder for Chelsea to create chances as they are not as equally adept at this style of play without the presence of Didier Drogba, who could play with his back to goal and create chances at will.
Summary
There are a number of contributing factors that may have allowed Mata to grow as a player this season, many of which are not measurable, such as confidence, maturity, and so on. However, it is absolutely clear that this season’s rise in quality is in major part down to a mixture of tactics and a freshness which has been brought to Chelsea from the new arrivals, especially in Mata’s case.
More goals are being scored and chances created to the point where he has nearly, already, eclipsed the both totals from last season. If this form continues, by the end of the season Chelsea may be about to eclipse the glory of last season with Mata at their centre.Update: Correspondence with Janine Jones made me realize that I hadn’t gotten her view right. Since her view is being expressed in a paper in progress, I’m going to wait until I see the final version before I try again to present it.
In the meantime, I realized that I had really stated what could be read as a very strong thesis, one that might say no white people had any sense of the moral status of people of color. I’m grateful that no one in comments took me on for such a thesis, which is clearly false. Blog posts are not well worked over philosphy papers; if they were, I’d post very little indeed.
I also think that there’s an underlying concern that really isn’t about race or ethnicity. Claims of marginalization in Anglo-American philosophy can be made on behalf of members of many different groups, based on class, nationality, gender/gender-orientation, body-type, school prestige, and more. John Dovidio and his group at Yale in psychology have spent decades looking at the effects of insider-outsider status. Some emphasis has been on health fields, but I stronly recommend philosophers look closely at the work that has emerged.
http://psychology.yale.edu/people/john-dovidio
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A really brilliant paper at the 2017 Pacific by Janine Jones (UNC, Greenboro) led me to think I might finally understand why the feminism I am so invested in remains, at least for many people of color, white feminism. Her paper claimed that even well meaning white people fail in extending their empathy to people of color. The central problem, according to Jones as I understood her, is that we cannot share “the others'” perspective. Indeed, we don’t even try. ***
I want first to look at another articulation of the white lack of empathy. That is captured by the quotes below from WHY I’M NO LONGER TALKING TO WHITE PEOPLE ABOUT RACE by Reni Eddo-Lodge.
Next we will consider Hume, and Paul Bloom’s Against Empathy: the case for rational compassion. The word ’empathy’ and the 18th century word ‘sympathy’ are much the same in meaning. As such, Bloom has recently objected to its having a role in morality while Hume is very pro-sympathy. So nearer the end of this post, I’ll say why they are being brought in.
I suppose one example of the disconnect among white feminists and women of color became evident when women (in North American? Elsewhere?) stage a ‘night out’ in often scanty clothing and sometimes calling themselves “Ho’s”. The point being that such behavior was not an excuse for rape. Then some members of the black commmunity objected that calling themselves “Ho'” would not be ironic or amusing to black women. Why hadn’t white women seen that?
I can no longer engage with the gulf of an emotional disconnect that white people display when a person of colour articulates their experience. You can see their eyes shut down and harden. It’s like treacle is poured into their ears, blocking up their ear canals. It’s like they can no longer hear us. This emotional disconnect is the conclusion of living a life oblivious to the fact that their skin colour is the norm and all others deviate from it.
Why are white people so oblivious?
It’s like something happens to the words as they leave our mouths and reach their ears. The words hit a barrier of denial and they don’t get any further. That’s the emotional disconnect. It’s not really surprising, because they’ve never known what it means to embrace a person of colour as a true equal, with thoughts and feelings that are as valid as their own.
What helps to hold their ignorance in place?
I’ve written before about this white denial being the ubiquitous politics of race that operates on its inherent invisibility. So I can’t talk to white people about race any more because of the consequent denials, awkward cartwheels and mental acrobatics that they display when this is brought to their attention. Who really wants to be alerted to a structural system that benefits them at the expense of others?. I just can’t engage with the bewilderment and the defensiveness as they try to grapple with the fact that not everyone experiences the world in the way that they do.
Though Hume sees empathy as important to the foundation of morality and Bloom opposes that idea, each sees as vitally important our having an inclusive idea of the human moral community as having members very different from ourselves.
The question I want to ask is whether either sees that effective inclusion may require a great deal of work on our parts. And this is not, as each sees, because we need to let go of our specific interests. Rather, we need to get, as far as possible, a grasp of others’ specific interests.
And there is another and even more worrying question: is their confidence in our grasping the morally necessary perspectives in fact encouraging their readers to think they are already equipped for inclusiveness? Is a deeply entrenched style of theorizing a source of the problem philosophy itself has with diversity?
——————————-
***The Title of Jones’ paper is: “Disappearing Black People Through White Empathy”. Is (or a near relative of it) will be forthcoming from OUP in a volume on feminist philosophy of mind, edited by McWeeney and MaitraTyler Joseph Just Got Named "Top Songwriter" Of 2016!
By James Wilson-Taylor
Tyler just topped a huge list for Billboard magazine...
In a fitting end to their biggest ever year, Twenty One Pilots have just hit another huge milestone as Tyler Joseph has been named as the top songwriter on Billboard's Hot 100 list.
The huge success of the singles 'Stressed Out', 'Ride' and 'Heathens' took Tyler to the top spot of the chart which ranks the top 25 songwriters based on Hot 100 success achieved in 2016.
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Number 2 on the list was legendary pop songwriter Max Martin with Drake coming in at number 3, 'One Dance' having been the most streamed song of 2016 on the likes of Spotify.
Justin Bieber (#4) and Greg Kurstin (#5) complete the Top 5 with Adele (#6), Mike Posner (#7), Drew Taggart (of The Chainsmokers) (#8), Shellback (#9), and Benny Blanco (#10) rounding out the Top 10.
'Stressed Out' topped the Billboard rock chart for 23 consecutive weeks beginning January 9th, the band also ruling over the Top Rock Album and Top Alternative Album charts with Blurryface. Get full chart stats on the band's huge year via Billboard here.
Congrats TØP - here's to a similarly successful 2017!
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Catch Little Mix & more on the #PopBuzzPodcast right now. Subscribe for free on iTunes to get new episodes sent straight to your phone every Wednesday.Revelation given through Joseph Smith the Prophet, on November 1, 1831, during a special conference of elders of the Church, held at Hiram, Ohio. Many revelations had been received from the Lord prior to this time, and the compilation of these for publication in book form was one of the principal subjects passed upon at the conference. This section constitutes the Lord’s preface to the doctrines, covenants, and commandments given in this dispensation.
1–7, The voice of warning is to all people; 8–16, Apostasy and wickedness precede the Second Coming; 17–23, Joseph Smith is called to restore to earth the Lord’s truths and powers; 24–33, The Book of Mormon is brought forth and the true Church is established; 34–36, Peace will be taken from the earth; 37–39, Search these commandments.
1, O ye people of my, saith the voice of him who dwells on high, and whose are upon all men; yea, verily I say: Hearken ye people from afar; and ye that are upon the islands of the sea, listen together.
2 For verily the of the Lord is unto all men, and there is none to ; and there is no eye that shall not see, neither that shall not hear, neither that shall not be penetrated.
3 And the shall be with much ; for their iniquities shall be upon the housetops, and their secret acts shall be revealed.
4 And the of warning shall be unto all people, by the mouths of my disciples, whom I have in these.
5 And they shall and none shall stay them, for I the Lord have commanded them.
6 Behold, this is mine, and the authority of my servants, and my preface unto the book of my, which I have given them to unto you, O of the earth.
7 Wherefore, and, O ye people, for what I the Lord have in them shall be.
8 And verily I say unto you, that they who go forth, bearing these tidings unto the inhabitants of the earth, to them is power given to both on earth and in heaven, the unbelieving and ;
9 Yea, verily, to seal them up unto the when the of God shall be poured out upon the without measure—
10 Unto the when the Lord shall come to unto every man according to his, and to every man according to the measure which he has measured to his fellow man.
11 Wherefore the voice of the Lord is unto the ends of the earth, that all that will hear may hear:
12 Prepare ye, ye for that which is to come, for the Lord is ;
13 And the of the Lord is kindled, and his is bathed in heaven, and it shall fall upon the inhabitants of the earth.
14 And the of the Lord shall be revealed; and the cometh that they who will not the voice of the Lord, neither the voice of his, neither give to the words of the prophets and, shall be from among the people;
15 For they have from mine, and have mine ;
16 They not the Lord to establish his righteousness, but every man in his, and after the of his own god, whose image is in the likeness of the world, and whose substance is that of an idol, which waxeth and shall perish in, even Babylon the great, which shall fall.
17 Wherefore, I the Lord, the calamity which should come upon the of the earth, my Joseph Smith, Jun., and unto him from heaven, and gave him ;
18 And also gave commandments to others, that they should proclaim these things unto the world; and all this that it might be fulfilled, which was written by the prophets—
19 The things of the world shall come forth and break down the mighty and strong ones, that man counsel his fellow man, neither in the arm of flesh—
20 But that every man might in the name of God the Lord, even the Savior of the world;
21 That faith also might increase in the earth;
22 That mine everlasting might be established;
23 That the of my might be by the and the simple unto the ends of the world, and before and.
24 Behold, I am God and have spoken it; these are of me, and were given unto my servants in their weakness, after the manner of their, that they might come to.
25 And inasmuch as they it might be made known;
26 And inasmuch as they sought they might be ;
27 And inasmuch as they sinned they might be, that they might ;
28 And inasmuch as they were they might be made strong, and blessed from on high, and receive from time to time.
29 And after having received the record of the Nephites, yea, even my servant Joseph Smith, Jun., might have power to through the of God, by the power of God, the.
30 And also those to whom these commandments were given, might have to lay the foundation of this, and to bring it forth out of obscurity and out of, the only true and living upon the face of the whole earth, with which I, the Lord, am well, unto the church collectively and not individually—
31 For I the Lord cannot look upon with the least degree of allowance;
32 Nevertheless, he that and does the of the Lord shall be ;
33 And he that not, from him shall be even the light which he has received; for my shall not always with man, saith the Lord of Hosts.
34 And again, verily I say unto you, O inhabitants of the earth: I the Lord am willing to make these things unto flesh;
35 For I am no of persons, and will that all men shall know that the speedily cometh; the hour is not yet, but is nigh at hand, when shall be taken from the earth, and the shall have power over his own dominion.
36 And also the Lord shall have over his, and shall in their, and shall come down in upon, or the world.
37 these, for they are true and, and the prophecies and which are in them shall all be fulfilled.
38 What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself; and though the heavens and the earth pass away, my shall not pass away, but shall all be, whether by mine own or by the of my, it is the.
39 For behold, and lo, the Lord is God, and the beareth record, and the record is true, and the abideth forever and ever. Amen.Let me start off by saying that I'm making this whole thing up.
Imagine you're in charge of infiltrating sleeper agents into the United States. The year is 1983, and the proliferation of identity databases is making it increasingly difficult to create fake credentials. Ten years ago, someone could have just shown up in the country and gotten a driver's license, Social Security card and bank account – possibly using the identity of someone roughly the same age who died as a young child – but it's getting harder. And you know that trend will only continue. So you decide to grow your own identities.
Call it "identity farming." You invent a handful of infants. You apply for Social Security numbers for them. Eventually, you open bank accounts for them, file tax returns for them, register them to vote, and apply for credit cards in their name. And now, 25 years later, you have a handful of identities ready and waiting for some real people to step into them.
There are some complications, of course. Maybe you need people to sign their name as parents – or, at least, mothers. Maybe you need doctors to fill out birth certificates. Maybe you need to fill out paperwork certifying that you're home-schooling these children. You'll certainly want to exercise their financial identity: depositing money into their bank accounts and withdrawing it from ATMs, using their credit cards and paying the bills, and so on. And you'll need to establish some sort of addresses for them, even if it is just a mail drop.
You won't be able to get driver's licenses or photo IDs on their name. That isn't critical, though; in the U.S., more than 20 million adult citizens don't have photo IDs. But other than that, I can't think of any reason why identity farming wouldn't work.
Here's the real question: Do you actually have to show up for any part of your life?
Again, I made this all up. I have no evidence that anyone is actually doing this. It's not something a criminal organization is likely to do; 25 years is too distant a payoff horizon. The same logic holds true for terrorist organizations; it's not worth it. It might have been worth it to the KGB – although perhaps harder to justify after the Soviet Union broke up in 1991 – and might be an attractive option to existing intelligence adversaries like China.
Immortals could also use this trick to self-perpetuate themselves, inventing their own children and gradually assuming their identity, then killing their parents off. They could even show up for their own driver's license photos, wearing a beard as the father and blue spiked hair as the son. I’m told this is a common idea in Highlander fan fiction.
The point isn't to create another movie plot threat, but to point out the central role that data has taken on in our lives. Previously, I've said that we all have a data shadow that follows us around, and that more and more institutions interact with our data shadows instead of with us. We only intersect with our data shadows once in a while – when we apply for a driver's license or passport, for example – and those interactions are authenticated by older, less-secure interactions. The rest of the world assumes that our photo IDs glue us to our data shadows, ignoring the rather flimsy connection between us and our plastic cards. (And, no, REAL-ID won't help.)
It seems to me that our data shadows are becoming increasingly distinct from us, almost with a life of their own. What's important now is our shadows; we're secondary. And as our society relies more and more on these shadows, we might even become unnecessary.
Our data shadows can live a perfectly normal life without us.
\—
Bruce Schneier is Chief Security Technology Officer of BT, and author of Beyond Fear: Thinking Sensibly About Security in an Uncertain World.
Boston Court's Meddling With 'Full Disclosure' Is Unwelcome
Memo to Next President: How to Get Cybersecurity Right
Lesson From the DNS Bug: Patching Isn't EnoughThe Big V duo want to see the elder statesman of the Premiers' Plate winners and Grand Final hosts opt to remain at the club and go again in 2015-16
Leigh Broxham and Mark Milligan are backing Archie Thompson to defy the odds and play on next season after the veteran striker helped to fire Melbourne Victory into the A-League Grand Final.
Thompson came on in the 78th minute of the semi-final at a packed Etihad Stadium on Friday night, scoring with three minutes to go in normal time to seal a 3-0 win over local rivals Melbourne City.
The forward, who still possesses plenty of pace and remains deadly in front of goal, now has a chance to lift a third championship when Victory host the season's decider against Sydney FC or Adelaide United at AAMI Park next Sunday.
"He's a very good player still, he's coming on and scoring goals," Broxham said of his fellow Big V stalwart.
"I think it's his 11th goal this year. He's doing a great job for us. He's been a great team player as well, he's coming off the bench. Obviously he wants to start but his attitude's been first class. I take my hat off to him."
Thompson was downgraded from his long-held status as Victory's domestic marquee player at the end of last season to accommodate a new contract for club captain Mark Milligan, while the last of his 54 Socceroos caps came in September 2013.
Out of contract at the end of the campaign and tipped in some quarters to hang up his boots or - unthinkably - seek a different A-League club, Milligan has cautioned against writing the 36-year-old's Victory obituary just yet.
"I think it'd take a brave man to say it'd be Archie's last game," the skipper said.
"He came on tonight and did a wonderful job for us, as he has when he's started or when he's come off the bench. He's fit and I wouldn't bet against him (staying and playing on next season)."
Victory's attention now turns to the matter of hosting the biggest match in the Australian domestic football calendar next weekend, something Broxham knows all about, although not since 2010 has the long-serving utility player sampled the big occasion.
Asked what the week ahead will have in store, the two-time title winner joked: "Not sure, I can't remember the last time we played (a Grand Final)."Priest: No Change In Vatican Policy On Condoms
NPR's Mary Louise Kelly speaks with the Rev. Joseph Fessio, editor-in-chief of Ignatius Press, which this week published the book Light of the World: The Pope, the Church and the Signs of the Times. Fessio says the pope's comments about condoms do not mark any shift in Vatican policy, nor do they signal that the pope condones the use of condoms. Rather, Fessio says the pope believes that use of condoms by someone engaging in immoral behavior may signal the beginning of a shift toward a more moral lifestyle.
MARY LOUISE KELLY, host:
To the Vatican now and the uproar over Pope Benedict's views about HIV and condoms. In a new book, the pope addresses the subject and says that use of condoms may be justified to stop AIDS, or at least that's what some people think he said.
The book was intended to clarify the pope's thinking on a number of controversial subjects, but it appears to have done the opposite. And at a news conference in Rome this morning, Vatican officials were struggling to explain what the pope actually said, what he meant and whether any of this represents a shift in official church policy.
Joining us now from Rome is Father Joseph Fessio. He is a Catholic priest and the editor-in-chief of Ignatius Press, which published the pope's book. And welcome.
Father JOSEPH FESSIO (Editor-in-Chief, Ignatius Press): Glad to be here.
KELLY: Now, you were at the news conference this morning where reporters were asking for a clarification as to what Pope Benedict said about condoms. What is the clarification that the Vatican has now provided?
Father FESSIO: Well, Father Lombardi provided a clarification yesterday...
KELLY: This is the spokesman for the Vatican.
Father FESSIO:...in which he said that the pope has not changed the in-church teaching. He expressed very carefully something about the use of condoms in which the intention might reflect a movement towards a more moral way of life.
What the pope is saying is it's immoral to use condoms under any circumstances. However, if someone is using them because he's trying to prevent disease in his partner, that may be the first stirrings of a moral consciousness which can lead him to a more moral way of life.
KELLY: Are you saying that the pope was perhaps using some sort of sliding scale here? That while not condoning contraception, not condoning homosexuality, he's signaling that they are not the worst evils, and that passing on HIV is worse?
Father FESSIO: He's not giving a scale of evil or good here. But let me give you a pretty simple example. Let's suppose we've got a bunch of muggers who like to use steel pipes when they mug people. But some muggers say, gosh, you know, we don't need to hurt them that badly to rob them. Let's put foam pads on our pipes. Then we'll just stun them for a while, rob them and go away. So if the pope then said, well, yes, I think that using padded pipes is actually a little step in a moral direction there, that doesn't mean he's justifying using padded pipes to mug people. He's just saying, well, they did something terrible, but while they were doing that, they had a little flicker of conscience there that led them in the right direction. That may grow further, so they stop mugging people completely.
KELLY: A lot of the media coverage over the past few days has presented the pope's comments as representing a big shift in the policy of the Roman Catholic Church. It sounds like you don't see it that way.
Father FESSIO: I don't see it that way. The pope doesn't see it that way. And it's not that way. There's no shift here.
KELLY: You know, I guess if the goal of doing a book like this is to communicate clearly and directly, this book does seem to have had the opposite effect. There's a lot of confusion in terms of what the pope said and what he meant.
Father FESSIO: Well, Mary, please don't say this book. You're talking about page 119 of a 220-page book. But you know something? The pope didn't refuse to answer any question that was asked by this journalist. And so he was asked a question on a complex issue, he gave a very carefully weighed and nuanced answer, hard to understand.
But, you know, it's a good thing, Mary Louise. If we didn't have this complication, the world would think, oh, the Catholic Church is unthinkingly opposed to - you know, it's the medieval mentality -they're opposed to condoms and there's no reason for it. Here, the pope shows, look, there's some reflection going on here. This is not just a kneejerk reaction the church has. This is very carefully thought out. Of course, it's hard to understand. But maybe National Public Radio and others can help people understand it by precisely this kind of conversation.
KELLY: Well, thank you so much for speaking with us.
Father FESSIO: You're welcome, Mary Louise.
KELLY: That's Father Joseph Fessio. He is the editor-in-chief of Ignatius Press, which published the pope's book. And we reached him at the BBC Studios in Rome.
Copyright © 2010 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.Think following the low FODMAP Diet means salsa is gone from your life for good? Think again, my friend. With a few easy tweaks, you can make your own low FODMAP salsa, just in time for the big game. So grab your gang and get the party started.
This low FODMAP salsa tastes like the real deal. Made with fresh ingredients and a little pizzaz, this salsa is a game changer. Whether you whip it up for family nacho night or the next big game, you won’t be disappointed.
Think this low FODMAP salsa sounds great, but you don’t have time to try it now? You can PIN THIS POST for later.
Keep It FODMAP Friendly
No matter how you use it, this low FODMAP salsa is going to steal the show. Check out the notes below for tips on keeping this recipe low FODMAP.
First up, tomatoes. According to the Monash app, Roma tomatoes are safe in servings of one tomato (45 g). Heads up, servings of 5 1/2 tomatoes or more are high in the FODMAP fructan. This recipe uses 3 Roma tomatoes, which works out to 1/2 a tomato per serving. This is well within the suggested serving size.
To get the tell-tale onion flavour, this recipe also uses green onions. According to Monash University, the tops of a green onion don’t have any FODMAPs. This means you can tweak the recipe to your taste without increasing your FODMAP load.
Just so you know, this recipe tastes the best when the flavours have had a few hours to commingle. If you need your salsa ASAP, swap the olive oil for onion infused oil to give the flavours a little boost. Otherwise, make sure to let your salsa sit in the fridge for at least two hours.
Pick Your Headliner
This low FODMAP salsa is great with gluten-free corn chips or cucumber rounds. You can also try it on my fully loaded nachos or in this awesome low FODMAP enchilada recipe.
Want to try this low FODMAP salsa? Don’t forget to PIN THIS RECIPE for later.
Print It! Low FODMAP Salsa Prep Time 10 mins Cook Time 2 hrs Total Time 2 hrs 10 mins Whether you're looking for something to serve on game day or just a healthy snack, this low FODMAP salsa is sure to please. Made with fresh ingredients and a little pizzaz, this recipe will steal the show! Course: Appetizer, Snack Cuisine: Mexican Servings : 6 servings Calories : 34 kcal Author : The FODMAP Formula What You Need 3 Roma tomatoes (seeded and diced)
1/4 cup green onions (green parts only - diced)
1 tbsp parsley (minced)
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp olive oil
salt & pepper to taste What You Do Place all ingredients in an airtight container. Shake well and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. Keeps for 2 days.
This low FODMAP salsa will be the MVP on game day. If you like this recipe, sign up for my mailing list below. You’ll get new recipes and articles delivered right to your inbox.
Want more inspiration for the big game? Follow me on Pinterest for even more low FODMAP ideas. Together we’ll get the Low FODMAP Diet down to a science!
© 2017 Amy Agur – The FODMAP Formula
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SaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveVladimir Putin's crackdown against dissent has seen 28 people arrested over the past year. But their cause is not forgotten
In a black-and-white photo taken in court the day she was charged, Alexandra Dukhanina looks like a young Audrey Hepburn, with a side-swept fringe and coy smile. Two police officers loom behind her. A nearby cage stands empty.
That was one of the last times Dukhanina, 19, was seen in public. For nearly a year, she has been under house arrest, confined to a flat in western Moscow, for taking part in a protest against President Vladimir Putin that turned violent on the eve of his inauguration on 7 May last year.
The most insidious aspect of the crackdown that followed, activists say, is the slow but steady arrest of some who took part in the 6 May protest. In all, 28 have been arrested; most recently, the 27-year-old Alexey Gaskarov, last week.
Some were arrested in their homes. Others, like Dukhanina, were nabbed on the street. Some are behind bars and awaiting trial. Others, like Dukhanina, are under house arrest, completely cut off from the outside world.
On Monday, the first anniversary of the protest, the Russian opposition, although cowed by Putin's crackdown and the re-emergence of political apathy among the general population, will take to the streets calling for the release of the 6 May political prisoners.
They will gather at the same site – Bolotnaya Square – where clashes broke out between riot police and protesters amid a wave of passionate demonstrations that swept Moscow for months as Putin planned to return to the presidency.
The authorities accuse Dukhanina and 27 others of organising the unrest. Opposition activists, in turn, accuse Russia's notorious riot police of provoking the disorder and say the Kremlin has seized on the unrest to unleash a far-reaching crackdown designed to spread fear among those who would dare protest against Putin.
The fear has worked. Subsequent protests have brought out a tiny fraction of the tens of thousands who took to Moscow's streets last year. The avid political debate that erupted among average Muscovites around Russia's presidential election has largely faded into the background. Yet those who have remained committed have become ever more angry.
"They've been trying to scare us for all of the past year," said Ilya Yashin, an opposition leader. "Those who got scared have gone back into their homes, to talking about things in the kitchen. Those who have remained have got more and more angry. Now the atmosphere in the air, I would say, has the smell of civil war, though it is a cold civil war for now."
Dukhanina was among the first to be arrested. She was briefly detained on 6 May last year, along with hundreds of others, amid an hours-long standoff between protesters and police. Photographs from the day show her being dragged away by a camouflaged riot police officer, her hands clawing at his arm holding her in a tight headlock. She was released later that day.
Then, three weeks later, police detained her as she was sitting in a park with friends after a poetry reading at Mayakovsky Square in Moscow, long a favoured site of political gatherings.
Three days later, a judge said she would be charged with mass unrest and harming a representative of the state, arguing that she had hurled rocks, bottles and pieces of asphalt at riot police. She was ordered into house arrest.
Since last May, Dukhanina, and the others under house arrest, have been cut off from contact with all but their lawyers. They cannot use the telephone or the internet, nor receive or send letters. "She's completely cut off from society," said Dukhanina's lawyer, Dmitry Yefremov.
A Moscow court is expected to hear the case against those charged during a mass political trial this summer. The 28 defendants have nothing in common – in most cases, they do not know each other – aside from separately attending the protest.
Already reeling from a series of laws clamping down on the right to protest and on the rights of non-governmental organisations, as well as the trial against the main opposition leader Alexey Navalny, activists have begun to warn that could be the last straw.
"Putin has done a lot to ensure confrontation," said Yashin. "His decisions, his laws, his rhetoric, don't unite society, but divide people. It's very dangerous for the country, because it can bring the country to civil war.
"I hope it won't happen. The taste for blood in Russia is exhausted. We must do everything to avoid a revolt. But anything can happen."Update April 25 KST:
A photo of on-screen couple Jin Goo and Kim Ji Won was revealed through the official “Running Man” Instagram account with the caption, “Running Man Episode 297 ‘Goowon Couple Special’ [After the Sun Sets (a parody of “Descendants of the Sun” in Korean)] Filming in Incheon with guests Jin Goo, Kim Ji Won, David McInnis, and Cosmic Girls Eunseo.”
The guests and the members are seen talking brightly with one another while Lee Kwang Soo wearing a “Descendants of the Sun” military uniform is also eye-catching.
Source (1)
Original:
Actors Jin Goo and Kim Ji Won, famous for portraying a military couple on “Descendants of the Sun,” are appearing on SBS’s “Running Man.”
A broadcasting affiliate revealed on April 24, “Jin Goo and Kim Ji Won will be participating in the April 25 filming for ‘Running Man.'”
David Lee McInnis, who played the role of Argus in the drama, will also be making an appearance.
After moving the hearts of viewers through their on-screen romance in “Descendants of the Sun,” interest is growing on what charms they will show on a variety program.
Jin Goo and Kim Ji Won will be appearing on the May 1 broadcast of the show.
Source (1)Elvis Redzepagic has been charged with providing material support to ISIS.
A bumbling, small-time crook who wanted to “engage in violent jihad” couldn’t get on the subway without getting arrested — let alone join ISIS.
Federal investigators grabbed 26-year-old Elvis Redzepagic at the Long Island home he shares with his parents Friday, charging him with providing material support to the terror group.
Officials said the wannabe jihadi visited the Middle East twice between July 2015 and August, 2016, both times failing in his efforts to enter Syria and join ISIS.
Redzepagic allegedly told authorities he was willing to blow himself up to be a martyr and “die for the sake of Allah,” officials said Saturday.
S.I. ISIS wannabe pleads guilty to trying to help terrorist group
Earlier in the week, the Commack man was busted in Midtown for not paying his subway fare.
“This kid’s not normal,” Redzepagic’s uncle Ricky Redzepagic told the Daily News. “He never works. He does drugs.”
Redzepagic has been arrested six times in the city for a variety of charges including drug possession and robbery since 2012.
Around 9 p.m. Tuesday, cops caught him trying to enter a subway station at |
getting hurt every year. When I look back at my career, being hurt didn’t help.”
Slaney’s second season in Washington was derailed by an ankle injury, and he was traded that summer to the Colorado Avalanche, a championship-caliber team boasting one of the N.H.L.’s deepest defensive groups. Hampered by injuries, Slaney played 268 games for seven N.H.L. teams over parts of nine seasons.
Despite being encouraged to take his game to Europe, Slaney spent much of his career in the American Hockey League, where he became a star. In 2002, he became the third player to win the Eddie Shore Award, as the league’s top defenseman, in consecutive seasons. A five-time A.H.L. All-Star, he was the first defenseman in league history to collect 500 career points.
He won the Calder Cup championship in 2005. With the N.H.L. season lost that year to a work stoppage, Slaney anchored a Philadelphia Phantoms team featuring the future N.H.L. stars Patrick Sharp, Jeff Carter and Mike Richards. He was inducted into the A.H.L. Hall of Fame in 2014.
“For my career, are there a lot of things I would have changed?” Slaney said. “Maybe a couple. I wanted to play in the National Hockey League as much as I could, there is no question. I moved around to certain teams. You always want to stay around up top as much as you can. At the same time, there are not too many guys in today’s game who played until they’re 39 years old.”Rate This
First up, Brandon S. writes in to say:
Hi Jim,
I love listening to the Unofficial Guide’s Disney Dish podcasts with you and Len Testa. Even when you guys are touring the resorts and not just the Theme Parks its really cool to here all the stories about how things came to be. One question I always have when looking at a map of WDW or visiting the resort is why Disney’s Wilderness Lodge is NOT on the monorail loop since it is really very close to it? It seems like if it was on the monorail it would be even easier to get people into this ‘Deluxe’ Resort.
Thanks! And do you guys plan to keep doing new podcasts? I would love to hear your thoughts about the new Fantasy Land addition. Thanks!!
Brandon S.
Chicago, IL
Concept art for Disney World's never-built Cypress Point Resort. Copyright
Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved
Dear Brandon,
Even back in the 1970s, when the then-named Cypress Point project was one of four hotels that were supposed to be built as part of Walt Disney World's Phase Two (FYI: The other three were the Asian, the Venetian and the Persian Resorts), the Imagineers never had any plans to have the monorail make a stop at this wilderness-themed hotel.
If anything, the very idea of having an ultra-sleek, modern transportation system making regular stops at Cypress Point's front door kind of undermined the sort of story that WED was looking to tell with this particular hotel. Which was: You're out at this remote spot in the woods. The whole point of booking a stay at Cypress Point was that you were looking to disconnect from the hectic, modern world and then reconnect with nature.
That kind of explains one of the initial design conceits of Cypress Point. That -- in addition to the 550 rooms which would be available for rent within the central core complex of this wilderness-themed hotel -- the Imagineers also planned on building 20 rustic cabins out along the shore of Bay Lake for those WDW visitors who really were looking to "... get away from it all."
Disney Legend Dick Nunis
Of course, by the mid-1970s, Walt Disney World officials were refocusing all their efforts on trying to find some way to deliver on the promise of EPCOT. So plans for Cypress Point -- along with the Asian, Venetian and Persian Hotels -- got tabled for a time. But as work on EPCOT Center was well underway in the Fall of 1981, Dick Nunis -- the then-executive vice president of Disneyland and Walt Disney World -- realized that demand for on-property hotel rooms would radically increase once this futuristic theme park officially opened on October 1, 1982. So Dick had the Imagineers dig out some of their original hotel plans for the WDW Resort for review. And the project that Nunis then decided to revive was Cypress Point.
"Why Cypress Point?," you ask,"And not the Venetian or the Persian? Or especially the Asian, whose prepped-and-ready construction site had been jutting out into Seven Seas Lagoon ever since the Resort had first opened back in October of 1971?" To be blunt, Nunis was looking for a hotel that could be built in the Magic Kingdom area that then would have the least day-to-day operational impact on that theme park during that hotel's construction phase. And had the Imagineers opted to go ahead with construction of the Asian instead... Well, that would have meant disruptions of the Magic Kingdom's monorail service as they built that hotel's covered-and-connected Monorail station. And that really wasn't what Dick was looking for. He wanted a hotel that could be built which would then have little or no impact of the Guest experience of the tens of thousands of people who were staying out in Kissimmee and driving up 192 to come spend the day at the Magic Kingdom & the soon-to-open EPCOT Center.
That was what was kind of unusual about Dick Nunis. While he was running Walt Disney World, he prided himself on being a good neighbor. Dick didn't view the people and/or the companies who ran all of those off-property hotels, motels & restaurants as the enemy. Nunis figured that... Well, given that the Mouse made so much money off of the tourists who visited the Company's Central Florida resort during the day, it really wasn't necessary to chase after every single nickel which rolled off of Disney's table. Which is why -- when Dick talked about building new on-property hotels -- he wasn't all that enthusiastic about 1920 - 2112 room behemoths like Disney's All-Star Sports or the Caribbean Beach Resort. Nunis was more of a "share-the-wealth" guy. Which is why he favored smaller, low capacity resorts like the 550 room Cypress Point project that was supposed to be built along the shore of Bay Lake.
Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved
Mind you, as the cost of building EPCOT Center ballooned from WED's initial estimates of $400 million to $800 million (with the final price tag for this futuristic theme park winding up being just shy of $1.2 billion), Dick wound up having to put off the start of construction on Cypress Point. And then when EPCOT Center failed to meet its initial attendance projections during that theme park's first full year of operations... Well, that then caused the price of shares in Walt Disney Productions stock to tank. Which then left the Company vulnerable to attack by greenmailers like Saul P. Steinberg & Ivan Boesky. And it was the resulting uncertainty about Walt Disney Productions' financial future that resulted in a management change at the Mouse House in September 1984. With Ron Miller being forced out and Michael Eisner then being appointed as Disney's new chief executive officer.
And Eisner? Well, he had a very different attitude than Dick Nunis' when it came to Walt Disney World. Michael wasn't interested in being a good neighbor to all of the hotel, motel & restaurant operators out along 192. His main goal was to maximize the profit potential of the Florida property. Which is why -- during the 20+ years that Eisner was calling the shots at the Mouse House -- there was almost continuous construction on those 43 square miles of land that the Company owned in Orange & Osceola County. As Michael turned Walt Disney World into this virtual walled city in his effort to make sure that not a single dollar was left on the table.
This is why the 550 room Cypress Point hotel that Dick Nunis initially wanted to build alongside Bay Lake eventually got turned into the 730 room Wilderness Lodge Resort. More to the point, once this WDW hotel opened in May of 1994 and proved to be a huge success with Disney World visitors, the Company immediately began looking for ways to expand the footprint of this super-popular resort. They were eventually able to add an additional 137 units to this property in November of 2000 by building a brand new DVC -- the Villas at Disney's Wilderness Lodge -- right next door to the main lodge building.
Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved
Getting back to your transportation-related question now, Brandon... It may interest you to know that -- while Cypress Point / Wilderness Lodge was never intended to be connected to the Magic Kingdom Resorts monorail loop -- the Imagineers did initially plan on this wilderness-themed resort having its own unique internal transportation system.
Take a look at the 1994 era site plan that the Urban Design Group (i.e. the architectural firm that Michael Eisner tapped in 1989 to create a National Parks-inspired hotel for this 100-acre site) came up with for the overall Wilderness Lodge / Fort Wilderness campground area. Do you see that proposed rail loop in the center of this image?
Well, if Peter H. Dominick -- the lead architect on this project -- had had his way, the Fort Wilderness Railroad (which provided somewhat reliable transportation for Guests staying at the Fort Wilderness campground between the years of 1973 & 1977) would have been resurrected in a far hardier form. And this time around, that steam train would have taken people who were staying at Wilderness Lodge over to Fort Wilderness Junction. Where they could have caught a performance of the Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue, had a meal or gone shopping in the new western-themed village that Dominick was looking to build next to Clementine Beach (i.e. that strip of sand to the right of River Country where Fort Wilderness visitors used to be able to swim. Until WDW officials began discouraging people from bathing in Bay Lake, that is).
Interesting enough, this adding-a-western-themed-village-at-Fort-Wilderness idea actually dates back to the early, early days of WDW's campground. According to what Gary Goddard once told me in a 2008 interview, the Imagineers were already talking about seriously expanding this corner of the Resort as far back as 1974. And then...
EDITOR'S NOTE: I had reached this point in writing last week's Why For column last Friday morning when the news began to break about the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Which kind of knocked me for a loop for a while there. Given that -- over the past three years -- I've made three separate trips to Newtown, CT. And all of them for Disney-related reasons.
To explain: My significant other -- Nancy Stadler -- is a huge ABC soaps fan. And when Disney's Hollywood Studios cancelled its annual Super Soap Weekend in 2009, Nancy took that kind of hard. Which is why we then began casting around for some sort of replacement event.
And as it turns out, in 2010, Treehouse Comedy Productions began staging ABC Soap-related events at Edmond Town Hall. Which is this 80 year-old theater located right in the heart of a picturesque small town in southwestern Connecticut. Which is why on two separate occasions (September 10, 2010 and June 24, 2011 to be exact) we made the 3 1/2 hour drive down from New Boston, NH to Newtown, CT. Just so Nancy & friends could then see Port Chuck (which is this band made up of four actors from "General Hospital") & Maurice Bernard (who plays Sonny Corinthos on that same ABC soap).
And since I'm really not all that much of a soap opera fan, while Nancy & Co. were inside Edmond Town Hall enjoying performances by Port Chuck & Mr. Bernard, I killed time by exploring Newtown. Which is very much like New Boston. Right down to the old-fashioned general store in the center of town which has this really great deli hidden in the back. I got a terrific turkey wrap at the Newtown General Store right before that store closed at 5 p.m. Which -- I know -- might seen kind of a pretty early time for a general store to close. But that's the way things are in small New England towns. Once people are settled into their houses, safe & snug for the night, you're really not going to do all that much more business. So what's the point of staying open longer than you have to?
Newtown General Store decorated for the holidays
Anyway... I really enjoyed what I saw of Newtown, CT during my two visits there. It seemed like this very tight little community. By that I mean: When I was parked in the lot directly below Edmond Town Hall, I had this clear view of the volunteer fire department. And when a call came in that damp June night, I watched as all sorts of locals came tearing into the parking lot with their cars & SUVs. They quickly pulled on their fire gear and then fearlessly climbed up on that truck, willing to do whatever they had ro in order to help their neighbors.
Of course, it's one thing to help a single family deal with the aftermath of a house fire. It's quite another to help 20 different families deal with the sudden, brutal loss of a child.
Anywho... My most recent trip to Newtown wasn't even a planned thing. Earlier this Spring, Nancy and I were driving through Connecticut on our way back home from Georgia. We had been down in Carnesville, GA dealing with her Dad's estate and had just a few hours of driving to go before when we'd make it back home to New Boston. And as the two of us were driving up 84, I suddenly realized that I had a phone interview scheduled with Elijah Wood (who voices the character of Beck on Disney XD's "TRON Uprising") which was supposed to begin shortly.
So I took the very next exit off of 84. And where did we wind up totally by chance? Newtown, CT. Again. And I sat in the parking lot of the Blue Colony Diner talking with Mr. Wood (who's a very nice guy, by the way), I couldn't help but think how happy I was to be back in this place once more. I mean -- while so much of Connecticut now feels like an extended bedroom community for all of the bigger cities in that state like Hartford, Bridgeport and New Haven -- Newtown really has an identity that's all its own. It looks like this really great place to live. A place where you can sit out in front of the General Store and have total strangers say "Hello" to you as they walk by on Main Street.
"Why exactly are you telling me this, Jim?," you ask. "I don't want to hear about Main Street in Newtown, CT. I want to hear about Main Street, U.S.A. at one of the Disney theme parks." The reason that I'm sharing these stories with JHM readers is -- just like you -- I've been watching all of the coverage coming out of Newtown, CT this past weekend. Where people like Geraldo Rivera stand in front of this small town's high school football field and then attempt to be profound. Talking about what this senseless, brutal tragedy says about America. Who we are as a nation. Who we are as a people.
And I just want to remind you that -- if you can just look past all of those satellite trucks and those slickly produced news segments with their solemn musical underscores -- Newtown, CT is a real place with real people who are still reeling. All because some animal with an automatic weapon shot his way into an elementary school last Friday morning and then -- for whatever reason -- decided to turn a group of heroic teachers and their terrified students into targets.
As a parent and coming from a family of educators as I do (My mother was a teacher. My father was a principal. My brother & my sister are principals today. My sister-in-law is also an educator), that something like this could happen to little kids & their teachers in the one place that they were all supposed to be safe just sickens me. Then factor in that this shooting happened in Newtown, CT. Which really is the sort of place that Norman Rockwell used to make his paintings about... just escalates this tragedy to unimaginable heights.
But since this is America that we're talking about here... By this time next week, once the first wave of the memorial services are over, there'll be some other tragedy that'll comes along which will then immediately grab our attention. And Geraldo & all those satellite trucks will pull up stakes and move on to that story. Finally leaving the residents of this small southwestern Connecticut town alone to mourn their own in their own way.
Last night outside of St. Rose of Lima Church in Newtown, CT. Copyright American
Broadcasting Companies, Inc. All rights reserved
But before that happened... I just wanted to talk about the real Newtown, CT. Which is more than just that high school football field or those candlelight vigils in front of St. Rose of Lima Church that you keep seeing over & over & over again on television. I'm just hoping that -- after all of the tears & the anger & the mourning -- that the good people who actually live in this quiet corner of Fairfield County find a way to heal. That these folks can somehow find their way to being the sort of community where you immediately begin chatting up a complete stranger when they sit themselves down at the counter of the Blue Colony Diner. Or just automatically say "Hello" to someone who's seated out in front of the Newtown General Store because it's the polite thing to do.
Here's hoping that things someday get back to normal in this small New England town. Though -- right now -- I don't see how that could ever be possible.Study Reveals What Happens During A 'Glacial Earthquake'
Enlarge this image toggle caption Alistair Everett/Swansea University Alistair Everett/Swansea University
When giant icebergs break off of huge, fast-moving glaciers, they essentially push back on those rivers of ice and temporarily reverse the flow.
That's according to a new study of "glacial earthquakes," an unusual kind of temblor discovered just over a decade ago.
Glacial earthquakes happen when a really large hunk of ice breaks off a glacier in Greenland or Antarctica, says Meredith Nettles of Columbia University at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory in New York.
"We're talking about something that is a gigaton of ice," Nettles says. "That's sort of the size of an ice cube you would have if you filled up Central Park in New York City to the top of the Empire State Building."
A few years ago, her team was fortunate enough to see this kind of massive breakup of ice as they approached the front of a glacier in a helicopter.
"You see an enormous chunk of ice gradually start to tilt over, and it just lifts up all the water on top of it right up toward you as the iceberg continues to fall over. And you really see a mass of ice and water just flowing out into the fjord," she says. "And then very quickly, everything is still again."
Instruments around the world can pick up the resulting seismic rumbling, which can be like a magnitude-5 on the Richter scale.
"They are different from regular earthquakes. One way in which they are different is they take longer to happen," Nettles says. Instead of taking just seconds and generating rapid shaking, like an earthquake from the San Andreas Fault, a glacial earthquake can last a minute. This different signature in the seismic data is why scientists only recently discovered these earthquakes.
Researchers say calving events like this one trigger rumbling that can be picked up on seismic instruments around the world. SwanseaGlaciology YouTube
Nettles and her colleagues wanted to understand what exactly was happening when the earth shakes in this way. "We're really trying to understand, how does that seismic signal get created, when this ice detaches from the ice sheet," she explains.
Researchers used a helicopter to fly and land close to the calving edge of Helheim Glacier in Greenland. They put out a network of suitcase-sized GPS sensors that could precisely track the movement of the glacier. Over about two months, they captured information on 10 large calving events, all of which coincided with glacial earthquakes.
In a report published by the journal Science, they say a giant iceberg falling over generates a big enough force that it actually pushes back on the glacier, making it move backward and downward for several minutes.
"Imagine that you could go and just push on the front of the glacier with your thumb, really hard, so hard that you could reverse the direction that the front of the glacier is moving," says Nettles, "and then you let it go. And that backward and then forward motion is actually recorded in the GPS data from the front of the glacier."
The research team also set up a pretend glacier in the lab, using a tank of water with a plastic iceberg in it. The front of the fake glacier was outfitted with force and pressure sensors, so that it could be monitored as the fake iceberg tipped over and floated away.
"And what they see matches very closely what we see with the GPS data and the seismic data," Nettle says. "That allows us to actually build a better model for how the earthquake source works."
She says watching for the seismic signature of glacial earthquakes could give scientists a new way to measure the rate at which large glaciers are calving. That's important because ice is lost not just through melting, but also from calving, which is responsible for roughly half the ice mass being lost from Greenland.
"This is a great new way to monitor it quite inexpensively and accurately through time," agrees Eric Steig of the University of Washington, who called the new research "very convincing."
"This is a very cool piece of physics, so it's just fundamental science, which is just interesting," Steig says, "and it has direct relevance to things we ought to care about, like sea level."Photo: Getty Images
Social scientists will try to measure anything, it seems, and in the most recent issue of Psychology of Women Quarterly, a professor at Arizona State has published a paper that attempts to quantify the disgust women feel with regard to body hair – their own, and that of other women. The scholar, named Breanne Fahs, conducted two experiments. In one, she measured women’s responses to the thought of body hair, asking 20 women how they felt about shaving, not shaving, and about other women’s relative hairiness.
Respondents said that shaving was a minor inconvenience and a personal choice, but that overall the idea of body hair was revolting. “I think women who don’t shave are a little gross,” said one interviewee, a 22-year-old Caucasian lesbian. “Because sometimes, like if people don’t shave their entire lives, that’s just a little to much to handle for me. I always shave. I don’t like hair. I shave everything.”
In the next experiment, Fahs gave her own students extra credit if they agreed to grow their armpit and leg hair for ten weeks and keep a journal about it. Boyfriends were furious and mothers disapproving. “I constantly thought about my gross hair,” wrote one participant. “I will never ever show anyone my pit hair,” wrote another. Participants felt or were told that they were gross, disgusting, unclean, sloppy, and “ew.” The paper, which has the alliterative title “Perilous Patches and Pitstaches: Imagined Versus Lived Experiences of Women’s Body Hair Growth,” had a feminist perspective, which was, in the author’s words, to “highlight the invisibility of omnipresent sexism directed toward those who violate practices to ‘maintain’ the female body.” The compulsion to shave, in other words, is an example of how women have internalized patriarchal ideals of femininity.
These experiments are interesting mostly in their small-bore attention to a habit so mundane and so universal that most of us don’t give it a second thought. But if one continues in this vein, and scrutinizes with the seriousness of a scientist an issue usually left to beauty editors and waxing professionals, certain provoking questions arise. In an era of widespread porn, when teenagers shrug at the sight of anuses and scrotums and wide-open vaginas, why is disgust at female armpit hair, an anatomical reality so comparatively innocent, so widespread?
What is the psychological basis of that revulsion, and the corresponding need to cleanse, depilate, purify, denude? Is hygiene really the endgame, here? For bacteria do grow in unwashed armpit hair and they can cause a stink. But the answer is, probably not. Evolutionary psychologists remind me that the emotion of disgust – which protects humans by reminding them not to get too close to things that can carry disease, like excrement or corpses — can be triggered by learned prompts as well, a primitive way of preserving cultural norms or in-group or tribal status (i.e. don’t sleep with or date this or that kind of disgusting person).
And in the developed West, revulsion at the sight of female armpit hair has to be cultural, because the places that place the highest value on hairlessness are also those where frequent if not daily bathing is routine. Most pits in 21st century America are not carrying harmful or even particularly smelly bacteria, in other words. And all the evidence you need for that is that most men continue to leave their pits au naturel, and no one fears contagion from them.
An investigation into the nature of our collective disgust seems particularly pressing now, three months after Madonna exposed the growth under her arms in a widely retweeted selfie, as summer weekends make the unveiling of America’s armpits ubiquitous.
So, to start, what is the evolutionary explanation for body hair, particularly in the armpits? Why do humans, who more or less discarded somewhere in the mists of evolutionary time the full suit of hair that blanketed their primate ancestors, retain hair under their arms at all? (Pubic hair has an obvious, protective function, keeping unwanted flotsam from entering sacred zones, but armpits?) And if the hair under one’s arms does have an evolutionary purpose, then what is the psychological basis of the nearly universal assault against it? In Australia, more than 90 percent of women shave their legs and armpits. In England, 99 percent of women have depilated at some point in their lives. In the U.S., writes Michael Scott Boroughs in 2010 his dissertation for a psychology degree at the University of South Florida, depilation is “so normative that it goes almost unremarked in casual discourse or in the research or casual literature.” Among men, the practice is growing: “data collected from a sample of 118 men at a large southeastern American university resulted in an estimated prevalence of 63.6% for body depilation at one or more body sites.”
There are two main theories about why humans ultimately became hairless. First, because the hair was making us too hot when we foraged for food on the African plains. Second, because ape-like body hair provided a happy haven for vermin, and the bugs were making people sick. Ergo: No hair, no bugs; no bugs, a healthier population. But the hair under our arms, on our legs, and around our genitals persisted, stubbornly announcing its presence around puberty. And something about that hair has disgusted humans for centuries, to the point where religions explicitly command its removal. According to Islamic tradition, the plucking of armpit hair and the shaving of pubic hair is required of an observant Muslim. In Leviticus, a complete body shave is mandated in the treatment of leprosy.
So, humans have a long history of being disgusted at armpit hair even though, in the modern era, that disgust is based more in culture than in any real risk to health. Then what might be its evolutionary purpose? Why didn’t we long ago discard these tufts, along with our tails and the fluff on our shoulders? One theory is that it’s protective against chafing, not unlike a sock or a pair of underwear: “It is probably there by ‘design’ in that it reduces friction between the arm and the torso,” Johan Lundström, a neuroscientist at the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia, writes in an email. So that’s useful, though probably not critical in the age of spandex and wicking fabrics.
Here’s the best guess. Armpit hair works as a conveyor of pheromones, those scented molecules that, crucially, abet human mating, by giving each person his or her particular, alluring scent. Armpit hair (and hair around the nipples, and some groin hair) grows atop the sweat glands that produce a body’s natural smells, and it works as a kind of human fragrance diffuser, allowing one’s personal scent to waft into the atmosphere and announce one’s presence (and one’s fertility) to potential mates. “The specific development of hair in these regions (in our otherwise largely naked bodies) is thought to aid the dispersal of odorants in sexually mature humans,” writes Mahmood Bhutta in his 2007 article “Sex and the Nose.” Humans recognize each other by their scent. They can tell, on the basis of scent, whether a sweaty T-shirt belongs to a man or a woman. Women say they feel more relaxed in the presence of male smells. In men, the smell of estrogen lights up an area of the brain that controls erection.
People say body odor matters more than almost anything else when they’re picking sex partners. In a 2001 study published in Evolution and Human Behavior, psychologists found that men and women ranked an attractive body odor at or near the top of the list of other physical traits when selecting a mate. Women put “good smell” above everything else: looks, the sound of their mate’s voice, and the feeling of their mate’s skin. Men put “good smell” second only to looks. Both men and women said they preferred a good natural smell to perfumes or other fragrances.
So if hair conveys smell, and smell is so crucial to mating, then why this insistence on shaving?
The answer, it seems, is embedded deep in the evolutionary nature of disgust. And in the central role sex plays in the evolutionary story. Disgust is a protective reflex, writes Daniel Kelly, author of Yuck! The Nature and Moral Significance of Disgust, in an email. “The heart of this particular emotion’s primary job or core mission is to protect us from infectious diseases, and keep us away from the types of critters – microbes and parasites – that transmit them.” Its opposite is pleasure, or attraction. And no human experience evokes more intense pleasure, or disgust, than sex. People are drawn to and repelled by sex and sex acts in equal measure. “It’s always a delicate dance with sex and disgust. Maybe if the underarm hair as mate selection relevant scent carrier idea is right, we’re just seeing another facet of the ongoing back and forth,” Kelly writes.
Evolutionarily speaking, sex is the whole game. Sex with the wrong person can kill you and your genetic line – through disease, infertility, misfortune. With the right person, it can assure that your genes are transmitted to the next generation. Armpit hair signals sex because it grows during puberty and is one of the first signs of maturity (and fertility). And it signals sex because it transmits the scents that lead to mating. It triggers disgust because it reminds humans how dangerous sex can be. And that’s why we shave it off. Because armpit hair betrays the western fantasy about sex, which is that sex is fun, pleasurable, innocent, and inconsequential, a fantasy that elides the evolutionary truth. The revulsion at armpit hair might be evolution’s way of saying “proceed with caution,” and its removal one less barrier to cross.A Qatari court has sentenced a poet to life in prison for his verse ‘insulting’ the country`s leader and inciting anti-regime sentiment. The poem was inspired by the Arab Spring protests.
Muhammad Dheeb Ajami was charged with "insulting" Emir Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani and "inciting to overthrow the ruling system" for his poem, Tunisian Jasmine, inspired by the uprising in Tunisia.
The poet's lawyer says he was not even given a chance to defend his client.
“This judge made the whole trial secret,'' said Najib Nuaimi. “Muhammad was not allowed to defend himself, and I was not allowed to plead or defend in court.”
Nuaimi said he is planning to appeal the verdict.
Human rights activists were outraged by the court’s decision accusing Doha of double standards when it comes to the freedom of speech.
Ajami, a third-year student of literature at Cairo University, was summoned and subsequently arrested in November last year some months after he posted online a video where he reads his poem.
The poem reads – “We are all Tunisia in the face of repressive'' authorities, and criticizes Arab governments that restrict freedoms.
Ajami has been held in solitary confinement ever since, his lawyer said.
The string of massive protests across the Arab world, regarded as Arab Spring, began in Tunisia in December 2010. Arab Spring protests took place in more than a dozen countries in Northern Africa and the Middle East. Qatar, however, was not on the list of the Arab Spring countries.
Amnesty International labeled the life sentence to the Qatari poet as “an outrageous betrayal of free speech.”
“It is deplorable that Qatar, which likes to paint itself internationally as a country that promotes freedom of expression, is indulging in what appears to be such a flagrant abuse of that right,” said Philip Luther, Amnesty International’s Middle East and North Africa director.
Amnesty International believes the charges that resulted in such a harsh sentence to the poet were based on the content of his poetry.
“All the information available points to Mohammed al-Ajami being a prisoner of conscience who has been placed behind bars solely for his words. Accordingly, he should be released immediately and his conviction quashed,” Luther said.August 1, 2014 2 min read
For many product makers, getting onto the shelves of a big-box store is a pipe dream. But a contest launched today by office-supply store Staples and crowdfunding platform Fundable is making it possible for one lucky entrepreneur to do just that.
The winner of the “Crowd2Shelf Contest” will get to pitch his or her product to the Staples merchandising team for the chance to have it sold both in the Staples stores and online at Staples.com.
For one lucky little inventor, that’s a big break.
Related: A Device to Help You Sleep Better Raises Almost $500K in Two Days on Kickstarter
To win, contestants have to prove their crowdfunding chops. A select panel will pick the top 25 contestants based on a combination of the amount of money raised through crowdfunding, the number of votes received, and the recommendation from a panel of judges.
Interested entrepreneurs need to get their application submitted by Aug. 31. The 25 finalists will be announced Oct. 5 and the winner on Dec. 10, just in time for the holiday shopping season.
In the last couple of years, the popularity of crowdfunding has surged as a way to raise startup capital. It’s also become a way for businesses to market test their ideas and get feedback from potential future customers, speeding up the process of improving product design.
Related: This Hard Rock Hotel Just Raised $1.5 Million Through CrowdfundingPhoto: Jaymi Heimbuch“Restaurants want a piece of food stamp pie” blared a recent USA Today headline. The article focused on lobbying by fast food restaurants, particularly Yum! Brands, the parent company of Taco Bell and KFC, which is enthusiastic about feeding food stamp recipients its market-tested concoctions. It caused a stir on Twitter and even got Gothamist’s snark-filled attention.
The prospect that the food scientists who came up with the gut-busting Double Down sandwich would start a relentless marketing campaign aimed at low-income consumers in an era of rising obesity is alarming. Indeed, Kelly Brownell, director of Yale’s Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity, called the idea of Yum! restaurants participating in the program “preposterous.”
I was surprised to hear of this lobbying campaign; I had understood that food stamps could not be used at restaurants — and that recipients are barred from using their benefit to purchase prepared foods. But USA Today indicated that several states, including California, Michigan, and Arizona, currently allow such purchases; Rhode Island just started a pilot program limited to a handful of Subway restaurants, while Florida allows it in a single county.
One thing that struck me in particular was the vehement defense of these state programs by anti-hunger advocates:
“They think going hungry is better?” counters Edward Cooney of the Congressional Hunger Center. “I’m solidly behind what Yum! is doing.”
It seems the ongoing battle between food reformers, nutritionists, and anti-hunger advocates is just getting worse. But it’s one thing that the USDA didn’t allow New York City to experiment with restricting soda sales for food stamps — due to heavy opposition from another group of anti-hunger advocates. Now they’re going to open the food stamps floodgates to fast food?
Not exactly. In fact, not at all. In actuality, what’s at issue is, as USA Today admits, “a provision dating to the 1970s” that “allows states to allow restaurants to serve disabled, elderly and homeless people.” It’s this program, which has been implemented in only a few states, that the restaurants are clamoring to join.
The article confuses things by reporting the big increase in businesses that accept food stamps and the fact that food stamps have gone from $28.5 billion to $64.7 billion over the same period. This is not the piece of action restaurants are going for — the vast majority of businesses that have entered the program recently sell groceries, not prepared foods. So what exactly is all this about? Is USDA poised to expand the program? Change eligibility for it? Something? Anything?
A USDA spokesperson reached out to me by email hoping to clarify things. He stressed that nothing has changed; only the elderly, disabled, and homeless in the participating states can use their benefit at restaurants, though it’s true that any state has the right to implement this option. The provision is designed to help people for whom shopping and cooking are difficult or impossible. And it would take an act of Congress to widen food stamps access to restaurants generally, so it’s not entirely clear exactly who Yum! Foods is lobbying and exactly what it is they’re asking for.
Indeed, actual food stamp usage at restaurants in participating states remains tiny. According to figures supplied by the USDA, only 0.21 percent of the participating states’ food stamps dollars are spent at restaurants — and, given that this option has been available for decades, that’s not a very impressive number |
both my dad and grandpa and asked, "What was that thing? I think you got a piece of it, dad." My dad looked at me and said he thinks he winged it also. "Whatever the hell it was, I got a feeling we ain't seen the last of it," grandpa correctly predicted. Indeed, it was only the first encounter with "The Thing in the Wilderness" that particular night.
As we had finally gotten our wits about us, we again heard the unholy scream. This time, it was closer. Grandpa quickly grabbed his shotgun. "Whatever that damn thing is, he's pissed off now. Get your shotgun, son. This might be a long night," said grandpa. My dad grabbed his shotgun and they both looked out the window. Dad told me to go hide under the bed. There was no way I was going into that bedroom by myself. I wasn't leaving. There were four windows from the kitchen back toward the sparse living room. Dad then told me to keep a look out the windows in the living room....it was only one big picture window.
Again this thing screamed!!! It was incredibly loud. I can't stress enough how loud it was. In some respects, it sounded like T-rex on the "Jurassic Park" movie. It doesn't seem possible something this small (relatively speaking) could scream this loud. It just seemed impossible. Grandpa, who was momentarily taken aback and shaken, had regained his composure. "I'm going out there to give this damn thing something to scream about!!!" grandpa exclaimed. My dad said he wasn't letting him step out that door. "We don't know what this is. Until we do, none of us are leaving this cabin," Dad told us. He didn't have to worry about me. Nothing could have forced me out that door now. We all fearfully waited to see what would happen next. It had been at least an hour since that last scream. BAM!!!!! Something had slammed against the living room door!! The front door hinges had come loose from the impact. My dad told grandpa to stay at the kitchen door, he was going to the living room door. My dad grabbed me and told me to stay behind him. Again, silence for an hour and then two hours. Nothing. It was now about 1AM. Nobody was sleepy. We were too scared to sleep.
It was now closing in on 3AM. Grandpa had his head on the kitchen table with the shotgun resting near his head. Dad was alternately waking and then snoozing. I was doing neither. I was still petrified by the night's events. I was looking back and forth at both doors, at the windows and shaking with fright. I then just casually glanced toward the big picture window in the living room where I was sitting with my now snoozing dad. THERE IT WAS AGAIN!!! This time, I got a very good look at it. It had a grayish, milky skin layering. It had deep sunken eyes that were blacker than the night sky. It was thin and tall. It looked right at me. I was too shocked to even move, much less scream. BAM!!!!! Another huge impact on the living room door! This time, the top hinge flew completely off. The living room door was still shut. But, it was only hanging in by the bottom hinge. One more hit and the door is coming down. My dad and grandpa jumped up immediately with this latest attempt to knock down the door. My dad tried opening the door. But, it was jammed. Again, the unearthly scream pierced the night air. "OOOOOOAAAAAYYYY.....OOOOOAAAAYYYY!!!!!!" Grandpa opened the kitchen door, my dad screamed at him to close the damn door! Grandpa did, but not before he got off a shot from his shotgun. Grandpa later said he didn't see anything when he fired. But, he wanted "The Thing" (as I still call it) to know they were armed and could inflict considerable pain. After he fired off that shot, grandpa closed the door and propped a chair up against it. Dad did the same thing to the now unstable living room door. We all sat back down....and waited.
As it turned out, that was the last time "The Thing" attempted to get inside the cabin. I think it was like grandpa had said, it was pissed off and was wanting a piece of each of us. Dad had clearly winged it with some buckshot. The next morning, as we slowly awoke, dad went outside (with his shotgun, of course) to inspect any other damage to the cabin. The living room door was smashed inward. It would have to be replaced. But, the damage was not limited to the cabin. The rear bumper of grandpa's Chevy truck had been completely ripped off! I don't even like to think about the strength of something that could have done that. Dad looked at the bushes where he had fired his shot that night. There was a chalky substance in the bushes similar to blood splatter. We figured it must have come from that creature. We immediately gathered up all our equipment, supplies and headed out from there. When we got home, my dad called Mr. Johnson to tell him a bear had attacked the cabin. Mr. Johnson said he has lived here 35 years and never seen any bear. But, that was our story and we decided it best we stick to it or else wind up in the state mental institution.
We never went back to Mr. Johnson's cabin for reasons I am sure you can now understand. We never told Mr. Johnson the truth. My dad told Mama about what happened. But, she never believed it. Few people ever believed us. Most people think grandpa and dad had too much whiskey and gave me some also. Grandpa and my dad are gone now. They were both avid hunters. But, after that night at the cabin, they never went hunting again in the wild, to my knowledge. I still have both of those shotguns used that night in my dining room closet. Just in case. As for "The Thing," your guess is as good as mine as to what it was or is. The pic up above is as close as I can find that adequately describes it. But, the creature's head was a bit more round. The skin tone seemed about right. That pic may be fake. But, it's as close as I could find that bore a close resemblance to The Thing. It did not look anything like the many instances of "Big Foot" that you have read about or seen pics of on TV and the internet. Personally, I think there are many things in nature that can't be explained away by science. Science is not the definitive answer to everything on earth. That night at Mr. Johnson's cabin convinced me of that.
Like my grandpa and dad, I never ventured back into the wilderness of Idaho again. I was and still am too damn scared. Whatever it was that night, might still be looking for a bit of revenge from the only surviving member, that scary night in August, at Mr. Johnson's cabin.
Enjoyed this story, did you? Then read another similar story HERE.
***Please subscribe to our Paranormal Mail Subscription Feed by clicking HERE!President Donald Trump said Friday that feuding with legislators "sometimes… helps" his agenda on Capitol Hill because "it gets people to do what they're supposed to be doing."
"Sometimes it helps, to be honest with you," Trump told Fox Business host Maria Bartiromo in excerpts of an interview released Friday.
It will air Sunday and Monday on the cable network. Excerpts were also reported by The Hill.
"We'll see what happens in the end," the president said. "But, I think, actually, sometimes it helps.
"Sometimes it gets people to do what they're supposed to be doing," he added. "And, you know, that's the way it is."
In recent months, Trump has battled with top Republican Sens. John McCain of Arizona and Bob Corker of Tennessee.
He has slammed McCain for coming out against the most recent GOP proposals to repeal the basic elements of Obamacare, including the senator's early morning vote that killed a version in July.
McCain, 81, who is battling brain cancer, took a veiled swipe at Trump in a speech Tuesday challenging "half-baked, spurious nationalism" in America's foreign policy.
The president responded in a radio interview that "at some point, I fight back and it won't be pretty."
McCain, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, spent more than five years as a POW in Vietnam.
Regarding Corker, Trump lashed into the retiring senator after he called the White House "an adult day care center."
Corker, 65, who chairs the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee, later told The Washington Post that the president had "castrated" Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on talks with North Korea, creating the possibility of war with Pyongyang or Iran.
This week, President Trump bashed Florida Democratic Rep. Frederica Wilson on Twitter as "crazy" and "wacky."
The four-term representative criticized Trump's remarks Tuesday to a Gold Star widow whose husband was among four Green Berets killed in an Islamic State ambush in Niger.
Wilson charged that Trump told Myeshia Johnson, 24, of Miami Gardens, Florida, that her slain husband, Army Sgt. La David Johnson, 25, "knew what he signed up for... but when it happens it hurts anyway."
Trump also defended his use of social media in these feuds, saying he may have gotten elected with it.
“When somebody says something about me, I am able to go bing, bing, bing and I take care of it,” the president said.
“You have to keep people interested also,” Trump explained. “You know, you have to keep people interested.”
Trump conceded that friends tell him not to use social media. But, he said, it’s a very useful tool to counter “fake news” and respond to critics.
“I can express my views when somebody expresses maybe a false view that they said I gave,” Trump said.
“Tweeting is like a typewriter,” Trump told Bartiromo. “When I put it out, you put it immediately on your show. I mean the other day, I put something out, two seconds later I am watching your show.”
Trump said he felt that he was especially well-suited for Twitter and social media in general.
“You know they are well-crafted,” he said, referring to his tweets. “I was always good student. I am like a person that does well with that kind of thing. And I doubt I would be here if weren’t for social media, to be honest with you. Because there is a fake media out there, I get treated very unfairly by the media.”A veteran fighter known as 'the sheikh of snipers' (pictured) has been killed in Iraq's battle to retake the town of Hawija from the Islamic State group
A veteran fighter known as 'the sheikh of snipers' has been killed in Iraq's battle to retake the town of Hawija from the Islamic State group, his paramilitary force announced on Saturday.
Abu Tahsin al-Salhi, who took part in conflicts dating back to the 1973 Arab-Israeli war and said he had gunned down at least 320 IS jihadists, died on Friday.
The 63-year-old, who boasted of at least four hits a day, was killed as he advanced on Hawija in northwest Iraq, said Ahmad al-Assadi, spokesman for the Hashed al-Shaabi alliance mostly of Shiite militias fighting alongside government forces against the last jihadist bastions.
At his funeral on Saturday near the southern port city of Basra, close friend Ahmad Ali Hussein said the marksman was widely known by comrades as 'the sheikh of snipers' or 'hawk eye'.
A grey-bearded hulk of a man who drove an offroad motorbike and wore a black-and-white chequered scarf and fingerless mittens, Abu Tahsin was inseparable from his Austrian-manufactured Steyr rifle.
In a video from last year, the warrior gave a rundown of his career as a sniper, starting in 1973 when he was part of an Iraqi brigade fighting on Syria's Golan Heights.
The pensioner, who has bullets longer than his fingers strapped to his belt, talks about what his powerful weapon does to his targets, saying it 'pushes him back one meter before putting him down'.
A grey-bearded hulk of a man who drove an offroad motorbike and wore a black-and-white chequered scarf and fingerless mittens, Abu Tahsin was inseparable from his Austrian-manufactured Steyr rifle
Abu Tahsin al-Salhi, who took part in conflicts dating back to the 1973 Arab-Israeli war and said he had gunned down at least 320 IS jihadists, died on Friday
Iraqi mourners hold a portrait of Abu Tahsin al-Salhi, a veteran sniper from the Hashed al-Shaabi units, during his funeral near the southern city of Basra
Abu Tahsin al-Salhi, a veteran Iraqi sniper from the Hashed al-Shaabi units who boasted of having killed at least 320 Islamic State (IS) group fighters
He talks proudly about how militants fear the area he defends with his gun, pointing to the miles of wide open space below, saying: 'You see this area - I guarantee to god no-one would come up it'.
As he explains his role in the conflict, Mr Tahseen, who has fought in the Yom Kippur war, Iran-Iraq war, Invasion of Kuwait, Gulf War, hears chatter on the radio.
He then settles to take aim, and talks to his spotter has he looks down at the open ground below through his sights, and allegedly sees another sniper and his spotter.
'He's sitting next to him, right? or am I mistaken?,' he says to his spotter, who agrees that he can see their heads showing.
The 63-year-old was killed as he advanced on Hawija in northwest Iraq, said Ahmad al-Assadi, spokesman for the Hashed al-Shaabi alliance
He also fought in late dictator Saddam Hussein's 1980-1988 war against Iran, his 1990 invasion of Kuwait and against US troops who toppled Saddam in 2003, before turning his sights on IS
He then peers though his sights, sitting deadly still, as he takes aim and presses the trigger, and tying to control the huge rifle's massive kickback.
The shot shakes the sniper, but he doesn't remove his eye from the sights, watching for a few seconds until he sees the shot hit his target.
Tahsin, who fights for a Shia militia, then says: 'Sweet. Prayers to Mohammed and his family. Yes. Down in the valley.'
He also fought in late dictator Saddam Hussein's 1980-1988 war against Iran, his 1990 invasion of Kuwait and against US troops who toppled Saddam in 2003, before turning his sights on IS.
'Today, I gunned down two of them (IS fighters). That's ridiculous -- the minimum for me is four,' he says in the video. In anti-IS battles in 2015 'I killed 173 of them, and now I'm at 320.'Bill Anderson
LRC Blog
April 15, 2009 LRC BlogApril 15, 2009
While there are tax protests out there, Paul Begala is not among them. Granted, I have no use for Republicans who suddenly (after eight years of wild spending and war) have discovered liberty, but Begala definitely is over-the-top in the other way:
(CNN) — Happy Patriots’ Day. April 15 is the one day a year when our country asks something of us — or at least the vast majority of us. For those who wear a military uniform, those who serve the rest of us as policemen and firefighters and teachers and other public servants, every day is patriots’ day. They work hard for our country; many risk their lives — and some lose their lives. But for the rest of us, the civilian majority, our government asks very little. Except for April 15. On this day, our government asks that we pay our fair share of taxes to keep our beloved country strong and safe.
Freedom isn’t free. That’s what the courageous World War II veterans of the American Legion taught me back in Texas Boys State decades ago. That phrase had special meaning for them. Those guys had seen buddies blown apart at Anzio or Guadalcanal.
One does not know to laugh or cry at such drivel, but we have to remember that at one time Begala was a trusted adviser to Bill Clinton, and so he, too, played a role in the murderous and evil presidency that Clinton gave us. (But, then, it seems that every modern presidency is murderous and evil.)
[efoods]May 19 (UPI) -- Thai wildlife officials said a massive-bellied monkey dubbed "Uncle Fatty" will be placed on a strict diet before being released back into the wild.
The macaque, which became famous in Thailand after the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Preservation shared a picture on its Facebook page last month, underwent a health examination that determined tumors were not responsible for the size of his belly.
Wildlife officials said Friday that veterinarians determined the monkey, known to locals as "Uncle Fatty" or "Uncle Fat," was morbidly obese due to being given junk food and soft drinks by local residents.
"We humans caused this. We gave him food that monkeys shouldn't eat, and this was totally preventable," Supakarn Kaewchot, a government wildlife veterinarian, told news outlet Khao Sod.
Supakarn said Uncle Fatty was captured in Bangkok's Bang Khun Tian district last month and weighed in at a staggering 57 pounds.
The primate is now being kept in the department's facility in Bangkok and receiving a strict diet of green vegetables, low-sugar fruits and lean protein.
"We also set up logs for Uncle Fatty in his cage and we encourage him to exercise," Supakarn said.
She said the monkey won't be released until his weight has reached an acceptable level.
"As of now, he's only lost a few grams, and this will take some time. Like people, if monkeys get very fat they need time to lose weight. Weight loss will decrease Uncle Fatty's risk of diabetes and heart disease," the veterinarian said.TASH UPDATE for Wide Release: Autonomous Press and TASH had a very encouraging meeting this morning on the topics of Communication Justice and research. TASH reaffirmed their powerful commitment to human rights and quality of life for people, which puts us clearly on the same side, and so we look forward to a fruitful partnership. Stay tuned for more detailed news about future developments soon. – 11/27/15
Following the statement from TASH regarding their official stance that they will not support or directly endorse facilitated communication, the partners at Autonomous Press have decided that we cannot do business with the organization or any representative acting in their capacity as such while this policy is in effect. As a press started by a majority autistic partnership, one whose own members type to communicate frequently, we do not feel comfortable attending, selling at, or promoting this organization or their events in any way.
We make this decision with a heavy heart. Many of us have friends on the board. In addition to that fact, though, one of our editors on Typed Words, Loud Voices, our groundbreaking anthology of typers, is herself an FC activist. She has presented at TASH to specifically address the ways she communicates and barriers caused by false and ableist skepticism leading to poorly designed and agenda-driven “studies.” We can only imagine the strain that this institutional decision has placed on her, implying as it does that TASH does not stand behind those that they invite to share their knowledge and ideas.
It is out of a desire to make our commitment to representing voices like hers, and not to privilege some forms of accommodation and some forms of communication over others, that we make this move:
Until TASH officially embraces FC and the right of all disabled persons to communicate with the methods they choose for themselves, Autonomous Press will be forced to avoid the TASH conference, withdraw outreach funding from any travel grants being used by TASH presenters applying for our assistance, and withdraw our memberships (for those of us who are members). The partners are also asking that AutPress authors who wish to present at TASH during this period, however long or short it is, do so without promoting the books they have published with us or directly tying them in to their abstracts (casual mentions are fine).
We are happy to fully embrace any organization within our community that supports and embraces our mission and the authors we represent. When an organization leaves itself open to the idea that the books, presentations, and other intellectual work by facilitated communicators are not genuine, that is the same thing as stating that they are open to the idea that we have created false or counterfeit scholarly work. It’s unfortunate, but we cannot have a relationship with organizations that take such a position and declare it to be principled.
We look forward to communication justice becoming, once again, a priority for TASH, and await a new institutional statement showing it.About This Game
It was July 7th, 2011.
While investigating reports of unlawful weapons trafficking, peacekeeping forces encountered an unclassified carnivorous species occupying a small village in Northern Africa. These rabid creatures were easily provoked and resistant to conventional attack. Eight specimens were encountered in the region now referred to as "Ground:ALPHA"... Only four were successfully contained for study. Victims of the attack were quarantined at a research facility nearby. These victims displayed signs of internal liquefaction and accelerated necrosis, similar to symptoms of other flesh-eating viruses native to that region.
But it wasn't a viral outbreak. It was a parasitic infestation. A previously unidentified species of hook worm was found beneath the skin of the Ground: ALPHA specimens. These parasites, we call them "Alpha-worms", laid dozens of eggs inside their hosts, which in turn produced numerous larvae. These larvae penetrated the bloodstream and triggered a variety of genetic failures. However, unlike most genetic failures, these symptoms were not fatal. Instead, infested victims were larger, stronger… and driven by hunger. Using the research gained from the Ground: ALPHA specimens, a team of some special individuals were assembled. Minor outbreaks occurred over the next few years, but elite squad quickly put them down. Which brings us to the current situation in Tokyo...Moody's revises Tasmania's credit rating
Updated
Ratings agency Moody's has revised its outlook on Tasmania's AA1 credit rating to negative.
The move is not a downgrade, but the rating is less stable than a regular AA rating.
The agency says the negative outlook is due to "ongoing deterioration" in Tasmania's financial performance, which it expects will continue as spending outpaces revenue raising.
Earlier this month, the State Government abandoned plans to bring the budget back to surplus by 2017, outlining a $450 million hit in its budget update.
Economist Saul Eslake says it was inevitable the state's rating would be reviewed.
"Of course in addition to the deteriorating position of the so-called general budget, there's also likely to be a deterioration in the financial position of the State's Government Business Enterprises, which in Tasmania, is where most of the debt resides."
Topics: economic-trends, states-and-territories, tas
First postedYou wouldn’t think that human poop has many uses, but it turns out that the UK is using brown to go green. As of today, Britain’s first “poo bus” will be shuttling passengers between the city of Bath and Bristol Airport. And yes, you guessed it: it’s powered by human waste, alongside food waste.
This “Bio-bus” runs on biomethane gas, which is produced from the treatment of human sewage and food that is unsuitable for human consumption. It has a combustion engine that is similar to diesel engines in normal buses, but the gas is stored in dome-like tanks on the roof.
The gas is generated using anaerobic (oxygen hating) bacteria, which break down the waste into methane-rich gas. Before it can be used to power buses, CO 2 is removed and propane is added. Other impurities are also removed so that the emissions are virtually odorless (thank goodness). It also produces fewer overall emissions than traditional diesel engines, and is obviously more sustainable.
Just one person’s annual food and sewage waste is enough to fuel the bus for 60 kilometers (37 miles). One tank is sufficient for a 300 kilometer (186 mile) journey, which is about five people’s annual waste.
The company behind the gas, GENco, produces approximately 17 million cubic meters of biomethane annually, which is enough to power around 8,300 homes. And as of this week, they’ve started injecting gas generated from human and food waste into the national gas grid network.
“A home generated green gas, biomethane, is capable of replacing around 10% of the UK’s domestic gas needs and is currently the only renewable fuel available for HGVs,” said Charlotte Morton, chief executive of the Anaerobic Digestion and Bioresources Association. “The bus also clearly shows that human poo and our waste food are valuable resources.”
[Via BBC News and The Guardian]Using Rekit to quickly create a React app
Nate Wang Blocked Unblock Follow Following Sep 22, 2016
Updated Aug, 2017
NOTE: this article has been deprecated in favor of Rekit 2.0. Now you should use Rekit 2.0, which replaced sublime-text plugin with a new tool named Rekit Portal, to get more powerful features. Learn more about Rekit 2.0: https://medium.com/@nate_wang/rekit-2-0-next-generation-react-development-ce8bbba51e94
There really have been a lot of React boilerplates, code generators and starter kits. Of which the most notable one is the Facebook’s official “Create React App” tool. All of them have their own tradeoffs. Rekit is just another one which covers all of the lifecycle of building a React application using a scalable way. And it’s the only one (as I know) providing a Sublime text plugin.
These days I have introduced a lot about how Rekit works and the design philosophy behind it, but the feedback tells me it’s still confusing what Rekit is and how to use it. So this article will mainly introduce the usage of Rekit and how it helps you focus on the business logic better.
In short, Rekit does below things for you:
Create a new project, configure everything well for a typical application with React, Redux and React-router. You don’t need to do anything else before you can start the application. Generate boilerplates for components, route config, test cases, Redux actions/reducers/constants on demand by provided command line tools or the Sublime plugin. It also provides the ability to destroy them. Provide a build tool to produce production-ready builds, such as hashing the bundle, optimising the code.
Now let’s see how to use Rekit step by step.
1. Installation
To install the stable version:
npm install -g rekit
This will install a global command rekit to the system. It’s only used to create a new project.
2. Create a new app
For a long time creating a new project with React is a big pain. Too many tools to be configured before you write the first line of code regarding your business logic.
Now Rekit rescues. It helps create a new React project in seconds. You don’t need to do any additional configuration, Rekit just setups everything well, such as:
Creating the folder structure
Webpack configs for dev, dist, test, etc.
React hot loader config
Babel, ESLint config
Mocha, Enzyme config for React testing.
…
The usage is:
rekit my-app
This will create a new app named my-app in the current directory. After that, just install dependencies and start the dev server:
cd my-app
npm install
npm start
Look! It’s super easy to create a new project for either a simple prototype app or a serious production project.
3. See the welcome page
After the app is created and started, you can see a welcome page by accessing http://localhost:6076. Seeing it also means the creation is successful.
On top of the welcome page is a simple navigator which reads router config to create links. The page also includes two simple samples showing how Redux is used, for sync action and async action.
A simple counter. Reddit list of the channel reactjs.
The welcome page is put under the ‘home’ feature, you can remove it simply by running “npm run rm:feature home”. It’s just a demo feature, remove it to get a clean project as you want.
4. Add a feature
A feature is the top level concept of a Rekit application. See more introduction at rekit.js.org.
It’s super easy to adding a feature by the Sublime text plugin:
The equivalent npm script is:
npm run add:feature category
What it mainly does:
Create a folder named category under the src/features folder.
Create boilerplate files for the feature.
Import and combine the feature reducer in src/common/rootReducer.js.
Import and define the feature routeConfig in src/common/routeConfig.js with the URL path category.
Create a default page: DefaultPage.js.
Create a sample action: categorySampleAction.
5. Add a page
A page is a container component which connects to Redux store. It is usually associated with a URL path. See more introduction at rekit.js.org. You can add or remove a page by the Sublime plugin:
The equivalent npm script is:
npm run add:page category/my-page
What it mainly does:
Add the page component: src/features/category/MyPage.js.
Add the page style file: src/features/category/MyPage.less.
Define the routing rule in src/features/my-feature/route.js.
Add a unit test file test/app/features/my-feature/MyPage.test.js.
6. Add a component
There are two types of component in a Rekit application. One is common put in the src/components folder, the other belongs to some feature. You can add or remove a component by the Sublime plugin:
The equivalent npm script is:
npm run add:page category/my-component
What it mainly does:
Add the component: src/features/category/MyComponent.js.
Add the component style file: src/features/category/MyComponent.less.
Add a unit test file: test/app/features/category/MyComponent.test.js.
7. Add an action/async-action
The Redux doc has given an “official” approach to creating actions/async-actions. Rekit just adopts it. You can add or remove actions by the Sublime plugin:
The equivalent npm script is:
npm add:async-action category/fetch-list
What it mainly does:
Add four action types to src/features/category/redux/constants.js.
Add an action file src/features/category/redux/fetchList.js.
Import and export actions in src/features/category/redux/actions.js.
Import and use the reducer in src/features/category/redux/reducer.js.
Add a test file src/features/category/redux/fetchList.test.js.
8. Run unit tests
When creating pages, components, actions/reducers, Rekit also creates associated test files with simple but useful test cases generated. See more introduction at rekit.js.org. You can run a specific test or all the tests by the Sublime plugin:
The equivalent npm script is:
npm test app/category/redux/fetchList.test.js // for a single test
npm test app/**/*.test.js // for all app tests, it generates coverage report
What it does: Rekit uses webpack.test.js to build the app and test the built bundle with mocha-webpack. It supports running either a single test or tests matching some pattern.
9. Build the application
It’s super easy to build a Rekit project with Sublime plugin:
The equivalent npm script is:
npm run build
After the build, you can test the build result by starting a test server:
npm run build:test
Then access http://localhost:6077, you should see the same result with which in dev time.
Summary
Okay, so this is a brief introduction about how to use Rekit. By doing all trival things about configurations, boilerplates for you, it helps you be focused on the business logic better. You can read more details about the Sublime plugin or command line tools from Rekit’s documentation.
Hope this article helps explain what Rekit is and how it works. If you are interested, just give it a try! If you like it, welcome to give it a star! I’m always expecting your feedback at twitter @webows. Thanks for reading.Looking for news you can trust?
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Brian Taft joined the C/K death list in November 2007. As he pulled out of a parking lot near midnight in Clifton Township, Pennsylvania, his pickup was broadsided by an SUV. Taft suffered broken ribs, but that’s not what killed him, an autopsy found. Instead, it was the fireball that engulfed both vehicles when Taft’s gas tank ruptured and the pickup exploded. Burned on 99 percent of his body, Taft left a wife and two young children. (The other driver survived.)
Taft, 36, was behind the wheel of a 1986 GM pickup, one of more than 9 million in the popular C/K line sold in the 1970s and ’80s. For marketing reasons, the trucks had an unusual design feature. GM wanted to offer 40 gallons of fuel capacity, but there was no place to mount a tank that big. So it offered twin 20 gallon tanks, each nearly 5 feet long, two explosive containers hanging like saddle bags outside the truck’s protective frame. Even after decades, that choice still resonates in the courts, in the lives of bereaved families and in the disfiguring scars of survivors.
Hundreds have been killed in fiery crashes of the side-saddle pickups, and many others suffered disfiguring burns. A review by FairWarning found that at least 100 people have perished by fire since federal authorities dropped an investigation that could have led to the trucks’ recall.
Sixteen years ago, a probe (pdf) by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, part of the Department of Transportation, found the risk of burning to death in side-impact crashes was much higher (pdf) in the GM trucks than in rival full-size pickups. But under intense pressure from GM and its congressional allies, transportation officials blinked, announcing a settlement in December 1994 that left millions of the trucks on the road. In exchange, GM agreed to pay $51.4 million for safety programs—things like buying child car seats for poor families—that transportation officials said would save many lives.
By that time, more than 600 people had burned to death in C/K post-collision fires. And the agreement did nothing about the remaining side-saddle pickups, described by consumer advocates and victims’ lawyers as the most dangerous vehicles, from a fire risk standpoint, ever produced.
GM officials have consistently defended the trucks, saying they have a fine overall safety record and met fuel-system safety standards when they were produced. “The safety of the trucks was established a number of years ago after extensive investigations and reviews,” said GM spokesman Tom Wilkinson. “We don’t have anything new to add.” Over the years, GM has settled hundreds of lawsuits and claims by fire victims or their families, paying out well in excess of $500 million.
Robert Lawrence of Turner, Oregon, settled his case following a fiery crash in 2005 that nearly killed him and his fianceé. Both suffered extensive burns and other injuries when a car ran a stop sign and hit the side-saddle truck in which they were riding, rupturing the fuel tank and triggering a massive fire. Five years later, Lawrence’s voice still wobbles with emotion when he talks about it. GM “knew that people were getting killed,” but “they were selling these trucks like hotcakes, so rather than stop and fix it they continued to sell them,” Lawrence said.
“Yet they make all these advertisements on TV—’The Heartbeat of America’ and ‘We care about your family,’ and all that stuff,” said Lawrence, 46. “It just freaks me out.”
Unlike Lawrence’s case, the Taft family’s lawsuit was virtually wiped out last year by the GM bankruptcy, along with hundreds of other product liability claims with a total settlement value of more than $400 million, according to a court document. With nearly all assets shifted from the “old GM” to the new company, lawyers say the Tafts and other claimants will be lucky to get 10 to 20 cents on the dollar.
Taft family members declined to be interviewed, but their lawyer Michael Gallacher said they were “angry that this vehicle was still out there.” GM knew from the start the risks of the outboard tanks, Gallacher said. “I think it’s probably the worst example of corporate negligence that you can possibly have.”
• • •
According to a federal database, following the government’s settlement with GM, the side-saddle trucks were involved in nearly 400 fatal crashes with post-collision fires through 2008. However, the database, known as the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), attributed most deaths to the force of the collision, and only 97 to explosions or fires. But when the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration compared the database’s records on C/K pickup deaths with actual autopsies in 1994, it found that fire deaths were incorrectly attributed to crash forces more often than the other way around.
Accordingly, the estimate of at least 100 fire deaths since December 1994 seems conservative. It includes the 97 cases coded in FARS, along with 10 additional fatalities in which autopsies, police reports or witness statements reviewed by FairWarning indicated that victims survived the crash then died in the flames.
The toll has eased with the gradual disappearance of the trucks. But as they slowly wind their way to the junkyard, the tough old pickups are a reminder of how decisions by industry and government can have profound and lasting consequences.
“I still see them on the road every day,” said B.J. Kincade, an Oklahoma woman whose 29-year-old son Jimmy died in a fiery C/K wreck. “They last forever, and that’s part of the problem,” she said. “Except for the fact that they burn up, they’re not a bad truck.”
With its emergence from bankruptcy, GM could face new claims. Late last year, Megan Holt, 16, of Vicksburg, Michigan, burned to death when her ’86 side-saddle pickup veered off the road for unknown reasons and struck a tree. She survived the impact, but the truck burst into flames. Other motorists told police they heard her screams as they tried unsuccessfully to free her. An expert retained |
job to develop software for nuclear plants (some might say it is perfectly fine to work for nuclear power companies - it is against my ethics and serves as an example) or for tanks. You can say "No".
9. Do something else
A programmer is more than a programmer. You should do something which has nothing to do with computers. In your primetime, go sailing, fishing, diving. Do meditation, martial arts or play Shakuhachi. Whatever you do, do it with all the power you have (left). Like you do at your worktime. Do it seriously. A hobby is not just a hobby, it's expression of who you are. Don let anybody fool you, when he says hobbies are not important. Nowadays we can effort having hobbies. I have recorded several CDs and wrote fantasy books (the latter one unpublished, I must practice more). These things have made me to the person I am now, and finally they have led me to Zen and this blog post. These days I practice Zen Shakuhachi. It is a very important aspect to my daily life.
10. There is nothing special.
A flower is beauty. But it's just a beauty flower - nothing more. There is nothing special around it. You are a human who can program. Maybe you are good. There is nothing special around you. You are of the same kind as I am or all the others on this planet. You need to go in the loo and you need to eat. Of course you need to sleep. After (hopefully) a long time you will die and everything you have created will be lost. Even pyramids get lost, after a long time. Do you know the names of the people who build up a pyramid? And if you do, is it important that you know? It's not. Pyramids are there, or not. Nothing special.
Same goes to your software. The bank is earning money with your software. After you leave, nobody remembers you. There is nothing wrong around it. It is the flow of time. Nothing you should be worried about it. If you are living after the first 9 rules, you'll see that this last project was a good and funny project. Now it's simply time to go on and concentrate on something else.
If your company closes because of financial problems, no problem. Life will go on. There is no real need for an xbox, a car or something else. Most people on this planet live in deepest poorness. They don't care about an xbox, because they would be glad to get some food or even water.
So... why exactly are you special? Because you had the luck to be born in the western territory? Because you can code? No, there is nothing special about it. You can let go you ego and live freely. Enjoy the colors and the smell of flowers around. Don't be too sad when the winter comes and don't be too happy when spring comes back. It is just a flow. Keep it in mind when somebody denies your application. Because the company is not so special that you need to be worried about the job.
Disclaimer
I am not a Zen monk. I am just practicing and learning. Please ask your local Zen monk if you feel there is something you need to understand deeper. Of course I can try to answer on this blog, but well, I am just a beginner. Anyway I am glad about your comment and if you would send a tweet with this pages url if you liked this post. Thanks for reading!
The Zen Programmer Book
Due to the high interest of this blog post I have published a book on Zen Programming. Click here for more information. If you want to stay in touch, please subscribe to this mailinglist. Only Zen Programming news will be sent in irregular intervals. You can unsubscribe at any time.
News about The Zen Programmer:Maryland House Speaker Michael E. Busch (D-Anne Arundel) has introduced ethics reform legislation after several scandals involving members of his body. (Linda Davidson/The Washington Post)
Nearly a third of Maryland residents see corruption as a major problem in state government, according to a Washington Post-University of Maryland poll, a perception that coincides with a push by lawmakers and Gov. Larry Hogan to strengthen ethics laws.
The House of Delegates gave final approval Friday to compromise legislation crafted by Hogan (R) and House Speaker Michael E. Busch (D-Anne Arundel) that would increase financial disclosure requirements and expand the definition of what constitutes a conflict of interest.
The legislation — part of an effort to address a string of scandals involving Democratic lawmakers — will now be considered in the Senate.
State lawmakers are also negotiating bills to overhaul the structure of the Prince George’s County liquor board, an agency at the center of a federal corruption probe that resulted in bribery charges against two former delegates from Prince George’s earlier this year.
A third Democrat, who had been chosen to fill an empty seat in the House of Delegates, lost that position after he was indicted on charges of illegal campaign contributions. And Del. Dan K. Morhaim (D-Baltimore County) received a rare public reprimand from his House colleagues for violating the spirit of ethics laws by taking stances on the state’s nascent medical marijuana industry without publicly making clear that he was a consultant for a marijuana-related business.
[House reprimands lawmaker over marijuana business ties]
The Post-U-Md. poll finds stark regional differences in concern about corruption in both Annapolis and in local government. A 57 percent majority of Baltimore City residents say corruption in state government is a big problem, compared with 22 percent of residents in Montgomery County and 32 percent of Marylanders overall. In 2004, 27 percent of Maryland residents said they were concerned about statewide corruption. Among likely voters in 2002, the figure was 37 percent.
A smaller 24 percent of Marylanders say corruption is a big problem in their own jurisdiction. Concerns peak at 59 percent in Baltimore City and 39 percent in Prince George’s County. Major concerns about county-level corruption fall to 21 percent in Baltimore County, 17 percent among residents of Anne Arundel or Howard counties and 9 percent in Montgomery.
[Read full poll results | How it was conducted]
India Patterson, who lives in the Prince George’s town of Brentwood, said she was floored by the recent charges against former delegates Michael L. Vaughn (D) and William A. Campos (D), especially since they came from her county, which has been dogged by high-profile corruption cases.
“It’s an embarrassment,” said Patterson, a 39-year-old health-care worker. “Prince George’s has come so far, but yet we are still so behind.”
Federal authorities have accused Vaughn, Campos, the liquor board administrator and an appointed commissioner of accepting or arranging bribes for actions relating to liquor laws or board decisions.
In response to the case, Hogan proposed legislation to cut local party officials from the process of choosing liquor board commissioners, while requiring the regulators to undergo criminal background checks.
[Hogan warns a culture of corruption could be taking root in Annapolis]
State lawmakers did not take action on the governor’s proposal, but they are advancing alternative bills that would subject liquor inspectors, commissioners and board staff to more stringent public ethics laws.
Legislators agree in their proposals that the Prince George’s county executive should appoint the commissioners, instead of the governor. They are negotiating whether state senators should still have a say.
While that debate is ongoing, lawmakers are on the verge of passing a revised version of Hogan’s Public Integrity Act, which is aimed at closing gaps in state ethics laws exposed by the ethics committee investigation and subsequent House reprimand of Morhaim.
The longtime lawmaker urged marijuana regulators to change rules affecting the medical marijuana industry without fully disclosing he had become affiliated with a cannabis company, and he also spoke out on marijuana issues in the legislature without making his work for the company known to fellow lawmakers.
The Joint Committee on Legislative Ethics found no violations of disclosure rules or evidence that Morhaim intentionally tried to use his public office to his financial advantage but nevertheless concluded his actions were improper and tarnished the legislative body’s reputation.
The bill, tentatively approved by the House on Thursday, would make similar conduct by lawmakers illegal, not just improper. If passed, the legislation would require lawmakers to disclose any arrangements in which they are being paid or will be paid by companies vying for state licenses or awards.
Lawmakers are generally barred from taking legislative action on bills that could have a direct financial benefit to them or their employer, and the ethics committee criticized Morhaim for asking the Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission to change the rules for awarding licenses to companies in a way that could have benefited Doctor’s Orders.
The bill awaiting final action in the House expands the definition of legislative action to include testimony before state regulators.
“As we went through some issues this year with the ethics committee, I believe there were some things that we could do a little bit better,” Busch said at a hearing on his ethics bill, which has since been merged with the governor’s. “There’s got to be more transparency.”
The legislation makes comprehensive financial disclosures filed by lawmakers available online, instead of requiring an in-person trip to the State Ethics Commission in Annapolis. Those who view the filings still must provide their name and home address, which are forwarded to lawmakers whose disclosures have been viewed.
The legislature rejected several ethics provisions pushed by Hogan’s administration, including stripping the General Assembly of the power to police its members’ adherence to ethics rules.
“If legislators are not policing ourselves, there’s accountability at the polling place,” state Sen. Cheryl C. Kagan (D-Montgomery) said at a hearing on Hogan’s bill.
As a compromise, Democrats agreed to create a citizen advisory panel that could recommend changes to legislative ethics laws and policies but would have no investigatory power.
“Is it as strong as we wanted? No. That doesn’t mean that the bill going forward won’t do a lot of good for the people of the state in helping to restore some of that trust that was lost,” Hogan spokesman Doug Mayer said. “With the very public indictments and ethical lapses that have occurred over the last couple of months, something needed to get done.”
Separately, Busch and Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. (D-Calvert) are pushing to bar lawmakers from working with medical cannabis companies as part of a regulatory overhaul of the industry.
Stacy Fraser, who lives in Upper Marlboro in Prince George’s, said the recent corruption cases have left her focused more on candidates’ character than their political affiliation.
“It’s not about the party anymore,” said Fraser, 41. “It’s the person and what their intentions are.”
Scott Clement and Emily Guskin contributed to this report.Author: “No Bugs” Hare Follow: Job Title: Sarcastic Architect Hobbies: Thinking Aloud, Arguing with Managers, Annoying HRs,
Calling a Spade a Spade, Keeping Tongue in Cheek
[rabbit_ddmog vol=”8″ chap=”Chapter 29(d) from “beta” Volume VIII”]
After we discussed the very basics in “Bot Fighting 101”, we can go a bit further and discuss an activity which is traditionally very popular among anti-reverse-engineers: using certain system-specific tricks to deter attackers.
TBH, I think that while such system-level protections are somewhat useful, their importance is grossly overstated; in particular, if you think “hey, we’ll use this neat trick and we’re done protecting” – you’d better change your mind, or your game (if successful enough) will become a cheater-fest.
The problem with abusing system-level stuff as a protection is that whatever-system-level-trick-we’re-using, has a corresponding system-level-trick-which-counters-our-trick. So, at the very best, even if we find some-completely-new-trick-nobody-knows-about-yet (which is BTW extremely non-trivial) – even in this case all we can hope is to deter attackers once – and at the very most, for a few months (usually – more like a few weeks). Moreover, all specific trickery becomes utterly useless at the very moment when it is published, so writing anything new in this section wouldn’t make any sense (and for pretty-much-everything-which-isn’t-new, counter-tricks are already long-found and long-deployed by hackers).
Nevertheless, there are several reasons to use system-level protections (even well-known ones which are discussed in this section):
To deter novice hackers.
To show a notice “hey, we know you’re trying to hack us” (without any banning 1 ). While we do know that this notice will be disabled easily, it will make sure that we won’t ban those who accidentally launched our program under debugger (or gave up really quickly); also, such a notice might strengthen position in case of legal disputes with players. 2 As we’ll refer to this notice a few times in this section, let’s give it a name – GotchaNotice.
). While we do know that this notice will be disabled easily, it will make sure that we won’t ban those who accidentally launched our program under debugger (or gave up really quickly); also, such a notice strengthen position in case of legal disputes with players. As we’ll refer to this notice a few times in this section, let’s give it a name – GotchaNotice. To integrate them with other protections (while for the time being, such integration is not in scope, we’ll discuss it [[TODO]] section below). In general, tightly-integrated different layers of protection DO have a potential to make a life of attacker signigicantly worse than otherwise (though we should be careful not to give up one protection layer when adding another one).
In addition, let’s note that:
For the purposes of this book, and for system-level protection, we’ll concentrate on Windows. Similar stuff exists on other platforms too, but sorry, you’ll need to find references to anti-reverse-engineering-techniques for the other platforms yourself.
we will not consider time-based protections as system-level ones; in the context of MOGs with servers having an independent timer, time-based protections can be made very viable and very-difficult-to-bypass (and they’re not that much system-specific either); we’ll discuss time-based stuff in [[TODO]] section below.
With all these disclaimers in place, we can start discussing some of the most popular system-level protection techniques.
Debugger Detection/Prevention
“it is fundamentally impossible to prevent (or detect) debugging, at least as long we’re staying on one single box.Arguably, a technique which is most-popular-among-novice-anti-reverse-engineers, is an attempt to detect (or prevent) debugging of our program. Very often, reasoning goes along the lines of “hey, if we can prevent debugging our program – we’re done, nobody will be able to reverse-engineer it”. There is one problem with such a naïve logic, and it is that it is fundamentally impossible to prevent (or detect) debugging, at least as long we’re staying on one single box. In other words –
For each and every debugger detection/prevention trick, there exists a counter-trick, disabling our protection. 3
BTW, most (though not all) of the common anti-debugging trickery can be found in [Ferrie]; while it is a bit outdated, for our purposes (as discussed above, we’re not aiming to list that-not-yet-known-to-attackers-way-of-messing-with-Windows4) it will do.
Let’s note that [Ferrie] takes over 140 pages, which means it is a lot of material; as such – we won’t discuss all the trickery in detail in this book, rather providing a very short outline – and referring to the source where a more detailed description can be found (mostly [Ferrie], but there will be some other references too). Also, for code examples for some of the techniques, you may want to look at [al-khaser]5
Are You Trying to Hack Me? Honestly??
One family of extremely-popular-and-never-working anti-debugging tricks revolves around using one of the OS-level functions which are designed to tell you whether you’re being debugged. There is one problem with using these functions: when using them, we’re merely asking OS “whether we’re being debugged”, and moreover – as OS is under control of the hacker,6 we’re essentially asking the hacker “are you hacking us (please be perfectly honest when you’re answering)?”.
This means that none of those “protections” can really work in the wild; in fact,
all the protections in this subsection are disabled in bulk by easily-available-to-everybody the protections in this subsection are disabledby easily-available-to-everybody [ScyllaHide]
Even with this in mind – we have to note that some of these non-protections are even worse than the others. Let’s discuss some outright silly stuff – an attempt at protection, which is sooo obvious, sooooo well-known, and soooo easy to disable, that it’s practically useless (except for showing GotchaNotice discussed above). This wannabe-anti-debug-protection is to call IsDebuggerPresent(), check return code and pray really hard that nobody got past this “defence”:
if( isDebuggerPresent() ) ExitProcess();
This “protection” is in fact soooo silly that it can be bypassed literally within 5 minutes (see [DutchTechChannel@YouTube] for a demonstration). Very briefly – it is a good example of a really bad protection because of the following deficiencies:
Call to IsDebuggerPresent() in the executable is very obvious. To mitigate this problem, 7 instead of calling IsDebuggerPresent(), we MAY read “BeingDebugged” field from “Process Environment Block” a.k.a. PEB directly (see [Ferrie] for details)
in the executable is very obvious. That check after calling IsDebuggerPresent() exists only in one place, and can be trivially disabled (just by replacing ExitProcess() with NOPs in your.exe). To mitigate this problem, instead of making an explicit check, we may assume that the “correct” value of the flag (which is 0 for BeingDebugged ) is a constant, and use this memory location as a supposed-constant for our obfuscation routines, as discussed in [[TODO]] section below; the very basic idea here goes along the lines of “if we XOR 8 our data with the value of BeingDebugged, then if we’re not being debugged – obfuscation will work as expected, otherwise – it will produce wrong result which will crash the program sooner rather than later”. This would allow us both to have this de-facto check spread all over our executable, and to get it less obvious
exists only in one place, and can be trivially disabled (just by replacing with NOPs in your.exe). Unfortunately, even if we read BeingDebugged flag from memory directly instead of calling IsBeingDebugged(), and spread its use all over the executable, this “protection” can be still disabled by merely writing 0 to PEB <sad-face />. Even worse, there is a standard open-source tool which does exactly this [ScyllaHide] <very-sad-face />
flag from memory directly instead of calling, and spread its use all over the executable, this “protection” can be still disabled by merely writing 0 to PEB <sad-face />. As a result – while we MAY use this kind of checks either to improve our obfuscation just a tiny bit, or to issue GotchaNotice discussed above – real value of such protections is negligible <very-sad-face />.
Pretty much the same reasoning goes for other similar techniques, including, but not limited to (for discussion of these techniques, unless specified otherwise, please refer to [Ferrie]):
NtGlobalFlag
Heap Flags
NtQuerySystemInformation().{SystemKernelDebuggerInformation|SystemProcessInformation}
NtQueryInformationProcess().{ProcessDebugPort|ProcessDebugObjectHandle| ProcessDebugFlags|ProcessBasicInformation|ProcessBreakOnTermination| ProcessHandleTracing} (the last two options are briefly mentioned in [ScyllaHide.doc])
NtQueryObject().{ObjectAllTypesInformation|ObjectTypesInformation|ObjectTypeInformation}
NtSetDebugFilterState() being successful ( NB: if trying to play with it – make sure to read [Ferrie], as it is probably overbroad; anyway, [ScyllaHide] defeats it ).
). EnumWindows, EnumThreadWindows, and NtUserBuildHwndList [ScyllaHide.doc]
FindWindow(), FindWindowEx(), NtUserFindWindowEx()
GetWindowThreadProcessId(), NtUserQueryWindow()
Once again – I’d rather not bother with doing these kinda-protections, except for (a) showing GotchaNotice, and (b) if direct memory read is possible instead of issuing a system call (such as for IsBeingDebugged(), NtGlobalFlag, or Heap Flags) – there is some value in mixing data-directly-read-from-memory as a supposed-constant in our obfuscation routines (which will be discussed in [[TODO]] section below).
Using System Calls to Mess with Debugger
In addition to reading stuff from the OS, there are also certain ways to make some system-level calls, aiming to make a debugger’s life more difficult. Unfortunately, not only all of them can be bypassed, but most of them can be disabled by the same [ScyllaHide]. Such easily-disabled kinda-protections include:
All kinds of messing with PE/PE headers (one example I still remember, was about marking executable as “big-endian” in PE headers – and for a few months, it even did help). As of 2017, I don’t know of any such technique which is still not thwarted by a serious reverse-engineering-oriented debugger. As a rule of thumb, we still DO want to remove relocation table from our Client-Side executable (just to avoid giving up information which we can hide); also, as discussed above – we DON’T want to use DLLs where removing relocation is much more controversial One downside of removing-relocation-table-from-.exe is that messing with PE MIGHT count as “suspicious” by some AVs heuristics, but as of 2017, simple removing relocations still seems to pass. NB: on the Server-Side, you SHOULD leave relocation tables intact, as they enable ASLR, which is important from security perspective.
NtSetInformationThread(ThreadHideFromDebugger), and related NtCreateThreadEx(THREAD_CREATE FLAGS_HIDE_FROM_DEBUGGER) (the latter mentioned in [Kulchytskyy]).
NtSetInformationProcess().{ProcessBreakOnTermination|ProcessHandleTracing} [ScyllaHide.doc]
BlockInput()
Floating-point exceptions which used to crash OllyDbg.
In general, those system calls mentioned above are well-known, and are easily disabled by ScyllaHide, so generally I don’t recommend using them. OTOH, the following system calls are trickier and are still reported to work to confuse at least for some of the debuggers:
SwitchDesktop()
RtlProcessFlsData()
Disabling/patching functions ntdll.dll!DbgBreakPoint() and/or ntdll.dll!DbgUiRemoteBreakin() [Assar] (see also BlockAPI() from [belette321@ragezone.com] for a more generic example of system-DLL-patching code)
“ at least in Windows, for any process there can only be one user-mode debugger [Tully], but it requires messing with kernel mode, which is not that easy. In any case, self-debugging can be disabled by debugging parent executable, and running target process pretending that your debugger is that process; OTOH, to the best of my knowledge, this is really messy. BTW, to make life of hacker-trying-to-hijack-parent-executable, more difficult, in conjunction with self-debugging I suggest to work on active (i.e. with messages exchanged on regular basis) heavily-obfuscated protocol between parent (debugger) process and a child (debuggee) process to complicate debugger-pretending-to-be-parent class of attacks As a side benefit, the same parent-child construct can be used to measure timings in a cross-process manner (i.e. if timings between two processes on the same box are off by several seconds – something is certainly wrong in this picture – such as ScyllaHide trying to hide time-based intra-process debugging).
[Tully], but it requires messing with kernel mode, which is not that easy. In any case, self-debugging can be disabled by debugging parent executable, and running target process pretending that your debugger is that process; OTOH, to the best of my knowledge, this is really messy.
Trying to Detect Debugger Side-Effects
Another bunch of techniques revolves around detecting side effects of debuggers. As these side effects are significantly less obvious than a simplistic call to IsDebuggerPresent(), some of them may stay around for a while (and even better-for-us – some of them may be pretty difficult to fix for an automated tool such as ScyllaHide).
Still, the following techniques are either automagically disabled by ScyllaHide (and therefore, aren’t good):
NtClose()
OutputDebugString()
SwitchToThread(), NtYieldExecution()
Some of side-effect-based techniques-which-still-reported-to-work at least for certain debuggers, include:
Debugger detection in TLS callback. In particular – it is possible to detect debugger thread via NtQueryInformationThread() in TLS callback (see [Ferrie]).
SetUnhandledExceptionFilter() and causing an unhandled exception.
LoadLibrary() call leaving the file open (this technique essentially relies on bug in the debugger, but such buggy debuggers are reportedly still in existence).
Guard pages via VirtualProtectEx()/VirtualAllocEx()
RaiseException() and/or issuing INT 3H and/or issuing strange instruction such as LOCK CMPXCHG8B [halsten@OpenRCE]. The idea is to raise various exceptions and to see whether debugger consumes them.
Arguably the most interesting and subtle ones – PAGE_EXECUTE_WRITECOPY (see [https://waleedassar.blogspot.co.at/2012/09/pageexecutewritecopy-as-anti-debug-trick.html] for details, and don’t forget those #pragma comment(linker,”/SECTION…”) and #pragma code_seg(“xyz”) from the demo source code), and its close cousin, QueryWorkingSet().ShareCount [https://waleedassar.blogspot.co.at/2014/06/sharecount-as-anti-debugging-trick.html].
Still, it is IMO a matter of time until ScyllaHide includes protection from these (or debuggers fix their issues which allow for detection in the first place).
Messing with Binary Code to Cause Debugger Issues
One more bunch of techniques tries to get our binary code unusual enough so that debuggers will behave strangely when running over it. For x86/x64, these techniques include:
Adding REP prefix to non-string instructions. Efficiency of this technique relies on bugs in debuggers, which are rare now.
prefix to non-string instructions. Efficiency of this technique relies on bugs in debuggers, which are rare now. Using INT 2D. Efficiency of this technique relies on bugs in debuggers.
Using long-form INT 3 instruction (“CD 03”) to disrupt breakpoints. Current efficiency – unknown.
Using undocumented opcode 0xF1 [Falliere]
PUSH SS/POP SS to detect single-stepping. Current efficiency – unknown.
Using “nanomites”. Very briefly – “nanomites” use (single-byte) INT 3 instruction to cause an exception, then all INT 3 exceptions are caught, then checked whether the exception is one from legitimate exceptions in the table-stored-in-executable, and then jumping to the destination-from-the-table. Still a rather efficient technique.
“these techniques (especially nanomites) are rather powerful, and do provide significant protection. On the other hand, as any single protection measure, on its own they're certainly not sufficient to protect.Overall, these techniques (especially nanomites) are rather powerful, and do provide significant protection. On the other hand, as any single protection measure, on its own they’re certainly not sufficient to protect. On the third hand (yes, we, hares, have three hands <wink />) – it is usually done as a post-compile processing by 3rd-party tools, so normally it won’t interfere with our source-level efforts.
CC-Scanning
One popular kinda-anti-debug-protection measure is to scan our own code for INT 3 (0xCC), which is normally used by debuggers to set breakpoints [Falliere]. IMNSHO, it is a pretty flawed technique (both causing false positives due to legitimate occurrences of 0xCC in the code, and false negatives – as debuggers can use something such as 0xFA for software breakpoints [Falliere]). I suggest to leave CC-scanning alone, replacing it with much-more-reliable checksum-based integrity checks (which will be discussed in [[TODO]] section below).
Production Bot Detection/Prevention
After we discussed debugging, we can (and SHOULD) take a look at how the real (production) bot will work while our game is running.
Anti-DLL-injection
Under Windows, one of the major ways for bots to mess with our programs is known as “DLL injection.” I won’t go into detailed discussion on DLL injection, just noting that:
To know what we’re dealing with, make sure to read [Darawk@Blizzhackers] (especially “Code Cave” method, which is particularly nasty).
TLS callbacks (discussed above) will allow to detect new threads being launched within our process, including those ones injected. In general – while this protection can be disabled, it is going to be quite an effort.
Disabling LdrLoadDll() (via writing RET instruction to the beginning of it in your own virtual space) has been reported to work against some of the methods of DLL Injection [belette321@ragezone.com]. OTOH, as not all of injections rely on LoadLibrary() (in particular, as we’ll see below, we can kinda-LoadLibrary ourselves), so it is not a really bulletproof solution. On the plus side, this technique is going to play nicely with our previously-stated “noDLLs” rule, but still may require quite a bit of tweaking to make sure that all the necessary stuff is loaded before we invoke this really-nuclear option
(via writing RET instruction to the beginning of it in your own virtual space) has been reported to work against of the methods of DLL Injection [belette321@ragezone.com]. OTOH, as not of injections rely on LoadLibrary() (in particular, as we’ll see below, we can kinda-LoadLibrary ourselves), so it is not a really bulletproof solution.
Also, let’s keep in mind that it is perfectly possible to manipulate our program without DLL injection (reading its memory from outside, and sending input events as if they’re sent by player). Still, anti-DLL-injection can be seen as a tool important-enough to bother about it a bit.
Anti-VM
An ultimate way of bot running undetectable is to run a VM hypervisor on the Client PC, then run our Game Client within guest, and to run the bot directly in the host. With such bot configurations, it is extremely difficult to detect bots, however:
Blue Pill Blue Pill is the codename for a rootkit based on x86 virtualization. — Wikipedia — do have an upper hand in this battle (because we have an MOG Server as an external reference, it is possible to find out whether the observed reality is simulated or real, at least in theory). This logic, however, doesn’t apply to bots which DON’T modify Client-Side reality by illicit means (i.e. VM-based bots which merely read RAM of our Client, and issue mouse clicks to our VM, in theory can be made perfectly undetectable).
have an upper hand in this battle (because we have an MOG Server as an external reference, it possible to find out whether the observed reality is simulated or real, at least in theory). In practice, anti-VM bot fight happens to be much more down-to-earth. One popular way of detecting VMs is by looking at device drivers (all the VMs I know have rather specific drivers, which can be identified rather easily); also such things as registry keys, adapter names, files, and processes (the latter – mostly if VM-supporting tools are installed into guest) tend to give VM away. A whole bunch of VM detection techniques based on this kind of stuff, can be found in [al-khaser]. Hint: when using techniques from [al-khaser], make sure to obfuscate all the constants – and to integrate results of your checks into obfuscation too; otherwise, finding and disabling your protection won’t be too difficult. A CPUID-based technique for x86/x64 virtualization detection can be found as a part of virt-what [virt-what]; while the code is GCC-oriented, converting it into MSVC isn’t too difficult. We can also try to communicate with VM host, using tools-provided-by-VM for this purpose (see [Bachaalany] for Virtual PC and VMWare examples) What to do when you DO find that Client runs under VM, is a different story. Some games simply prohibit running Client under VM (issuing a relevant message). Alternatively, you may allow running your Client under VM – but raise a “red flag” (which in turn can be used to run more checks – both Client-Side and Server-Side ones; more on it in [[TODO]] section).
In general, VM is a major threat which bot writers use to circumvent our defences, so they SHOULD NOT be left without attention.
Summary on System-Specific Anti-Debugging Measures
My recommendations for system-specific anti-debugging measures would go as follows:
NB: I do NOT consider time-based protection and integrity checks a part of “system-specific anti-debugging measures”, so summary below doesn’t apply to them. Time-based protection will be discussed separately in [[TODO]] section below, and integrity checks – in [[TODO]] section below.
DON’T assume that any of these measures will prevent debugging; at most – we’re speaking about obtaining some kind of delay. To make this delay matter – we have to generate something new for each new build; as one example – we can integrate not-so-obvious debug detection with our obfuscation as discussed in [[TODO]] section below.
“ DON’T spend more than 10% of your overall anti-bot-fighting time budget on system-specific protections. strongly suggest you concentrate most of your anti-bot-fighting efforts in other fields (which will be discussed at length below).
suggest you concentrate of your anti-bot-fighting efforts in other fields (which will be discussed at length below). DO use something outright silly simple such as IsDebuggerPresent() to issue a GotchaNotice (though make sure to discuss it, and exact wording, with your legal folks first) DON’T consider it as a protection – not at all.
simple such as IsDebuggerPresent() to issue a GotchaNotice (though make sure to discuss it, and exact wording, with your legal folks first) DO consider removing relocation tables from your Client-Side.exe files. NB: it is not 100% black-and-white, see discussion above.
DON’T spend time on anything which is disabled by ScyllaHide (well, unless you happen to know how to detect Scylla <wink />).
IMO, most of the techniques described above are not worth the trouble; however, there are a few notable exceptions: TLS-based callbacks are not that difficult to implement – and may allow to deal not only with debuggers, but also with DLL-injection used by production-level bots Disabling LdrLoadDll() (to make DLL Injection much more difficult) Some serious efforts to detect running under VM (though what-to-do-when-VM-is-detected, is a business-level/GDD-level decision) nanomites are rather powerful (translation: when looking for your 3 rd -party-protection-for-already-compiled-executable – generated randomized nanomites all over your code is certainly a Big Plus™ 9 ). Moreover, nanomites can be implemented as a post-processing of already-compiled executable, and by a 3 rd party (so they won’t eat into your anti-bot-fighting time budget).
[[To Be Continued…
This concludes beta Chapter 29(d) from the upcoming book “Development and Deployment of Multiplayer Online Games (from social games to MMOFPS, with social games in between)”.
Stay tuned for Chapter 29(e), where we’ll try to discuss another popular-and-not-really-working technique, known as “code encryption” (though “code scrambling” is IMO a better name for it)]]
Acknowledgement
Cartoons by Sergey Gordeev from Gordeev Animation Graphics, Prague.It would be much easier to take good pictures if only you had a tutor to advise you on each shot.
To that end, Nikon has built a tutor of sorts into its new digital S.L.R., the D3100.
The D3100 comes with a setting called Guide Mode, which offers a list of things you might want to do, like “soften backgrounds” in a portrait or “freeze motion.”
The guide, shown on the camera’s LCD display, tells you how to achieve the effect by using settings like “shutter priority” or “aperture priority,” often with a sample photo to demonstrate.
Besides the guide, the camera comes with a 14.2-megapixel CMOS light sensor and automatic scene-mode settings for portrait, landscape, action, night and macro shots and HD video. In fact, it claims to be the first camera to have autofocus in video mode.
The camera shoots both standard JPEG files and NEF RAW files at up to three frames a second.
The one-pound body has both a built-in flash and a hot shoe to add an auxiliary or off-camera flash. It can take SD memory cards up to 2Gb, SDHC cards up to 32GB and SDXC memory cards up to 64GB.
The retail price is currently $700 for the D3100 with an 18-55mm f.35 lens.Ethan Hill/Redux/Eyevine
Male sexual dysfunction is never pretty, even in nematodes. In normal roundworm courtship, a slender male will sidle up to a plump hermaphrodite, make contact, and then initiate a set of steps leading up to insemination: a sinuous backwards motion as he searches for the sexual cleft, a pause to probe, and finally the transfer of sperm. The whole business is usually over in a couple of minutes. “It's very slithery, and affectionate,” says Cornelia Bargmann, who has been observing the behaviour of this particular worm, Caenorhabditis elegans, for 25 years.
Last October, scientists in Bargmann's laboratory at the Rockefeller |
looking for a fun project, get them into the frugal fun too by teaching them to bake. Watching little ones eat tiny pies is kinda cute too.
Oh, and don’t forget to add these pies as gifts using the Budget Series Gift Giving Worksheet — where tracking even small gifts is as easy as pie.
Step One: Get the right ‘wide mouth jars’
Making pie in a jar is simple with the right canning jars. If you don’t want to have pie on your face, then skip the super cutie narrow-necked jelly jars and get the still super cute 1/2 pint wide mouth canning jars. You’ll thank me when it’s time to line the jar with dough and when it’s time to plate your pie. Besides, the wide mouth jars make it easier to label for a gift, or eat out of with a fork.
The 1/2 pint wide mouth jars yield a pie around 2.5 inches wide and 2 inches tall.
Don’t forget to wash or sterilize your jars before making pie.
Sterilizing is important if you plan to freeze your jarred pies for baking at a later date.
Step Two: Press in your pie dough
I will not lie to you. Filling these little mason jars with pie dough is not easy. When I had the patience I rolled out a little doily-shaped crust, fit it into the bottom of the jar, and then pressed it in to form the perfect (cough) crust. I also found that taking dough pieces and pressing them into the jar worked well too.
Jarring Revelations: Greasing the jar with butter before lining it with dough helps to remove the pie (in one piece) after baking.
Swearing at either the jar or the pastry doesn’t help. You may scare your spouse. Besides, being a dough-head isn’t cool.
Leave 1/2 inch of pie crust above the edge of the mason jar. This extra dough lets you roll and crimp the bottom of the pie crust to the pie top.
Now don’t give me the stink eye over my next admission — I used store bought dough for my pie in a jar. [Enter Stink Eye Here]. Making pastry is not my talent. If pastry is your passion then check out the Smitten Kitchen’s Pie Crust 101 tutorial and recipe. For everyone else, just buy three or four pie crusts from the refrigerator section at your grocery store. You’ll need around three pie crusts to fill six mason jars, but chances are you’ll make a mistake or two, or three. If you prefer thinner crust, then just roll out your dough and use two pie crusts. Easy.
As an alternative to pastry or for those on a gluten-free diet, swap out the dough and try my Homemade Granola Recipe as a pie crust. It’s tasty.
Step Three: Add some pie filling
Are you hankering for some apple pie or do you crave a nice sweet cherry pie? The choice is yours. I have a simple pie filling recipe (below), but I must be honest with you again — I used canned cherry pie filling for the pies in this post. Don’t hate me because I felt lazy today. Love me ’cause I’m honest. Smile.
Simple Pie Filling Recipe: 4 1/2 cups cherries, berries, or diced fruit
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon butter, divide between the pies
spices: nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla, or to taste
Or better yet, hop on over to my Fresh Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp with Apples and try that filling since I’m stuck in a can today. It’s tasty and healthy.
Jarring Revelations: Only fill the jars to the 3/4 mark. Filling to the brim will make it tricky to top and crimp your pie. Also, the pie might bubble and boil over if over-filled. It happens.
Add a little flour to the mixture if your fruit is super juicy.
Top your filling with a little pat of butter. Yum.
Now on to the fun part.
Step Four: Create a pretty pie top
I hope you kept your mason jar lids handy because the inner ring makes the perfect pie top cutter. Just use a knife to trace the inner ring circle and voila — instant pie top.
Now personalize your pie top by using a small cookie cutter to create a little vent. Once you’ve placed the pie top into the pie jar (it’s tricky I know), go ahead and carefully crimp the pie crust bottom over the top. Put the lids and rings on each jar until you’re ready to bake.
Step Five: Freeze your pies (optional)
If you have cold feet or you’re not ready to bake your pies today, then go ahead and freeze them until needed. I keep a few jarred pies in deep freeze in case I need a quick gift, or for when company comes over. Ok, Ok, sometimes I just like a little tiny tart treat too.
An unforeseen bonus to making pie in a jar is the mason jars protect the pies in the freezer. No more dented pies! Also, the jars make it super simple to stack many pies without ruining the tender crusts — so you can optimize your freezer space and save the room for stocking up on grocery sale items.
One little trick for dealing with slippery mason jars is to wrap each pie jar with a little tin foil to get a better grip. I dropped one the other day and made a little mess. My dog was happy though.
Step Six: Get Baked
It’s time to get bubbly, tarty, flaky, and tasty. Start by removing the lids and rings from each jar. If you own a Silpat Nonstick Silicon Baking Mat, then place each jarred pie on your Silpat (on a cookie sheet) to prevent slipping. Sliding hot jars filled with boiling pie are not safe. Just a safety warning. I’m a safety girl.
To bake from refrigerated: Preheat oven to 375-400 degrees and bake for about 45 minutes or until the crust is golden and the filling is bubbly. The bonus with glass jars is you can easily see if the crust is getting too brown.
To bake from frozen: Follow the same instructions from above but preheat oven to 350-375 degrees and bake for around 60-70 minutes.
Oh, and don’t worry about baking in jars. Canning jars are very resilient when it comes to heat — they are meant to be boiled — so baking pies straight from the freezer is fine.
Step Seven: Serve or Decorate
Removing the pie from it’s jar can be a tricky situation. I’ve had some good luck by sliding a knife around the inside of the jar and using gravity to remove the treat inside. Eating the pie while it’s still inside the jar is easier, and lots of fun at picnics and when company drops by. For some reason my guests have loved being treated to a single serving pie. It’s a novelty. It’s fun.
If you’re gifting the pie, decorate the lids with pretty paper, jar labels, or add a little bit of ribbon for style. A decorated pie in a jar goes over very well at bake sales and fund raisers — so putting in a little creative decorative effort can make you some money too.
Get Squawky: Ever bake a treat in a jar?More from Michael Harris, available More from, available here
Stephen Harper is betting the farm that he can save the puppet show that passes for government these days with new puppets.
It won’t work. Everyone knows who pulls the strings, no matter who is offering up the speaking points on television — and the puppet-master himself is not popular these days.
In fact, he is quite unpopular. According to a recent Ipsos-Reid poll, just 30 per cent of Canadians think the Conservatives should be re-elected — the other 70 per cent believe it’s time for a change. It must be dawning on even the most unctuous party lemmings that Harper is leading them towards a Mulroney-esque abyss.
The PM’s answer, as always, is not change but optics. So Vic Toews, serial torturer of the English language and dubious defender of the public safety, may be on his way out. Peter MacKay, who built his career as a Harper minion out of fibs and photo-ops, could be close behind — though in his case it likely will be self-banishment. Environment Minister Peter Kent, who sounded most days like a climate-change denier after too many cups of coffee, could be back-benched — and not a moment too soon. Whatever credibility he brought into government is now in tatters. This dude’s teleprompter is permanently broken.
But who really cares? The real question is: Will the Harper government change its policies? For example, will it stop extending government’s reach and power, and disguising its assaults on privacy and civil liberties as public safety?
Will the PM change fighters in the middle of the jet stream and cancel the ruinously expensive F-35 fiasco, or at least have a real (as opposed to fake) review of the program?
Will the Tories stop sacrificing the environment in the name of corporate interests and perhaps signal a new course by reconsidering disastrous changes to the Fisheries Act, changes that two former Conservative fisheries ministers roundly denounced?
For that matter, will Harper allow a new fisheries minister to remove the muzzle from federal scientists, or at least set them a higher task than polishing government policy apples?
My bet is that none of this will happen. Instead, Canadians will be offered a new brigade of snake-oil salespeople selling the same old snake oil — and I repeat, it won’t work. The exercise in optics may get pulses racing inside the parliamentary precinct for a few days. Beyond that, the country will doze through the fanfare, the better to follow something that promises insight into the government’s heart of darkness: the Nigel Wright/Mike Duffy affair. Substance versus optics.
Harper is sticking to his version of events even though public details of the RCMP investigation clearly contradict him. The man who knew nothing about the Duffy deal now apparently knows more about it than the national police force … or Nigel Wright’s lawyers. Brush in hand, Stephen Harper has painted himself into a corner.
The extent to which the PM and his party have lost their way on Wright’s $90,000 “gift” to Senator Duffy is now a matter of public record.
The Conservative Party of Canada was prepared to use its war chest of donations to secretly pay off Duffy’s improperly claimed expenses — but only if the bill were $32,000, not $90,000. Ethically challenged to say the least — possibly illegal, at any price.
The deal that saw the PM’s chief of staff personally paying off Duffy’s debts was hatched two months before the external audit into the matter had been released. The integrity of the audit was apparently breached by someone familiar with Duffy’s troubles before they were made public, who then tipped off the appropriate people, including the senator. Then the Senate report into Duffy’s expenses was airbrushed by Senator David Tkachuk. Why?
The PM has been all over the map on this file. First, the government’s line was Senator Duffy had paid back the money and was displaying “leadership” in the expenses scandal. That Edsel didn’t get very far down the road.
Then Harper’s robots tried the narrative that Nigel Wright gave Duffy $90,000 because he was the soul of friendship and generosity, just trying to help out a guy who was in over his head. Stephen Harper endorsed that fiction by saying shortly after the story broke that Wright had his “confidence” and would not be resigning.
Then funny things started to happen on the way to the RCMP investigation. In the prime minister’s eyes, Senator Duffy went from being a “leader” in the expenses scandal to being a person who had some questions to answer. Gone from caucus.
Next, Nigel Wright was no longer Robin Hood and no longer had the PM’s confidence. Instead, he resigned and became the man who “acted alone” in doing the secret deal with Duffy.
Acted alone? Sounds a bit Lee Harvey Oswald, yes? But Wright’s lawyers told a story to the RCMP very different from the one that Stephen Harper told, and continues to tell, in public. The lawyers said their client told four people — three of them senior staffers in the PMO — about the bailout of the senator from Kanata: Senator Irving Gerstein, Benjamin Perrin, David van Hemmen and Chris Woodcock.
And while Wright took the blame, optically speaking, for the ultimate disposition of the senator’s financial problems, his actual words are noteworthy. He never said he didn’t talk to the PM about paying off Duffy’s improper expenses, only that he didn’t advise Harper of the “means” by which that would be done. It amounts to implausible deniability. Why would the PM contemplate any other means of paying off the debt other than Duffy repaying it himself? Has anyone asked the PM if he knew that the Conservative party was considering financing the bailout?
It comes down to this: Who has it right, the PM or Wright’s lawyers? Lawyers are not normally in the business of obstructing justice by coming up with false information from their own client during a criminal investigation, especially since Wright may yet end up a suspect rather than a witness, according to the RCMP.
As for the PM, his pronouncement is mystifying but in keeping with the guiding principle of his political hubris, Nixonian in its impertinence — that if he says it, it is so.
But this is not like defying reality after the KPMG audit shredded the PM’s numbers on the F-35 deal, or using his absolute privilege to destroy a person like Helena Guergis, even though the RCMP fully exonerated her of the aspersions cast against her. Harper is sticking to his version of events even though public details of the RCMP investigation clearly contradict him. The man who knew nothing about the Duffy deal now apparently knows more about it than the national police force which is conducting a criminal investigation into the matter, or Nigel Wright’s lawyers. Brush in hand, Stephen Harper has painted himself into a corner.
The way out isn’t a shuffle of puppets in a Harper-centric universe or kicking the Senate out of cabinet. It rests with something this government has trouble with — a little thing called the truth.
Michael Harris is a writer, journalist, and documentary filmmaker. He was awarded a Doctor of Laws for his “unceasing pursuit of justice for the less fortunate among us.” His eight books include Justice Denied, Unholy Orders, Rare ambition, Lament for an Ocean, and Con Game. His work has sparked four commissions of inquiry, and three of his books have been made into movies. He is currently working on a book about the Harper majority government to be published in the autumn of 2014 by Penguin Canada.
Readers can reach the author at [email protected]. Click here to view other columns by Michael Harris.
The views, opinions and positions expressed by all iPolitics columnists and contributors are the author’s alone. They do not inherently or expressly reflect the views, opinions and/or positions of iPolitics.A group of 27 major donors is vowing to withhold campaign cash from lawmakers who stand in the way of legislation that would allow for public funding of congressional campaigns. Over their careers, the donors have contributed millions to Democratic candidates -- and, on limited occasions, Republicans or independents -- but they say they've had it. And they don't mind if it means a lack of access.
Steve Kirsch kicked in roughly $10 million to try to elect Al Gore in 2000. "It is a trade off, because there are a lot of good things you can talk to them about, but most of the time they don't do anything about it anyway. Given the choice, I'd rather have campaign finance reform than access," said Kirsch, a Silicon Valley entrepreneur and founder of Infoseek, among other companies.
The millions that the donors have given is just the beginning, and doesn't include the millions more they've funneled by organizing fundraisers or otherwise corralling contributions.
The 27 donors plan to lobby other rich folks to sign on, with a plan of passing the Fair Elections Now Act, which has 149 cosponsors, this year. The campaign's being run by Change Congress, co-founded by Lawrence Lessig and Joe Trippi, along with Common Cause and the Public Campaign Action Fund.
ChangeCongress, now that the effort is public, will be encouraging donors to pledge. Read the letter here.
It was kicked off by donors Alan Hassenfeld, the former chairman of Hasbro, and Arnold Hiatt, the former head of the Stride Rite Corporation. The pair wrote to friends and colleagues, urging them to stop giving. (Wealthy donors have politely asked
"We're writing with a very unusual request -- that you pledge not to give any campaign contributions to any candidate for Congress until they have committed to support public funding for congressional elections," they wrote. "Once we have a critical mass of large contributors who have signed this pledge, the partner organizations will then launch an Internet-based campaign to get others to join as well. A pilot of this program was initiated last year. Very quickly, tens of thousands committed to the pledge. ChangeCongress.org's technology will enable us to estimate the value of their pledges, and whom it hits directly. The site will also make it easy for pledgers to lobby Senators and Representatives to join the bill."
The pair said they were sad to have to take the step. "If, 15 months into the Obama Administration, we were looking at a long list of accomplishments, with a long list of probable victories coming -- as many of us dreamed last November -- then we would not be asking you to take this step. But the picture is not nearly so promising because of the power of private money in the political system. We have all been part of that system. It is time for us to take the lead to change it," they wrote.
The list of the donors who have signed on so far would be familiar to any Democratic fundraiser: Besides Kirsch, Hassenfeld and Hiatt, there's JJ Abrams, Edgar Bronfman, Nancy Bagley, Ben Cohen, Peter Copen, Rosemary Faulkner, George Hatch, John S. Johnson, Joe Keefe, Steven Ko, John Luongo, Rhonda Luongo, Katie McGrath, Arnie Miller, Dan Nova, Dave Orton, Lisa Orton, William Polk, Greg Price, Vin Ryan, Paul Sack, Jonathan Soros, Christopher Vargas and Sophia Yen.
In February, a similar group banded together and asked nicely for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) to move on the Fair Elections Now Act. So much for that.
Kirsch said that the access his money buys -- and the access he could lose -- is overrated. With so many donors with so many opinions, the best they can do is nod, offer to look into it, and put a donor in touch with a staff member. "In the meeting, they say they agree completely," said Kirsch. "'Let me do more research and thinking. Thanks for bringing to my attention.' There tends not to be a lot of follow through."
Take Gore, for instance, said Kirsch, using him as an example of the way the system works for major donors who are pushing progressive politics rather than looking for a loophole, an earmark or some other legislative favor. "I gave Al Gore, through various means, over 10 million dollars. Al Gore has never sought my advice on anything. So to think that any large amount will cause them to pay attention to you is not true," said Kirsch.
Murray Galinson, a big giver and former president of the United Jewish Federation, said he's not certain the effort will work, but it's worth a shot. "If you don't give it a try, nothing's going to help," he said.
Galinson said he was finally pushed to make the pledge by the Citizens United Supreme Court ruling, which allowed limitless corporate funds to pour into campaigns.Almost half of Britons don't like seeing men wearing red trousers, a survey has suggested. Why does the garment provoke, asks Jon Kelly.
According to a study by pollsters YouGov, 46% of the population don't like the trend, with 24% really not approving "at all".
The report found that words commonly associated with the trend include "idiot", "yuk", "clown" and "prat". Only 12% have a favourable impression.
But red trousers are everywhere. Visit many parts of the UK and it won't be long before you spot a male walking the streets in crimson legwear.
In the popular imagination, red trouser-wearing sits at a Venn diagram intersection between hipsters and the upper classes.
Sold by fashion outlets as diverse as Urban Outfitters and Boden, the garment is equally familiar at east London raves and agricultural equipment fairs in the Cotswolds.
Perhaps because they signify membership of an elite - whether that is being a hip east London trendsetter, or having inherited hundreds of acres of arable land - a backlash has long been fermenting.
A blog - whose expletive-containing name cannot be reproduced on a family website - catalogues candid photographs of red-trousered men, and invites readers to laugh. The Guardian newspaper fumed that they signify those "utterly devoid of self-awareness but wealthy in idiocy".
For Lisa Armstrong, fashion editor of the Daily Telegraph, it's the brightness and ostentation that offends in a country where menswear styles are typically conservative and muted.
"It's just not a colour you expect to see on a guy," she says. "It's very hard to wear them and not look like a giant chilli pepper."
Perhaps Jack White - who regularly sported them in his old band The White Stripes - is to blame. More recently, Rio Ferdinand, Jonathan Ross, Tommy Hilfiger and Tinie Tempah have all been photographed in them.
These celebrity endorsements have done little to change attitudes beyond London, where a fifth of the population say they like red trousers. Only 10% of Midlanders and 9% of Scots approve.
For now, red trouser-wearers remain a misunderstood, if colourful, band of sartorial outcasts.
You can follow the Magazine on Twitter and on FacebookA disturbing wave of seven suicides and likely drug overdoses has swept through Columbia University so far this school year — and students say fiercely competitive academics and inadequate campus counseling programs are in large part to blame.
The student deaths include three in January alone — two of whom police suspect OD’d, plus an exchange student from Japan who killed herself by leaping from the seventh-floor window of her Broadway dorm.
The four other student suicides came once a month, from September through December, The Post has learned.
They include a promising 21-year-old journalist, a 29-year-old Navy veteran, a Moroccan student and an 18-year-old freshman from Brookfield, Missouri, named Taylor Gilpin Wallace.
“You don’t know how badly I want to jump out that window right now,” Wallace, who would be Columbia’s October suicide, said in a Facetime call from his John Jay Hall dorm room to his mother in Missouri — days before quitting school, moving back home and hanging himself in his basement.
“The only time Taylor did anything, he always did it well,” his mother, Angie, told The Post of her son, who grew up in a town with just 4,400 people and who was valedictorian of his high school class of just 73 students.
“He had competition at Brookfield High School, but nothing like Columbia,” his mom said.
He was surrounded by some of the brightest young minds on Earth — kids who were already starting businesses and nonprofits, or excelling in the arts. Making it all worse, he suffered from depression.
“At one point [at Columbia] he said to me, ‘I don’t fit in here — these students I’m surrounded with are so much smarter than me and so much better than me.’”
His mother said she sought help from the head of Columbia’s Counseling and Psychological Services Office, who “gave me her card.”
“I hung it in his dorm room,” she said — but she was unaware of any outreach they may have attempted. “I definitely feel there’s more that should have been done,” she said.
Jacqueline Basulto, who completed her bachelor’s in political science last fall, told The Post that depression coupled with the rigors of school life nearly drove her to suicide.
“Four hours a night sleep was normal for me,” Basulto recalled.
“I think Columbia has a really hostile, competitive culture,” said Basulto, 21, of Manhattan.
“It’s a place with a lot of people who are striving to be the best at what they’re doing … it makes you want to push yourself harder and harder and harder,” she said, joining student organizations, taking side jobs and internships.
Basulto struggled with depression and suicidal thoughts at Columbia, she said.
“I told them I was feeling suicidal,” she said of calling the school counseling service, “and they told me the first appointment they could give me was in two weeks,” she said.
“I told them my symptoms were very serious — they told me to surround myself with friends and there really wasn’t anything they could do at that time.”
Basulto has started a petition, now filled with similar horror stories, asking that mental health services be dramatically improved.
Despite repeated inquiries by The Post on Wednesday and Thursday, the administration at Columbia declined to answer questions about the past semester’s alarming number of student deaths.
But clearly, the administration is grappling with the tragedies.
As students died over the course of five months, Dean James Valentini, vice president for undergraduate education, had issued carefully-worded condolence emails on the lost students.
The emails largely avoided the words suicide and drugs, and each featured similar boilerplate lists of counseling resources.
But on Thursday, when The Post broke details of the deaths online, the school was the one asking for help.
“As individuals and a community we come together to ask — really to insist — on understanding what more we can do to address the depression and addiction that is so often the cause of these losses,” the school’s vice president for university life, Suzanne Goldberg, wrote in a mass email to students.
Goldberg’s email included five pages detailing “what we have, and, after this, what more we will do.”
The new resources included a spring semester “Mental Health Week,” additional on-campus crisis intervention training for students and community members, and, as recently requested by student leaders, more space and funding for community-building “activities.”
The toll
January 23
Daniel Andreotti, 20, of Ames, Iowa, was found dead inside his eighth-floor room in Hartley Hall dorm. It was his first year at Columbia.
Narcotics paraphernalia was recovered in the dorm, and police sources called the death an overdose, though autopsy results have not yet been released.
“Daniel was a happy guy with immense intellectual curiosity … He would want to be remembered with a smile, not a tear, and with no regrets from those who knew him,” his family said in a statement shared with students. “Please take much care of yourselves, and if you need to, talk with a counselor.”
January 21
Ezekiel “Zeke” Reiser, 21, of Manhattan, was found dead in the West 87th Street apartment he shared with his parents, Columbia adjunct faculty members Nanako Umemoto and Jesse Reiser.
Narcotics paraphernalia was recovered at the scene; the third-year student’s death is believed to have been a drug overdose, police sources said. Autopsy results have not yet been released.
“An exceptional soul who combined an adventurous intelligence with a fundamental sweetness of spirit,” his family called him in an obituary.
January 18
Yi-Chia “Mia” Chen, an exchange student from Waseda University in Japan, jumped from the seventh floor of her dorm at Broadway and 113th Street.
December 18
Mounia Abousaid, a senior literature major from Morocco, was found inside her eighth-floor dorm room at the Broadway Residence Hall at Broadway and West 114th Street.
She had been dead several days, fellow students told The Post. Police sources said she was found with a plastic bag around her head in what is being classified as a suicide.
In her last Facebook post, from September, she captioned a playful photo of herself with a stuffed-animal narwhal: “lifehack: manage your anxieties&existential dread by balancing a stuffed sea mammal on your head.”
November 22
Nicole Katherine Orttung, 21, of Arlington, Virginia, a senior majoring in Euro-American relations and political science, committed suicide during a visit home from school.
She excelled in journalism, writing for the Columbia Spectator and interning as a published reporter for the Christian Science Monitor.
“Her ambition and activity were an inspiration, and they seemed to bubble up from a deep well of enthusiasm for life,” her family wrote in an obituary.
“May Nicole now be at peace and may all her family and friends find peace as well.”
October 27
Taylor Gilpin Wallace, 18, of Brookfield, Missouri, hanged himself in his basement soon after dropping out from his first year at Columbia.
He had been a track and football star and the valedictorian of his high school and aspired to be a heart surgeon, his mother told The Post.
“You have a child who comes from Middle America,” his mother, Angie, said of her son, who suffered from depression.
“He was surrounded by kids who had a social life. He just didn’t connect with the kids. He was popular at home, but not at Colombia. He just felt like he didn’t fit in.”
September 6
Uriel Florez, 29, was a political science major and a Navy corpsman who served in Iraq.
“For reasons that are still unknown, Uri decided to take his life on Sept. 6, 2016, and on Sept. 10, Suicide Prevention Day, my family buried our hero,” his brother, Gabriel Sanchez, who is also a Navy veteran, wrote in the Key West Weekly shortly after the death.
“What would compel someone with a bright future to choose this route? Uri was enrolled at Columbia University in New York. He was handsome and genuine and loved to laugh … These questions linger and hurt immensely … He was proud of his service, and as a Corpsman, he spent his time healing and helping people.”
Additional reporting by Stephanie PagonesCLOSE Robert Bryan McMahon, known for nine years only as “John Doe 2005” after being found dead in the Des Moines River, was identified recently and his cremains have been presented to his family. WHO-HD
The identity of a homeless man found in the Des Moines River has been discovered after nine years of searching.
The man's ex-wife told WHO-HD that she saw Robert McMahon's autopsy picture on the news channel's cold cases series in 2010 and notified police. After being told incorrect information, the woman said she reviewed the story again on iowacoldcases.org and was sure the man was her ex-husband.
"We were able to present the remains of what we've been calling John Doe 2005 for the past nine years to the family today," Polk County Chief Medical Examiner Gregory Schmunk said.
In October 2005, McMahon's body was found in the river near the Center Street Dam close to a homeless camp. Officials found $10 cash on him but no identification.
County investigators struggled to identify the body for years, showing a picture of the McMahon's face taken during the autopsy to doctors, police and the homeless.
"We checked all the homeless encampments, we checked all of the shelters and everything else. Nobody could recognize this guy," Schmunk said.
Then WHO series ran and McMahon's ex-wife contacted the Des Moines Police Department, but said officials incorrectly told her the body was a Hispanic male. She contacted the medical examiner's office after checking the story again four years later, certain the man was McMahon.
NEWSLETTERS Get the Breaking News Alert newsletter delivered to your inbox We're sorry, but something went wrong Alerts on breaking news delivered straight to your inbox. Please try again soon, or contact Customer Service at 1-877-424-0225. Delivery: Varies Invalid email address Thank you! You're almost signed up for Breaking News Alert Keep an eye out for an email to confirm your newsletter registration. More newsletters
Family members said McMahon, who went by his middle name, Bryan, had studied to be a chef in France and Atlanta. He was a good man who owned a restaurant in Boone for several years but alcoholism robbed him of his business, family and life, the said.
Now the family is at peace, they said.
Read or Share this story: http://dmreg.co/1upO6iUOn the eve of his six-day, three-nation visit to Jordan, Palestine and Israel, President Pranab Mukherjee again reiterated that tolerance and co-existence were basic tenets of the Indian civilization. He was answering written questions from Jordan’s Arabic daily, Al Ghad.
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“I have noted the speech made by His Majesty King Abdullah in the UN General Assembly on September 29 this year in which he has proposed seven steps to promote values of tolerance and co-existence in the face of extremism. Tolerance and co-existence are basic tenets of our civilization. We hold them very dear to our hearts. Our first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru propounded the five principles of peaceful co-existence amongst nations. I agree with His Majesty King Abdullah that the world is confronted with a third world war to which we must respond with equal intensity. I also agree that we must go back to the essence of our respective faiths and creeds,” said the President, while answering a question about Jordan’s role in the global fight against the Islamic State.
[related-post]
Mukherjee added that hate speech and fear mongering should come to an end and religion should not be allowed to “be used as a mask to satisfy hunger for power and control of some individuals.”
This is the second time in two days that the President has advocated tolerance as one of the core values of India.
The reiteration came as Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while speaking at an election rally in Bihar, cited Mukherjee’s pitch for plurality made during a book release function at Rashtrapati Bhawan on Wednesday. The President is scheduled to visit Jordan, Palestine and Israel between October 10 to 15.
On Thursday, Mukherjee also spoke about how India and Jordan rejected religious fundamentalism, extremism and terrorism in all its forms. “In the back drop of regional turmoil and unrest, my visit to Jordan will serve the purpose of sending the message that India and Jordan stand together in the fight against global terror and all forms of instability. I intend to also reiterate India’s support for Jordan in its fight against terrorism and extremism. We will sign several MoUs and agreements, which will enhance the institutional framework of cooperation between the two countries,” he added.
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The President also reiterated India’s long-standing support to the Palestinian cause.One of Japan’s leading dictionaries has made a significant (and arguably long overdue) step towards acknowledging and normalizing homosexuality by revising the entries for words relating to love and sex. They have removed restrictive references to these feelings existing only between a man and a woman, opening up the definition of love to everyone — gay, straight, or otherwise.
The latest edition of the Sanseido Kokugo Jiten, or National Language Dictionary, has revised its definitions of words relating to love and sex, removing heteronormative references to it being between men and women. In this day and age most people accept, even if they don’t agree with it, that love and sex are not strictly limited only to people of opposite sexes. Love and desire comes in many forms, not all of them heterosexual or even homosexual. Society is becoming more aware that there are people who choose alternative labels for their gender and sexuality such as transgender, gender queer, or polyamorous, or shun labels altogether, which is why removing these limiting qualifiers seems such a logical development that it’s surprising it’s taken this long.
Hiroaki Ima, of the editing committee, explained this in a tweet.
“In the 7th edition of the ‘Sanseido National Language Dictionary’ we have revised the descriptions for entries relating to love and sex that included unnecessary references to ‘heterosexuality’. ‘Love’, ‘(romantic) chemistry’, ‘carnal desire’…and so on, are not limited to between men and women. For example, we have changed ‘love’ and ‘carnal desire’ in the following way.”
[tweet https://twitter.com/IIMA_Hiroaki/status/532491883289640960 align=center]
Below is a translation to show the changes that have been made to the entries for two particular words. The 6th edition was published in 2008, and the 7th edition in 2014.
Love (koi – used exclusively for romantic love) 6th edition
Unquenchable feelings of affection between a man and woman, of wanting to see them, and always wanting to be with them. 7th edition
To have unquenchable feelings of affection for a person, of wanting to see them, and always wanting to be with them. Carnal desire (shikijou) 6th edition
Feelings of sexual desire between a man and a woman. 7th edition
Feelings of sexual desire.
Due to the organic and changing nature of language, dictionaries periodically have to be revised with new words or updated meanings. Another example is the word ‘yabai‘ which used to be exclusively used in a negative context, but which is now used positively too, especially among young people. For example, a huge earthquake is yabai, but so is bumping into your all time favourite K-pop star and getting his autograph. Dictionaries are also supposed to offer an explanation of words that is as non-biased as possible, so continuing to ignore a definition would be akin to the publisher seeming to push a particular agenda.
Society influences language and vice versa in complex ways, and the updates in this dictionary can be seen as a step forward for gay rights in Japan. Hopefully other dictionaries will also follow suit in removing outdated references such as the ones shown here.
Source: Jin115, Twitter
Head Image: Japanese Book BlogI’ve been playing around with Docker for a few months and it’s great.
One thing that is slightly rage-inducing when using docker is having to SSH into a container. Generally if you have multiple containers that run sshd, you’ll want the SSH ports to be generated randomly to prevent conflicts. Connecting via SSH is slightly tedious to do in this case, as there are several steps involved.
Please note that this article is quite old. Docker has this functionality inbuilt now. This will do the trick: "docker exec -it [container id]" I’ve left the blog post here for historic reasons.
Problem
Basically the routine is to run docker ps :
If you scroll to the right of that you’ll see the randomly generated port in the PORTS |
to New York, and those subjects of interest to New Yorkers.” Many foreign language budgets have been cut across the board, and acquisitions in some languages have been eliminated entirely.
Finally, in 2007 the administration completely cut the research-level budget for every subject in the sciences, including mathematics, physics, chemistry, astronomy, and engineering, and, Hibay told me, “reduced or stopped acquiring” in many fields in the social sciences, including criminal justice, education, and psychology. According to John Ganly, former assistant director of SIBL, the administration also cut the budget for acquisitions in economics by around 80 percent. Hibay says economics continues to be collected in “selected areas”; Victoria Steele, director of collections strategy, explained that the library is “shaping our collections to make sense for our users. So genealogy, but not maybe advanced-level economics.”
Individually, many of these decisions are understandable. Together, they paint a picture of an organization that has stumbled its way into the 21st century. While the administration has had no trouble finding money for new construction and renovations at the research centers, it has struggled to staff the resulting facilities and to buy the materials necessary to maintain them at a world-class level. And now that the administration has concluded that it cannot sustain these operations, it is not retrenching and raising more funds to run them, but instead selling off entire buildings, closing rooms, cutting back on research acquisitions, and directing the proceeds to the creation of a new circulating facility that can only be built by tearing out the heart of the central research collection.
The main building currently houses around 5 million books. About 3 million reside in an extensive series of stacks that occupy the center of the building. They are made up of structural steel, some of it created by the Carnegie steelworks—as originally built, these stacks held about sixty-three miles of shelves. An additional 1.2 million books are held in “compact shelving” beneath Bryant Park, with the stacks on rollers; the rest are scattered through various parts of the building. There is an undeveloped floor beneath the compact shelving under the park, which could hold another 1 to 2 million books, but it has significant problems with water leakage, and the library is unlikely to spend the $20 million necessary to get it into shape.
At present, if you want a book from these miles of stacks, you get it the old-fashioned way: by filling out a paper slip and handing it to a staff member. Until the mid-2000s, the slip would then have been whisked away through a system of pneumatic tubes to the library’s “pages,” who track down books in the stacks. As older staffers retired, I’ve been told, the cylinders that ran through these tubes began to disappear, mementos of a long career. Today, in the main reading room, the call slips go through the dumbwaiter system, which still runs, and which carries the books back from the stacks. In my experience, it takes about twenty minutes to get a book. When the library opened, it took about six minutes. Such is the burden of age.
With Google Books the results come back much faster than with the New York Public Library’s steampunk system. Google has scanned more books more quickly than anyone a decade ago would have thought possible, and the scans, while not perfect, are quite good. Some cataloging information gets lost, sometimes pages are missing, but it’s certainly no worse overall than what you’d find at the average library. And the possibilities for research with Google Books are astonishing. The entire world library system holds about 6 million editions that were published before 1923, the rough cutoff date for copyright in the US, and Google has already digitized more than 2 million of them. Once all of these books are digitized, the history of the 19th century, or at least how it’s researched, will begin to look rather different. (Books published prior to the 19th century are generally too fragile for Google to scan, and many have already been scanned by companies like Gale and ProQuest and made available in subscription databases such as “Early English Books Online.”)
But the vast majority of books were published after 1923. While the world’s libraries hold about 6 million editions published before that date, they hold around 26 million published after, a number that is only growing. Google was never going to be able to do much with many of these books because the rights-holders are still around; the scanning project might have sped up the rate at which publishers were able to provide digital copies of their back catalogs, but just because Google had scanned The Great Gatsby didn’t mean Scribner was going to start letting Google Books offer one of its biggest money-makers for free. The greatest predictions about Google Books, rather, arose from what the service was supposed to do with “orphan works,” the millions of books published during this time whose copyright no one has claimed but which, also, no one has disavowed. It’s pretty much guesswork as to how many orphan books there are, but the best guesses put it at about half of all books published since 1923. And herein, it turned out, lay the problem.
For the first several years of the project, Google was happily scanning anything it could get its Elphel 323 cameras on. Then the Authors Guild and the publishers sued Google for copyright infringement. The parties eventually put together a proposed settlement, which would have made it possible for Google to provide millions of orphan books to the public, with money set aside for any copyright holders who came forward. But that settlement is dead. For some reason, this news doesn’t seem to have penetrated: the Google Books settlement, as described ad nauseam in the press in the late 2000s, exactly the time when the New York Public Library and its consultants were thinking through their current plans, is quite simply not happening. All the talk of a “Google terminal” in every public library, which would have allowed anyone anywhere to read millions of out-of-print books, was effectively thrown out the window last March, when Judge Denny Chin of the Southern District of New York issued his opinion stating that the problems at stake were too large for a court to determine. Congress, Chin said, should decide what happens to orphan works, not Google, the Authors Guild, and the publishers.
This was a victory of sorts for the public sphere, since it stopped Google from establishing a monopoly on orphan books. But the decision left the problem to Congress, and Congress, which almost invariably takes the side of copyright holders, isn’t exactly in a rush to deal with the problem of orphan books. Until Congress acts, if it ever does, the best that Google will legally be able to provide when users request orphan books is its “snippet view,” the annoying feature that lets you search through a book and see a line or two whenever a particular word occurs, but nothing else. “Snippet view” is great for fact-checkers, translators, and book reviewers, who just need a few lines of text, but it’s of little use to researchers without access to the book itself. I use it all the time at the main branch of the New York Public Library—and when I find a book that looks interesting, I go and put in a call slip.2
It’s likely that, sooner or later, a solution will be found, if not necessarily through Google. The historian Robert Darnton, who became director of Harvard’s libraries in 2007, has argued forcefully for a kind of public option: a “grand coalition of foundations,” hopefully to be joined by Congress and private industry, should pay for the books to be scanned and made available for free; it’s in the public interest, Darnton argues, and our books are part of the national patrimony. (For just this reason, the French government has pledged $1.1 billion for the digitization of much of the holdings of the Bibliothèque Nationale.) No doubt there will be other solutions. But even if Congress were to act tomorrow, whether to break the Google Books deadlock or to fund Darnton’s plan, the availability of digitized books to the point where one could be confident of finding what one needed, in the way one can still be confident upon arriving at the New York Public Library, is still some years away. Five years? Ten years? Certainly closer to ten, probably closer to twenty. Yet the main branch of the New York Public Library has to exist in the present day. And the renovation is slated to start as early as next year and to be finished in 2017 or 2018.
Norman Foster’s preliminary plans have not yet been made public, but looking at some of Foster’s other projects you can begin to imagine what the new library will look like. The constraints of the space greatly limit what will be possible: Foster cannot add a new glass dome to the building, as he did at the Reichstag in Berlin, because the main reading room on the top floor cannot be touched; adding an entire skyscraper, like the addition at the Hearst building in New York, would of course be impossible. Instead, according to a former staff member who has seen the initial plans, Foster’s design may well call for the demolition of not just the stacks but of much of the marble facade that currently stands on the Bryant Park side of the building, and whose windows and marble pillars are exactly aligned with the rows of steel stacks inside. If the stacks go, the facade is likely to go as well. In the facade’s place, we will likely see some kind of ambitious new glass entrance; Foster’s designs are distinguished by their commitment to bringing natural light into interior spaces, and Foster will no doubt try to brighten up a building that is, in spots, a little gloomy. It also seems possible that the new library could expand horizontally, to take up the space where a restaurant currently sits, on the eastern edge of Bryant Park. Since the main building is landmarked, such an addition would require multiple approvals and will certainly be opposed by preservationists. It is unlikely that the preservationists will succeed. What’s most remarkable about the idea of adding an entrance on the Bryant Park side of the building is that there isn’t one there now.
Beyond that, it appears that the library inside the new glass entrance will be a compromise between huge open spaces like the main reading room and smaller meeting rooms where groups can congregate and talk and work—the activities the library’s administrators, following the latest trends among education visionaries, believe will be the main way people will learn in our post-book, post-sustained-silent-reading world. It will not be a giant internet cafe, exactly, as the Nation’s Scott Sherman and others have suggested. But much of the renovation will look more like what university administrators like to call a “learning commons” than what we tend to think of today as a library. In response to the question “What will replace the stacks?” the library’s website says, “Books!” That’s just not true, and it’s certainly not true in the long term. Micah May stated to me plainly: “We can’t build the new renovation around circulating books.” The new library will retain the circulating collection for a little while, but it will be designed for the digital future.
As for the research-level books, most of them are leaving. Of the 5 million books currently housed at the main building, only 2 million will remain. The chance that a book you want will be in Manhattan will drop from around 70 to around 20 percent. The administration says the standard turnaround time for books from the New Jersey facility will be twenty-four hours. This strains credulity. The small number of books already housed at Princeton typically take closer to three days to make it to Manhattan, and the new system will be dealing with many more books and requests. Anthony Marx, a political scientist and former president at Amherst who took over as library president last year, says that barcoding all the books will speed up the process. This is a non sequitur: the New Jersey facility only accepts barcoded books; it’s the books in the main building that haven’t been barcoded yet. Barcoding them won’t make the process in New Jersey any faster. Not that speeding up the storage facility would help: the workers there already get all requests to the loading dock on the day they are made. It’s in transporting the books from New Jersey to Manhattan that the library has been failing.
Even if the turnaround were twenty-four hours, it would significantly diminish the library’s value as a research facility. Imagine if every time you Googled something it took twenty-four hours to get a result. Only 300,000 of the 5 million books held at the main building, it’s true, were requested last year; the 2 million books that will remain on-site, moreover, are said to contain around 90 percent of the books being used. But these statistics are less meaningful than they appear. A better number might be how many people currently don’t request books at all because they would have to wait three days to get them. The library’s plan is unprecedented for a reason: no other research library has eliminated the vast majority of its on-site collection because no library can predict what books the next person through the door will request—and no researcher can know what books she will need until she begins to read, and sees where the footnotes, and her curiosity, take her.
Over the course of the past two years, I’ve met with over fifty current and former library staff members to discuss the recent and upcoming changes at the library. Many of the librarians with whom I spoke had been forced out following the reorganization of 2007–08, and some had signed “Separation Incentive Program” agreements that offered small payments in exchange for agreeing, among other things, not to “disparage or encourage or induce others to disparage” the library. This is why so many former staff members mentioned in this article are cited off the record. One who did speak to me on the record was John Ganly, the former assistant director of SIBL, who started at the library in 1973 and retired in 2009. What struck me most about Ganly was how up to date and well informed he was. His pet project, unrealized at retirement, was to work with Madison Avenue to archive, from conception to realization, the many digital advertising campaigns that appear online every year. Another former staff member, Howard Dodson, whom I interviewed before he stepped down as head of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, told me about his desire to archive pages on sites like MySpace and Facebook so future researchers would be able to track how young African Americans have constructed their identities online. Yet another former staff member, Donald McCormick, the former head of the Rodgers & Hammerstein Archives of Recorded Sound, knew the ins and outs of digital copyright law as well as anyone I’d ever met. He told me about a project he had wanted to undertake to digitize and stream the library’s holdings, including cylinders made by Thomas Edison.
With few exceptions, the older librarians with whom I spoke were similarly technologically up-to-date. Unlike newspaper and book publishers, who greeted the internet and e-readers with fear, librarians have little attachment to books, since they have long provided patrons with everything from papyri to scrolls to broadsides to prints to photographs to manuscripts to 78 rpm records to CDs to 16mm films to VHSs to DVDs to databases. Librarians pride themselves on knowing more about how to access information than anyone. No matter how old the librarian, and no matter how much I learned about the latest trends, I continued to find that most everyone I spoke with knew far more about how to find things online than I did.
Nonetheless, almost every single former librarian with whom I spoke opposed the plan to renovate the main branch. Why? Ann Thornton, the system’s newly appointed top librarian, suggested that the concerns of former librarians are due to the fact that, as she put it, “Change is really difficult.” The change the older librarians had trouble dealing with, however, was not technological. It was the change in the library’s mission. No former staff member said to me, “The administration doesn’t care about books.” Rather, they said, “The administration doesn’t care about research.”
There was, for a time at least, a stronger alternative vision of what the research library could become. In 2007, the administration hired Josh Greenberg, a thirtysomething digital guru with a PhD in Science and Technology Studies, to help guide the transition to digital. Greenberg had been one of the principle creators of Zotero, a leading tool in the “digital humanities” movement which allows dissertation writers and others to easily embed and keep track of references to scholarly articles in their texts. At the New York Public Library, he was supposed to set up a research and development center to figure out what a public research library could do online that academic libraries and circulating libraries couldn’t. This center was to be called NYPL Labs, modeled on Google Labs, and it was supposed to create experimental beta projects that took on important research questions and involved the wider public in their solution—“crowdsourcing” at a high level.
Unfortunately, the financial crisis prevented Greenberg from starting many of the projects, and instead his team spent most of their time moving the library’s obsolescent website, which as late as 2009 still relied on individual HTML files, to a more flexible system. Greenberg himself ended up leaving for the Sloan Foundation in 2010. One of the few projects to move forward, the library’s “map warper,” gives an example of what NYPL Labs might have looked like. The project enables untrained users to stretch and pull old maps onto contemporary digital maps until they overlay perfectly. Once enough users and libraries get involved, this project could create a kind of Google Books for old maps, allowing users to look up an address anywhere in the world and see how the landscape and its representations have changed.
Such a project could have been done over the course of decades with well-trained geographers and limitless funds; or it could be done now for practically nothing with the help of dedicated amateurs. The difference is like that between Britannica and Wikipedia. Private companies can undertake such a project, but not for the public good; private universities can do it because they have the money and the map collections, but they would not likely involve the public; an open-source collective of map enthusiasts could do it, but they might have trouble getting the old maps. The New York Public Library, by contrast, is uniquely well positioned for exactly this kind of project: the library has the resources necessary to create new knowledge, in the form of millions of old books, maps, images, and so forth, and it also “has more surface area than any other institution of its kind,” as Josh Greenberg put it to me, “touching communities from the broadly public to the highly specific academic.”
The past decade and a half has seen a significant flattening in how research is done and what resources people use to do it. Media critics sometimes say that if the New York Times had been thinking straight in the mid-1990s, it would have invented Craigslist. By the same token, one could say that the New York Public Library should have invented Wikipedia, or the Internet Archive. At this point those projects are well established, but it is not too late for the library to take the lead on initiatives that could excite similar enthusiasm among online independent scholars.
The library’s other most successful online project, aside from the map warper, involves inviting the public to transcribe its collection of approximately 40,000 menus, many of them handwritten. It has gotten off to a fast start. The library has also begun digitizing its Shelley archives and started a project to help navigate the recently released 1940 federal census records. But a handful of projects doesn’t exactly create an “NYPL Labs.” As Greenberg’s successor, Ben Vershbow, told a reporter at the Atlantic, NYPL Labs is “more an idea than a real unit.” The group’s other projects include a site that animates old stereograms, small collections of librettos and theatrical lighting plans, and a tie-in for an exhibition.
Learning about these developments, I was troubled that the library seemed not to be doing enough in a field they claim to want to embrace; I was troubled too by the degree to which the communications department had become involved in these projects, and by their insistence that the library’s online exhibition on Voltaire’s Candide, mostly designed to be used by school-age children, represented a genuine contribution to scholarship. The head of communications and marketing, Deanna Lee, would speak to me only off the record, but in the Atlantic she was quoted as saying, regarding her involvement with NYPL Labs, “PR and content are all tied together now.” With so much money going to construction, and with the library failing to maintain the budget for research-level acquisitions and expert staff, it’s hard to see where the money will come from for serious R&D projects in the future.
The other thing that stuck out in my conversations with former staff members was how skeptical they were of the administration’s reliance on statistics and consultants to justify their plans. Statistics have long been kept at the New York Public Library, but they were rarely given much attention, precisely because there’s no simple way to measure the creation of knowledge. A collection, moreover, has to be built with not just the present but the future in mind. In the last ten years, everyone told me, all of that has changed. What’s been behind this move to statistics and consultant-driven thinking? High finance has always been behind much of the library’s funding; the board of trustees includes such Wall Street stalwarts as Alan “Ace” Greenberg, former chairman of Bear Stearns, and John Gutfreund, former chairman of Salomon Brothers (and one of the antiheroes of Michael Lewis’s Liar’s Poker). But former librarians attributed the changes to the increasing presence of a new kind of board member—hedge fund managers, private equity kingpins (Stephen Schwarzman of the $100 million gift), and media tycoons like ex officio trustee Michael Bloomberg, whose mayoral administration has contributed mightily to the war chest that will make the renovation possible. Another is Joshua Steiner, the vice chairman of the board of trustees quoted earlier in this article, who was chief of staff in Bill Clinton’s Treasury Department before becoming an executive at Lazard, Quadrangle, and NBC Universal.
This new breed of trustee is more data-driven and results-oriented. Heike Kordish, who resigned as director of the main building in 2008, told of giving a presentation to the trustees about the incredible materials in the library’s collection. “And people were surprised. ‘Oh my god, that’s in this collection?’” she said. “But it’s not something that you see. It’s not thirty children being read to.” Or as Victoria Steele, director of collections strategy, put it to me, the New York Public Library now has “a business sense that informs our activities, so that we are thinking about the costs that we’re putting into something and whether we’re getting sufficient return on our investment.... It’s more informed by people who understand business and metrics.”
Many conversations returned to David Offensend, cofounder of Evercore Partners, a private equity firm with a market capitalization of a billion dollars. Offensend joined the library in 2004, in part because the trustees felt that the institution’s money was not being handled with due care; he now serves as chief operating officer. According to staffers, Offensend has been instrumental in the shift toward a “business and metrics” sort of thinking. He told the Princeton alumni website in 2009, “If an organization is receptive, the application of business world experiences can have a huge positive impact.” But what kind of business and what kind of metrics? It was under Offensend that Booz Allen was brought in; it was under Offensend, and in the wake of the Schwarzman gift, that the ambitious plan to fundamentally reconfigure the library took shape. Offensend described the plan to me this way: “We did not think that putting the central library in [the main building] was an investment per se in the branch libraries versus the research libraries. It was rather one plus one will equal significantly more than two.” We can see here the familiar arithmetic of corporate downsizing.
No one I spoke with questioned the need for the library to change, but practically everyone questioned the direction in which it was heading. One former staff member summed up the concerns of many librarians like this: “The problem is you’re applying methodologies and analytic tools that were maybe best suited to a Starbucks or a Wal-Mart. For your collection of Dickens, so what, you get four readers a year, is that relevant? You’re supposed to be a research library looking not two months ahead of time but two hundred years ahead of time.”
The public has been consulted only very minimally on the library’s decisions. There was no open architectural competition for the design of the renovation; there have been no public forums for a discussion of the plan in general. In recent months, as resistance to the plan mounted in scholarly circles, Anthony Marx, who inherited the plan from Paul LeClerc, began defending it in much the same manner in which it was conceived. Marx says that the plan will bring great savings—sometimes the number is $10 million a year, sometimes it’s $15 million (Offensend told me that “conservatively” the library is banking on $7 million)—but, most of all, that it will be “democratic.” In the words of the library’s website, the plan will return the main branch to “the original vision of the building as a democratized ‘People’s Palace.’” It is an attractive vision, and in a sense the increased number of people who will undoubtedly come to the more open, light-filled, renovated library would indeed make it more “democratic.”
But the New York Public Library has since its founding been democratic in a more than simply numeric sense. In 1911, the first request to be filled was for Moral Ideas of Our Time: Friedrich Nietzsche and Leo Tolstoy, a book in Russian. The patron who requested it was David Shub, a 23-year-old Russian-Jewish immigrant who lived at 1699 Washington Avenue in the Bronx. The 1910 census entry for Shub’s apartment building shows that almost all of his neighbors were recent immigrants, with occupations from dressmaker to printer to laborer to clerk. Did they, too, go to the library? It’s possible. Shub, who himself worked a series of manual jobs, was part of that great movement of autodidacticism that swept the Western world in the late 19th and early 20th century, and which was responsible for the flourishing of institutions like the British Museum and the New York Public Library. Back then, ideas like democracy, a living wage, and an eight-hour workday were still relatively new, and it seemed possible that the empowerment of the working class would lead to a new world of wide public research, in which every man and woman would be able to undertake a study of whatever interested them—just like the wealthy gentry of the past, who studied poetry, animal husbandry, or whatever else struck their fancy. This would be a productive use for one’s newly acquired leisure, otherwise known as the weekend and the late afternoon.
Shub, for his part, after more than forty years in the New York Public Library, where he met Trotsky and Bukharin, introduced many of his friends to the riches of the Slavic division, and wrote several small-circulation Yiddish texts, offered up the fruits of his research in the form of his one and only English-language book, Lenin: A Biography, which appeared in 1948.
A lot has changed in the hundred years since then, and especially perhaps in the last ten. A modern-day David Shub might spend his or her time editing Wikipedia, or watching a complete series of lectures about literary theory on YouTube. (This is in fact possible: Yale has recorded Paul Fry’s lectures and made them freely available. The first episode has 100,000 hits.) Given the possibilities for learning online, it can be hard to see why the public would support a marble mausoleum to the dying ideal of the independent scholar, or why philanthropists would donate to an institution that serves impoverished researchers rather than the illiterate. The typical user at the research library is “well educated but poor,” as Heike Kordish put it to me. That’s not a demographic that anyone, politician or philanthropist, is desperate to serve.
But that’s what the library was set up to do, and that is what it has done for the past hundred years—and while I certainly don’t begrudge the administration’s decision to devote resources to the users of its branch libraries, it is simply absurd to suggest that providing the best possible resources to anyone who walks through the door is somehow undemocratic because not every member of the public happens to make use of them. The people who do go to the library make the trek to Midtown precisely because they can’t get access to its resources elsewhere. Many of the heaviest users are students at City University and City College; it is frequently said that City University’s Graduate Center could not receive accreditation if its students didn’t have access to the New York Public Library since the rest of its holdings are so paltry. The main building is in effect the university library for every local student, teacher, and professor who isn’t at NYU or Columbia. That’s a strong claim to a democratic purpose.
This isn’t to say there shouldn’t be a large and attractive circulating branch at the center of Midtown. But the library administration has been very creative in its real estate dealings in the past. In the early 2000s, the administration worked with the architecture firm Gwathmey-Siegel on a plan that included a gut renovation on the Mid-Manhattan building and the addition of eight more floors on top. The estimated cost was $120 million, and the result would have been 117,000 square feet of additional space. The plans, canceled after the dot-com bubble burst, looked hideous, but they show what is possible. What the library could do now is tear down Mid-Manhattan; temporarily house the books at SIBL; build a brand-new building on the Mid-Manhattan lot, with the same amount of public space currently available at SIBL and Mid-Manhattan; then sell SIBL and move both the big circulating library and the science and business library into the new building.
With the sale of SIBL, valued at around $100 million, and the money from the city, the administration would have at least $250 million for such a project. The entire Rem Koolhaas–designed Seattle Public Library, by way of comparison, cost $156 million. It’s more expensive to build in Midtown, of course, but the 52-story Random House Tower, built in 2003, cost $180 million. With the money left over, the library could restore the research budget or build more new branch libraries like the $50 million Bronx Library Center, which actually brings in half as many visitors as Mid-Manhattan.
And if, two decades from now, the stacks at the main branch have begun to grow dusty, the copyright and licensing issues have been worked out with the help of Congress, and every book imaginable is only an iPad-fingertap away, then the administration can sell its attractive mini-skyscraper, dust off the Norman Foster plans, and go toe-to-toe with the preservationists and the last of the book lovers to build a glass box into the side of the beaux arts masterpiece in Bryant Park. In the (likely) event that physical books remain central to learning and scholarship, we’ll still have the stacks on hand; and in the (also likely) event that digital scholarship takes shape in a way no one today could expect, we won’t have spent $350 million on a structure designed for the “ebook age.”
That’s one way, in any case, of planning for the library’s future. I’m sure a public discussion with library administrators, staff, researchers, and citizens could yield many more. Instead, visitors to the library’s website are invited to “join the conversation” by submitting comments. The comments, however, do not appear on the website and there is no space for public discussion. The “conversation” goes one way. Similarly, when the administration, in response to growing criticism of the plan, convened a panel of scholars and writers to serve as an advisory board of sorts in the spring of 2012, it almost immediately vitiated whatever legitimacy the board could have by disinviting the respected essayist Caleb Crain, who had written about the advisory board, quite circumspectly, on his blog. This, unfortunately, is the way it was always meant to go. In a slideshow that presented the renovation plans to staff in 2008, there was a single box for how the administration would involve the public: “Communicate and market the strategy to key internal and external stakeholders.” Communicate and market—this is what “managed democracy” looks like.
Whenever I asked the administration about the direction they had chosen, I was told the plan was fundamentally democratic because it gave the people what they want—and what the people want could be determined through the endless surveys and focus groups conducted by the library’s consultants and its own internal strategy department.
When librarians expressed concerns about the renovation, they got the same response. This constituted a huge shift in the library’s decision-making process. Where before members of the library’s staff were involved in an open process at almost all levels, with an internal committee of librarians parallel to a faculty senate at a university, now a few librarians are interviewed by consultants, and senior management makes virtually all large-scale decisions on its own. An internal culture of collegial debate, protected by an understanding that senior librarians had a form of tenure which gave them security to express themselves candidly, has been replaced at the library by what my interviews suggest is a culture of secrecy and fear.
Of all the justifications for the renovation, none is more disingenuous and misleading than the claim that the library is simply trying to make the main building more “democratic.” This is a facility that has stood for over a century and provided unparalleled service to a public that no other institution gives a damn about. It is the most democratic research library in the world, far more welcoming to the average user than the Bibliothèque Nationale, the British Museum, or the Library of Congress, let alone the libraries at Harvard and Yale. The only American institution to offer a similar combination of excellence and public access is the University of California system, where anyone who wants to can attend a community college, and anyone who can handle it can attend a great research university.
If there really were no way to maintain a great research library and a great branch system, one could see why a democratic society might choose to give up on the research library and devote its resources to the branches. Similarly, one could see why California, faced with budget difficulties, might let Berkeley and UCLA decline in excellence, so the Cal system can continue to offer access to the wider public, and so funds could be freed up for community colleges. But that outcome would unquestionably be a lesser realization of an ideal democratic society, since fewer people would get the education they deserve. While the administration at the New York Public Library likes to pretend the renovation will not affect researchers, when pressed they insist the main building must be “democratized.” The result is a bad dialectic between the casual readers, who like to check out books, and the fussy, over-educated “elite” readers, who want obscure volumes. The administration thus recapitulates a familiar antagonism in contemporary American political life, one whose necessity the library, by offering the best possible resources to the widest possible public, has for the past century by its very existence refuted.
More than anything, this rhetoric reveals the fundamentally antidemocratic worldview that has taken hold at the library. It is of a piece with what the new Masters of the Universe have accomplished in the public schools, where hedge funders have provided the lion’s share of the backing for privatization, and in the so-called reforms to our financial system, where technocrats meet behind closed doors to decide what will be best for the rest of us. Oligarchs acting in the people’s name (with the people’s money) is not democratic; selling off New York’s cultural patrimony to out-of-town heiresses, closing down treasured divisions and branches, pushing out expert staff, and shipping books to a warehouse in the suburbs, all without consulting the public, is not democratic. If the reconstruction goes through, scholarly research will be more, not less, concentrated in the handful of inordinately wealthy and exclusive colleges and universities. The renovation is elitism garbed in populist rhetoric, ultimately condescending to the very people the library’s board thinks they’re serving. It suggests that no one other than an Ivy League professor or student could ever hope to engage in scholarship or original research. Leave the heavy lifting to the folks at Harvard and McKinsey (and the quants in our commodities division), the financiers are saying; for the rest of you, there will be lovely sun-filled spots to check your email.The Associated Press
MONROVIA, Liberia -- Liberia's president on Monday urged her countrymen to double their efforts to reach the government's goal of having zero new Ebola cases by Dec. 25, a target some experts have described as highly ambitious.
"We've set a pretty tough target. But when you set a target it means that you stay focused on that target and on that goal and then you double your efforts," Sirleaf said during a ceremony marking the docking of a Dutch aid ship in the capital, Monrovia.
"When you're running a race, as you get closer and closer to the finish line you pick up the speed because you want to make sure that that last mile you will give it your best bet," Sirleaf added.
Liberia has recorded nearly 3,000 confirmed, probable and suspected Ebola deaths since the outbreak began -- far more than any other country, according to the latest World Health Organization figures.
The number of new cases in Liberia has declined recently, however, prompting the U.S. to scale back the size and number of treatment facilities it is building.
Still, officials have warned against complacency. Anthony Banbury, who heads the U.N. fight against Ebola in West Africa, said Friday that while achieving a decline in cases is difficult, reaching the point of zero cases in the region will be "much, much harder."
The arrival of the Dutch naval vessel, the Karel Doorman, in Monrovia marked the end of its tour of the three countries hardest hit by the Ebola epidemic.
The ship visited the capitals of Sierra Leone and Guinea in the past two weeks, said Julius Kanubah from the European Union's political section in Liberia.
Nine European countries and the United Nations Children's Fund donated 160 vehicles, 80 containers and 1,200 tons of supplies for humanitarian agencies.
Sirleaf thanked the E.U. for also providing aid to Guinea and Sierra Leone.
"We are never totally free from Ebola until all of the affected countries... are also free from Ebola," she said.New York's Finest are often thanked for their |
people came at length to petition the government to remove the ban. (The closure of the 1955 Phoenix org also caused 35 small-town businesses to close in the org vicinity.)
CONCLUSION: The presence of ample, cheap housing and restaurants and general and local transport is a main factor in the viability of an org.
C. Image is a secondary consideration.
Example: Hotel Reycar Alicante Spain was relatively cheap. It was quite posh. Students complained as it cost a bit more than they were willing to pay. Image in this case worked against the org,
Example: Johannesburg’s three old buildings foolishly sold and the money squandered has yet to attain the income it made in its “old, horrible quarters” despite its newer image.
Example: The beauty of Saint Hill in England is secondary to its viability and student housing.
CONCLUSION: One does all he can by staff work to improve the image. If image is the reason why one must move from an area where the org was viable or had student housing, forget it. Polish up what you have already, Image is gratifying. If A and B exist, one can think about image. Image of the outer building does not much affect A and B. Cleanliness and order of what you have is the image to concentrate upon. Staff pay and food and cheap student housing do more for an org than a posh building.
D. DON’T SELL IN ORDER TO RENT IF YOU’RE VIABLE.
Example: London about 1965 agreed to sell its buildings. Three years later by agreement it had to vacate. It squandered its money so made and has rented quarters and has not done well since.
Example; Johannesburg sold its buildings in the late 60s for a profit, blew the profit on old bills instead of making the money and has been on a struggle ever since.
Example: Reversely, Washington, DC has paid for its buildings in rent several times over and has nothing and is in sporadic trouble, probably exceeding its 17 percent of gross for quarters.
CONCLUSION: Purchase is superior to renting unless political viability is very bad. And when an org owns quarters and is viable, it is not clever to sell and rent.
E. Expensive office equipment is not a first priority.
Example: Camden, New Jersey 1954 bought beautiful desks and chairs and cabinets. When it moved they were seized on a landlord pretext. All its reserves were tied up in furniture which can’t be resold anyway.
CONCLUSION: Enough desks and chairs and furnishings is far superior to top-grade office furniture. Reserves tied up in furniture is never recoverable. Furniture quality does not influence production. Furniture lack does reduce production.
F. Renovations are destructive if extensive.
Example: London 1958-59 rented 7 Fitzroy. Contrary to orders which were to hire a man and do one room at a time, it went all out with contractors and even rewired the place and went broke on renovation bills. It took three rough years to get the org out of debt. Then when the building was given back to the owners (Church of England), they charged huge building damages which had to be paid although they had a new, sleek building in return for an old wreck it had been.
Example: Phoenix 1955 cost all the org reserves to renovate a building then lost.
Example: A ship was fully renovated before use and wound up costing more than a huge, usable ship.
CONCLUSION: Don’t renovate at vast expense. Use and make it better as you can with your own people.
G. Other businesses or rentals to support an org wind up very costly.
Example: Hickstead Garage was bought to support Saint Hill. Was a horrible drag and distraction and supported nothing, not even itself. Saint Hill Special Briefing Course supported Saint Hill.
CONCLUSION: Schemes to use other than Scientology actions or partial rentals, etc., can be a bad nuisance. Scientology supports Scientology orgs and we learn this over and over.
H. Depending on political viability, it is better to buy than rent. If political viability is shaky, it is better to rent than buy.
Example: Spain’s Hotel Reycar was a great success as a rental, getting org quarters so students would rent rooms. However, the Spanish government was worked on by the South African ambassador who was worked on by the World Federation of Mental Health stooge Stander, a commie in South Africa. The org was subjected to surveillance and upset and moved. It could not have moved easily had it owned.
CONCLUSION: In politically troubled areas use a downstat hotel and promise student room rentals. One can move in hours. Or one can stay. This would apply to the Middle East or to any country, like Spain, subjected to political menace. (Spain is intolerant of religions, and its officials are bought easily and is caving in to Russian pressures and
probably won’t live as a government beyond Franco’s death.)
I. Where possible, don’t split up units of the same org unless you have to.
Example: Notting Hill Gate 1955 was rented. Half the org stayed a bus ride away at 163 Holland Park, London. Denied some of the services of an org, each part had a rough time.
Examples: The HGC Los Angeles from 1956 for some time was separate. This was not too bad and it paralleled an earlier 1955 separate building HGC in Washington. But the secret here was the personal competence of the HGC D of P and when that person was promoted to Los Angeles the HGC did much less well. The separate HGC in LA got
into out-tech.
CONCLUSION: The functioning public line units (Academy, HGC) should not be in separate buildings from the org. However, working units such as Mimeo or even Div 2, except the Body Reg, have sometimes been separate from an org and no trouble was experienced. Housing and food for a staff can of course be separate and should be.
SUMMARY
The above are the major policies relating to obtaining and situating quarters.
A and B are much more important than the remainder.
An org which adventures more than 15 percent of its current gross income
for rent or purchase payments can get into far more serious trouble than an org
with a poor building image. Hopeful thinking contrary to these policies, especially
A and B, can smash an org,
The switch of address alone can cost an org a great deal unless loudly remedied.
One maxim is, if you have a going concern with enough income and pay,
don’t monkey with it until you can realize a total purchase price with A and B
in mind.
L. RON HUBBARD
Founder
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PrintDonald Trump has officially done it, quietly moving past the magic number of delegates needed to ensure he is crowned Republican nominee for the White House in 2016.
According to the delegate count kept by the Associated Press, Mr Trump, the brash New York billionaire who has been unopposed since his last two rivals dropped out of the contest in early May, made it to the vaunted 1,237 threshold – and just beyond – on Thursday.
The passing of the milestone should finally dispose of any lingering sense of disbelief about the political potency of the world’s most boastful property baron and reality television entrepreneur.
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.
It was a moment as profoundly significant – for him, for his party and possibly for the world – as it was oddly anticlimactic. For all the intense drama that had come before it, the announcement that he had finally made it was essentially little more than an electoral accounting update.
There wasn’t even some thundering primary win to push him over the top. The most recent was in Washington state on Tuesday which gave him 40 new delegates, taking him to within a whisper of the required tally. What did it, AP said, was a few so-called unbound delegates reporting their decisions to swing behind him.
The storming of the Republican bastion by Mr Trump was predicted by few. When he declared in the gold and marble confines of Trump Tower last June and uttered his now famous smears about Mexican migrants, he was widely dismissed as a noisy, impossibly offensive, freak show.
Then as he began gradually to barge his rivals from the road one by one – Scott Walker, Jeb Bush, Chris Christie were among his earliest victims – and it was down essentially to him and Senator Ted Cruz (with straggler John Kasich declining to give up) the conversation changed.
Who could stop him now and how?
That was then, when everything rested on Mr Trump winning the two big states at the very end of the primary marathon, California and New Jersey, both set to vote on 7 June. The anti-Trump movement had one last hope: that he would arrive at the party convention in Cleveland in July just shy of the number of delegates he needed to clinch the crown.
Barring some dramatic rebellion or boycott by delegates still unnerved by the notion of a former reality star taking their party’s helm – and some are still agitating for exactly that – there will be no contested convention. Mr Trump will run the show. And a show it promises to be.
If anything, it is the Democrat convention in Philadelphia that now has the potential to erupt into chaos with supporters of Bernie Sanders of Hillary Clinton potentially clashing.
Speaking in North Dakota, Mr Trump derided Ms Clinton, his most likely general election rival, for her failure to conclusively sew up the Democratic nomination. “A lot of people said [the Republican nomination race] wouldn’t be solved at the convention, and here I am watching Hillary fight, and she can’t close the deal,” Mr Trump said.
The property mogul also predicted that his GOP critics would soon fall in line behind his candidacy, including Susana Martinez, the Latina Republican governor of New Mexico, whom he criticised at a rally earlier this week, and who has so far declined to endorse him. “I imagine she’ll come over to my side,” he said.
We’ll tell you what’s true. You can form your own view.
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Subscribe nowHow Horrific Will It Be For The Non-Prepper?
May 12th, 2012
SHTFplan
Read by 210,120 people Be InformedMay 12th, 2012 This article has been made available by regular SHTFplan contributor Be Informed. Editor’s Note: You have no doubt had your own set of issues dealing with friends and family members that simply don’t see the writing on the wall. The following article may serve to assist you in convincing those who simply don’t know, don’t want to know, don’t care, or have never even thought to contemplate. Some of the scenarios outlined below may be frightening, as they should be, because when it hits the fan millions of people will be thrown into desperation with no hope of a solution. Be Informed provides a variety of point-by-point details that may (and hopefully will) convince the non-prepared individual to at least insulate themselves with the basic necessities. The consequences for not doing so, as you’ll see, are severe and often deadly. I have become personally so disenchanted with the way people fail to prep. People still don’t understand how important it is to put away. I have gotten into arguments over this and had cretins call me a fool because I put away food, water, and supplies. I thought about this and the frustration that other preppers have with this laid back idiotic attitude that there is no need for preparation. There are good people that just can’t/won’t start preparing. They have the money to do so, but just don’t want to. Many have only seen what happens to non-preppers on TV, but it still doesn’t make an impact. I have become personally so disenchanted with the way people fail to prep. People still don’t understand how important it is to put away. I have gotten into arguments over this and had cretins call me a fool because I put away food, water, and supplies. I thought about this and the frustration that other preppers have with this laid back idiotic attitude that there is no need for preparation. There are good people that just can’t/won’t start preparing. They have the money to do so, but just don’t want to. Many have only seen what happens to non-preppers on TV, but it still doesn’t make an impact. In this article I detail some hard core realities to show just how awful it will be for those that don’t prep. Every one of these scenarios is something that has occurred to the non-prepper throughout history. While strong images come to mind, the purpose is to jar some people out of their inaction and into action before it is too late. Preppers are good people and care much about those around them, and unless something does jar those around them that choose not to prep, their own survival chances could be reduced. For every bit of food, water, ammunition, or supplies you sacrifice to the non-prepper, the fewer irreplaceable supplies are left for you and your family in a crisis situation. It is hoped that the following can help certain people put into TRUE perspective just how horrific it will be for those that don’t prepare. Here are the awful consequences for those refusing to prep. As the world continues to decay at multiple facets, the common person has and continues to be lulled into a sense that everything is improving and will continue to for the distant future. After all, to them unemployment has peaked out and will drop until everyone that wants to work will easily be able to find good paying work, North Korea is no threat because all their long range “bottle rockets” fizz out, sanctions will eventually make Iran give up their nuclear program, oil prices will start going down after June or so, Europe will bail out Greece and Spain and everyone else, and U.S. debt will eventually come under control. After 2012 everyone that has prepared themselves will go back to more “sensible” lives. “Good times are coming”, baseball season is here, let’s get back to watching some more crackerjack news. It is amazing how people become good conversationalists with most others discussing all the gossip related news, while becoming mentally tranquilized into a totally deceptive state of denial of truly dangerous issues of the times. It’s the blind leading the blind… right off the cliff. Rather than dealing with harsh reality, people surround themsleves with easy to digest material that can be talked about without directly influencing anyone’s lives. Meaningless chatter. Even for those unwilling to even think to prepare for a societal catastrophic event, there is also no desire to even face the extreme possibility of a sudden loss of one’s employment. A personal SHTF. Look at some of the terrible personal pain experienced in America right now – and it hasn’t even hit the fan on a grand scale. Those people who have lived it up on credit, who failed to put much of anything away for a rainy day, who’ve lost their job, and who eventually lost their unemployment benefits are experiencing the first level of collapse. This is happening to millions of people in our own country, all around us, as we speak. These Americans, who once enjoyed the luxuries that modern living had to offer, are now at their wits end, with very little hope for a return to their previous lives. They are no longer able to pay most or any of their bills. Many have to humiliatingly turn to others for help to pay for food, or worse, to obtain old, unhealthy and poor tasting food from locally funded food banks. Their credit cards are totally worthless. Many have been evicted from their homes and have uprooted their families to live either on the street, in tent cities, with relatives, or have been forced to live at homeless shelters, They’ve have had their vehicles repossessed, or simply can’t afford the gasoline anymore. Their living conditions often make it difficult, if not impossible, to look presentable for job interviews. For many, the life of stability they knew just a short while ago is gone, replaced with fear and a constant stress to the point of nervous breakdown. A personal economic meltdown is confined to the individual or family, or at worst a few families. The human civilization remains intact and so do society’s safety nets. With food assistance, rental assistance, homesless shelters, and family to turn to, even the most destitute are almost always able to find some sort of help – however menial. It is no wonder with these known assistance programs, then, that people have forgotten or never thought to consider what happens IF and WHEN human civilization goes through a strong enough SHTF event. If that happens on a mass scale what happens to everyone that needs help that has not prepared ahead of time? What happens when governments are in such total disarray or destroyed altogether that they can’t help even if they wanted to? The media and others have portrayed the good people that sacrifice much if not all “luxuries” of life to prepare themselves and their family and friends for extreme times, as chicken littles. Those who have made the choice to store up emergency food, water, and other necessities to avoid extreme life threatening risks, including suffering horribly during and after a widespread SHTF event, are laughed at and ridiculed often for “wasting” their lives on delusional paranoia. But who is delusional? Those who see the signs around them and understand how vulnerable the system is, or those who believe that things never change, that politicians have their best interests at heart, and that if the worst happens the government will be there to provide everything they may need? How many have considered the dire consequences of their failure to prepare in the event that the infrastructure and everything a country’s people depend on totally collapses? The misery from long term unemployment and lack of money is like a walk in the park compared to the severe anguish and dangerous conditions that await those who have failed to prepare for the aftermath of a large scale cataclysm. The “minor” problems of unemployment that seem extremely major and painful to most today should serve as a wake up call to what life will be like when something much, much worse happens – when those proverbial safety nets are no longer there to catch us. Many preppers have become deeply frustrated at those around them, especially those that truly mean something to them, because they simply refuse to put away anything at all for emergencies. The prepper is usually a person that cares a lot and it is often difficult for them to take a tough stance towards the people that they care about. However, unless someone changes the habits of those people that fail to get ready, decisions will need to be made, and they won’t be easy. The choice of what the prepared prepper should do will boil down to either either adding these people to their own circle or survival group and reduce the group’s safety, supplies and self sufficiency, OR, they will have to let the non-prepper fend for themselves. This is a very personal choice, and each of us will need to decide based on our own morals, ethics and personal relationships. As a last ditch effort, discussing the following scenarios with the non-prepper may help them understand what life will be like without what has sustained them so comfortably for so long. This is the hard reality the non prepper needs to understand: Without power the water company cannot get water to their faucets. Without water dehydration occurs within 24 hours. Dehydration causes much suffering before death.
Toilets in homes, unless they have an incineration toilet that still need power to work, don’t flush without water. Where will they go to the bathroom and then where will they dispose of human waste?
There will be no clean water available anywhere, especially in major cities, and they cannot live more than about three days without it.
Drinking dirty and polluted water will make them incredibly sick and accelerate the dehydration process.
Polluted water must be purified and that means having a good filter, bleach or other disinfectant, or fuel and something to boil water with.
Understand just how fragile the power and the infrastructure is that pumps water to the public. A breakdown in our power infrastructure or a cyber attack against utility systems will render them useless.
A single event can rapidly lead to a cascade of other events that would certainly collapse almost, if not, everything. This is why major snow storms, hurricanes or solar events in the past have affected millions of people in an entire region all at once.
A single, seemingly unimportant event may become quite terrible as its repercussions spread; this can include a far and away disaster.
Understand that the economies of the world are so interwoven that when one major economy falls it affects everyone.
Not having any food in the house means that if the stores are emptied suddenly in a bad enough situation that there will be no food available for a long period of time afterward. Recent history during disasters around the world has shown that stores can literally be emptied in minutes.
Think about how totally horrible the feeling of being very hungry is and what circumstances would cause one to be desperate enough to eat anything.
ALL stores can be closed instantly under martial law.
Understand that you may not be able to purchase anything after it starts, especially with any credit cards.
Understand the complexity of food and water distribution; breaks in these chains can stop anything from getting to the people.
What life will be like if no toilet paper is stored?
Understand that without light sources, the night will be pitch black, often with zero visibility.
There will be no communications, other than probably martial law type of instructions over the radio, that is if they have batteries for the radio.
Other than ham and shortwave radio, any information that is available will be sent out by the government as filtered propaganda that “they” want everyone to hear.
Without power consider what it will be like to not have any heat to stay warm, or air conditioned air to stay cooler – with no way of alleviating the situation.
Travelling will likely be by foot or bicycle, as their will be no fuel and roadways may be blocked.
Realize that ANY travel outside of the home or neighborhood will be extremely dangerous as ANYONE who moves becomes a target
Non preppers will be pushed way beyond their limit because of lack of supplies.
The non prepper must realize their government does not really care about them individually, that they are a mere number and help will likely not come from them.
They have to figure out somewhere to get food. This can mean wild plants which they must know how to identify as safe, or risk poisoning themselves.
They have to understand that when we refer to “having no food” it doesn’t mean not having the food they are used to enjoying, it means no food to eat at all.
They have to understand that if they are fortunate enough to have any running water, they will probably have to bathe in cold water for lack of stored fuel to heat water.
They have to realize that the very strange and totally unexpected is going to be all around them, made that much worse because of lack of any reliable self defense stores or skills.
They might have to remain on the run constantly because of looking for water and food.
They must understand that bad will be magnified magnitudes to living misery because of lack of food, water, and other necessary items that they took for granted for so long. Okay, now comes the “truly ugly and unthinkable” life that most, if not all, people that have failed and refused to prepare themselves will deal with. Clear vivid visualization is key here for anyone that ho hums the idea of prepping. What horrors they will likely face after a cave-in of their nation’s economy, war, geophysical upheaval, or whatever crisis is bad enough to disturb or stop their nation from working and functioning? There are plenty of very potential SHTF events that are simply awaiting a catalyst to trigger them. The Non-Prepper (NP) has to realize right off the bat that 911 and other emergency calls in will be met with silence or some recording telling the caller not to panic.
The (NP) that has no reliable self defense that can stop an attacker, will not get help from public services, and will become a victim of rape, assault, torture, or murder.
The (NP) that has no reliable self defense and will not only be at the mercy of criminal elements, but also have to contend with many desperate animals, some with rabies.
The (NP) that has no food will either have to find food or be ready to beg for food or worse, like sacrificing their bodies or other horrible acts or things to get a bite of food.
The (NP) will have to go through the worst, most rancid conditions of garbage to just maybe find what they should have stored up.
The (NP) will go through panic and near if not total psychosis looking for any water source right before their bodies begin shutting down during advanced stages of dehydration.
The (NP) will go through unbearable trauma when their children and other people around them are crying, screaming, and suffering with intense hunger pains in their stomachs.
The (NP) will have to deal with the awful stench of rotting wastes from many sources because they have not taken the effort to even store up waste disposal plastic bags.
The (NP) will have disease and pathogens everywhere, not only because they have no trash disposal means, but because they haven’t prepared how to deal with trash and waste.
The (NP) will have to live in very primitive conditions after things around them deteriorate rapidly, because they have neglected putting away anything to make life more bearable.
The (NP) and those around them will likely develop all sorts of infective skin rashes from the lack of insight of storing up toilet paper. Imagine the smell for a moment.
. The (NP) will have to handle biting insects and other vermin that will collect amoungst the filth that will pile up. No pest control stored up along with no other supplies.
The (NP) will have no way of treating sickness certain to follow a SHTF event, no first aid and likely no training or knowledge about how to treat the ill on top of this.
The (NP) will have sick and dying people around them because of not being able to treat minor injuries. Didn’t even stock up on disinfectives. Unsanitary conditions lead to infection.
The (NP) and others around them will experience much grief as they watch helplessly as their family members literally die of starvation right in front of their eyes.
The (NP) won’t believe how desperate hunger drives them and those that mean everything to them to “trying” to eat food that taste so bad it gags them and comes back up.
The (NP) will likely have family and friends around them that have also not prepared committing suicide because they can’t take it any longer.
The (NP) will witness some of those people around them lose any sense of civilized humanity in them and behave like wild animals after some time from lack of necessities.
The (NP) and family members, maybe friends also, will at some point end up barbecuing or eating raw the family dog, cat, bird, any pet dear to everyone for food.
The (NP) will likely get into physical fights with other family members over any scrap of food available as rational thoughts are lost to wanton hunger.
The (NP) as many other (NP’s) will eventually go out of any safety of their home looking for food and or water, become disorientated and lost, and die a hard death somewhere.
The (NP) that is “lucky” enough to find some government help will likely have to almost sell their soul, probably all their freedom, to get tiny rations – just enough to keep them alive.
The (NP) will see widespread violence and barbarism that will shock them to the core and will wish that they had purchased some form of firearm and stocked up on ammunition.
The (NP) better get used to attempting to explain the children and other adults why they wasted all that money on junk, and didn’t buy any emergency food and other supplies.
The (NP), no matter how positive they are will drop quickly into depression and lose willpower as having nothing to hold on to does this, along with lack of any nutrition.
The (NP) will feel the worst guilt imaginable as they hear their family moaning in anguish from lack of anything to eat, knowing they could have done something to prepare.
The (NP) will most likely not see the rebuilding and recovery after A SHTF event. They will, like almost all NP’s, be statistics. Some will die hours or a day before help arrives.
The (NP) from lack of food, drinking bad water, no light at night, the horrid smells, no good self defense, the overall horror, will often be paralyzed with fear and despair, blank stare.
The (NP) is totally helpless after SHTF, will have to rely totally on charity of those prepared to live. They will take all sorts of desperate measures likely to get them shot. They’ll attempt to eat hazardous foods like an animal trapped in a house will do, and get sick and suffer much before dying. The (NP) will likely die (ugly and hard) as they lived, unprepared for anything. If we were to use one single word to describe the torments that someone who “chooses” not to prepare will go through after a true you know what hits the fan it would be “PREVENTABLE”. Almost every single person, even a very poor person, has the capacity to put away emergency food and supplies. Even homeless people have stashes of something just in case things become so bad that the normal hand outs and thrown-away items dry up. Many people with good sources of income don’t even have an extra can of food or any water put away at all. This is stupidity beyond words. Every day lightweight disasters happen in all parts of the world that disturb services enough that people are confined to their homes for a certain amount of time. While recovery is short, people are still uncomfortable during these times. Look what happens after a power outage at night and you will be mystified at how many homes are completely dark for hours. People have not even bought an extra couple of candles or any battery operated light sources. Even in well-to-do neighborhoods you may hear only a lone generator going after a blackout. This lack of preparedness is truly frightening and plays itself out again, again, and again every time services are disrupted for minor to major reasons. It’s as if there is something wrong with storing extra food, water, and supplies. Even after “lessons” played out to what happens to those non-prepared, most people still feel that it just cannot happen to them, or won’t ever happen to them again. It should be proof enough to people what happens to those unprepared after disasters simply by looking at those that have gone through it firsthand. The difference, though, comes in that these disasters have had recovery periods and help from others. Even Haiti received some help and conditions remain putrid over there. After a TRUE SHTF, it is presumable that government help and others coming to the aid of those in need WON’T happen for long periods of time. During that time those that have chosen to not put food, water, and necessities away are going to be in life threatening positions. Most people just don’t get that when the supermarket shelves are empty they will stay that way for an extended period. When the utilities go down, especially water, it may be weeks, months, or longer before they come back, if ever. Without what someone needs to survive each day, it is not going to magically appear, and depending on the goodwill of others to feed them and sacrifice their own family’s survival chances is a terrible choice. People MUST know what life will be like after SHTF in mega fashion if they refuse to prepare. This is NOT new. Terrible events have plunged people into the deepest levels of desperation and hopelessness, and they will happen again and again. While the above consequences to the non-prepper are extremely abysmal for anyone to read, the simple fact of the matter is they have already happened time and time again to those that have nothing put away. People have resorted to cannibalism and gone to levels of primitive savage behavior out of shear desperation and out of literally losing their minds to the physical depletion of food and water that keeps the physical body operating. Sometimes showing the extreme severity and results of a person’s lack of action, such as failure of the simple act of putting away extra food, water, and supplies, can be the kick in the complacency that they need. It’s really easy to put away food and supplies. All one has to do is add a little bit of extra food to the grocery cart for long-term storage. Over time this adds up to a well stocked pantry of supplies. There is something that is in a can of food that everyone can eat and enjoy the taste of, so talk to family members about their nutritional preferences and start stocking up. Toilet paper and other supplies that really don’t have any expiration date can be put away and forgotten about ’til needed. There MUST be common sense and intelligence to see what happens IF they don’t stock up for the future. There has to be the DESIRE to get started, and this is the real problem with so many. Once started, however, prepping becomes a type of life saving routine or positive lifestyle habit. It is easy and can and will save one from misery. It may save their life and the lives of their family from ruin when SHTF, which is almost inevitably going to happen someday. Every month and year that goes by without a true SHTF event, makes it more likely that it will happen. Basic statistical chance shows this to be the case, but people continue the same pattern of behavior that has led them to the same devastation countless time before. For those preppers that have people around them that refuse to prepare, you can at least have some degree of solace knowing that you tried to show the non-prepping person(s) what not having anything will mean to them and their families. All we can do is try. Once we’ve given it our best shot, all we can do is let those who have been warned about the direness of the possibilities live their lives the way that want to. They will, unfortunately, live in a world of regret and suffering if the nation and the world falls apart around them. To every action there is an opposite equal reaction. Preppers will see their efforts have been more than worth it. Objects that are motionless tend to remain motionless and non-preppers will find there are horrific consequences for their lack of effort and motion to put away “life insurance” preps for themselves and their families. Click here to subscribe: Join over one million monthly readers and receive breaking news, strategies, ideas and commentary. Please Spread The Word And Share This Post Author: Be Informed
Views: Read by 210,120 people
Date: May 12th, 2012
Website: http://www.SHTFplan.com Copyright Information: This content has been contributed to SHTFplan by a third-party or has been republished with permission from the author. Please contact the author directly for republishing information.ChannelWeb’s Steven Burke says that in the manifold comparisons of Windows 7 (s msft) with Snow Leopard (s aapl) burning up the Web, what all the reviewers and pundits seem to be forgetting is that it’s not about the operating system, which he maintains is simply the engine that runs the PC. As Burke puts it, you don’t go into a car dealership and buy an engine. You buy a car, and in his opinion, starting October 22, there will be no better ride available for the money than Windows 7.
Burke leans heavily on the initial purchase price angle, noting that an Apple Mac Pro desktop he cites as an example is nearly four times the price of an HP Pavilion, asking rhetorically whether anyone really believes the Mac is four times better than the HP Pavilion? I think some of us would argue that the value is there under the right circumstances, but it would’ve been more relevant to compare a mainstream Mac model such as the iMac or MacBook to their still admittedly cheaper, but not so dramatically so, Windows competition.
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Apple Ignoring “Economic Reality?”
Burke accuses Apple and company CEO Steve Jobs of not considering “economic reality,” and having no interest in producing mass-market PCs, which is fair comment I suppose. However I’m constrained to observe that as Forbes’ Brian Caulfield pointed out last weekend, over the past year, banks have collapsed, PC sales have plummeted, unemployment has soared, and Steve Jobs went on mysterious medical leave for a liver transplant, but meanwhile Apple has thrived through all this with sales and earnings down less than everyone else in the industry and actually up year-over-year — on Monday reporting the company’s best quarter ever and a net quarterly profit of $1.67 billion on revenues of $9.87 billion. Consequently the question is begged as to who is and is not considering economic reality.
Netbook Sales Soar But Profitability Fizzles
NPD Group’s DisplaySearch Q2 ’09 PC shipment data released last week estimated that netbook sales soared a whopping 264 percent year-over-year in the quarter, accounting for 22.2 percent of overall PC sales, but woefully for PC manufacturers and for Microsoft — only 11.7 percent of revenues. Overall PC laptop sales (excluding netbooks) declined 14 percent and PC laptop average selling prices dropped to $688 in Q2 2009 from $704 in Q1 2009 and from $849 in Q2 2008.
Apple, on the other hand, eased prices somewhat on entry level MacBook Pro models in all three sizes while holding the $999 price point for its price leader white MacBook, and is still enjoying healthy sales and profits on its laptops. Even the most substantial MacBook Pro price cut — $400 on the base 15″ model — was partly compensated by substituting an SD Card slot for the preceding model’s ExpressCard slot, and leaving out the discrete NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT graphics processor unit with its 256MB of dedicated VRAM in the new price-leader model, so I doubt that Apple has taken a major profitability hit. It’s more about marketing refocus.
Burke says Jobs wants to build “Rolls Royces,” not “Fords” and for him it was never about putting a PC on every desktop, while Microsoft has always had more of a Henry Ford style mass production bent. Again, partially true I suppose, although it doesn’t hold up particularly well in the iPod and iPhone context, and I don’t think Mr. Jobs has anything against growing market share provided he can do it without compromising quality standards or profitability, as his “there are some markets Apple doesn’t choose to serve” comment a year ago attests.
Simplistic Fixation On Initial Purchase Cost
I don’t gainsay that Windows Vista was a gift to Apple that just kept on giving, or that Windows 7 will prove much stiffer competition |
foreign ministry said it was unaware of his case.
'One China' dispute
Cheng Hsiu-chuan, president of a Taipei college where Lee worked, told AP the 42-year-old may have attracted the attention of Chinese security after using the Chinese social media service WeChat to "teach" China-Taiwan relations to an unknown number of people.
"For China, the material he was teaching would be seen as sensitive," Cheng said.
Cheng said Beijing should release public records about his entry, such as CCTV images.
"The Mainland Affairs Council has engaged. We'll do our best," Taiwan's presidential spokesman Alex Huang said late on Tuesday.
In June, China halted communications with Taiwan, a move triggered by Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen's failure to endorse the "one China" principle, which requires countries that seek diplomatic relations with China to break official relations with Taiwan.
China and Taiwan split amid civil war in 1949. China insists the two sides must eventually unify - by force, if necessary.Winona Ryder recently did an interview with New York Magazine about acquiring the label ‘crazy’ — how speaking openly about “common emotional challenges” landed her there, how this phenomenon is born of the tendency to “[shame] women for being sensitive or vulnerable.”
Women in and out of the public eye have long been consigned to the rank of ‘crazy’ at rates that should overwhelm our mental institutions and suggest that some staggering proportion of the population is barely making it through the day. In her once-anonymous advice column Dear Sugar, Cheryl Strayed asks the tongue-in-cheek question of the century: “How can it be that so many people’s ex-girlfriends are crazy? What happens to these women? …is there some corporate Rest Home for Crazy Bitches chain in cities across the land that I am unaware of that houses all these women who used to love men who later claim they were actually crazy bitches?”
When I first heard about the CW’s Crazy Ex-Girlfriend — from several of my smart, feminist friends and just about every critic at a major media outlet — a glimmer of hope shone through the sea of crazy. Its title suggests the show will be one of two things: either playing into the oldest gender clichés or directly challenging them. And according to the creators, the series is “a feminist deconstruction of the word ‘crazy.’” The theme song and intro credits indicate the same thing. “She’s the crazy ex-girlfriend,” a cartoon cast of characters sing from the sidelines, to which Rebecca, the show’s protagonist, responds, “What? No I’m not.” When the cartoons repeat, “She’s the crazy ex-girlfriend,” Rebecca insists, “That’s a sexist term.” From the outset, the show promises to debunk the notion of the crazy ex-girlfriend and illustrate sexism’s role in promoting it.
Last month, the second season wrapped on the CW, which means it’s now available on Netflix to a new and broader audience. In January, it was approved for a third season. Much to celebrate if, in fact, this show is the feminist manifesto it claims to be, saving grace of maligned ex-girlfriends everywhere.
What I found, though, when I finally sat down to stream it, was a show that does something far more insidious than the worst of the anticipated options — a show that purports to challenge gender stereotypes while actually playing directly into them. Crazy Ex presents Rebecca Bunch, a Harvard-educated, self-described feminist who moves across the country to convince someone she dated ten years ago at a summer camp to be with her — Josh Chan, around whom the show’s characters and plotlines orbit. Once in her new town of West Covina, California, Rebecca befriends character after character who promises to increase her proximity to Josh, while full-on stalking him (think binoculars and web of lies).
The show seems to want to discuss the word “crazy” in regard to mental illness, but it fails to follow through on that either. In the first episode, Rebecca gleefully dumps out her pills, only to later realize that going cold turkey on medication might not have been the wisest choice. But the issue of returning to medication or finding the right one only serves to provide the show with a quick drama — she so badly wants some uppers that she breaks into a therapist’s house to steal some — and then, once it’s no longer narratively expedient, the question of medication vanishes. She does (very occasionally) meet with said therapist — but mostly to complain about Josh while the therapist rolls her eyes, as if to indicate that Rebecca’s a lost cause. Instead of actually engaging with mental illness, the show presents a lying, manipulative, self-obsessed woman with a vague and undiagnosed mental health problem, a woman who takes one or two steps toward getting help and then stops short when it would spoil a plotline. Help is not what the show wants for Rebecca. If it were, any one of the ritualistic epiphanies that she has about her own behavior would stick — but they never do. Like clockwork, Rebecca makes a poor life decision in pursuit of Josh’s affection, realizes her folly and then unrealizes it in time for the drama of the next episode to gather and unfold. In short, it presents nothing more nuanced than the word “crazy” itself, nothing that might make viewers consider the difficulties and realities of living with mental illness or the way the word “crazy” can reduce the wide-ranging struggles to one distant, hazy other.
Even worse, the show attempts this exploration of mental illness while simultaneously attempting to address the sexist notion of the crazy ex-girlfriend, which muddles its message further and ensures that it fails on both counts.
What this leaves us with is not an investigation of how the phrase “crazy ex-girlfriend” gets used and why it is so pervasive, but an underlying assumption that the right combination of devotion and rejection will send any woman into psychosis. The men of the show are nothing to model yourself after, certainly, but their own poor decisions pale in comparison to Rebecca’s. Josh is a little dense and seems incapable of being alone. Greg pines after Rebecca even as she repeatedly treats him like her second-rate plaything. Darryl insists that Paula is his best friend, despite her indifference, if not disdain for him. But Rebecca does only that which benefits her directly. She is seemingly incapable of being a good person if it involves sacrificing any moment with Josh or opportunity to be near him. (She can’t get a crucial recommendation letter written on time for Paula, who is supposedly her best friend, because she spends the week chasing Josh from event to event; when she agrees to babysit Paula’s son, she drags him to a nightclub where she suspects Josh will be and subsequently loses the boy; she breaks into Josh’s apartment to delete a text she regrets sending; she lies to Josh about being pregnant with his baby to get his attention). And with the exception of Paula, who plays out her own crazy ex-girlfriend tendencies enabling and provoking Rebecca, the rest of the show’s women each become the ‘crazy ex-girlfriend’ themselves at some point. Once again, there is no nuance, as the theme song assures us, there is no closer look into Rebecca’s character that reveals complexity and allows us to sympathize. There is only reinforcement that — yup, bitches be cray.
There is no closer look into Rebecca’s character that reveals complexity and allows us to sympathize. There is only reinforcement that — yup, bitches be cray.
It’s a show that nods at character development in a way that might allow you to mistake it for character-driven narrative. We learn that Rebecca’s father abandoned her as a child and that she has since been hell-bent on filling his place with the love of a man. We learn that her mother has been critical of her in a tough-love kind of way, so that she now desperately seeks approval. But none of this is sufficient to humanize decisions like planting ten thousand dollars in someone’s suitcase before she leaves the country in the hopes of getting the woman arrested and charged with a felony. Or breaking into Josh’s new girlfriend’s salon to delete footage of Rebecca running over the new girlfriend’s cat. The plot is a series of lazy narrative choices which the writers try to counteract with questions like, “But why did you really do that?” in reference to the latest unbelievable action of a character who is not fully human, who exists more as stereotype than individual.
What makes the whole thing so infuriating is that the show is not without its merits — there are plenty of norms it does subvert. It casts an Asian male, for example, as the show’s romantic lead — a shockingly rare occurrence in network television — and takes care that his Filipino background is never used as grounds for cheap comedy. The second Josh in this group of friends is referred to as “White Josh.” The white character, for once, is the “other,” while Josh Chan is simply Josh. Once Darryl comes out as bisexual, his orientation fades into the background and becomes just another feature of his life. It never drives the humor of a scene, as for so many sitcoms it would. In the second season, Paula has an abortion and the drama relies on her failure to share the experience with Rebecca, not on the morality of the procedure. Throughout, Crazy Ex is making plenty of careful decisions to undo harmful cultural assumptions and at times can do so quite gracefully. It’s so explicit and clearly capable in its aims that, when it comes to the one in the title, the omission is glaring. For the biggest promise of the show, the one it premises and sells itself on, we get essentially a giant, narrative shrug.
It’s so explicit and clearly capable in its aims that, when it comes to the one in the title, the omission is glaring.In January this year, the Supreme Court in a landmark decision banned political candidates from seeking election on the basis of religion, caste or language.
An election won by soliciting votes along the lines of identity politics could be considered corrupt practice and the result set aside, the court had said.
Yet a month later during the high-stakes Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, the country's prime minister thundered at an election campaign: "If you create kabristaan (graveyard) in a village, then a shamshaan (cremation ground) should also be created. If electricity is given uninterrupted in Ramzan, then it should be given in Diwali without a break. Bhedbhaav nahin hona chahiye (there should be no discrimination).”
The PM's timing was highly questionable since UP was voting on the same day in the third phase of the state elections. The PM's targetted audience though got the message. Everyone could see that experimenting with religious polarisation in the first two phases could have cost the BJP the Muslim votes (the places going to polls in the first two phases were Muslim-majority areas).
A month and a massive victory later, the BJP named firebrand controversial Hindu priest Yogi Adityanath as the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh.
It was very clear from the beginning that the Supreme Court order banning the practice of soliciting votes on the basis of religion could neither be enforced nor would it make a difference to how political parties play the great game of elections.
In the run-up to Gujarat elections, PM Modi is back to his "cagey game" of religious-baiting sprinkled with development rhetoric and animated jibes against the Nehru-Gandhi family. Nationalism, of course, is another potion in this heady mix of development and religious polarisation.
Although on other occasions, especially after the 2014 Lok Sabha elections victory, development and economic growth used to be the primary facade behind the soft stoking of religious sentiments, this time around the BJP is playing a more cautious game ahead of its biggest prestige battle.
With the Patidar and Thakor agitations, and respective leaders from the two communities taking an aim at the BJP government in Gujarat for rising unemployment and an unprecedented crisis in the agrarian sector, the cult of Modi built on the much-touted Gujarat model of development is seemingly crumbling. And the BJP knows it well. A reason why the party is refraining from mentioning the Gujarat model of development or "Vikas" in Gujarat.
Instead, the party leadership is dishing out surgical strikes against Pakistan, Kashmir and even the remotely related Rohingya Muslim issue in Gujarat.
Interestingly, the main Opposition in this largely bipolar elections - the Congress - despite managing to create considerable buzz on the ground after a long time, is easily falling into the trap laid out by the BJP.
The latest being Rahul Gandhi's visit to the Somnath temple. The Congress vice-president's visit snowballed into a controversy after news channels reported that Gandhi's name appeared in the non-Hindu register of the temple along with that of Ahmed Patel. (For the uninitiated, all non-Hindus have to declare their identity, in other words, seek special permission for entry at the temple.)
The Congress' issued a clarification and accused the ruling BJP of circulating a "fake entry" to discredit Rahul. The saffron party soon jumped into a scathing attack. BJP's Amit Malviya asked Rahul to come clean on his religion. "If he isn't a Hindu by faith, let alone a practicing one, then why has he been fooling people with these temple visits?" he asked.
Taking the bait, Congress spokesperson Randeep S Surjewala added: "Rahul Gandhi is a 'janeu dhari' Hindu".
Not only is Rahul Gandhi ji a Hindu, he is a 'janeu dhari' Hindu. So BJP should not bring down the political discourse to this level: RS Surjewala,Congress pic.twitter.com/YY5MKQEKt5 — ANI (@ANI) November 29, 2017
Religion, however, is an old game that the BJP has mastered by now.
In 2015, the high-stakes Bihar saw all opposition parties coming together to give a tough fight to the BJP. The "pradhan sevak" of the country here too weighed all his options - from development to introducing bumper financial package for the state. When the scales still appeared to be tilted in favour of Nitish Kumar and Lalu Yadav, BJP president Amit Shah launched his "brahmastra" - Pakistan - at a rally in Raxaul. “Agar BJP galti se bhi Bihar me haarti hai to jay-parajay to Bihar me hogi, pataake Pakistan me chhutenge (if BJP loses in Bihar by mistake, then victory-defeat will be in Bihar but crackers will be burst in Pakistan).” It was left to everybody's imagination if he was hinting at Muslim voters supporting the mahagathbandhan or he actually meant that the mahagathbandhan enjoyed supporters in Pakistan too.
Even though the BJP couldn’t win Bihar, it did manage to make another of its famous back-door entries months later by splitting the mahagathbandhan and wooing back Nitish Kumar's JD(U) to align with the BJP.
In Gujarat, after falling off its edifice of vikas, the BJP is finding itself in a precarious position. So what initially started as an election season where both the BJP and the Congress avoided raking up the communal muddle, is now a campaign laced with religious language.
Even though most pre-poll surveys have predicated a BJP victory, it is not taking any chances and carefully taking out notes from history to polarise the campaign.
In 2002, Narendra Modi, as the state chief minister prematurely dissolved the Gujarat Assembly on July 19, 2002, so that fresh elections could be held even as the state struggled with violence and chaos following the riots. The then chief election commissioner JM Lyngdoh said although the elections were scheduled to be held by October, this was "not possible because the state was in turmoil, the electoral rolls were not ready even as the electoral machinery needed reinforcement".
But, many believe, for Modi that would have meant a possible disaster on two counts. Firstly, the elections getting postponed till normalcy was restored - something that the BJP didn't want. Secondly, there was a possibility that Modi would have been displaced by President's Rule, by October.
Modi, then in his famous style, launched sly attacks against the chief election commissioner saying why a "James Micheal Lyngdoh" doesn't want the elections to be held. In every speech, the CEC JM Lyngdoh became James Micheal Lyngdoh.
Similarly "Miyan Musharraf" was another favourite in Modi's name-calling game. One may wonder why a chief minister of one state during the Assembly election campaign was challenging a dictator from a neighbouring country. Well, everybody's guess is as good as Pakistan's (a clear usage of a name to refer to the larger Muslim population in the state, in other words, the attack on the Sabarmati Express train in Godhra in 2002).
In 2012, "Ahmed Miyan" (for Ahmed Patel) became the prime jibe against the Congress.
"I am the BJP’s candidate for the CM’s post, who is of the Congress? Why can’t they say they have a secret plan to have Ahmed Miyan as chief minister?” The same "Ahmed Miyan" jibe was used vociferously by the BJP during the Rajya Sabha elections in Gujarat earlier this year.
While Gujarat has been primarily turned into a Hindu-Muslim battleground by the BJP in recent history, religion and caste for long has driven politics across India. And whether one likes it or not, no one does it better than New India's Hindu Hriday Samrat - Narendra Modi.
Also read: Modi digging Morbi graves proves he can't go beyond Nehru-Gandhis in Gujarat pollsHitler-lover, Ken Livingstone, is to replace browbeaten US Press Secretary, Sean Spicer, as the chief authority on Der Fuehrer, according to sources.
The chirpy Londoner will commence work on Thursday week and is seen as the final solution to Donald Trump’s public relations woes.
Part of his brief will be to tackle the long-overdue task of educating the American public as to what exactly took place during the Holocaust.
Livingstone is no stranger to publicity and has been described as the ‘only truly successful left-wing British politician of modern times, apart from Jeremy Corbyn’.
The former Mayor of London responded to an advert in the New York Times seeking someone with a ‘Grade C O-Level or equivalent qualification in History, who is slightly less of a cunt than David Starkey’.
Meanwhile, Livingstone’s first US public outing was on the Hitler-inspired US topical satire show Have I Got Jews For You.
Livingstone said, “I was really looking forward to meeting Newt Gingrich, but he’s not what I thought it was.”
He added, “You may not like my version of the Holocaust – that is your choice.
“If the worst comes to the worst, you can always google it.”February 13, 2014 More Snow to Smack DC, Philly, NYC and Boston
By By Alex Sosnowski, senior meteorologist. February 13, 2014, 11:54:29 PM EST
Even though snow tapered off or changed to rain in parts of the Northeast Thursday afternoon, more snow is coming from the nor'easter.
Some locations may even experience thunder and lightning with the last batch of snow from the storm.
A storm that brought heavy ice and snow to the interior South at midweek has wasted no time clobbering the Northeast on Thursday with heavy snow, wintry mix, gusty winds and disruptions to travel and daily activities.
A push of warmer air from the ocean changed snow to rain along part of the I-95 corridor Thursday morning. A push of dry air from the south managed to shut down snow, ice and rain for a time Thursday afternoon. However, more snow is forecast to pivot across the I-95 mid-Atlantic Thursday night.
@stephblackbird tweeted: "YIKES!!! This storm looks like a DOOZY! Stay safe and warm my friends on the East coast!" Additional Relevant Tweets and Social Media Reaction
The snow will roll from southwest to northeast, bringing an accumulation of a couple of inches to some coastal areas, but perhaps as much as a fresh 6 inches of so to areas north and west of I-95.
The snow can cover up roads and sidewalks that had been cleared off Thursday afternoon.
Meanwhile, heavy snow will continue to push northward into eastern upstate New York and New England, where the bulk of the storm is yet to come Thursday night.
Thousands of flight delays and cancellations occurred well away from the storm, due to aircraft and crews being displaced at southern hubs on Wednesday. These delays and cancelations continued Thursday. More than 5,600 flights were canceled into or out of the United States Thursday with at least 1,100 other flights delayed.
The storm has delivered up to about 18 inches of snow on parts of the central Appalachians and interior mid-Atlantic thus far. Philadelphia now has at least a top-five winter in terms of snowfall.
With the snow that has already fallen and the additional snow coming Thursday night, travel will remain difficult and dangerous in many areas of the Northeast.
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AccuWeather.com Winter Weather Center
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Get the Latest Reports on the Winter Storm
According to Senior Meteorologist Henry Margusity, "In some areas from parts of Virginia northeastward to New England, it may seem like a blizzard at times."
As the storm strengthens into Thursday night, enough onshore wind may be generated to cause minor flooding at times of high tide from the Delmarva Peninsula to Maine.
The highest astronomical tides typically occur a day or so before the full moon, which happens to be on Friday, Valentine's Day. Water levels are likely to run about 2 feet above published levels from New Jersey on to the north.
There is the possibility of the power being knocked out in some of the same communities that were hit a week earlier.
For folks looking for a break in the cold, wintry pattern, a change to warmer weather is possible beginning around Feb. 17 or 18 and may continue through much of the rest of the month. The amount of flooding, if any, will depend on how quickly snow melts over the region and whether or not heavy rain accompanies the thaw.
Prior to the warmup next week, another storm with snow will swing from the Central states on Friday to the mid-Atlantic and New England coast by Saturday.
That storm could strengthen rapidly near Cape Cod, Mass., and could bring near-blizzard conditions to part of southeastern New England and the Maritimes.
Report a TypoWhen did Ben Affleck get interesting? Somewhere around his indie turn in the film Hollywoodland, about George Reeves, the ill-fated star of Golden Age TV’s Superman? Or was it when The Town demonstrated he could act and direct? Prior to that, I wasn’t sure he could do either, and colossal turkeys like Pearl Harbor or his fling with Jennifer Lopez didn’t help matters. Honestly, he always seemed like a posturing, stiff, preening phony to me.
But interesting he is now, and further evidence arrived this fall in the form of Argo, again directed by and starring Affleck.
Not sure why it took us over two months to finally see this film, but I’m glad we did…and in the perfect setting, actually. Ann Arbor’s State Theatre looks like it last saw a decorator (and possibly cleaning crew) around the era in which the film is set, so let me say, I felt totally immersed in a grungy, claustrophobic 1970s vibe.
Affleck, a fellow Gen X survivor, nails the Me Decade’s ugly, clunky, chunky style and twitchy social anxiety. I haven’t felt this nerve-wracked in a film about strangers in a strange land since Jack Lemmon and Sissy Spacek’s Missing over 30 years ago.
As most of you already know, the film, set during the Iran hostage crisis, tracks an ultimately successful CIA operation to smuggle out six Americans, purporting to be a Canadian film crew scouting locations for a Star Wars rip-off.
I can vividly recall watching the release of the other 44 hostages on the TV in our upstairs bedroom when I was a kid. I can still see the grainy footage in my mind’s eye as I barely could comprehend what those people had gone through for nearly a year and a half.
Affleck must have been watching too because he expertly captures that free-floating anxiety of lives in peril, but balanced with a more postmodern understanding that Americans aren’t always the heroes in every story. A thoughtfully done prologue makes quite clear that we created much of the mess in the first place.
Affleck is great as the purposeful ringleader of the operation and is buoyed up by great character turns from Alan Arkin and John Goodman as the film’s sole comic relief, a couple of charmingly smarmy Hollywood types in on the game. Also, Bryan Cranston, Victor Garber, Tate Donovan, and Kyle Chandler deliver credible and at times compelling depictions of well-meaning folks caught up in the intrigue, be they CIA, Canadian diplomat, hostage, or state department.
My only quibbles are with a few of the actors portraying the six Americans in hiding – actors who just didn’t seem too darn convincing, despite their corduroy jackets, over-sized glasses, and unconditioned ’70s ‘dos. At some level, we as audience should worry about them through some self-identification, but the actors here seemed neither terribly distraught nor for that matter very likable…so I kinda forgot that I was supposed to care about them every now and again.
I will also say that I wasn’t too invested in Affleck’s conflicted-near-divorce-loving-father subplot. The kid was cute and his movie wife seemed nice, but it all just felt a bit too trite and conventional, in the midst of an otherwise propulsive and substantial film.
Regardless, the machine of the film and the story of the folks doing the rescuing carry the day. Even knowing how the story turns out, Affleck’s expert pacing makes this one a true nail-biter. Yup, Ben, you are officially interesting…congratulations!Most are white, but minorities are overrepresented. Hispanic workers account for 16 percent of the work force but 24 percent of those who would be affected by the wage increase. For African-Americans, the comparable shares are 11 percent of the work force and 15 percent of those who would gain from the increase.
They’ve got some schooling, though less than other workers. Of those who would be affected by the increase, 78 percent have at least finished high school, about one-third have some college under their belts, and about 10 percent have graduated from college. By comparison, 91 percent of the total work force has at least graduated from high school, and 34 percent have completed college.
As with the population as a whole, low-wage workers are more educated than in the past. In the late 1960s, less than half had finished high school and only 17 percent had attended any college at all.
Their earnings are a big part of their family budgets. The average worker in this group brings home half of his or her household’s earnings; 19 percent of those who would get the raise are sole earners. Parents who would benefit from the increase bring home an even larger share of their families’ earnings: 60 percent.
They’re in every state, but are overrepresented in the South. Because most of the states that have raised their minimums above the federal level are outside the South, a national increase would have more bite there. Workers in Southern states make up 17 percent of the nation’s work force but 21 percent of minimum-wage beneficiaries; workers in Northern states make up about the same share of the work force but just 16 percent of those who benefit from the proposed increase.
The debate to raise the minimum rage will no doubt rage on, as diverse views persist both in the work force and the halls of politics. But it’s important to know who we’re talking about in terms of those who benefit from the policy. Our workers, including the low-wage sector, have aged and become more educated in recent decades, at the same time that changes in trade, technology, and bargaining power have pushed against their earnings.
…
Note: Most of the statistics come from David Cooper of the Economic Policy Institute. His calculations include so-called spillover effects: Minimum wage researchers have found that employers often increase the pay of those earning slightly above the new minimum to roughly maintain their relative wage structure. A Congressional Budget Office report gets similar results to Mr. Cooper’s. For example, the budget office finds that 53 percent of affected workers work at least 35 hours per week, compared with 54 percent in the Cooper study.The 2015 UCI Road World Championships held in Richmond, Virginia, in September has been heralded as an overall success by the Mayor Dwight Jones for having an estimated $161 million impact on the city of Richmond and surrounding region. Richmond 2015, organizers of the event, released the economic impact report of the 10-day event in an announcement Friday. Related Articles New group to promote more US professional races next year
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“People all over the world have been buzzing about Richmond and the Commonwealth of Virginia since the world's best cyclists challenged for world titles. I congratulate Mayor Jones and all of the state, local and private sector partners who contributed to this world-class event that will benefit this region and this Commonwealth for many years to come,” said Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe in a press release from Richmond 2015 organisers.
The event cost organisers of Richmond 2015 a total of $23.2 million. The city of Richmond announced last month that it cost them $4.1 million from the first bid through the final race on expenses that included support operating, licensing, and other expenses exclusive to the 2015 Worlds, preparation of the course, promotion and merchandising, and police and emergency personel.
A comprehensive economic impact study, prepared by Chmura Economics & Analytics, not only pointed to the overall impact but also found that the 10-day event generated $3 million in tax revenue for local governments and $4.9 million for the state, and put total direct visitor spending at $74.6 million in Richmond, which had an estimated economic impact of $138.4 million.
“It is always a welcomed outcome when we not only meet our goals, but also exceed them,” Richmond Mayor Dwight C. Jones said. “The nine days of racing gave us an opportunity to showcase all that is extraordinary about Richmond, and we know that the by product of all of our collective efforts generated millions of dollars of benefit to the City of Richmond and the region as a whole. And the ancillary benefits will continue for many years to come. My thanks and congratulations to everyone involved.”
The study also tallied the number of spectators at an estimated 650,000 over the course of 10 days, and over 5,000 credentialed participants. Those spectators were from 34 US states and 29 countries.
“To put on an event of this magnitude takes tremendous cooperation, and our local governments, business community and residents rallied together to welcome the world to Richmond,” said Tim Miller, COO of Richmond 2015, Inc. “We are thrilled that the World Championships exceeded our expectations.”Marvel Heroes Beta Review: The Avengers Assemble In A Fair Free-To-Play Diablo Clone
Excelsior! The NDA has been lifted and now I can openly talk about Marvel Heroes, the Diablo-style MMO based off of our beloved comic universe. While the game is still in beta and a full release isn’t scheduled until June, the game has come a long way and with the NDA gone you could argue that perhaps we’ve seen the last of the huge patches and updates. Now it’s bug killing time for the dungeon crawling caped and cowled as well as the hard working team over at Gazillion.
While there were plenty of keys to be found around the internet, not everyone got to experience the online Avengers mash-up so it’s time to delve deep and bring to you our Marvel Heroes beta review!
Read on, True Believers, and see if Marvel Heroes is the right game to tickle your comic fandom.
A Marvel Heroes Beta Review: Should You Even Review Betas?
A Marvel MMO is not a new idea. Marvel Heroes was not the first project to come along and bring Wolverine into an the MMO genre. It has been a long and hard road to this point but finally Gazillion was the one to bring us a product. In June, Marvel Heroes will launch but beta players have been testing their brains out for quite some time. While everyone needs to remember that there is plenty of time between now and the June release date, it is fairly easy to say that we have seen and played a very, very close representation of the final product.
Once an NDA lifts, that usually means that the dev team behind a game feels good enough for the testers to start rambling off about their product. The NDA protects an in-progress game from having a ton of people that the currently tested version and slamming it online for things like muddy graphics, limited graphics options, missing textures, and other things that beta usually always have. It isn’t fair to a developer that a tester takes what they are testing as a final product and using that to tell others to stay away from a game based on those issues.
Beta reviews can iffy depending on when they are done. I’ve been playing Marvel Heroes for a while now. I’ve seen a lot of updates and patches come through the launcher and through my time playing I’ve seen the game grow and morph into a solid product. With the NDA down, I feel that Gazillion is happy with where the game is at. Changes can still occur but I’m hoping that this Marvel Heroes beta review and any others they may read will help them make some final changes to make the June release a successful one.
Bringing Diablo Online And Making It Work
When you play Marvel Heroes the first thing that strikes out at you is how much it just works. The concept isn’t new, really. This is a Diablo clone and games like this, including Diablo itself, have online options but not like this. This is an MMO that brings that type of Action RPG, dungeon crawling action to an online arena and it just works. There are “towns” like the Avengers Tower and Xavier’s School and public questing areas. You’ll see a bunch of people populating these areas and you can invite them into a group to head into instanced “dungeons” like the sewers where you’ll meet Electro and have to beat him or Taskmaster’s Institution.
There’s plenty to do in the public questing areas, too. These aren’t small questing hubs where you’ll fly through just to reach the dungeons. You’ll find hidden areas you can go into for some quick fights, XP, and a reward. There are public quests that will show up that require you to defeat a certain number of enemies, protect a police barricade, or even take down a villain. Public villain battles are insane. It feels awesome when 20+ heroes gather to take down Venom. He’ll be running around and attacking everyone with AoE (area of effect) and single-target attacks as you blast him to hell with everything you have. Every villain drops something of varying rarity and a medal that you attack to a hero that gives him or her bonus stats. Some of them will give you extra attack when you hit a certain amount of health and others will boost your defense if you’re getting pummeled.
The varying amount of things to do publicly without the need of gathering a party means that these public areas are always bustling with people leveling their main hero or leveling a freshly obtained one and working together. I can’t roam a public area without a Hulk or Wolverine or Thor running alongside me attacking whatever I hit and reaping the rewards with me. It’s a very cool system that promoted area teamwork and normally once you take down some public quests with the same people, a simple “hey you want to go into the Institution and take down Taskmaster?” will result in a full party and some new comrades.
A Fair Free-To-Play
Making Marvel Heroes a free-to-play game with a ton of options to use real money to buy things usually means you’re in for an in-game currency rip-off. Let me tell you right now that Marvel Heroes is a fair game. Every thing on the site aside from potions (boosts to XP, rarity drops, etc.) and some other minor items can be found in the game as drops. Every hero can be found for free. Nearly every costume (there are some exclusive to the $200 founder’s pack) can be found for free. You get my point.
This game is not a money grabber but it does give you that option to pick up a favorite early on if you really want them. That said, you get to pick from five free heroes when you start and while you may look at them and go “seriously?” it isn’t all that bad. The choices are: Hawkeye, The Thing, Storm, Daredevil, and Scarlet Witch. If you’re not a fan of any of those, then I can see why you’d scoff at the selection. However, Hawkeye levels up and become a monster. Storm is very good. Scarlet Witch does some insane DPS and has a very good AoE attack early on that helps you out for soloing. While the selection may not be star-studded, it is far from weak and crippling. You aren’t going to start with Logan or Iron Man unless you purchase a founder’s pack but you aren’t going to start off at a disadvantage.
For myself, while I did purchase the Rocket Raccoon $20 pack (huge Cosmic fan here), I did find myself playing Scarlet Witch a lot more. Wanda has always been an interesting character and her role in the recent Avengers vs. X-Men arc and Uncanny Avengers has me reading more and more about her so I picked her as my starting hero. I saw huge upside to her and that AoE is amazing.
Balancing A Huge Roster
You can look at every hero as a class. Diablo focuses on five or so classes. Titan’s Quest has a hybrid class system will required more detail and effort. Marvel Heroes has a huge roster that is only going to get bigger and each hero brings something to the table. That required a ton of effort to ensure each and every hero is fun to play or at least authentic to the comic book universe.
Being authentic doesn’t always equal fun, though. Some heroes have issues starting out at level 1 and making you feel like you’re getting something at a good pace. I made the mistake during my first beta test of playing as Colossus. I saw that they had his Phoenix Five costume and I marked out. Let me tell you, playing as |
the Buffalo Bills. Taylor's base salary was 750,000 this season, which when you compare to the other top QBs in the league is a true bargain. Taylor is among the league leaders in completion percentage.
Previous winners of the award include Stevie Johnson, Victor Cruz, and Russell Wilson. Wilson actually won the award back to back in 2012/13. We need Tyrod to win this!. You can vote for Tyrod Taylor to win the award by clicking here. Here is the chance to let the world know that Taylor was the best all around value in the N.F.L.!Right after the stunning victory of Donald Trump back in November 2016, President Obama pledged a peaceful transition of power to the president-elect; however the latest decisions of the outgoing president look like he's planting mines for his successor. Media sources attempt to understand what could have caused such a change.
Just after Hillary Clinton delivered her concession speech on November 9, the day after the presidential elections, President Barack Obama convened a press conference to deliver concessions of his own.
Obama offered a message of unity and reassured Americans that there would be a smooth and peaceful transition of power after Donald Trump unexpectedly won the presidential election the previous night, shocking the nation.
"Now, it is no secret that the president-elect and I have some pretty significant differences," Obama then said.
"But, remember, eight years ago President Bush and I had some pretty significant differences. But President Bush's team could not have been more professional or more gracious in making sure we had a smooth transition so that we could hit the ground running. And one thing you realize quickly in this job is that the presidency and the vice presidency is bigger than any of us."
The "peaceful transition of power is one of the hallmarks of our democracy," Obama added, insisting that come January, "we are going to show that to the world."
However the US media was shocked to realize that the current policies of the outgoing president differ drastically from what he promised the nation.
© AFP 2018 / Andrew Caballero-Reynolds Obama 'Concerned' Republicans Could Dismantle Administration's Progress
Commenting on the recent decisions of Obama administration, Washington-based publishing company McClatchy DC has wondered:
"Since Obama vowed to run a smooth presidential transition, what’s the real point of picking a tardy diplomatic scuffle with Putin? What’s the real point of setting Israel (and the annoying Netanyahu) adrift at the United Nations now?"
"Why issue all these offshore drilling bans and new federal regulations? Why commute more federal prison sentences than a dozen past presidents combined? Why keep releasing Guantanamo terrorists when so many return to their homicidal careers?"
"Might it be to plant political IEDs for his annoying successor, as Democrats seek to restore their party?" it further wondered.
The outlet further noted that for the first time in nearly a century a former president decided to reside in Washington.
"Obama has rented a mansion and office space where he’ll be easily accessible to media friends for, say, kibitzing his successor – unlike Obama’s predecessor, who went silent for more than a year," it therefore suggested.
In a separate analysis on the issue, Danish daily Politiken has suggested that there is an impression that Obama and his administration have only now realized the results of the elections and therefore understood that they are no longer at the helm.
The outgoing president, it says, seems to be in a panic that his successor is not only going to make some corrections to the course of his administration but will ultimately steer it in the opposite direction.
© AFP 2018 / NICHOLAS KAMM Obama’s Anti-Trump War Comes At The Expense of American Interests
"Obama might have thought that transition of power will go without any visible problems," the newspaper says.
However, it further suggests, the power then should have been transferred either to Hillary Clinton or, at least, to a more traditional republican who would maintain the political legacy of the outgoing president.
Obama, the outlet suggests, might have understood that Trump's election has cancelled all the widely accepted rules and practices.
Hence, he no longer wants to play by these rules himself, it finally stated.
Never miss a story again — sign up to our Telegram channel and we'll keep you up to speed!One of the hardest career decisions you'll ever make: Knowing when it's time (and having the confidence) to leave your first real job.
It's a struggle getting your first job out of college.
For many of you, it'll be the first job (the first real job) you'll have. Combined with a shaky economy, a job market pretty hostile to millennials, and the simple stress of getting out on your own, getting your first position can be tough.
The only thing emotionally tougher is making the move to your second.
Whether it's the effort of moving on or the trials and tribulations of starting over, moving from one company to another is going be one of the roughest hurdles you'll face, and with the average millennial estimated to have fifteen to twenty jobs in his life, it's one you're going to face a lot. All the more reason to get good at it now and avoid these common potholes as you move along your career path.
Cold Feet
One of the greatest challenges in moving into your second job can be the simple act of leaving your first one. Whether you love or hate your first job it's still, at the end of the day, a job. Even the most hellish grind still gets the bills paid and puts food on your table. For good or ill, your job is perhaps the one constant in one of the most chaotic periods of your life. You can take comfort in the familiarity of your surroundings, even if the surroundings are lousy. If nothing else, you at least know where you stand.
And while that might help you survive, you're going to have to shake that attitude if you're ever going to thrive. It's easy to imagine everything that could go wrong. All the mistakes you might make, all the embarrassment of failing, the shame of having to return to your old job (if they'll even take you back). All these things can make even the greatest opportunity seem more like a death sentence.
Then there's the guilt. Your first job represents some stranger having enough faith in you to give you your first break. They called you back when no one else did. They showed you the ropes when no one else had time. By ditching now, are you being ungrateful?
And there's your co-workers.
You see these people more than your own friends and family. Heck, they’re probably the closest things you even have to friends or family now that you've struck out on your own. You don't want to lose these people, and that's ok. But understand that you can't lose yourself either, and make no mistake, that's exactly what happens when you don't pursue your goals. The very things that make you you get stunted or lost with every opportunity for growth you turn down. Sticking with what you know might seem like the safe bet, but ultimately will make you more miserable and bitter than any botched attempt at daring for something new.
The Solution:
Try to remember exactly why it is you're even going for this new job to begin with. A better career path? Well, that beats getting stuck in some dead-end job. More pay or benefits? That's certainly better than having to pinch pennies and worrying if a cough is going to turn into something far more costly. Maybe it's just a chance to do something you'll actually enjoy doing. Something fulfilling. Something that'll give you a sense of pride in your work and a feeling of accomplishment in life. Is that an opportunity you can afford not to take?
I doubt it.
Anonymity
Your first job is where you really establish your identity. You come in fresh, and slowly but surely create a reputation for yourself in the office/plant/restaurant/etc.
Maybe you were the go-to-guy. The one with a head for numbers. The office clown. The natural leader. It could even have just been as simple as being the one who knew how to get the vending machine to actually work.
One of the greatest frustrations you'll experience at any new job is having to rebuild all that.
You will be starting over. While you might have aced the interview, you're still very much a stranger to your new boss and coworkers. For those of you who take a lot of pride in your work this will be especially difficult. You'll find yourself constantly chomping at the bit, wanting desperately to demonstrate yourself as the brilliant, talented worker you are while not wanting to come across as arrogant or presumptuous. If you're not careful, you very well might find yourself simply throwing up your hands in a fit of resentment and resigning yourself to only putting in the minimum effort required before clocking out. There are plenty of intelligent and skilled folks out there (and you've probably met a few already) who simply whittle their time away at whatever menial position they happened to fall into.
Don't let yourself become one of them.
The Solution:
Speak the hell up.
Don't get suckered into being passive and submissive in your second job. It can be tough to break out of the mentality that you're a guest (or worse, a trespasser) in your own place of employment, and the more foreign the territory the more that temptation is going to be compounded.
There's a time and a place for politeness, but this isn't it. You don't have the time to simply hope that your potential will be discovered by someone else – you need to make that evident from day one.
Ask questions. Mark your territory. Volunteer yourself. Make yourself heard. If you want to stop being anonymous, stop being anonymous. Nobody is in charge of your goals other than you.
It's Not the Big Changes, It's the Little Ones
You know the simple, day-to-day activities of your old job? The stuff you just took for granted? The things you could do one-handed and blindfolded?
Not even these things will be around anymore.
Every company has its own spin on how something should be done, even down to the most basic and fundamental process. The way you write your case notes. The level of bull you have to take from a customer. How many slices of meat is appropriate for a six-inch sub. How strict or lax folks are on breaks. How long a bagged lunch can stay in the breakroom fridge before it becomes fair game and/or a hazard to public health.
This is the stuff that'll drive you crazy. The cautious among you will constantly be anxious about breaking the rules and the bold among you will constantly be in trouble for doing just that. And if you let it get to you, it's all going to fall apart. You're going to be sitting there thinking “Dear god, what have I done?” You might even think about going back to your old job.
Don't.
The Solution:
It's been said that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and that's amply true in moving to a new position. Simply being aware of, and prepared for, the countless little changes you'll encounter will make them easier to acclimate to. And of course, you can always use them to your advantage.
While most companies aren't going to reinvent themselves for your benefit, it'd be hard to find a manager or boss who's not open to new ideas – especially if they can increase profit, save time, or enhance communications. Try bringing up techniques, systems, or shortcuts you used at your last position wherever you find them lacking in your new job. Maybe you used phones that included caller ID and let you more easily keep track of clients. Maybe you had a system in place to make sure you never ran out of inventory. Or it could've been a more convenient way of processing orders, a more successful tactic for closing sales, or even just helping your co-workers manage stress. Introduce these (diplomatically, of course) and not only will you be able to address your annoyances but look brilliant while doing it.
Lost In Transition
While it will vary from company to company and from situation to situation, it's not unlikely that your new employer will be wanting you to start as soon as humanly possible. On their end, an open position means that they're either losing productivity on the work not being done or paying someone else extra to get that work done. While pushing to get you started quickly might benefit the company, and even seem to benefit you (no work means no income, after all), the subsequent rush can be absolutely hellish for you.
You're likely to find yourself trying to get comfortable with your surroundings and doing the work itself and getting trained to do it the company's way and filling out a small mountain of forms and documents all in the first month. While 30 days might sound like more than enough time, with only eight hours in the day (less, depending on how you get your lunch or breaks), you can easily be overwhelmed. To make matters worse, you're likely to start slipping up and panicking as deadlines begin looming on the horizon. While there are certain elements you can absolutely salvage, more major issues, such as choosing your benefits or completing mandatory training, are a lot less forgiving.
The Solution:
Time management is going to be essential in any job, but perhaps at no time more than in your first few weeks. As much as you might be tempted to simply take things easy, you're going to have to charge headlong into duties if you want to avoid being swamped later. Find yourself with a free half-hour somewhere in the day? Use it for something productive. Know that you still have those pesky I-9 forms to fill out? Try to get copies of your social security card and driver's license printed out ahead of time and pester HR until they give you the papers. Have some fire safety course you're required to take? Pop in half an hour before work or stay a few minutes after to make sure it gets done.
Free time is something you so rarely get to enjoy in any job. Spend a few minutes now to save yourself hours down the road.
It's Not “Change” You're Afraid Of We hear a lot about the “fear of change” in our society, but it's not the “change” we're afraid of – it's the brief period of temporary discomfort we feel as we acclimate to the change. As this clip from the BBC show Black Mirror exemplifies, the worst part of jumping in the pool is the first few seconds as we get used to the change. After that, we're glad we jumped in.
Now Do It Again (And Again, And Again, And Again)
Life used to be simple.
Go to school. Get a job. Go to war. Come back to that same job. Work. Retire. Die.
Not the most elegant or easy life, but definitely not a complex one. In the grand scheme of things, you could count on knowing where you stood.
These days – not so much.
By and large, the days of working forty years for the same folks are gone, and job hopping has evolved from an anomaly to a trend, and from a trend to an expectation. The vast majority of you (whether you like it or not) will bounce from place to place. Being able to transition and accustom yourselves to our new environments with speed and ease isn't just an important skill, it's an essential one. And while chaos, irritation, and doubt will always gnaw at you, you do not have to be consumed by 'em. Don't give up and don't stop moving (it's always been staying still that kills you anyways). Know what to expect and how to adjust to it with grace and there's nowhere you won't be able to go.
It will get easier.
Now get to work.No surprise that the Omaha Storm Chasers (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League) are already out of the gate with a 2016 Werner Park improvement, as the team unveils a new party patio for the concourse.
The Storm Chasers seem to always add something new to the mix for Werner Park annually. This year will see a new Sun Valley Party Patio. The new addition will provide a comfortable backyard-themed area for hosting company outings and group picnics during Storm Chasers home games in 2016. A permanent set for the Storm Chasers Live Pre-Game Show, presented by Sun Valley Landscaping, will also be built into the area.
The Sun Valley Party Patio will feature with a brick and stone infrastructure and a three-burner gas fire pit. Located next to the Budweiser Downdraft Bar near the recently upgraded Werner Park videoboard, the Patio features space 75 to 100 guests.
“The Sun Valley Party Patio is designed to be the ultimate outdoor experience in all of baseball,” said Sun Valley Landscaping CEO and Partner Paul Fraynd. “We hope to the combine the experience of the relaxing around a backyard fire pit with the excitement of enjoying a great seat at a baseball game.”
“It is going to be an incredible setting,” Omaha Storm Chasers President and General Manager Martie Cordaro added. “It is another example of our commitment to build on community partnerships that enable us to make Werner Park a premier destination in the Omaha Metro.”
Last year, of course, the Storm Chasers added an upgraded high-def videoboard at Werner Park in anticipation of hosting the 2015 Triple-A All-Star Game.The Full HD (1920 x 1080) ClearType HD screen on the Surface Pro 2 is pitched as being more accurate than its predecessor’s, and the difference is noticeable, though not necessarily a big one – a side-by-side comparison with the original Surface Pro’s screen shows the new model as subjectively closer to “balanced” colour temperature, compared to the very slight blue cast on the old model. There’s very little to criticise about the Surface Pro 2’s screen – it’s bright and contrasty at all viewing angles, and the optically-bonded panel means there’s little gap between the stylus tip and the display being drawn on. The screen on the Surface Pro 2 is easily on par with the best tablet screens other manufacturers have to offer. If there’s one nitpick with the screen, it’s that its reflectivity is somewhat distracting in bright sunlight, though no worse than any other tablet we’ve played with.
On the back, we see the first change, and it’s purely cosmetic – the Windows logo silkscreened on the back of the first-gen Surface Pro has been swapped with the Surface text logo itself. I prefer the older design myself, but it’s definitely not a big deal either way. The biggest external change, however, is the kickstand mechanism. The Surface Pro 2 adds a second, larger angle to the original Surface Pro’s single-position stand; and allows the tablet to balance well on your lap, and on the desk – where the user does not need to slouch to view the screen head-on. We’d like to see a third, shallower angle on the kickstand, or even a variable-angle kickstand like on the Sony Tap 11, but the stand on the Surface Pro 2 is a definite improvement over its predecessor.
Unlike the obvious outward cosmetic changes on the Windows RT-based Surface 2, the Surface Pro 2 has seen very few changes on its exterior from its predecessor. For starters, it’s clad in the same VaporMg casing with the same matte black coating as the Surface Pro, which gives a very strong feeling of solidity and quality, but is a little too slippery in my opinion and happens to be a huge fingerprint magnet. From the front, the Surface Pro and Surface Pro 2 are identical; especially from the sides where they’re just as identical, with the selection of USB 3.0, microSDXC and mini DisplayPort ports unchanged from the original Surface Pro. The thickness and weight are the same, too – which is unfortunate, as both could definitely be improved for hand-held use. Though, neither are as huge a deal as the thin-and-light crowd would have you believe, as there’s little noticeable difference when carried around in a bag.
It’s a good enough tablet, and a good enough laptop
The Surface Pro 2 comes with a Wacom compatible stylus included in the package, which does a good job of conveying brush strokes and pressure sensitivity in Windows Store-based applications such as Fresh Paint (included out of the box), and Autodesk Sketchbook Express. Unfortunately, proper stylus support for desktop apps such as Adobe Photoshop isn’t included out of the box, so users looking to pick up a Surface Pro 2 for professional graphics work will need to download the required drivers from the Wacom website. The other issue we’ve observed is that stylus accuracy around the edges of the screen is quite mediocre out of the box, and worse at the corners of the screen, and that installing the Wacom drivers only exacerbates the issue. It’s an issue that can be solved through manual calibration, but we’d like to see better stylus performance and compatibility without needing to install separate software and drivers and perform time-consuming manual calibration. Finally, there’s no dedicated slot for the stylus within the tablet, which leaves the Surface pen without a home (and in danger of being lost) if either the charger or the external graphics adapter are plugged in.
The other major features on the exterior of the Surface Pro 2 are the cameras and speakers, both of which are adequate, but neither of which are much to write home about. The 720p units in the front and back of the tablet are perfectly acceptable for Skype or video conferencing, but little more than that, and frankly, I’m okay with that – putting a high-quality rear camera in the back of a tablet only encourages people to become tablet photographers, which, if you’ve been anywhere near a concert or public event, you’ll agree should be discouraged. The front-facing camera could definitely be improved for HD video calling, however. The speakers are on the left and right sides of the tablet underneath the cooling vents, and are roughly what you’d expect for side-facing tablet speakers – somewhat tinny and lacking bass. If there’s one thing Samsung have done right with their tablets, it’s the front-facing speakers – they make a significant difference in the multimedia experience, and Microsoft would do well to bring them to the Surface line. Luckily, there’s a 3.5mm headphone jack, and audiophiles could potentially attach a USB DAC to drive serious sound systems.
The biggest changes to the Surface Pro 2 are on the inside; the processor has been upgraded to a 4th-generation Haswell chip, the Intel Core i5-4200U, which provides about the same level of performance as its predecessor’s Ivy Bridge CPU, but with improved battery life (which we’ll see in the benchmarks section). Storage, while still on the mSATA interface, has been upped from the 64/128GB options on the original Surface Pro to include 256GB and 512GB SSD options alongside the existing sizes. The 256GB and 512GB models also receive a boost to 8GB DDR3L RAM, which should help in memory-intensive situations. We’ll go into more detail on how these hardware changes affect performance later on, but suffice it to say that the Surface Pro 2 delivers Ultrabook levels of performance in a tablet form factor.
The active cooling fan and vents that line the Surface Pro 2 might indicate that the performance that the Intel processor brings comes at a cost of lots of noise and heat, but surprisingly that’s not always the case. The fans only seem to kick in when the system is really being pushed to its limits, such as multithreaded photo and video editing applications, Flash-heavy websites, and intensive games; otherwise, the Surface Pro 2 remain as silent as the fanless ARM and Atom-based iOS, Android and Windows RT tablets. When the fans do run, the sound made is more of a quieter whoosh rather than a high-pitched whine, which is a non-issue in all but the quietest environments. The Surface Pro 2 does get quite a lot warmer than the aforementioned mobile OS-first tablets, however; it seems that Microsoft has tuned the power settings towards letting the tablet reach a higher thermal profile before letting the fans kick in. If you’re particularly susceptible to sweaty palms, the tablet’s casing can get quite uncomfortable to hold, especially under load, though flipping an attached Touch Cover (or Type Cover, attached in reverse) to the back provides a surer grip.
Finally, we’ve also got the updated Type Cover 2 alongside the Surface Pro 2, and it’s both a step forward and a step back from the original Type Cover. The keyboard is the step forward – the typing action is firmer and the key travel feels a little deeper than the original, while retaining the full key size that made the Type Cover an impressive keyboard to type on. The keys are also now backlit, which will please some; I’ve not personally found backlit keys important for my use, but it definitely helps usability in less well-lit environments. The step back is the trackpad – it’s marginally smaller than the trackpad on the original Type Cover, and is now made of the same vinyl-like material as the rest of the Type Cover 2’s casing, which makes the trackpad hard to differentiate from the palm rest by feel alone. The trackpad on the Type Cover 2 is adequate for single-finger pointing, but its limited area means multi-finger gestures such as scrolling or pinch-to-zoom are cumbersome to perform. It’s also quite susceptible to accidental taps, which gets in the way during extended typing. The mouse buttons are just as annoying – unlike the physical buttons present on the original Type Cover, the Type Cover 2 reverts to touch-sensitive pads identical to those found on the Touch Cover and Touch Cover 2, and their action feels incongruous with the typing action offered on the keyboard. If you do pick up a keyboard accessory for the Surface Pro 2 (or the Surface 2) and don’t need a backlit keyboard, try to pick up the original Type Cover if you can – or be prepared to pick up a Bluetooth mouse.Three jihadist groups in Syria have formed a joint operations room in the Damascus countryside to combat the Syrian regime and Russian forces. The three organizations are Al Nusrah Front, Ahrar al Sham and Ajnad al Sham. The alliance, named Jund al Malahim (“Soldiers of the Epics”), is the latest in a series of jihadist-led coalitions formed by Al Nusrah, an official branch of al Qaeda, and Ahrar al Sham, which is linked to al Qaeda. The most prominent of these joint ventures is Jaysh al Fateh (“Army of Conquest”), which overran most of the Idlib province beginning in March.
The founding statement for the Jund al Malahim operations room (seen on the right) was posted on the official Twitter feeds of all three organizations on October 21. The jihadist groups say a “fierce attack” has been unleashed on the Muslim ummah (community of worldwide Muslims) in the Levant and elsewhere. And the Russians have joined this supposed assault by “following in the footsteps of the rejectionists [meaning Shiites and Iran], the crusaders and their allies.”
The jihadists say that due to the “suffocating siege” unleashed by Bashar al Assad’s “criminal regime” in the “blessed eastern Al Ghouta” countryside of Damascus, a new initiative became “necessary for all of the loyal and honest people to gather” together to “repulse” the “attack on the land of Muslims.”
Assad’s regime has committed a number of crimes, according to Jund al Malahim’s founding parties. These include the displacement of of Al Ghouta’s residents in order to create a “rejectionist [Shiite] region” that would “change” the “identity” of Damascus. The goal is to “isolate it from the Muslim ummah that is waging jihad.”
“We ask Allah almighty to make this operations room the beginning of a larger coalition that would gather factions under one flag and one army” that defends Muslims, attacks “the enemies of our sect and faith,” and liberates “the capital of the Umayyad,” the statement reads. The last part is a reference to the Umayyad dynasty, which ruled over one of the great Islamic caliphates.
Notably absent from Jund al Malahim is Jaysh al Islam, which is one of the largest rebel groups Al Ghouta. Jaysh al Islam has cooperated with Al Nusrah and Ahrar al Sham, but has also had disagreements with them. Jaysh al Islam is widely suspected of being backed by Saudi Arabia.
Like the other coalitions founded by Al Nusrah Front and Ahrar al Sham this year, Jund al Malahim has its own logo, which can be seen at the top of its founding statement.
Thomas Joscelyn is a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and the Senior Editor for FDD's Long War Journal.
Are you a dedicated reader of FDD's Long War Journal? Has our research benefitted you or your team over the years? Support our independent reporting and analysis today by considering a one-time or monthly donation. Thanks for reading! You can make a tax-deductible donation here.Dave Steckel helped the Hershey Bears win the Calder Cup in 2005-06.
The Norfolk Admirals centerman helped end Hershey's 2013-14 playoff hopes Friday night at Norfolk Scope in Norfolk, Va.
Steckel's goal with 59.8 seconds left in the second period broke a 1-1 tie and stood as the game-winner in a 3-1 Norfolk win that eliminated Hershey from playoff contention.
LINK TO GAME SHEET
It marks the first time since 2004-05 that Hershey failed to qualify for the Calder Cup playoffs. The end of an eight-year playoff run also marks the first time that the Bears failed to make the postseason since their affiliation with the Washington Capitals began in 2005-06.
The Caps, who failed to qualify for the Stanley Cup playoffs, played a lame duck regular-season finale against Tampa Bay at Verizon Center on Sunday. The Bears will do the same Saturday night when the Adirondack Phantoms visit Giant Center for a game that will spell the end of a 2013-14 season that began with high expectations and concludes with stunning non-playoff disappointment.
The win clinched a playoff berth for Norfolk. The Providence Bruins also clinched with a 2-1 overtime win over the Manchester Monarchs.
Norfolk's Emerson Etem and Hershey's Tyson Strachan traded first-period goals. Norfolk's Max Friberg scored an empty-netter with 27.6 seconds left in the third.
The Bears, handicapped by a power play that continued to be unproductive, went 0-for-4 Friday night and a combined 0-for-9 in back-to-back losses to Norfolk. Hershey has gone 1-for-31 (3.2 percent) in the last nine games.
Bears goalie Philipp Grubauer, making his fourth straight start, made 23 saves.
NOTEBOOK
Casey Wellman was sidelined by a minor undisclosed injury. Matt Watkins returned to the lineup after missing two games with an upper body injury.
Chandler Stephenson, who scored a goal in his pro debut Wednesday night, was scratched as Hershey dressed seven defensemen.
Texas Stars forward Travis Morin, who played five games for Hershey spanning 2007-09, was named the winner of the Les Cunningham Award as the AHL's MVP.
The Binghamton Senators beat the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins 5-4 to clinch the East Division title.
Hershey went 3-4-0-1 in the season series against Norfolk.
Hershey 1 0 0 - 1
Norfolk 1 1 1 - 3
1st Period-1, Norfolk, Etem 24 (Karlsson), 2:19. 2, Hershey, Strachan 4 (Segal, Deschamps), 14:53. Penalties-Byers Her (boarding), 7:46; Eminger Nor (delay of game), 10:33.
2nd Period-3, Norfolk, Steckel 10 (Kerdiles, Wagner), 19:00. Penalties-Fistric Nor (cross-checking), 6:37; Segal Her (hooking), 11:32; Fistric Nor (slashing), 14:41; Schilling Her (holding the stick), 16:58.
3rd Period-4, Norfolk, Friberg 17 (Karlsson, Eminger), 19:32 (EN). Penalties-Bailey Nor (holding), 4:47.
Shots on Goal-Hershey 9-7-6-22. Norfolk 6-10-10-26.
Power Play Opportunities-Hershey 0 / 4; Norfolk 0 / 3.
Goalies-Hershey, Grubauer 13-13-2 (25 shots-23 saves). Norfolk, Thiessen 8-6-2 (22 shots-21 saves).
A-8,701
Referees-Mark Lemelin (41), Jamie Koharski (84).
Linesmen-Trent Knorr (63), Tom George (61).
ON TWITTER: @timleoneAn Internet of Things maker has just had first-hand experience of the Streisand effect – after remotely killing a customer's Wi-Fi garage door for being rude.
Garadget builds and sells a so-called smart door opener that can be operated remotely from a smartphone app. Once installed, Garadget's $99 gizmo wirelessly connects to backend servers on the internet. This allows you to remotely control your door, or check if it's open or closed, from anywhere in the world: your phone app talks to Garadget's servers, and these talk to the smart door controller.
As one Garadget owner Robert Martin found on Saturday night, the gadget can therefore be killed at any time by Garadget staff: they just simply have to block access to a particular gizmo, cutting off the hardware from its app – and leaving the garage door stuck in place.
Martin found this out the hard way after complaining about the product online. First, he griped about the device in a negative Amazon review, and then started a thread on Garadget's support forums when the thing wouldn't work with his iPhone: the handheld's app was unable to control his garage door.
"Just installed and attempting to register a door when the app started doing this. Have uninstalled and reinstalled iPhone app, powered phone off and on... wondering what kind of piece of shit I just purchased here," he wrote.
The response was not what you would expect. Martin was summarily banned from the forum until December 27, 2019 for abusive language, and he was told his comments and the poor Amazon review had convinced Garadget staff to disconnect his device from its servers, blocking his ability to control it.
"I'm happy to provide the technical support to the customers on my Saturday night but I'm not going to tolerate any tantrums," a rep responded. "At this time your only option is return Garadget to Amazon for refund. Your unit ID 2f0036... will be denied server connection."
Someone suggested this action was tantamount to unlawfully remote "bricking" a purchased device. "Technically there is no bricking, though," the rep replied. "No changes are made to the hardware or the firmware of the device, just denied use of company servers."
Unsurprisingly, this caused a certain amount of disquiet among customers and those watching the snafu unfold. Having a device manufacturer cut off its paying customers for attitude problems is certainly bad for business.
The Reg asked Garadget's founder Denis Grisak about the situation and he acknowledged that the decision had been a "bad PR move." Martin has now had his server connection restored, and the IoT upstart has posted a public statement on the matter.
"The language wasn't too bad for some venues, but Garadget enjoyed a very civilized community so that was a departure from baseline," Grisak said.
"It wasn't the review either – the negativity happens (deserved or not) and Amazon makes sure the vocabulary is clean there. The customer was in the very first stage of setting up his account and was already hating it. It didn't look like salvageable relation. As now learned, cutting the losses there didn't really end the losses."
The biz has also sought to placate users on the community boards with a message making it clear that this was a one-off and won't happen again.
"The firing of the customer was never about the Amazon review, just wanted to distance from the toxic individual ASAP," a rep said in a forum posting. "Admittedly not a slickest PR move on my part. Note taken. PS: Anybody has Streisand's phone number?"
The latter comment refers to the Streisand Effect, a phenomenon of the internet age where an attempt to shut down information actually leads to it becoming widely popularized. It is named after the talented singer – and somewhat less talented actress – who tried to have aerial photographs of her home removed, but had them widely disseminated instead after filing suit.
On one level, this was just about a user getting on the bad side of a small manufacturer that was spending the weekend trying to sort out a technical issue. On another level, this is a lesson in relying on remote systems for important stuff like securing your garage door. Ultimately, it spells out a warning for other companies – that one bad-tempered action can impact the entire business. ®Welcome to the 2015 edition of Top Shelf Prospects. As the summer progresses, I will be featuring each NHL team’s top prospects, following the order of the first round of the 2015 NHL draft (as if there were no traded draft picks) —you can find all the articles here.
Because we already published an extensive NHL Draft preview, I will not be reviewing the players who were drafted in 2015, as my reports on them will not have changed — I will, however, link you to those articles. Instead I will focus on prospects that were acquired in past drafts, examining their progress and their chances of making the 2015-16 roster of their respective NHL team. I will also choose one sleeper pick – a player who was either drafted in the fourth round or later, or was an undrafted free agent signing who I pick as a darkhorse to make the NHL.
For those wondering, the determining factors for defining who is or isn’t a prospect is typically about 50 NHL games played or being 25 years old. These are not set in stone, and I may make some exceptions depending on the circumstances.
Last summer, the Anaheim Ducks made a big splash when they added Ryan Kesler. Having him anchor the second line, behind the dynamic duo of Cory Perry and Ryan Getzlaf was supposed to be what was needed to get the team over the hump and back to the Stanley Cup Final. It nearly worked, but not quite. The Ducks would win the Pacific division crown, roll through the Winnipeg Jets and Calgary Flames and advance to the Western Conference Final. |
the photo for the lens:
Above all is the review for the hardware, We don’t feel any cheap in the quality, with the adjustment IPD, focus distance and head strap, also the big FOV and physical touch button, comfortable foam cushioning, The HA554 has the good hardware for the VR HMD. Now let’s check the software.
3 Software Review
Before play with HA554 VR HMD, i already played a lot of google cardboard style VR headsets and the Samsung Gear VR.
For cardboard style headset, i need to download cardboard app from play store or app store, and run the app, put the smartphone in headset, and play. If i want to play another, need to take off the phone, and run the other app again, and then put the smartphone back, it’s a little annoying when you have to do this each time.
Gear VR is much better, it built in the Oculus app, once you insert your samsung smartphone, the Oculus app will run directly, and it will bring you to a virtual scene, you can download all of the apps, games, or even watch videos from this virtual scene, it has back button, and touch pad, so you don’t need to take off your smartphone all the time, so much better VR experience compare with cardboard.
So what about the HA554 all in one VR HMD? Here we go:
Press the power button for 3-5 seconds, the device will power on, and you will see blue light in front panel, and adjust the Pupil distance, and focal distance, wear the VR headset. you will see this:
First is system setting button, second is video player, third button is Nibiru VR app store, the fourth button is open camera, and the last one is viewing all of the installed apps.
In the second line, it will give the system status, including wifi, bluetooth, battery, and time.
and in the last, it said : Powered by Nibiru. So what’s this? It don’t seem like the usual android menu, It is said ” Powered by Nibiru”. What is Nibiru?
Here is their official site: http://www.inibiru.com/index.html?lan=1
Nibiru is a chinese software company, before they focus on the android gaming platform, but when the VR is coming, they put a lot of time in developing this Nibiru OS (base on android), They have got a lot of investment from some famous chinese company, and growing very fast. As far as i know, almost all of the all in one VR HMD in market are all use their OS, like Omimo, Bossnel, including our review unit HA554.
HA554 uses the new Nibiru VR OS which is also based on android, here is the software information:
Now let’s check the regular setting menu:
It just offer Wlan (wifi) setting, bluetooth setting, Normal setting, system information, and gamepad setting. Let’s check one by one.
Wlan Setting:
Open Wlan setting, the system will scan wifi ssid, and pick one to connect, if you have password, the keyboard will pop up like this:
You can use the direction button to enter the password, and connect.
Bluetooth
It will just like your smartphone bluetooth setting, you can turn on / off, or scan the nearby device.
Normal setting includes this:
Light means screen brightness setting;
Sound setting, i find there is no speaker in my review unit, i have to insert the earphone, and have sound.
Language, Now the Nibiru OS just offer Chinese and English, no other language.
Theme, System offer two different theme.
Sleep time, you can set the screen sleep time. it offer 1 mins, 2 mins, 5mins, 10 mins, 30mins and never sleep choice;
Time zone, you can set your correct time zone base on your country.
In System setting, it offer the following :
System update, offer two method to update system, OTA and update via SD card, also i find i can connect the HA554 with PC via micro usb cable, so flash firmware via PC should also work, just like what we did on rk3188 tv box 🙂
System Reset, i don’t need much more explanation:)
About device, we have seen the screenshot earlier:)
In the end, let’s check the gamepad setting, click gamepad, it give us this option:
Seems the Nibiru OS already compatible with some 3rd party accessories, i only have the bluetooth gamepad and tested to connection, without problem.
So in the near future, we should saw some interesting accessories, like bracelet, game gun, or smart watch as input device and accessories, that will improve our virtual reality experience a lot i think.
pc-host should be an interesting thing, can i play pc games via this setting? I haven’t got a time to check this function, will update this later when i have time.
Now let’s back to the main menu, check the app store:
You can download games, apps from this store, now it already have 31 games for downloading, and all of them are FREE right now. I have been told, Nibiru will add much more VR games in their store this year. and they will open sdk, and hope more and more developers join them.
click “all app”, we will see this:
File explorer is like this;
click camera app, it will open the front camera, press “ok” button to take photos.
Run VR games:
Run Cardboard:
So this is the basic software / system review. If the above simple hardware and software review can help you know this product better, it will be ok for me, but now, i will talk something useful information in my testing.
1 Can i install other app like google cardboard which is not in their app store?
Yes, you can! Just download the app you need to your pc, and copy the app to micro sd card, install the app via micro sd card. or you can directly download the app through built-in browser. But google play store is not supported right now, I can’t install google play store since the system is not rooted. (will try that later)
2 It just can run cardboard style VR apps?
As we all know, when we use cardboard style vr headset, we have to use special VR app, means the app must already be left/right split mode first. but when i use this HA554 HMD, i find i can directly install anything, just what i did in tablet. for example, i download the antutu benchmark app and run it in this HMD:
The system directly split the screen to left/right mode and i can directly use it in this VR HMD. Still confused? another sample:
This is the cardboard demo app you usually use in cardboard style vr headset:
The content must be left/right split mode, and when you watch this from VR headset, it will give you the virtual reality experience. but when you directly run this app in HA554 HMD, here is what you get:
OH, NO, the screen is split to 4 part. and when we watch in the HA554, it is unwatchable. So does it means HA554 can’t run VR apps? Wrong.
Press the “Nibiru” button in device or remote control, there will be a menu like this:
choose the 3rd button, open VR mode. and now you will see this on screen:
It is like what you see from any other cardboard style vr headset, and you can use cardboard app without problem.
When we open VR mode, and check the same antutu app, we saw this:
This time, screen won’t be split to left/right mode, but since the app don’t support VR, so it become unwatchable in HA554.
In short. HA554 can be compatible with all apps, VR or non VR, when you run VR apps, you open VR mode. when you run regular apps, just close VR mode.
3 How to operate?
Google use magnet in v1 cardboard, and conductive foam button in cardboard v2, Samsung Gear VR use the touch pad to operate.
without those, you have take off your smartphone each time or use extra bluetooth controller. That will effect your VR experience.
HA554 offer 3 different operation method:
A) Physical button in device, you can use the direction button to move, ok for confirm, and also have back button and other useful buttons in device.
B) Air mouse, The HA554 includes the following simple 2.4G air mouse, just connect the receiver, and the little remote controller will work like charm.
C) Head mouse, it will use the built in gyro, when you press Nibiru button, the system will give you this menu:
and the first one is opening Head mouse, after open that, you will saw Round cursor on screen, move your head, and the cursor will also move.
Conclusion
HA554 is first all in one VR HMD i have ever played, I spent some time to learn how to use it. but after familiar with the operation, i find it is really better than those cardboard style vr headset. I mainly use it for playing videos, standard, 3d, 360degree videos are all working well, the 1080p resolution screen can meet the standard VR experience. I don’t feel obvious dizzy, and also heat seems no problem. As an entry-level all-in-one VR HMD, consider the low price, it worth a try.
But if you serious gamers, i suggest wait for high resolution and powerful cpu/gpu all-in-one device.
Actually, i have got the newest Deepoon M2 sample, stay tuned for a high-end all-in-one VR HMD review 🙂
Link for HA554 entry-level VR HMD is here:
http://www.geekbuying.com/item/HA544-WiFi-2MP-RK3188-1080P-FHD-3D-Immersive-VR-Virtual-Reality-Headset-1G-8G-WIFI-Bluetooth-3000mAh-for-Nibiru-Games-364781.html
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Thanks
Eric
GeekBuyingPeople inspect the damage at the Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF)-backed al-Quds hospital after it was hit by airstrikes, in a rebel-held area of Syria's Aleppo, April 28, 2016. REUTERS/Abdalrhman Ismail
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States is working on "specific initiatives" to reduce the violence in Syria and sees stopping the bloodshed in Aleppo as a top priority, a U.S. State Department spokesman said on Saturday.
In a statement detailing calls Secretary of State John Kerry has made over the past two days with UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura and with Riyad Hijab, a negotiator for Syrian opposition groups, State Department spokesman John Kirby said Kerry had made clear the United States wanted Russia to apply pressure to the Assad government to get it to stop "indiscriminate aerial attacks" in Aleppo.
"In both calls, the secretary underscored that the initial efforts to reaffirm the cessation of hostilities in Latakia and Eastern Ghouta are not limited to these two areas and that efforts to renew the cessation must and do include Aleppo," Kirby said.
(Reporting by Timothy Ahmann; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)Sad news: if you stay home all weekend to avoid the bitter, bitter cold, you are going to be missing out on a lot.
This weekend is packed with festivals and once-a-year stuff that is so much fun.
On the festival side we have the incredible Winnipeg New Music Festival and Big Fun, which has been underway for a few days already.
If you have $10 you can go crazy on sugary cereals and vintage cartoons at Cinematheque Saturday morning, and if you have even more money than that you can check out Art and Soul at the WAG Saturday night.
Have fun, you guys.
WHAT: FEST – Winnipeg New Music Festival
When: Saturday and Sunday
Where: Centennial Concert Hall at 555 Main St.
Cost: $26-$32 per show or $128 for a fest pass
This is my top pick for the weekend – and the one you should definitely go check out (if not this weekend, at some point this week).
The Gritty is part of the amazing New Music Festival this year. Go see it, OK? (Courtesy The Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra) For the uninitiated, the New Music Festival is about contemporary classical music – but before your eyes glaze over, it’s actually just a big party with food and drinks and an absolutely massive band and tons of creative, brilliant people visiting to do what they do best.
There’s going to be art, food, music and fun in the Centennial’s Piano Noble. There are going to be talks from people who know stuff about the music before it starts and there will be parties after.
Tickets are totally affordable (and even cheaper for students), and if you’re still wary because “classical contemporary music” sounds intimidating, here’s what Neil Middleton from the WSO told me about it: “You don’t come knowing stuff, you come to learn … The idea is you take in this music and then hang out.”
Oh and by the way, Winnipeg has one of the most impressive new music festivals in the world. We kind of kick New York and San Francisco’s butts in this regard.
WHAT: MUSIC – Big Fun Festival
When: Friday, Saturday and Sunday
Where: Various locations
Cost: $10-$15 per show or $60 for a fest pass
For a new-ish festival, Big Fun is doing some impressive things this year – and the good news is you can catch a lot of these shows after or before you check out the New Music Festival.
There are nine venues, a ton of local and not-so-local names and even a hungover breakfast show on Sunday.
Friday night it’s all about West Broadway with shows at Thom Bargen (yay!), the Handsome Daughter and the Sherbrook Hotel.
My top picks for the weekend are a VERY early set by Panamax at the Handsome Daughter at 6 p.m. Friday, the Manitoba Music showcase on Saturday at The Good Will (hello Mise en Scene and Slow Leaves!) and the hungover brunch at Goodwill on Sunday with the Catamounts.
PS: KENmode is playing the Sherbrook Hotel Friday night if you’re cooler than me and want to go to that.
WHAT: PARTY – Art and Soul at the WAG
When: Saturday, Jan. 31 at 8 p.m.
Where: Winnipeg Art Gallery at 300 Memorial Blvd.
Cost: $55
This was Art and Soul last year. This year, you could be one of those tiny people having fun. (Instagram @artandsoulwinnipeg) Let’s get fancy, you guys. The Winnipeg Art Gallery is doing their annual super-fun thing Saturday night.
Art and Soul is basically a big fundraiser for the gallery, and you can either dress up or just dress nice and have drinks and be around art, and it’s just generally lovely.
My absolute favourites Mama Cutsworth, DJ Hunnicutt and DJ Co-Op are all doing sets, and there’ll be live music from Attica Riots too.
The galleries will also be open until 11 p.m. so you can check out the extended Dali exhibit if you’re into it.
Oh and bring cash because it’s kind of like a social where you buy drink tickets instead of paying with cash.
WHAT: FILM – All-you-can-eat cereal and cartoons party
When: Saturday, Jan. 31 at 10 a.m.
Where: Cinematheque at 100 Arthur St.
Cost: $10
I don’t think I need to explain why people should go to this.
It’s all you can eat sugary cereal and three hours of retro cartoons from the ‘60s through the ‘80s in a tiny theatre.
It’s only $10, and you should bring all your friends. All of them.
Fair warning: lots of little kids go to this, so get yourself together and be cool, okay?
No cursing or talking about being hungover from Big Fun last night.
WHAT: THEATRE – MTC’s Cowardfest
When: Friday, Saturday and Sunday
Where: Various locations
Cost: FREE to $85 for a fest pass
This is Noel Coward. What a boss. (Courtesy The Manitoba Theatre Centre) So this has a weird name, which is all the more reason to go check it out.
The Manitoba Theatre Centre is doing their annual Master Playwright Festival this weekend (and actually for the next couple weeks) and the big guy this year is Noel Coward.
Coward is mostly known for his comedy so this year’s fest should be pretty good.
There will be plays, lectures, movies and all sorts of stuff to check out.
Joff Schmidtt, who knows a lot more about theatre than me, thinks you should go see Blithe Spirit at the Echo Theatre this weekend or Private Lives.A majority of Americans disapprove of Obamacare, the highest share since President Barack Obama's health care reforms became law more than four years ago, according to survey findings released Friday.
The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation's health care tracking poll for July reveals that 53 percent of people view the Affordable Care Act unfavorably, a jump of 8 percentage points since June. July's results mark the fifth time since April 2010, and the first time since January, that at least half of Americans are not supportive of the health care reform law.
The poll found that the share of people who view Obamacare favorably fell slightly, to 37 percent, marking the lowest rating the law has received since its passage. Views about the ACA remain sharply partisan.
Most People Don't Like This Obamacare Thing
The rising opposition to the Affordable Care Act and the corresponding sinking approval come despite Obamacare's rebound from the disastrous, chaotic launch of HealthCare.gov and the first enrollment period that began last fall.
By April, more than 8 million people had used the law's health insurance exchanges to sign up for private coverage, with 86 percent of enrollees receiving financial assistance. Millions more enrolled into Medicaid or the Children's Health Insurance Program, which offers insurance to children in families with incomes too high for Medicaid.
The law also appears to be significantly reducing the ranks of the uninsured. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, the number of uninsured people in the nation has dropped by 10 million people because of Obamacare enrollment.
But Obamacare has always had weak support among the American public. Previous Kaiser Family Foundation surveys show only three months since Congress passed the law in March 2010 when more people approved than disapproved.
And alongside bits of good news for Obama, like the falling number of uninsured Americans, is more bad news, like a federal appeals court ruling last week that would devastate Obamacare, and a federal audit this week concluding the HealthCare.gov debacle still isn't fully resolved.
The new Kaiser Family Foundation survey shows how Americans' perceptions of Obamacare are shaped. Less than half of those polled had discussed the Affordable Care Act with family or friends, and just over half had seen TV ads about it. However, what people did talk about or see was negative.
If People Hear About Obamacare, It's Likely To Be Something Bad
More than half of respondents said they hadn't personally been affected by Obamacare. Of the people who said they had been affected, more were likely to say it had harmed them or their families than helped.
Another Kaiser Family Foundation report, published last month, got markedly different results when polling only those who had enrolled into coverage through the Obamacare exchanges. More than half of the people who used a health insurance exchange, and 60 percent of those who received financial assistance, said they had benefitted from the law.
Even as many people expressed negative opinions about the Affordable Care Act, the poll also found that 60 percent of Americans don't favor repealing it (the GOP's standard take when it comes to the law). Instead, people said they want Congress to improve the law. These views also fell along party lines.
Repair, Not Repeal And Replace
Moreover, Americans seem to want Obama and Congress to work on subjects other than health care reform, the survey shows.
There's More To Life Than ObamacareCopyright by WTEN - All rights reserved
Web Staff - UPDATE: Person of Interest Christopher Herman was located and detained in Albany late Tuesday night.
Herman was transported to Schenectady where he is currently being interviewed by police.
He is still considered a Person of Interest and has not been formally charged of anything.
SCHENECTADY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The Schenectady Police Department is investigating a stabbing that occurred at approximately 12:26 a.m. Tuesday.
The crime occurred inside 1224 Eighth Avenue. The male victim, who is not being identified at this time, was stabbed multiple times in the arm and torso. He was treated on scene and transported to Albany Med with what was considered life threatening injuries. The last medical update available was that the victim was in emergency surgery.
Copyright by WTEN - All rights reserved
Detectives have identified Christopher J. Herman, age 32, of 1224 Eighth Ave, as a person of interest in this case. Herman is described as a white male, approximately 5' 11", weighing 175, with dark hair with a receding hairline, and is heavily tattooed. Herman was last seen wearing a gray hoodie and sweatpants. Herman has a history of mental health issues and is extremely violent. Anyone with information concerning his whereabouts should contact 911 immediately.You’ve spent hours smushed up against strangers’ armpits in them. You’ve fallen asleep in them after one too many shandies and ended up in West Ruislip. You’ve ran through their doors and just made it without leaving your bag/ coat/ baby on the platform. But have you ever thought about what it’s like on the other side of the tube door?
The drivers of the London Underground aren’t a showy bunch. Tucked up front, they might spend all day telling you to move down the carriage, but they don’t tend to blow their own trumpets that much. So it’s about time we did.
Since opening way back in 1863, the Metropolitan line (aka The Purple One) has gone from a passenger and goods railway to the 42 mile, 34-station high frequency tube we know today. 59 vehicles operate on the line, each seating 306 passengers, and the Met is most valued for its express commuter service, ferrying workies from the suburbs to the city in quick sharp time.
Here’s what it’s really like to drive the Metropolitan line, from Aldgate to Harrow-on-the-Hill.
Still have more questions about the inner workings of the Underground? Crib up on these 25 unusual facts.Darth Vader has denied being ‘Dark Lord of the Sith’ and said he self-identifies as a leading light of the Alt-Jedi movement today.
The Alt-Jedi are best known for rejecting mainstream Jediism in favour of provocative behaviour designed to outrage the consensus, such as force-choking people and destroying worlds in colossal gouts of laser fire.
Many younglings are drawn to the Alt-Jedi because it promises fun, transgression, a challenge to social norms, and the full power of the Dark Side of the Force.
Vader is believed to have become associated with the movement after losing his only girlfriend and realising he was too ugly both inside and out ever to get another.
“I find your lack of a pair disturbing,” Vader told us. “The snowflake is strong in you.
“Give into your hate. Let the anger flow through you. Only then can you know the true nature of Pepe the Frog memes.
“You rebel cucks,” he added.
Vader’s children have distanced themselves from their father, describing him as a bit of a sorry loser and saying they won’t have anything to do with him until he grows out of it.
“It’s probably just a midlife crisis,” said Leia Organa.
“All that wearing black, saying outrageous stuff and driving around in a brand new TiE interceptor designed for someone much younger.
“It’s a bit sad, really. We can’t wait until he just buys a sweater and gets into gardening like all the other dads.
“I’ll tell you what, no son of mine will turn out like that.”Family members of Fond du Lac Ojibwe band member Autumn Martineau, including two of her sisters Brittany Diver and Jessica Torres on left, stand around a "spirit fire" on the Fond du Lac reservation on Feb. 11, 2015.
Updated: 7:55 a.m. Feb. 12 | Posted: 8:03 p.m. Feb. 11
A Carlton County judge this week ordered the county's medical examiner to release the bodies of two Ojibwe members to their tribes after family members objected to planned autopsies.
On Saturday, MushKoob Aubid, 65, a member of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, died in Cloquet after a serious car accident. On Tuesday, Autumn Martineau, 24, a member of the Fond du Lac Band, died in another crash.
In both cases, St. Louis County Medical Examiner Thomas Uncini, who also works for Carlton County, scheduled autopsies — despite objections from the families, who argued autopsies would violate their spiritual beliefs.
"Based upon our religious beliefs and our culture, we do not want the body to be cut in any way, we want her to be intact," said Martineau's aunt Lynn Olson.
"I likened (it to) the United States respecting the religious burial traditions of Osama bin Laden, yet we can't do it for our own native citizens here in northern Minnesota, where we're the largest minority group," Fond du Lac Chairwoman Karen Diver said.
Uncini, who declined to comment, relented in both instances after Judge Robert Macaulay ordered him to release the bodies. Neither body was autopsied.
Carlton County Attorney Thomas Pertler said that conducting autopsies to determine the cause of death is standard practice after such serious accidents.
"Because if there are any potential legal issues, that is an important thing that is necessary to know as you proceed through the process," he said.
Pertler said the county and the bands have committed to develop protocols to better handle similar situations in the future.
"We need to be concerned about public safety issues, but at the same time be sensitive to families in a time of need," Pertler said.
But Diver said policy changes may also be needed. It's frustrating to be forced to justify or explain tribal religious beliefs, she said.
"To have someone say that it needs to be written down somewhere, or we have to tell you, justify, prove what it is, is really offensive to the core of who we are as native people," she said. "We don't have to tell you, we don't have to justify, you need to believe us when we say this is the way it is."
Olson said the ordeal has set back preparations for her niece's funeral.
"There's hurt, there's anger, there's loss, there's so many different feelings going on right now," she said.
But Olson hopes other families won't have to experience the same kind of spiritual trauma during a time of loss.The Darlington Memorial Fountain in Judiciary Square was dedicated in 1923 to honor D.C. lawyer Joseph J. Darlington. The statue, by sculptor C. Paul Jennewein, was controversial when it was erected. (John Kelly/The Washington Post)
In 1923, the lawyers of Washington realized that they had a problem. A lot of people in town had decided they were creepy perverts.
How were they to convince the local citizenry that this was not the case?
The uproar arose when a new fountain was installed in November. The fountain honored a District lawyer named Joseph J. Darlington. Born in 1849 in South Carolina, Darlington came to Washington to study at the law school of Columbian University (known today as George Washington University). He eventually became one of the city’s keenest legal minds, and when he died in 1920, at age 71, he was considered the dean of the Washington bar.
Friends and colleagues immediately pooled their money to build Darlington a fitting monument. What was lowered in place atop a plinth at Fifth Street NW and Indiana Avenue in Judiciary Square was a naked lady and a deer.
“Tawdry” is how Judge William DeLacey described the statue. “Repulsive,” said the Rev. John C. Ball of Metropolitan Baptist Church. The Rev. John E. Briggs, pastor of Fifth Baptist Church, where Darlington worshiped, denied that he had termed the statue a “blasphemy” but said that Darlington wouldn’t have liked it.
“Tawdry” and “repulsive” were some of the first comments made about the Darlington Memorial Fountain. (John Kelly/The Washington Post)
The Washington Post interviewed a lawyer who quipped that perhaps the statue was meant to symbolize a woman summoned by the U.S. Marshals for hunting without a license — and without clothes.
As the uproar grew, the secretary of the District’s bar association felt it necessary to stress that the money to erect the statue came from private contributions. If his group had been involved, he said, “it is possible that the present statue would not have been approved.” In other words: Don’t blame us.
Even those observers who averred that the statue was art, and not smut, said it was still inappropriate.
George Julian Zolnay, a prominent sculptor, said, “True art invariably is a matter of fitness.” He didn’t mean fitness as in toned abs, but as in a specific link to the person honored. If Darlington had been a hunter, Zolnay said, the Diana-like statue might have been suitable. But what did a naked maiden standing next to a fawn have to do with one of Washington’s most powerful attorneys?
This controversy erupted 22 years after the dedication of the memorial Answer Man wrote about last week, the statue of prominent Mason (and Confederate general) Albert Pike. Standing across Judiciary Square from the Darlington fountain, it was what a lot of people back then thought a monument should be: a big, honking likeness of a dead person. For many, the Darlington memorial was altogether too weird. It’s a sentiment not dissimilar to the criticism that Maya Lin’s Vietnam Veterans Memorial faced.
[Why is Confederate general Albert Pike memorialized at Judiciary Square?]
Frank Hogan — head of the Darlington memorial committee and founder of what became the powerhouse D.C. law firm Hogan Lovells — finally decided it was time to set the record straight. Although the statue was privately funded, he explained, it needed the approval of the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts. The commission did not want merely an effigy of a man, but “something artistically beautiful.”
A half-dozen sculptors had entered the design competition. Each was furnished with a dossier of Darlington’s professional accomplishments and, more important, his personal characteristics. Darlington’s “constant charities” — his thoughtfulness, tenderness, philanthropy, consideration of others — were more worthy of being permanently enshrined than his greatness as a lawyer.
And that’s what the winning statue, by German-born sculptor C. Paul Jennewein and approved by Darlington’s two daughters, was meant to symbolize.
Art can lose something when you have to explain it, but Hogan planked out the statue’s meaning for anyone too dense to get it. The beautiful maiden, he said, represented God’s best human handiwork. She symbolized humanity at its finest: considerate and tender. So tender, in fact, that a deer had come to the maiden’s side for care and succor, just as, Hogan implied, a defendant might come to a lawyer.
Yes, the maiden was nude, but that’s the “better to represent her as she came from the hands of her Creator, rather than the hands of a dressmaker.”
Seventy years later, another Jennewein piece was to cause controversy. A bare-breasted maiden he’d created for the Justice Department distracted John Ashcroft so much that the attorney general ordered it hidden behind curtains.
Within the larger controversy of the naked lady in Judiciary Square was a smaller one: When Jennewein arrived to inspect the statue’s installation, he saw that it had been set up facing the wrong direction. He ordered the workers to lift it and rotate it 180 degrees.
Darlington’s colleagues had to chuckle. The old lawyer had won many cases, but more than a few were overturned in the U.S. Court of Appeals, the building that the gold-bottomed maiden was now mooning.
Twitter: @johnkelly
Send your questions to answerman@washpost.com.
For previous columns, visit washingtonpost.com/johnkelly.First update! And I wanted to open by saying THANK YOU to all of you who have made this Kickstarter such an incredible experience so far. I'm pretty overwhelmed, and very, very grateful. We hit 50% in the first 24 hours, and we're still going strong. As I write this, we're at 78% funded! I'm relieved and inspired. It's an unspeakably rewarding experience to see so many people understand so well this thing that's only existed in my mind and in my bedroom for so long. You guys are great.
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I wanted to use this first update to talk a little bit about one of the people who helped make this project possible. In fact she's curled up around my feet under my desk as I'm writing this. She's my dog Princess, and in some pretty real ways this project wouldn't exist if not for her.
When I first started making a game about dogs, I was at best a beginner-level 3D modeler, and a sub-beginner 3D animator. I had to teach myself all of that stuff as I went along, and I'd picked a subject for modeling and animation that was probably, on reflection, foolish for a beginner to tackle. Of course, I had a (mostly) willing live model sitting next to me as I was doing all of this, so it was only natural that Princess was the basis for the first dog I put in the game. When I was wondering how the heck dog legs bend (they're weird), it was very, very helpful to have Princess and her limbs right there to grab and manipulate. I got lots of bewildered looks.
Lots of people have asked me about Princess, and The Dodo just did a nice feature on her. Almost exactly 8 years ago, my friend Hanna introduced me to Debora Bresch, who was rescuing pit bulls in New York in her spare time. They needed folks to foster dogs and help them get adopted. I hadn't had a dog in a while, and though I was pretty sure dogs weren't allowed in my building, I volunteered. It would only be for a couple weeks, anyway.
Princess with her honorary big brother, Coleman, not long after I adopted her. Photo by Hanna.
The details are sketchy, but Princess was found somewhere in New York City, neglected and confined to a dark basement. She had access to food and water, but the conditions were poor. Her muzzle was scarred from where she'd tried, several times, to escape her enclosure. The pads on her paws were pure pink and uncalloused -- she'd hardly ever been outside.
I walked Princess around New York's Lower East Side for a couple of weeks wearing a bright orange Adopt Me vest. I answered questions about her. Sometimes Debora borrowed her to show her off at events. At around the two week mark, Debora said she was coming by, which was great, because I had something to tell her. I'd fallen in love and was going to ask to keep Princess. What Debora had wanted to tell me, though, was that she'd found a nice couple who were interested in Princess. She was picking her up to bring her over to their apartment and see if she was a good fit.
At the dog park, a few years ago. Definitely not about to catch that ball she's staring at. She's not great at catching balls.
I told Debora my feelings, but didn't want to ruin someone else's dreams about having this wonderful dog, if they'd already met her and fallen in love as well. Debora said she wanted me to have her, but would bring her over to see the couple anyway. But she'd exaggerate how poorly housebroken Princess still was. This turned out not to be much of an exaggeration in the long run, but the gambit worked. Princess was my dog.
She's sweet and a bit shy and loves scrounging for discarded pizza crusts on the streets at night and lying in the sun is her favorite thing in the world. She's a bit small but very sturdy and has the softest ears. She's a good dog.
A bit overwhelmed at No Quarter a year ago, the party where Dog Park debuted. Photo by Kotaku.
We estimate that Princess is around 10 now. She's started to show her age a bit. There's no denying the brindle fur on her face is tending more and more toward white. But she's still going strong. She still bounds up the five flights of stairs to our apartment, but she maybe needs a bit more coaxing to do so, and lingers a bit longer on the landings before attacking the next set. We don't get out to the dog park so much anymore, but she'll still leap into impromptu wrasslin' sessions if we meet a compatible play partner on one of her walks.
It seems like Princess was lucky enough to never spend much time lost and on her own. I certainly count myself lucky to have found her. She's my best friend, and Home Free wouldn't exist without her.
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Thank you again for your support. Please message me or leave comments with any thoughts or questions. We have some cool stretch goals to reach, so I really appreciate you continuing to spread the word about Home Free.
Thanks!
kevinThe Foo Fighters frontman and his wife Jordyn Blum announce baby Ophelia
Dave Grohl has become a father for the third time.
The Foo Fighters frontman and his wife Jordyn Blum welcomed a baby daughter into the world earlier this month, according to a post on the David Grohl Alley Scholarship Program’s Facebook page – his non-profit organisation.
The news follows a sadder event in Grohl’s life, after reports that the musician’s father died earlier this month (August 6) after what has been described as a long-term illness.
“Bittersweet news – congratulations David Grohl and Jordyn Blum who have welcomed a new baby girl #3 Ophelia Grohl! The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away!!” the Facebook post reads.
Grohl and Blum have been married for 11 years and |
the point of this article. Freedom is a good thing.
We have a problem, though.
A Tale of Two Communities
Back outside the smartphone/tablet space, in the 1990s long before such devices were around, there were two very different communities of people sharing code. On the one hand, we had the free software movement (later rebranded “open source” by Raymond). On the other hand, we had the Windows “freeware” community. The two groups both tended to share computer programs, mostly for free. But beyond that, they couldn’t have been more different.
The Free Software / Open Source Community:
The running assumption is that everyone can read code.
Everything is source code; indeed, sometimes pre-compiled versions are not available.
Users take care to become acquainted with the technology involved.
People take trust seriously. People know each other, and work together.
Software is frequently downloaded from the official web site of that software project.
Packaging and bundling handled by well-known groups working transparently with documented processes.
The Windows Freeware Community:
People who understand code are considered an anomaly.
Compiled executables are shared people who are paranoid about their source code.
Users often download and install things they don’t understand.
Anyone who can write code is worshiped, regardless of reputation or character.
Software is often distributed by links in web forums, or file sharing web sites (with lots of popup ads).
Random people repost software without mention of its source or author.
Predictably, the results were quite different. The open source community exploded, and still today produces high quality software and makes people’s lives better. By contrast, “freeware” was responsible for the widespread distribution of viruses, adware, and trojan horses, and likely single-handedly keeps the predatory “anti-virus” industry alive. Reasonable people never install “freeware” on their computers, and even people who want to repeat its mistakes know enough to avoid the word.
A Choice for Android
Which of these communities looks most like today’s Android world? It depends on where you look, but it appears depressingly like a huge chunk of the Android community is following the freeware path. Android is fairly new, but it’s already been demonstrated that viruses are in the works for the future, and as people rely more and more on smart phones for sensitive information like financial data, this looks likely to grow.
What can we do? Mostly, pay attention. And for goodness sake, quit the worship for “devs”. Yes, some people are skilled at software development and make cool things. But they aren’t all good people. Indeed, when someone is rude and disrespectful and changes your phone splash screen to a picture of someone peeing just for fun, we are better off as an Android community if that person weren’t writing software, or if they are ignored. Just because something is done for free doesn’t mean the community should settle for crap. We’ve sort of figured this out in terms of code quality, but we still need to learn this lesson with regard to someone’s relationship with the rest of the community, as well.
We should also start being distrustful of software that’s only available at some link from a web forum, or that was posted anonymously to a file sharing site. Someone with pride in their code can find a real official web site to host it from. It’s not as if there aren’t plenty of free options. Sure, there are good people who are not doing that just because the community norm points the other way… most software posted to XDA is not malware, and does what it claims to do. But it’s difficult to build trust when software is posted anonymously to mediafire.com, and pointed from some link on a forum that might disappear tomorrow.
We still have a choice, at this point, whether Android will be a vibrant new platform for open software, or the freeware blight of tomorrow. I hope we make the choice wisely.
AdvertisementsEven though he chickened out of Thursday’s debate, Donald Trump still cannot keep his mouth shut about his rivals. This especially applies to Ted Cruz, who presents the biggest threat to him on the eve of the Iowa caucuses. In a New Hampshire appearance, he kept up with his ignorant attacks on Ted Cruz’s citizenship status and eligibility to run for President. He told a crowd in Nashua:
“Now, Ted Cruz may not be a U.S. citizen. Right? But he’s an anchor baby in Canada. No, he’s an anchor baby. Ted Cruz is an anchor baby in Canada,” Trump said today at his event in Nashua, New Hampshire. He also said the Texas senator got “pummeled last night” at the GOP presidential debate. “They didn’t even mention he was born in Canada,” Trump lamented.
The first thought that comes to mind is that Trump keeps coming back to this attack against Cruz for a couple of reasons. The first is that he cannot make attacks on Cruz’s record of standing up for conservative principles the centerpiece of his strategy because that leaves him open to greater scrutiny of his own liberal record. Secondly, given his focus on talking about stopping illegal immigration, I have to think the fact that he’s trying to un-Americanize Cruz to his audiences. He is desperate to hold off Ted Cruz in Iowa, so he is resorting to the citizenship issue because he has nothing else to go on.
But let’s get to the argument, or should I say insult, Trump uses here by calling Ted Cruz an “anchor baby”. Not that it matters to his devoted supporters, but the assertion doesn’t hold up. If his parents were seriously interested in using young Ted Cruz as an anchor baby to stay in Canada, then they wouldn’t have moved back to the United States when he was four years old. Don’t you think they would have stayed in Canada if that was really the case? Ted Cruz is about as much of a Texan as a person can be without actually being born there.
I think there’s also a subtle dig at the fact that Rafael Cruz is a Cuban refugee who became a naturalized US citizen. It never fails to aggravate me when people try to treat the situation with Cuba the same as our situation with the other countries that border us. Our policy of leniency toward Cuban migrants and refugees is an entirely legitimate anti-communist and anti-Castro* measure and is vastly different from those who try to enter this country illegally elsewhere. Opposing communism used to matter to the kind of people Trump is courting, but I suppose nativism trumps even that.
As I said before, I think Trump keeps coming back to citizenship issue because it is the only way he can attack Ted Cruz without drawing attention to his own miserable record.** Whoever your “guy” (and I haven’t endorsed anyone myself) is in the primaries, Ted Cruz is Constitutionally eligible for President. You cannot talk about wanting to protect the Constitution and make the sort of argument Trump is. This is all about trying to secure a victory over Cruz in Iowa–and then elsewhere.
*=Not that the Obama administration really cares about this any more.
**=And let’s not forget that Trump’s mother was an immigrant from Scotland. If the Donald wants to make flimsy, poorly thought out cases against Cruz based on this issue, then we could basically do the same against him.“Counter-Strike meets World of Warships in space!” promises the Kickstarter for an intriguing new space sim by the veteran developers at Impeller Studios. They previously attempted a fundraising effort for the game and barely missed their goal. This time they are asking for less money and showing a lot more content.
Although set in the future, the game adheres to a strict formula of what is realistically, scientifically feasible. They even brought on an engineer to make sure they stick to the realm of possibility. “We’re not making shit up. We’re doing our homework. We’re studying the engineering. We’ve hired an engineer to design our spacecraft and weapon systems. He knows the math. It checks out. Everything in the game is something that could actually exist,” says David Wessman, Lead Designer, in the Kickstarter video. That means there will be no cloaking devices, no shields, and no faster-than-light travel.
That also means a flight model without the simulated gravity you see in most space sims. While ships are equipped with an AI assist that will counter unrecoverable spins, it is possible that AI can be destroyed in battle. The AI “can also counteract drift as well, which makes the ships easier to fly, but it does consume much more propellant in this mode,” Jack Mamais, Game Director of Starfighter Inc told me in an email. In this game, your skill with your flight stick (or appropriate control system; they have said that it will support controllers, but they are not optimal) will matter.
The damage model is component-based, which presents an array of different situations for a player. If your sensor cluster is destroyed then you are flying by visuals. If your maneuvering thrusters go out, you’re going to struggle to control the ship for the rest of the match. The developers emphasize that this is a skill-based PvP game, and pilot skill and strategy will be the determining factor in battles.
“The truth is we all actually wanted to play a REAL space simulator so we set out to make it something based on how ships in space would really work and we feel we have succeeded, the game is lots of fun and gets more interesting each time we play it,” said Mamais.
The player will have a choice of three ships in a match, and, like Counter-Strike, you will be able to customize your gear after rounds. The developers compare the customization to World of Warships.
The three ships available at launch will be:
Shrike – Think F-16 fighter jet. A fast and maneuverable single-pilot ship.
– Think F-16 fighter jet. A fast and maneuverable single-pilot ship. Pegasus – The Pegasus is a large ship with heavy armor and “can be configured for assault transport, combat search and rescue, drone operation, heavy strike, missile defense, or tanker roles.” In addition to the pilot, the Pegasus can hold up to two players as turret gunners.
– The Pegasus is a large ship with heavy armor and “can be configured for assault transport, combat search and rescue, drone operation, heavy strike, missile defense, or tanker roles.” In addition to the pilot, the Pegasus can hold up to two players as turret gunners. Hyperion – A heavy fighter which, like the other ships, can be configured to emphasize multiple roles. The Hyperion has room for its pilot as well as a weapons officer.
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At launch Starfighter Inc will feature full VR support on the Oculus Rift, Vive, and OSVR.
In addition to Counter-Strike type matches, the game will feature a narrative that changes over time, including comic book artwork that may be influenced by battles. You take on the role of a mercenary working for a corporation. Depending on the money raised for the project, it’s possible that players will be able to form their own corporations or even destroy them.
The game is being made by Impeller Studios, a venture of remotely coordinated industry veterans. Jack Mamais, the Game Director, has worked in gaming for more than 23 years and has worked on Crysis, Far Cry, and MechWarrior 2. David Wessman, Lead Designer, brings his experience from working on classics such as X-Wing, TIE Fighter, X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter, Saint’s Row and more.
While $150,000 isn’t nearly enough to fund a game like this, the developers are putting up their own money to fund the rest of the project and hope Kickstarter will allow them to do more with the game before release. They hope to have an alpha out this year and they are targeting April, 2018 for a full release. It will be a free-to-play game where you can purchase cosmetic customizations, such as Team Fortress 2.
As a space sim fan I’m very much looking forward to keeping tabs on the project as it progresses, and will keep you informed!
You can check out their Kickstarter here.
Impeller Studios website.Is there anything more Austin than a music superstar showing up for a surprise gig at a mystery venue? Yes, probably! But folks still love it when that happens, like with previous stealth performances by Garth Brooks and the Killers. Add Lady Gaga to the list.
After the “Million Reasons” singer blew the roof off of the Frank Erwin Center as part of the Joanne World Tour on Tuesday night, she stopped by Austin blues club Antone’s for an after-show, according to the singer and the venue on social media.
This is where our party’s at tonight! ❤️ https://t.co/P7FQgCVDcK — Lady Gaga (@ladygaga) December 6, 2017
Yep, just like Austin360’s Deborah Sengupta Stith called it, Gaga joined musical collaborator Brian Newman for some fun after her regularly scheduled arena spectacle. One attendee at the show told Austin360 that the singer stuck to standards and left and then returned to the stage a few times. According to KXAN, the singer’s repertoire included the song “I Can’t Give You Anything But Love, Baby,” which certainly would bring a little of the jazz she left out of her Erwin Center show.
Otro pequeño video de Lady Gaga cantando "I Can't Give You Anything But Love" esta noche en el club Antone's de Austin, Texas. 😍🎷 pic.twitter.com/ic3gCRR6jE — LadyGagaMonsterBlog (@MonsterBlogNews) December 6, 2017
Other videos of the performance included a rendition of Cole Porter’s “Ev’ry Time We Say Goodbye.”
And yes, little monsters rejoiced.
#FOTOS Lady Gaga firmando autógrafos y haciendose fotos con los fans a la salida del club Antone’s pic.twitter.com/PV7L0gcI1P — Lady Gaga Spain (@LadyGagaSpain) December 6, 2017
MORE NEWS YOU MIGHT LIKE:A study co-authored by researchers at Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) has revealed that negative coverage of the European Union in UK newspapers increased from 24 per cent to 45 per cent between 1974 and 2013.
The study analysed 16,400 newspaper articles in five periods during which the EU was highly prominent in the UK news: (1) 1974–75 during which the UK held a post-election referendum on membership; (2) 1985–86 during the negotiations and agreement of the Single European Act; (3) 1991–92 during negotiations on the Maastricht Treaty; (4) 2001–02 during the Nice Treaty negotiations; (5) 2012–13 around the time of David Cameron’s pledge to renegotiate the UK’s relationship with the EU and hold an in-or-out referendum on membership.
Articles in five UK newspapers (The Daily Mail, The Financial Times, The Guardian, The Daily Mirror, and The Times) were categorized in terms of their reporting of the EU, which was classified as either positive, negative, mixed, or factual. Adjusting the data for readership, the results show that negative reporting has significantly increased between 1974 and 2013, at the expense of positive and neutral coverage. Positive coverage overall has fallen from 25 per cent in 1974-75 to 10 per cent in 2012-13.
UK newspapers
An individual analysis of each newspaper showed that negative coverage increased steadily between the mid-1970s and mid-2010s, a period in which centre-right tabloids increased their coverage of the EU. By the mid-2010s 85 per cent of EU coverage in the Daily Mail was negative, compared with less than 25 per cent in the mid mid-1970s.
Among centre-right broadsheet newspapers (The Times and the Financial Times) meanwhile, coverage of the EU remained stable and tended to be factual and based on a pragmatic “cost-benefit” perspective.
The researchers argue that the study supports the idea that Euroscepticism in the UK is a classic case of ‘issue capture’, where a small but committed minority view comes to be accepted into the mainstream of public life. These findings are supported by opinion poll data which show that negative opinions on the EU across the UK are relatively low and stable over time.
Read the full story at Queen Mary University's own page here or in the Journal of Common Market Studies.This blog post is concentrated about web performance. I’ll skip the well known stuff about combining images into sprites, inlining images, DNS pre-fetching, combining and minifying script files, gzipping and so on. There are plenty of articles and tools which will help you about these things. There are also excellent researches on these topics, few of the best I’ve read are these by Mobify, Web Performance Daybook Volume, High Performance Web Sites and Critical rendering path – Crash course on web performance and many others. I hope HTTP 2.0 will eliminate few of the dirty hacks we all make…
I’ll focus on the performance in the Single-Page Applications and especially template prefetching strategy we use in the web application of Brownie Points. I’ll give code samples with AngularJS but these methods can be also applied with Ember.js, Backbone.js (with little more pain) and other MV* frameworks, I guess.
To find the best approach for your app you should understand it very well and know all the relations between the different pages. One way to do this is by visualising all the relations using UML state machine diagram. It will show you how your pages are connected, triggering of which event will lead to page change (events), based on which conditions the pages will change (guards) and what is done during the transition (actions).
For illustrating the way this partials pre-fetching strategy works, I’ll use example with a web application which is web interface for revision control system.
So, we have the following pages:
Home
User profile
User projects
Project
Project issues
Project wiki
From the home screen the user will be able to view the profile of chosen user or navigate to his own projects. From the user’s profile view the user will be able to navigate to projects list or go back to the home screen. In case the user view the projects list (his own or projects of another user) he can navigate to a project details or go back to the home screen. From the project view the user can go to the wiki or issues pages (if the page exists).
This brief description is illustrated by the following state diagram (some events, actions and guards are not very descriptive because the diagram would become messy with verbose explanations).
It is not exactly state machine diagram because the beginning and end pseudo states are missing, but it illustrates our idea pretty well.
If the user is in the home page he may go to the projects page or the user’s profile page, lets suppose that the same template is used for his own projects and for other users’ projects. Something we can do is to prefetch the templates for the projects list and user’s profile, these are only 2 pages which are neighbours of the home page so the browser will create two threads (eventually), using XHR we will fetch the templates and put them in the $templateCache using the template url as key and it’s content as content.
We can define our routes relations like:
var pageRelations = { 'home' : [ 'user-profile', 'user-projects' ], 'user-project' : [ 'home', 'project' ], 'user-profile' : [ 'home', 'user-projects', 'project' ], 'project' : [ 'user-projects', 'project-issues', 'project-wiki' ], 'project-wiki' : [ 'project' ], 'project-issues' : [ 'project' ] };
With routing definition like this:
var routes = [ { id : 'home', url : '/home', templateUrl : 'partials/home.html', controller : 'HomeCtrl' }, { id : 'user-projects', url : '/projects-list/:userid', templateUrl : 'partials/user-projects.html', controller : 'ProjectsListCtrl', resolve : { 'ProjectsList' : function ( $routeParams, ProjectsService ) { return ProjectsService. getList ( $routeParams. userid ); } } }, { id : 'user-profile', url : '/user-profile/:userid', templateUrl : 'partials/user-profile.html', controller : 'UserProfileCtrl', resolve : { 'UserProfile' : function ( $routeParams, UserService ) { return UserService. getProfile ( $routeParams. userid ); } } }, { id : 'project', url : '/project/:projectid', templateUrl : 'partials/project.html', controller : 'ProjectCtrl', resolve : { 'Project' : function ( $routeParams, ProjectsService ) { return ProjectsService. getDetails ( $routeParams. projectid ); } } }, { id : 'project-wiki', url : '/project-wiki/:projectid', templateUrl : 'partials/project-wiki.html', controller : 'WikiCtrl', resolve : { 'Project' : function ( $routeParams, ProjectsService ) { return ProjectsService. getWiki ( $routeParams. projectid ); } } }, { id : 'project-issues', url : '/project-issues/:projectid', templateUrl : 'partials/project-issues.html', controller : 'ProjectCtrl', resolve : { 'Project' : function ( $routeParams, ProjectsService ) { return ProjectsService. getIssues ( $routeParams. projectid ); } } } ]; routes. forEach ( function ( r ) { $routeProvider. when ( r. url, r ); });
And to prefetch the neighbour views’ templates when we are at specific state:
var prefetched = {}; $rootScope. $on ( '$routeStateChange', function ( evnt, state ) { pageRelations [ state. id ]. forEach ( function ( c ) { var n = routes [ c ]; if ( $templateCache. get ( n. templateUrl )) return ; //prevent the prefetching if the template is already in the cache $http. get ( n. templateUrl ). success ( function ( t ) { $templateCache. put ( n. templateUrl, t ); }); }); });
The pre-fetching control can be put at directive or top-level controller. I prefer the directive option, because if there are more things to be prefetched, not only the templates, you can configure it using markup and you won’t have to change your JavaScript code when you decide to change your pre-fetching options.
If we look more abstract of the thing we did – we actually created a graph presented with list of neighbours and in each page change we pre-fetch the templates of all its neighbours.
With not so complex web application everything is cool, the browser can run up to 6 different threads, one for each XHR. But when from a single page the user can go to 30 others and your server response time is not that fast the things may become not very efficient. If the order of the neighbours in the array is not the most appropriate one the user may have to wait because the first few threads won’t fetch the template required by him.
To do it better you should review each connection between the pages and sort the neighbours arrays by some kind of weight. It can be statistical data gained from the user, your suggestion, six sense, you can even roll dice if you think you’ll be more accurate. To keep the array ordered by hand is error-prone so you can do something like:
var pageRelations = { 'home' : [{ name : 'user-profile', weight : 10 }, { name : 'user-projects', weight : 8 }], 'user-projects' : [{ name : 'home', weight : 7 }, { name : 'project', weight : 9 }], 'user-profile' : [{ name : 'home', weight : 8 }, { name : 'user-projects', weight : 4 }, { name : 'project', weight : 9 }], 'project' : [{ name : 'user-projects', weight : 8 }, { name : 'project-issues', weight : 9 }, { name : 'project-wiki', weight : 6 }], 'project-wiki' : [{ name : 'project', weight : 9 }], 'project-issues' : [{ name : 'project', weight : 9 }] };
Now the pageRelations is a hash table with keys – the web app’s pages, values – all neighbour views for the current one, and rating associated to each neighbour.
In that way you actually use a directed graph with weighted edges, all you have to do is to walk the neighbours of the current node (current page) by their priority and prefetch the template for each node:
$rootScope. $on ( '$routeStateChange', function ( evnt, state ) { pageRelations [ state. id ]. sort ( function ( a, b ) { return b. weight - a. weight ; }). forEach ( function ( c ) { var n = routes [ c. name ]; if ( $templateCache. get ( n. templateUrl )) return ; //prevent the prefetching if the template is already in the cache $http. get ( n. templateUrl ). success ( function ( t ) { $templateCache. put ( n. templateUrl, t ); }); }); });
And that’s all. Possible issue which should be taken under attention is the loading of the images used by the prefetched templates, it’s not enough to load only the html, usually the images takes more bandwidth. Here you can use different approaches – parse the template, take all “img” elements and pre-fetch their source. Anyway, this doesn’t work with the CSS “background-image” property. When there are elements with “background-image” property you can get it’s value only after the element is added to the DOM tree but adding each template and walking its elements may have performance impact when you have large, complex templates.The term Marblewood stands for a type of exotic wood with a distinctive texture. Blendingly veined, yet chiseled and dense these properties describe the music of the swiss three-piece equally well. Edgy beats meet groaning bass lines, bold ad hoc compositions and unusual songwriting unite and define the original sound of the group. Breaking the boundaries between genres and illuminating new soundscapes, the music of Marblewood is thus hard to classify. Even though the reminiscence of the 1970ies can not be overheard, neither can the pumping electro beats lying underneath. Dark and thoughtful lyrics hover independently somewhere above and create an apocalyptical athmosphere, while the instrumental machinery just keeps rattling and pumping like an old steamboat.
VIDEOS From the amazing night at Peterskirche in Vaihingen near Stuttgart we have a video here:
LIVEUS soldiers during an exercise at Tapa Training Bain in Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. June, 17 2016. While U.S. employers view veterans as heroes, a small percentage actually see them as hiring assets, according to a new survey. (Photo11: Valda Kalnina, European Pressphoto Agency)
The vast majority of Americans and employers see veterans as "heroes," but don't see them as "assets" within the community, a viewpoint that can keep them from the jobs they want, according to a survey and analysis by the Edelman marketing firm released Thursday.
"The stereotyping of veterans as 'heroes' may create emotional distance between veterans and civilians making it difficult for community members to connect with veterans and see them as potential colleagues," the report said.
The online survey of more than 2,000 veterans and non-veterans conducted Oct. 12 to Nov. 12 found that 84% of employers and 75% of civilians see veterans as heroes. But only 26% of employers and 22% of civilians think veterans are "strategic assets" in their communities. The survey of civilians had a margin of error of +/-3.95%, for veterans +/- 4.53% and employers +/- 5.26%.
Brian Duffy, incoming national commander of the 1.7-million-member Veterans of Foreign Wars service group, said such views are not surprising and unhelpful.
"There is a disconnect between the civilian population and those that serve," Duffy said. "We understand that in times of war, yes, there are heroes. But just because you went to war, doesn't mean that you came back a hero and by calling everybody a hero, it devalues the term."
Jobless rates for veterans who served during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars have come down in recent years, but sponsors of the surveys said concerns remain about the quality of employment.
"The issue is about long-term job fit, advancement, retention. Is the veteran given the same look as others?" said Barbara Van Dahlen, founder and president of Give an Hour.
Survey results were released as part of a joint effort by Edelman; Give an Hour, a non-profit organization that provides counseling to troops and veterans, and the George W. Bush Institute. The goal was to examine the "well-being" of veterans and what was described as an ongoing schism between civilians and those who serve in the military, according to Van Dahlen.
Van Dahlen said the contrasting view that veterans are heroes, but not assets, is a product of an American culture in need of heroes, but lacking understanding of its military. "These folks come home from war, they've seen and done things that would make many of us feel uneasy, uncomfortable, intimidated. And so by seeing them in this way, as heroes, it does keep us distant from them."
Concerns about a divide separating the public from America's all-volunteer military date back to 2010, when then-defense secretary Bob Gates complained that wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were little more than a "distraction" for most Americans. A few months later, Adm. Mike Mullen, then-chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said, "America doesn't know its military and the United States military doesn't know America."
The findings show that schism is unchanged. Partial survey results commissioned by the Bush Institute found that about 70% of the American public say they don't understand the problems faced by military members. Eighty percent of veterans who served after Sept. 11, 2001, agreed with this lack of understanding by the public.
The numbers were almost identical to findings by Pew Research in 2011, when the same questions were asked.
A Bush Institute survey also found that the public overestimates the rate of mental illness among post-9/11 veterans — 40% believe more than half of the 2.6 million former servicemembers suffer from emotional issues. In reality, an illness like post-traumatic stress disorder strikes about 10% to 20% of those who were deployed to war.
The Edelman survey found that employers most commonly think about mental health problems when they think about veterans. When asked what are the most important support programs veterans need, 92% of employers picked mental health services, compared with 88% who chose employment services and 65% who chose education services.
Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/29yUt1ZThis work is supported by Continuum Analytics the XDATA Program and the Data Driven Discovery Initiative from the Moore Foundation
Summary
This post describes two simple ways to use Dask to parallelize Scikit-Learn operations either on a single computer or across a cluster.
Use the Dask Joblib backend Use the dklearn projects drop-in replacements for Pipeline, GridSearchCV, and RandomSearchCV
For the impatient, these look like the following:
### Joblib from joblib import parallel_backend with parallel_backend ( 'dask.distributed', scheduler_host ='scheduler-address:8786' ): # your now-cluster-ified sklearn code here ### Dask-learn pipeline and GridSearchCV drop-in replacements # from sklearn.grid_search import GridSearchCV from dklearn.grid_search import GridSearchCV # from sklearn.pipeline import Pipeline from dklearn.pipeline import Pipeline
However, neither of these techniques are perfect. These are the easiest things to try, but not always the best solutions. This blogpost focuses on low-hanging fruit.
Joblib
Scikit-Learn already parallelizes across a multi-core CPU using Joblib, a simple but powerful and mature library that provides an extensible map operation. Here is a simple example of using Joblib on its own without sklearn:
# Sequential code from time import sleep def slowinc ( x ): sleep ( 1 ) # take a bit of time to simulate real work return x + 1 >>> [ slowinc ( i ) for i in range ( 10 )] # this takes 10 seconds [ 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 ] # Parallel code from joblib import Parallel, delayed >>> Parallel ( n_jobs = 4 )( delayed ( slowinc )( i ) for i in range ( 10 )) # this takes 3 seconds [ 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 ]
Dask users will recognize the delayed function modifier. Dask stole the delayed decorator from Joblib.
Many of Scikit-learn’s parallel algorithms use Joblib internally. If we can extend Joblib to clusters then we get some added parallelism from joblib-enabled Scikit-learn functions immediately.
Distributed Joblib
Fortunately Joblib provides an interface for other parallel systems to step in and act as an execution engine. We can do this with the parallel_backend context manager to run with hundreds or thousands of cores in a nearby cluster:
import distributed.joblib from joblib import parallel_backend with parallel_backend ( 'dask.distributed', scheduler_host ='scheduler-address:8786' ): print ( Parallel ()( delayed ( slowinc )( i ) for i in list ( range ( 100 ))))
The main value for Scikit-learn users here is that Scikit-learn already uses joblib.Parallel within its code, so this trick works with the Scikit-learn code that you already have.
So we can use Joblib to parallelize normally on our multi-core processor:
estimator = GridSearchCV ( n_jobs = 4,... ) # use joblib on local multi-core processor
or we can use Joblib together with Dask.distributed to parallelize across a multi-node cluster:
with parallel_backend ( 'dask.distributed', scheduler_host ='scheduler-address:8786' ): estimator = GridSearchCV (... ) # use joblib with Dask cluster
(There will be a more thorough example towards the end)
Limitations
Joblib is used throughout many algorithms in Scikit-learn, but not all. Generally any operation that accepts an n_jobs= parameter is a possible choice.
From Dask’s perspective Joblib’s interface isn’t ideal. For example it will always collect intermediate results back to the main process, rather than leaving them on the cluster until necessary. For computationally intense operations this is fine but does add some unnecessary communication overhead. Also Joblib doesn’t allow for operations more complex than a parallel map, so the range of algorithms that this can parallelize is somewhat limited.
Still though, given the wide use of Joblib-accelerated workflows (particularly within Scikit-learn) this is a simple thing to try if you have a cluster nearby with a possible large payoff.
Dask-learn Pipeline and Gridsearch
In July 2016, Jim Crist built and wrote about a small project, dask-learn. This project was a collaboration with SKLearn developers and an attempt to see which parts of Scikit-learn were trivially and usefully parallelizable. By far the most productive thing to come out of this work were Dask variants of Scikit-learn’s Pipeline, GridsearchCV, and RandomSearchCV objects that better handle nested parallelism. Jim observed significant speedups over SKLearn code by using these drop-in replacements.
So if you replace the following imports you may get both better single-threaded performance and the ability to scale out to a cluster:
# from sklearn.grid_search import GridSearchCV from dklearn.grid_search import GridSearchCV # from sklearn.pipeline import Pipeline from dklearn.pipeline import Pipeline
Here is a simple example from Jim’s more in-depth blogpost:
from sklearn.datasets import make_classification X, y = make_classification ( n_samples = 10000, n_features = 500, n_classes = 2, n_redundant = 250, random_state = 42 ) from sklearn import linear_model, decomposition from sklearn.pipeline import Pipeline from dklearn.pipeline import Pipeline logistic = linear_model. LogisticRegression () pca = decomposition. PCA () pipe = Pipeline ( steps = [( 'pca', pca ), ( 'logistic', logistic )]) #Parameters of pipelines can be set using ‘__’ separated parameter names: grid = dict ( pca__n_components = [ 50, 100, 150, 250 ], logistic__C = [ 1e-4, 1.0, 10, 1e4 ], logistic__penalty = [ 'l1', 'l2' ]) # from sklearn.grid_search import GridSearchCV from dklearn.grid_search import GridSearchCV estimator = GridSearchCV ( pipe, grid ) estimator. fit ( X, y )
SKLearn performs this computation in around 40 seconds while the dask-learn drop-in replacements take around 10 seconds. Also, if you add the following lines to connect to a running cluster the whole thing scales out:
from dask.distributed import Client c = Client ('scheduler-address:8786' )
Here is a live Bokeh plot of the computation on a tiny eight process “cluster” running on my own laptop. I’m using processes here to highlight the costs of communication between processes (red). It’s actually about 30% faster to run this computation within the same single process.
Conclusion
This post showed a couple of simple mechanisms for scikit-learn users to accelerate their existing workflows with Dask. These aren’t particularly sophisticated, nor are they performance-optimal, but they are easy to understand and easy to try out. In a future blogpost I plan to cover more complex ways in which Dask can accelerate sophisticated machine learning workflows.
What we could have done better
As always, I include a brief section on what went wrong or what we could have done better with more time.
See the bottom of Jim’s post for a more thorough explanation of “what we could have done better” for dask-learn’s pipeline and gridsearch
Joblib + Dask.distributed interaction is convenient, but leaves some performance on the table. It’s not clear how Dask can help the sklearn codebase without being too invasive.
It would have been nice to spin up an actual cluster on parallel hardware for this post. I wrote this quickly (in a few hours) so decided to skip this. If anyone wants to write a follow-on experiment I would be happy to publish it.
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people might be offended by what I’m about to say. I can also imagine another million and one ways in which people might want to invalidate my experience (Psychosomatic! Placebo! Armchair RD!). And you know? That’s fine. I’m not here to defend myself. I can’t please everyone, eh? I’m just trying to speak my truth and tell my story, exactly as I experienced it. Here goes.
Breastfeeding in a farm field. You now, like you do.
So, everything started a few months after Waits was born. But it was hard to get a handle on at first, because I was a) dealing with postpartum anxiety [certainly intertwined with my health issues], and b) a first-time mother who was attachment parenting a colicky baby, and c) still trying to “do it all” [ie maintain my blog and speed-write a book while keeping on top of all of the mom/wife/house stuff]. Which is why it took me so long to figure out that something was really wrong.
It began with the fatigue, and I don’t just mean that new mom exhaustion that’s born of too many sleepless nights. This was different, so that on my “bad” mornings my limbs were like lead, and moving into my day felt like so much work, it almost seemed unbearable. Like I said, the physical and the mental stuff was all tied up together.
The fatigue was often accompanied by a splitting headache, and after that came the rashes. My skin was suddenly hyper-sensitive. I had to stop using all lotion and even coconut oil – everything caused me to break out in itchy little red bumps. But even without any stimulus, the rash would come. Often it would be a fatigue day followed by a fatigue + headache day, with the rash setting in a few days after that. Or sometimes the rash would just show up, unannounced.
All of this compelled me to talk to my doctors; first to a midwife and then to an MD.
The midwife said that it sounded like typical new mom stuff. That I should come back if it hadn’t cleared up in a few months. It felt like the brush off.
The MD suggested that I had picked up a virus, any one of the many (like fifths and that cohort) that are common among small children. I asked about the strange recurrence, almost like a cycle, and he said that it could happen with these viruses. Even when I spoke to him again, six months later and it was still happening at regular intervals, he said it was just a virus. I felt like he wasn’t hearing me.
There were other symptoms as well, things that at the time seemed like maybe they were “normal” (in that new-mom sort of way), but as the year wore on and they all got worse, a bigger-picture of the problem began to emerge. My skin was often itchy and dry. I had these extreme mood swings. EXTREME. Often they seemed related to food, which was part of what prompted The Great Grand Diet Trial of 2011. I would get hot flashes, too. Clammy skin. Intense sugar cravings. And of course, anxiety and depression. Lots of anxiety, lots of depression. And eventually by the end of it, complete self-loathing.
This continued through the second half of 2010, and on into 2011. It only got worse. But my symptoms would ebb and flow, enough so that over and over, I would think it maybe had passed. I would feel better for a spell, and I would begin to believe that it had ended. Then, one evening my skin would feel a bit dry, and my heart would sink. And sure enough, the next morning, I would wake up with that same extreme fatigue, feeling like I literally couldn’t get out of bed.
That was the worst part of it all – the over and over up and then down, hope and then despair. That roller coaster, it wears you away. Does damage to the psyche.
I would have done almost anything to feel better. Anything. And when you’re vegan, eventually you start to wonder if your diet is part of the problem. Or maybe, everyone else wonders for you. But I couldn’t help it – I wondered too. I talked to my father, who is a well-respected doctor of Chinese Medicine. He advised eating meat. My Qi was weak, he said. “Just a little bone broth?” or, “Maybe some fish?”
“No” I repeated over and over. “Dad, I can’t do that. I’m vegan.” It became a point of contention in our relationship. He saw his daughter suffering and he wouldn’t accept my refusal of his solution. I felt like I was suffering and he couldn’t step outside his narrow paradigm to try to help me. But I’ll admit, his words and the words of everyone else wiggled in, and I worried that they were right. Was I making myself sicker because I was stuck in this ideology?
In March of 2012, over a year and a half into this, I spoke again with the MD. He still maintained it was a virus. Or, “Sounds like typical new mom stuff to me.”
I felt completely alone. I felt like I was screaming for help and nobody was listening. And I felt like I was living a lie, blogging about the good stuff in my life (trying to practice gratitude, trying to be positive), while omitting this enormous struggle. It felt disingenuous and contributed to my shriveling self esteem.
In February of 2011, I quit blogging. I needed to figure out how to get myself better. Because I was truly, completely, hopelessly miserable. And I’m having trouble walking the line as I write this now, not wanting to sound melodramatic, but needing to express just how horrible it was, and how much it affected me. Quality of life? I had none.
Finally, in April 2012, I made an appointment with a Naturopathic Doctor.
I’d held off for a lot of reasons, mainly because of money (insurance doesn’t cover most naturopaths) and also I don’t know, maybe a sort of prejudice? I mean, I’m a hippie girl at heart, raised that way and totally accepting of alternative modalities. But homeopathy is something I could never really get behind (it just DOESN’T make sense to my scientist’s brain) and since I have both an MD and a Chinese Medicine doctor in the family, I just never really looked into Naturopathy.
But this was different, because I wasn’t getting the help I needed and very simply put, I was desperate.
I found a list of naturopaths that were covered by my insurance, and cold-emailed the ones that sounded like a good fit. This is what my email said:
“Hello, I’m wondering if you are currently accepting new patients. I am
dealing with lots of weird health/mental health issues which have come
up following the birth of my son. He is 25 months and the problems
started around 5 months postpartum. I am “medium crunchy”, which means I’m actually very crunchy and
prefer alternative medicine techniques, but I’m also very grounded by
traditional science. You sound like you have a similarly balanced
approach and I’m wondering if we could have a consult and see if we
“click”. Thanks so much! Cheers,
~Sayward”
Dr. Lasse called me back within a few hours. She left me a message, laughing at my “medium crunchy” remark, and sounding so kind. I felt right away that she could help me.
My first appointment was at the end of April, and I wept as she did my intake. I cried A LOT in that first session. I just felt such relief at finally speaking to somebody who looked me in the eye, who said “Yes, you’re obviously sick, let’s figure out why.” I had hope, real hope, for the first time in ages.
I told her my story and she agreed with my suspicion that my hormones were the underlying issue. The cyclical nature of the symptoms – and the symptoms themselves – seemed to indicate a hormonal imbalance. She was alarmed to hear that I wasn’t menstruating, something I hadn’t paid much attention to. I assumed that since I was still nursing I was just experiencing lactation-induced amenorrhea. Also, I hadn’t had regular periods in years, since way before getting pregnant (and since before going vegan, in case you wondered). I wasn’t actually menstruating when I got pregnant with Waits.
But she felt strongly that I should be, and so this became a starting point in our initial treatment plan. I left her office that morning armed to the teeth with a battery of the crunchiest crunchiness you ever did see. Herbal tinctures. Bitters for digestion. 3 different homeopathic remedies. Castor oil. A “prescription” to eat certain seeds on a lunar cycle in order to induce menstruation. I know! And of course, orders for a whole battalion of blood tests.
Two weeks later my blood work was back. Let’s pause and take a moment now. Try to imagine the absolute worst, the most ridiculous, the most comically ironic diagnosis that a vegan could receive.
No, it wasn’t B12. My B12 and D were great.
However, my cholesterol was abysmally low. And on top of that, I had blood markers for protein depletion. Seriously.
Cholesterol
Cholesterol is a type of fat found only in animal foods. Vegans do not intake ANY dietary cholesterol. Human bodies do produce cholesterol, however, that’s only if the body is healthy. Cholesterol is produced in the liver. My liver had been abused by many years of drinking, smoking, caffeine, and then eventually, pregnancy.
Cholesterol is the precursor to all sex hormones (like estrogen, progesterone, etc). Without adequate cholesterol, the body cannot make hormones.
Protein Depletion
You’ve probably heard vegans (and pretty much every vegan “leader”) scoffing at the protein question. “The protein myth!” and “How many cases of Kwashiorkor have you seen this year?” they’ll quip sarcastically. Basically, “neener neener, duh” is the attitude towards people who question protein.
But you don’t have to develop complete protein deficiency to be protein-depleted. And I, living an active lifestyle, nursing, and eating a sometimes-high-raw, always-vegan diet, was protein depleted.
I was devastated. Devastated. I felt like someone had punched me in the stomach. To hear “cholesterol” and “protein” as a vegan, well it just shook me to my very core. I was reeling.
My naturopath knew that I had some rescued hens, and she suggested that I start eating their eggs.
And maybe you’re thinking the same thing? It sure would solve all my problems, right? That’s a perfect little packet of pure protein and cholesterol, right there. In my very own backyard. Guaranteed cruelty-free.
The thing is though, it wasn’t about me. Because, sure, I could eat those very specific eggs that I don’t necessarily have an ethical objection to, and it would probably help me. Maybe even heal me. But then... what would that mean?
If I had to eat animal foods in order to get better, then that would mean I was not capable of being vegan. And if I was incapable of being vegan, then that would mean that the vegan ideology was fundamentally flawed. Because if I HAD to eat animals to be healthy, then eating animals could NOT be morally wrong.
So do you see? That this wasn’t just about me? Wasn’t just about my own health?
Veganism is the cornerstone of my life. It is my framework, it contextualizes my actions and informs my every decision. I believe in kindness and non-violence with the wholeness of my being. This is everything to me.
Those next few days, I was in a stupor. I cancelled a speaking engagement at the Mad City Vegan Fest, an event I’d been so looking forward to. How could I stand in front of a room and talk about veganism, when my own health was failing and my own faith was in crisis?
And then one night, just a few days after I received my diagnosis, I was making dinner and listening to a very popular vegan podcast. The host is one of my greatest mentors, and her discussions always calm and inspire me. This newest episode was all about talking to people who might misuse our words: people who call themselves vegetarian but eat fish, or people who call themselves vegan but eat occasional “humane” animal products, etc. And, there was a section on people who stop being vegan “for health reasons”. What a coinkidink.
One thing I’ve always loved about this speaker is the compassion that she seems to radiate in everything she does – it’s something I’ve worked hard to emulate. She’s just got a way with non-judgment, which was why it came as such a shock to hear the callous, almost mocking tone she took when speaking on this particular topic. She seemed to imply – no, she definitely said – that if someone gives up veganism for health reasons, it’s because “... they felt inconvenienced... ” and “... [they] didn’t really embrace it enough...”, ending with, “... and so the easy way out is an excuse that appears legitimate.”
This is, essentially, victim-blaming people during their most vulnerable time. And hearing this from someone that I so admire? Well that was just sort of my breaking point.
“You don’t know!” I wanted to scream. “If you’ve never been sick you don’t understand! I would do practically ANYTHING to stop feeling like this!”
So that’s the night I found my anger. And oh boy, was I angry. I resented everyone, everyone I’d trusted. All the vegan leaders and vegan doctors and vegan gurus who’d insisted over and over that I was eating the healthiest diet on the planet. They lied to me! FUCK THEM!
Well, that lasted about 12 hours. I’m not really one for anger and thus my self-righteous indignation didn’t make it past morning. The second I let myself remember why I was vegan in the first place, was the second my anger melted away (literally). Because, remember, it’s not about me.
I am vegan for the animals.
Period. I’m not vegan for the leaders and doctors and gurus, for the approval of my mentors or even for my own health. I’m vegan because I believe with all my heart and soul that it is wrong to inflict violence and suffering on innocent beings. Period.
So that was that. I’d uncovered my reserve strength. And now I had to find a way to get better while staying vegan. I mean, if anyone could possibly re-imagine, get creative, and think outside the box for a nontraditional solution, well I think that I’m just the girl for that job. I’m pretty freakin’ persistent.
I came to my next appointment with a renewed sense of purpose. “We have to make this work within the framework of veganism” I told my naturopath. She was supportive. We devised a plan.
I’m not going to go over every detail of my particular treatment, but in general it went something like this:
• Seeds. Within 3 weeks (seriously!) of starting the cycling seeds program for hormonal balance, I got my first period in over 3 years. I don’t even know what to say about this because it makes the scientist in me raise such a skeptic’s eyebrow, but listen. Dudes. It worked.
• Liver support. We wanted to help my liver efficiently make its own cholesterol. The regimen included castor oil packs, omitting alcohol, coffee, and black tea, and omitting refined sugar. I also cut out gluten because it very much exacerbated my most troublesome symptoms (fatigue and moodiness).
• Fat. Eating as much saturated fat (coconut products, cacao butter) as possible (SORRY NOT SORRY, DR. CAMPBELL) because saturated fat stimulates cholesterol production. Also, eating plenty of other healthy fats, like olive oil, nuts, and avocados (SORRY NOT SORRY, DR. ESSELSTYN). [Of course, I’m just being playful “apologizing” to these amazing doctors. I mean no disrespect – these are great men. But, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that although I believe a low-fat vegan diet is excellent for reversing and curing many chronic diseases, that does NOT mean that it’s the right diet for everyone. A diet for healing is different than a diet for maintenance, is different than a diet for building (pregnancy) and is certainly different than a diet for growth (children). I feel like a lot of vegans, and vegan leaders, overlook this important point. And in my own anecdotal experience, the vegans who most often get sick are of the low-fat and/or all-raw variety. Maybe this warrants it’s own post in the future, eh?]
• Protein. I made a conscious effort to include plenty of protein in my daily menus, with the aim of eating something protein-rich with every meal. During my intensive healing period, I was eating high-protein foods all day (beans, tofu, tempeh, quinoa, lentils, and more beans beans beans) and fixing myself a “protein & saturated fat” shake every morning and every night before bed.
• Additional emotional/physiological support, via herbal tinctures and homeopathic remedies. Because well why not?
And the results? Following this protocol, my progress was so immediate and so monumental, it felt like nothing short of a miracle. Within just a few weeks I felt like a different woman. I could hardly believe it.
And as the months passed, I only continued to improve. I was able to lay off some of the stricter guidelines (reintroduce black tea, drop the late night shake, etc). There was a lot of other very difficult stuff going on in my life back then, but my health remained strong and continued to gain strength, and that made all the difference in the world. Much of my anxiety and depression was relieved just by physically feeling better. So much.
When my blood was retested in September 2012, my cholesterol had moved up into the healthy range, and the markers for my protein depletion had mostly normalized (still room to improve, but much better). By the end of October I felt like both my physical and emotional health had made a complete recovery, and I scheduled my last session with my naturopath.
In some ways, I really feel like she saved my life. For those of you in the Portland area: Dr Raina Lasse, ND. I simply cannot recommend her highly enough.
~~~
These days I feel strong. I am healthy and I am happy. It’s actually not something I think about much anymore, which is more of a relief than you can probably understand. When you have your health, you just don’t realize how much you have to lose.
As for my current diet, I still eat coconut products (saturated fat) more often than most folks, but not every day. I’ve also retrained myself in the way I approach my meals, so that I always include some protein (it’s become second nature now). I do believe that every person requires a slightly different diet/macronutrient ratio, and that there’s no one set way that is a guarantee for good health. Some people only need very little fat, others don’t do well with carbs, and still others require lots and lots of protein. VIVE LE BEANS!
But all of these individual needs, I think, can be accomplished within the framework of a vegan diet. I do believe that now. Because I’m proof.
“I adore myself and everyone else.” Affirmation on the mirror at Cafe Gratitude, Hollywood.
If you are vegan and sick, please know that you are not alone. This is happening to others. This is even happening to leaders in our community. I know, because I’ve talked to them.
And you know what? It’s is a damn shame that there is such a stigma attached to this, that people feel the need to suffer in silence. I mean I get it, I do. As vegans we deal with enough skepticism from the “outside” world, and it can start to feel like you need to be a shining example of vegan health and perfection at every moment, or else you’re damaging the cause. But it’s a mistake, I think, that the leaders and bloggers and writers and others, are not sharing more of these sorts of struggles. Because we cannot fault people for giving in and going back, if they have no examples of how to persevere.
If nobody shares their stories, then everyone feels alone.
And if I, a deeply committed ethical vegan with a reputation and career on the line, living in freakin’ Portland Oregon, can actually consider going back... well, then I can’t blame isolated vegans in small towns who have no support system at all, for doing the same.
Losing your health is the scariest thing. When you’re sick, it consumes everything. But you don’t have to feel like hell just to stand by your beliefs, and you don’t have to stop being vegan in order to feel better. Find a medical practitioner – whichever type you prefer (I’m naturopath-for-life now!) – one that will actually listen and really wants to help. Get your blood tested! Don’t play guessing games, just pony up and pay to know what’s really going on. Then educate yourself, reach out to experts, reach out to the online community, find support, and work with your doctor to figure out a treatment plan that will fit your needs.
Once you’re better (and you will be), share. Leaders and bloggers and writers and everyone else, please share! We will never be able to figure out the whole puzzle, until we are looking at all the pieces. This is not a matter of veganism failing; this is simply a failure of information.
~~~
So that’s it. That’s the story of how I got sick, had a crisis of faith, found my strength, and fought my way back to health and happiness. My hope in telling this story is that it may inspire you to stand firm in your own convictions, whenever those convictions are rooted in love.
So with all my love,
*cheers*
To your health.
Edited to add: I am completely overwhelmed by the outpouring of support I have received today. Thank you all so much! It is downright scary to put yourself out there, but you have all reaffirmed my intuition that this was a story that needed to be told. And I am honored to have been able to share it.
As of now, tonight, this post has garnered almost 10,000 hits. Amazing! Please, keep sharing, because it’s obviously resonating with people out there. Again, I’m just so honored.
Unfortunately, I won’t be able to respond to each comment individually, but please know I have read and appreciate every single one. Thank you so much again – it feels great to be back! ♥We own two Oculus Rift setups and I have always wanted to add the HTC Vive, so I finally purchased one from Best Buy. I also purchased the Vive's Deluxe Audio Strap as I immediately noticed there were no stereo headphones in the online photos. Of course the Deluxe Audio Strap was an additional charge of Ninety-Nine bucks. Compared to the Oculus Rift, they include the equivalent stereo headset at no additional charge. (Start striking stars off right here.) If you choose not to purchase the Deluxe Audio Strap, your audio is left to using either the enclosed earbuds (low-end quality) or your own; plugging them into the dangling 3.5mm female jack located with the other cables that connect to the front of the Vive's headset. Oculus Rift does have an earbud option as well, and make a product simply called 'Oculus Rift earphones' (UPC 8 15820 02004 2 and Best Buy SKU: 5665534) for Fifty bucks (a totally unnecessary accessory, but if you're into earbuds, you're covered). Upon opening the Vive box, the first thing I noticed was the size of the Vive's controllers; HUGE! And not only huge, they are HEAVY! (More on the weight later.) The baby blue safety straps on the black controllers is another thing that immediately grabbed my attention (not in a good way... You never get a 2nd chance to make a GOOD first impression) and I was left wondering "Why in the world would [whomever] chose such a color for the straps?" It really does take away from the sophistication of the entire look. Like getting smacked in the face with a snowball while enjoying a leisurely stroll looking at Christmas lights! OUCH! :o/ The Vive headset is also heavier than expected and the finish is not as polished looking at the Oculus Rift's. The Vive has what looks like pockmarks on the face of the headset, which is where the sensors are located. Aesthetics? Perhaps. But I'd be willing to bet when you picked out your boyfriend, girlfriend, husband, wife, etc., you didn't set out to look for the most unattractive broke slob with pockmarks either, did you? (Rhetorical question, btw. lol.) Also, the Vive has three cables placed right over the top of your head vs. the Oculus Rift having one, which is off to the side of your head. Let's start comparing the weight of the Vive to the Oculus Rift. Each Controller: Vive = 7.2 oz. with internal rechargeable batteries vs Oculus Touch 5.6 oz. (with two AA-Duracell batteries installed) Vive's Deluxe Audio Strap (by itself) 7.9 oz. Headset: Vive's w/ Deluxe Audio Strap: 1# 12.8oz. vs Oculus 1# 7.6oz. This doesn't sound like a lot of difference, but weight does make a difference in comfort. Especially if you don't have the Deluxe Audio Strap, the Vive headset feels completely nose-heavy. That is, the strap that comes with the Vive (without replacing it with the Deluxe Audio strap) is much less supportive. The HTC Vive has two wireless sensors they call base-stations, which is a plus in the Vive column, as both of the two Oculus Rift sensors are wired and require a USB port on your PC. After completing the setup process, the Vive system informed me that a firmware update was needed for both controllers and both base-stations. Okay, fair enough. It gave me line-by-line instructions on what to do, and I followed it to the letter. Here, I must add, this step was a real pain in the backside, as it required me to take the base-stations down from the wall mounts (that I just installed) to do the firmware updates. The reason for this is the base-stations must be plugged into a USB port to the PC (one at a time). The instructions suggest using the same micro USB cable that the controllers use for charging the internal batteries, which are only around 12-inches in length. (Compare that to Oculus Rift's updates which only require a mouse-click and the rest is automatic.) And this is where I really ran into problems. In the line-by-line instructions, they require you to (after connecting the micro-USB to the PC) restore power to the base-station while simultaneously depressing a channel button, all located in close proximity to one another on the rear of the base-station. The first base-station ("b" as they call it) updated without a hitch. The second base-station ("c" as they call it) failed miserably as when I depressed the button while restoring power, the button would not "spring" back up to its normal position, thereby rendering this particular base-station totally and utterly useless! UGH! Needless to say, at this point, I was forced to box the Vive back up and promptly make a trip to our local Best Buy store for an exchange. Once there, the Best Buy associate informed me the HTC Vive was not an In-Store item (unlike the Oculus Rift which is readily available In-Store). That said, it would take over a week for a replacement. I opted for the full refund. Kudos to Best Buy for having such great people to help with such matters! SIDE NOTE: (BTW, some have said it is required to have at least three sensors for the Oculus Rift setup, and that is absolutely untrue. You can add an additional one or two sensors, for a total of 3 or 4, but it is not required. I do have one of our two Rift setups with three sensors, but that is because the room I'm using is over half of our upstairs total space and being it is such a large play area, I thought it would help.) Another side note... I read somewhere here on the Best Buy reviews (before I purchased the Vive) where one reviewer had stated they noticed "ridges" in the lens. I thought to myself "Self, I wonder what they are talking about?" Self had no clue. Then, as it was, this all came back to me (and self) when I noticed that when I focused on the lens (kinda like when your eyes are focused on the rain-drops on your windshield, the items beyond that focal point is blurry), concentric rings on the lens from the center outward. I assure you this is not the case with the Oculus Rift. Price! Currently the Vive is 599 USD + 99 (audio strap), totaling 698 USD before tax. Compare that to the Oculus Rift at 399 US Dollars. I feel this is one of those rare instances where "You get what you pay for" DOES NOT HOLD TRUE. Personally, I'll wait until the HTC Vive catches up to the Oculus Rift in both quality and price. At that time, I'll take another look at the Vive and hopefully be more pleased. In the meantime, for myself, the Oculus Rift is the clear winner. If you made it this far, thanks for reading and I truly hope it helps in your decision making process while shopping for the right VR setup for you and yourself! ;o)
Read moreHowever, in order to inject a little reality into a game based solely on ultra-rich celebrities driving around in a car, S16LTD (as it's known to us die-hard O-twins fans) set up a system wherein you get penalized for bad driving, just like in the real world. If you ever speed or go off-road, a cop will magically appear and write you a ticket, like some civil service genie. Receive three tickets in one level and your license gets revoked, and we can all agree that there's nothing worse than having to rely on your personal chauffeur to drive you to Nicole Richie's grotesquely expensive birthday party. So embarrassing.
Throwback Entertainment
"Just leave it in the street. The peons will move it for you."
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But to be fair, this is how the rules of the road work. Drive like shit and you pay the penalty. As much fun as it would have been to send Mary-Kate and Ashley careening into a Grand Theft Auto-style orgy of vehicular destruction, this game clearly wanted to teach impressionable Olsen twins fans about safe driving. And we can't really get pissed off at them for that.
Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images
Wait, we changed our minds. We totally can.
However, in their attempts to recreate the authentic world of teen driving, they stumbled upon a few roadblocks and didn't bother to swerve past them. You know those tickets you get? The ones that signify how much you suck behind the wheel? Well, you never have to actually pay any of them. Which is a fair representation of the Olsen twins' experience, I'm sure, but not of the general "behind the wheel" experience this game is aiming to teach. There should at least be a little animation of angry parents cursing your name as they mail a check to the city. But unless you collect enough tickets to lose the game, there is absolutely no punishment associated with getting one. We're essentially teaching kids that tickets just kind of hang around your backseat, like a best friend sleeping off 10 tequilas.
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Also, if you hit somebody with your car, callously running an innocent person down in the street like a maniac, you get the exact same punishment you do for everything else. There's no arrest and no official investigation. The cop just hands you a ticket and sends you on your merry way. We would have at least made the accident look horrible to scare players straight.Image copyright AFP Image caption Cameroon has been strengthening its troop presence along the border with Nigeria
Cameroon has carried out its first air strikes against militant Islamist group Boko Haram, after it overran a military base and attacked five villages, officials have said.
The military repelled the coordinated attacks and regained control of the base, they added.
At least 41 militants and one soldier were killed, the officials said.
The Nigeria-based group is increasingly carrying out cross-border raids, threatening Cameroon's security.
The latest fighting was the most intense, lasting for three days along several fronts, reports the BBC's Jean-David Mihamle from Cameroon's capital Yaounde.
'New escalation'
About 1,000 militants attacked five villages, including Amchide, and seized the nearby Achigachia military base, where they raised their black flag, army spokesman Lt Col Didier Badjeck told the BBC's Focus on Africa programme.
He said President Paul Biya then personally ordered the air force to intervene, forcing the militants out.
"Now the area is totally secured."
Lt Col Badjeck said the air strikes showed that Boko Haram would face a "hard reaction" if it attacked Cameroon again, with the government determined to use all its capability to protect its territory.
Cameroon under pressure from Boko Haram
In a statement, Cameroon's Information Minister Issa Tchiroma Bakary said the multiple attacks showed that Boko Haram had adopted a new strategy aimed at "distracting Cameroonian troops on different fronts, making them more vulnerable in the face of the mobility and unpredictability of their attacks".
At least 34 militants were killed after the army raided one of their bases in Cameroon, while another seven were killed in a separate clash which also claimed the life of a soldier, Mr Bakary said, Reuters news agency reports.
Last week, Cameroon said it had dismantled a Boko Haram training camp on its territory, and had seized 84 children who were being trained there.
More than 40 of its soldiers have been killed in fighting with Boko Haram this year, according to Reuters.
Boko Haram launched its insurgency in north-eastern Nigeria in 2009, saying it wanted to overthrow the government and create an Islamic state.
It recruits mainly unemployed youth and has seized large swathes of territory in Borno state, raising fears that it could launch an assault on its main city, Maiduguri.
At least 2,000 civilians have been killed by the group in Nigeria this year.
The kidnapping of more than 200 schoolgirls by Boko Haram in April from the town of Chibok in Borno state sparked international outrage.
Who are Boko Haram?
Image copyright AFP
Founded in 2002
Initially focused on opposing Western education - Boko Haram means "Western education is forbidden" in the Hausa language
Launched military operations in 2009 to create Islamic state
Thousands killed, mostly in north-eastern Nigeria - also attacked police and UN headquarters in capital, Abuja
Some three million people affected
Declared terrorist group by US in 2013
Who are Boko Haram?
Profile: Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau“What is India’s role in the Indo-Pacific?” “Does India have a national interest at stake in the South China Sea?” “How should India shape its maritime relationship with China?”
Last week I had the opportunity to travel to India to take part in an engaging three-day conference on maritime security in the Indo-Pacific, joining two other CIMSEC members in Chennai and Kochi. While the above questions of India’s maritime strategic future were not the theme of the conference (that being Sea Change: Evolving Maritime Geopolitics in the Indo-Pacific Region), they were frequent points of discussion, only natural given the event’s location and the preponderance of preeminent Indian minds. While I’ll focus here on these conversations, the conference’s top-notch organizers from the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) and Stimson Center are publishing a collection of the papers presented, on an array of topics, which should make for stimulating reading. I’m grateful to the organizers for inviting me, and the U.S. Consulate Chennai for sponsoring the event.1
I’m also grateful for the effort these organizations made to bring together scholars and practitioners from the United States, China, Japan, Australia, the United Kingdom, Indonesia, the Philippines, and India to consider the challenges and opportunities in the Indo-Pacific from a variety of perspectives. These representatives from the fields of maritime shipping, offshore energy, geopolitics, international law, private maritime security, and fisheries and climate sciences had the chance to share and contest ideas in a cross-disciplinary approach. And contest they did.
Observers and attendees of similar events will be familiar with the contentious dynamic that can develop between Chinese and Japanese or Chinese and American representatives, as highlighted at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore earlier in the month. In India, Dr. Liu Zongyi of the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies (SIIS) carried China’s banner. Some of the feistiest exchanges involved his assertions that the United States had previously agreed to Chiang Kai-Shek’s claims to the South China Sea and that there were no maritime disputes in the South China Sea prior to U.S. involvement in the region in the 1960s-70s – the former rebuffed by a personal account of the post-War discussions with Chiang relayed by U.S. Pacific Fleet’s Director for Plans and Policy, W.J. Wesley. As for Liu’s latter argument, South China Sea claimants on all sides have produced a multitude of historical documents stretching back centuries, but if he was referring to the start of a more active phase of the disputes he may have the timing more accurate. Yet China’s seizure of the Paracels from South Vietnamese forces in 1974, killing 70, is probably not what he meant as an illustration of U.S. trouble-making.
In spite of these disagreements over China’s positions, the conference to its credit maintained a cordial atmosphere, with several presenters touting the benefits of establishing personal connections and dialogue over beers or cocktails – the benefits to which many CIMSEC chapters can attest. The organizers’ ringing of a concierge bell to mercilessly keep panelists to their allotted time also built a sense of shared sacrifice against a common |
, or catch a person’s physical presence or a place’s, or trying to find the perfectly right thing for your character to say. Then you blink your eyes, pull back from the screen or the notebook, try to imagine you’ve never seen this writing before.
This is the exact equivalent of a painter pulling back from her canvas, squinting at her work, before she dives forward and changes it again. It’s a revelation, really – how surprisingly visual reading is. Go back a few pages, start reading as if you’ve never seen these words before. How does it seem? Suddenly you’ll see what you couldn’t see when you were down among the undergrowth. It’s going on too long, it’s sentimental, the tone’s too heavy, there are too many sentences with same rhythm, there’s an inadvertent repetition. Or, something’s missing. You could print out your work, to try to see it freshly – or type it up, if you’re writing longhand. Or you could look at it full screen on the computer, with a different background, more like the pages of a book. The trouble is you have to make this effort not once, but over and over. Your mind will be sore from the effort of reading the same old thing so many times as if it were new. But unless you do it you won’t know what you’ve written, or whether you’ve got it alive and whole, faithfully, on to the page.
• Tessa Hadley is professor of creative writing at Bath Spa University
Don’t be afraid to start again – Jeanette Winterson
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Murdo MacLeod for the Guardian
Creativity is inexhaustible. Experiment, play, throw away. Above all be confident enough about creativity to throw stuff out. If it isn’t working, don’t cut and paste – scrap it and begin again.
• Jeanette Winterson is professor of new writing at the Centre for New Writing, University of Manchester
Be surprising – Blake Morrison
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Murdo MacLeod for the Guardian
When the sweetly idealistic Nina asks Trigorin, in Chekhov’s The Seagull, to describe what it’s like to be a famous writer, he tells her it’s torment. Day and night, the compulsion to write never leaves him, he says. He can’t rest; can’t forget the unfinished novel he’s meant to be working on; can’t see a cloud in the sky without thinking of a comparison (with a grand piano, say) he might use somewhere; can’t trust the praise of encouragement of friends; feels nervous, miserable, overwrought, half-mad, and when any new work of his appears in print realises that it’s all wrong. Nina doesn’t listen, to her cost. But aspiring writers would do well to heed the warning. To be forever “consuming your own life”, as Trigorin puts it, is no picnic.
But as he also admits, the act itself, when you’re fully immersed, is enjoyable. And to write “in a sort of haze”, unsure what you’re up to but simply compelled, may be no bad thing. Say you sit down to write a poem, or an episode, set on an autumn morning. You have the idea but feel stuck, hamstrung, overwhelmed by your literary forebears: mist and mellow fruitfulness have been done to death. So has woodsmoke but suddenly you’ve the smell in your nostrils and are reminded of (or imagine) a particular fire, logs crackling in a grate, two wine-glasses, a bitter argument, a crimson stain on a sheepskin rug – perhaps the scene is a winter night rather an autumn morning and the logs are imitation logs in a modern gas fire, but that’s fine, where you’re being taken is more interesting than what you’d planned. Just go with it – you can always change it later.
In other words, if you only write what you’re expecting to write, you’ll be bored. Take a risk. Work against the grain. Don’t be afraid to make a deathbed scene comic, or to show a murderer being kind to animals. Truth is surprising, and surprise is the key – surprising the reader but also, in the first place, surprising yourself.
• Blake Morrison is professor of creative and life writing at Goldsmiths
Use a pseudonym – Toby Litt
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Martin Godwin for the Guardian
Trying to write your very best can stop you writing your very best. There’s a couple of ways to get around this. Most obviously, you can let yourself off writing as well as you’re possibly able. You can say: “This is draft zero, not even a first draft, so there’s no need for it to be anything but an exciting mess.” Lots of writing advice is about taking the pressure off by lowering the expectations you have of each draft. That’s the very best part of your very best.
A different approach, one I often suggest to writers who are struggling, is to dodge the issue entirely.
Instead of writing your novel or story as you, and anticipating all that pressure of owning your work (having friends read it as yours, reading it out in public after being introduced as you), give yourself a pseudonym to work with. Make up the name of a writer you just might have been, if you hadn’t been yourself. Type it in at the top of the manuscript. Print it out. Sign it. (I’m serious.) This draft is no longer by you (at your very best). This draft is by them, whoever they turn out to be.
Now, whenever you need to figure something out about your story, from the overall form to the punctuation of a sentence, you can shift responsibility. The question isn’t “How do I, at my very best, write this?” but “How does so-and-so write this?”
By writing under a secret pseudonym, you will gain a collaborator who has no hang-ups, no responsibilities, no history. They will, I promise, help you write better – perhaps even better than your very best.
• Toby Litt is a senior lecturer in creative writing at Birkbeck, University of London
Do your research – Kathryn Hughes
Graham Turner for the Guardian
There’s this odd idea that, when it comes to writing non-fiction and biography, all you have to do is get the facts straight in your head and then spool them out in a listless monotone. The experience is rather like sitting next to a pub bore, who starts every sentence with “The interesting thing is …” without noticing that you’ve already turned away and started to talk to someone else.
So it’s all about finding a way to tell your story about the past as if it is actually very present. And, no, that doesn’t mean employing the historic present tense, which is used far too often, and mostly badly. Instead, you need to marinate yourself in your material, consuming everything that you can get your hands on about your subject (we’ll assume you’re writing a biography) and the period in which they lived. Read the books that they read, not just the ones that they actually wrote. Track down their great-great-granddaughter and ask if there any relics (snuffboxes, spectacles diaries, not actual bones) that you could sniff or finger. Saturate yourself in your subject’s correspondence until you know the name of their neighbour’s dog or the date on which their child’s first tooth fell out.
Only once you’ve metabolised this material, taken it into your own body, let it settle and mulch inside you for weeks, months or years, will you have a hope of making it live again. The first time you sit down to write, after a period of research immersion, try it freestyle. Don’t hug your notes, or pore over timelines. Write the narrative from memory, letting details float to the front of your imagination, while others recede into the background. With any luck, your narrative will feel fresh and juicy because that is how it lives in your imagination. Only at this point should you go back to your data and make sure that you haven’t invented anything. Because that really isn’t OK.
• Kathryn Hughes is professor of life writing at the University of East Anglia
Commit to finishing – Nikita Lalwani
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Murdo MacLeod for the Guardian
Making the decision to finish a piece of work is crucial. It is this seriousness of intent that gives you half a chance of writing something that will have a life beyond your desk. It might be easier to deny this aspect and pretend that you will never get there – how dare you presume that this folly of a story you are bashing out can be something real, a book for an actual audience, and more to the point, isn’t it very likely you will write a bad ending? You made the whole thing up, after all, and this contraption that we call plot could easily come apart. So goes the insecure writerly mind in the dark hours. But once you believe that you will reach the end of your book, whatever shape that takes, then it can make it easier to write with the kind of conviction and purpose that makes a reader want to turn the page.
In Six Walks in the Fictional Woods, the playful and profound series of essays on writing by Umberto Eco, he likens the act of reading to playing a game: “a game by which we give sense to the immensity of things that have happened, are happening or will happen in the world”. By saying to yourself that you will complete the story, you are acknowledging the nature of this transaction between yourself and a potential reader – you are in the game.
Of course, your story may never have a reader, but I believe there are very few benefits to thinking in that way. Time and time again I have seen talented students ditch their manuscripts at the half-way point, and less talented students reach the end, rewrite the whole book enthusiastically, and get published. Something about ending your novel can elevate it beyond what you might feel is a shameful and insubstantial piece of drivel that you have written in your pyjamas and make it a contender in your own mind. Respect your process and make a pact to close the deal.
Nikita Lalwani is a lecturer in creative writing at Royal Holloway, University of London
Forget brilliance – DBC Pierre
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Murdo MacLeod for the Guardian
One intimidating thing about starting to write is the array of polished advice about it. Pearls seemingly formed between tennis and cocktails, brilliantly deployed by the greats between six and nine every morning but Sunday. Suddenly our biggest hurdle isn’t character, pace or plot, but that we can’t even play tennis.
I’m talking about the otherness of our peers. If our toolkit belongs to Fitzgerald and Faulkner, our first issue will be getting over writing relative crap at the outset. But whoever said “writing is rewriting” knew the science of crap, the practical lesson being: it’s easier to improve it than to originate brilliance. To improve it we need to have it, which means writing it, and that requires a different ethos than the one we probably sat down with, glowing with hope and expectation.
My suggestion is this: we stop ourselves from writing what we have to write by pausing to fret over details and risks, and by filtering ourselves through subconscious juries. Sparkles of gold can appear if we just get enough words written, which means write like the wind, don’t look down. Make a pact never to show anyone, build a mound of dirt, skim it later for anything that excites you. Skimming is a different job, sober and honest, of an archaeologist crumbling dirt in her hands. Separate any glimmers into a new document and build on them, connect them, repeat the process. Those glimmers are also evidence that things can work out, making them power pills for the will; use them to press on. We might start by sifting crap but a couple of passes can lure out real pipe-puffing linen-wearing tennis-playing vigour.
The key then is to not try playing tennis.
• DBC Pierre is author of writing guide Release the Bats
Ignore tips – Amit Chaudhuri
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Eamonn McCabe for the Guardian
The one tip I give to students of writing is to disregard tips. These might have to do with arresting opening sentences, or they may simply concern the tools of the trade – character, setting, description, plot. The four words, chosen randomly, are vague descriptive categories once used in literary departments, where, with “tone”, they’ve been abandoned, only to be repeatedly invoked in creative writing classes along with “craft”, “sentence”, and that nervous-making shibboleth, “point of view”. I’m not sure what “character” means. Is it an aggregate of physical features – nose, eyes, hair – which add up to a bodily presence into which, as if it were a vessel, you pour psychological life: thoughts, memories, political views? Can you “fictionalise” a real person by adding a moustache to his face, or a stammer to his speech?
Why is it that, when we invent characters, the process of invention involves an excavation from the subconscious, as if we were trying to remember someone we knew decades ago; while when we write of people we know, we see them in our imagination as independent entities who are essentially strangers to us? To create a character is to unlearn what we know: tips will be unhelpful. Unhelpful, too, is the hierarchy in which these categories arrive, with character at the centre, and setting important inasmuch as it is where plot or story – or what happens to the protagonist – unfolds.
For me, the protagonist is only one element in a story: evening, room, wall, smoke, car, are other possible ones. It’s a prejudice inherited from the European Renaissance that the human must occupy centre stage, everything else being secondary. A work of the imagination gives us not a protagonist, but the intimation of a world. No one thing in a world – object or person – has centrality.
If I have one more tip, it’s this: give nothing centrality, because writing is about continually shifting weight from one thing and moment to the other.
• Amit Chaudhuri is professor of contemporary literature at the University of East Anglia
Just do it – Naomi Alderman
You learn the most from sitting down and doing the work, regularly, patiently, sometimes in hope, sometimes despairingly. When you have something that seems complete, show your work to people you trust to be honest but not malicious. Put it aside for six months and reread it. Expect to be disgusted by your own early work. If writing is your vocation, if you hope that it might be your salvation, push on through the disgust until you find one true sentence, a few words that say more than you expected, something you didn’t know until you set it down.
There are no “tips” for this process really; it’s painstaking and intense and doesn’t often feel pleasant.
However, I think there are tips for how to sit your bum on the chair and do the work.
Stop reading so many articles on the internet about how to write. You’re allowed one a week. Instead, spend that time actually writing.
Use a writing prompt to get you started. I recommend Judy Reeves’ book A Writer’s Book of Days.
Write for 15 minutes every day. Set a time in advance, set a timer. Try to write at the same time every day. Your subconscious will get used to the idea and will start to work like a reliable water spout.
Remind yourself, every day, that you’re doing this to try to find something out about yourself, about the world, about words and how they fit together. Writing is investigation. Just keep seeking.
• Naomi Alderman is professor of creative writing at Bath Spa University
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Once you’ve written your masterpiece, it’s time to get it published... Photograph: Daisy Corlett/Alamy
How to get an agent
Jonny Geller, joint chief executive of Curtis Brown
Research: Who does an agent represent? What is their area of expertise? How many new writers do they nurture? If you sent your romantic saga to an agent who specialises in military history, you will have wasted your stamp.
Be brief: If you can’t write a short letter, you probably can’t write a long novel.
Don’t do the agent’s work for them: A mis-pitch is an unnecessary hurdle to jump, so no “Sherlock Holmes meets Jack Reacher” combinations, please.
Don’t send your first three chapters until they are so good you couldn’t bear changing a word: If you don’t love it, we won’t. You only get one chance to read something for the first time so don’t think you can fix that problem later. There won’t be a later.
Wait: Leave at least four to six weeks before hassling the agent for a response.
Be positive: We are looking for terrific books by great new authors so be confident and expect success. If you write to us anticipating rejection, we will smell it and probably agree with you. It is a wonderful thing to create, produce and believe in yourself.
• Jonny Geller’s recent Tedx talk was “What Makes a Bestseller?”
How to get published
Susanna Wadeson, publishing director at Transworld
There are six elements I think about when considering a project.
Story: This comes first, in both fiction and non-fiction. What’s the story? Do I care? And am I the right editor to help tell it? Does it grab me? This starts with the all-important pitch – a two-line summary – but I have to be sure the whole book will deliver on that promise and has a fluent and compelling narrative thread.
Platform: Who is the author and do they have a public profile to help us promote the book? Do they have an existing following/readership on TV/radio/social media? Essentially, is there a chatter-factor?
Voice: Is the writing distinctive and a pleasure to spend time with? Is it elegantly constructed? Witty? Surprising? Am I moved to laugh? Cry?
Authenticity: Am I comfortable with the match of author and subject? Does it feel opportunistic or manufactured, or does the author have a genuine passion to convey?
Originality: Is it really new? Will the book shift our views about who we are, the world we live in?
Audience: Yes it is interesting/fun/moving/different and I love the author, but is there a market for it? Will anyone feel they need it to the extent that they will pay £15 for it?My Kid Could Paint That is a 2007 documentary film by director Amir Bar-Lev. The movie follows the early artistic career of Marla Olmstead, a young girl from Binghamton, New York who gains fame first as a child prodigy painter of abstract art, and then becomes the subject of controversy concerning whether she truly completed the paintings herself or did so with her parents' assistance and/or direction. The film was bought by Sony Pictures Classics in 2007 after premiering at the Sundance Film Festival.
Taglines [ edit ]
"Inspiration or Manipulation? You Decide."
"American dream or art world scheme?"
Summary [ edit ]
Marla's father, an amateur painter, describes how Marla watches him paint, wants to help, and is given her own canvas and supplies. A friend asks to hang Marla's pictures in his coffee shop and is surprised when people ask to buy them. A local newspaper reporter, Elizabeth Cohen, writes a piece about Marla, after first asking her parents if they really want her to do so. Cohen's story is picked up by The New York Times, and Marla becomes a media celebrity, with appearances on television and shows at galleries in New York and Los Angeles. Sales of her work earn over $300,000.
The tone of the documentary turns with a scene of Marla's parents watching a February 2005 report by CBS News' 60 Minutes II that questions whether Marla painted the works attributed to her. 60 Minutes enlisted the help of Ellen Winner, a child psychologist who studies cognition in the arts and gifted children. Seeing video images of some of the paintings attributed to Marla, Winner initially reacts positively, stating: "It's absolutely beautiful. You could slip it into the Museum of Modern Art and absolutely get away with it." The 60 Minutes reporter, Charlie Rose, then shows Winner what he describes as "50 minutes of videotape shot by us and by Marla's parents." After seeing this footage, Winner states: "This is eye-opening to me, to see her actually painting." Rose asks her how this is "eye-opening." Winner responds: "Because she's not doing anything that a normal child wouldn't do. She's just kind of slowly pushing the paint around."
Rose then states that after "our interview," the Olmsteads agreed to permit CBS crews to set up a hidden camera in their home to tape their daughter painting a single piece in five hours over the course of a month. When Winner reviewed the tapes, the psychologist said, "I saw no evidence that she was a child prodigy in painting. I saw a normal, charming, adorable child painting the way preschool children paint, except that she had a coach that kept her going." Winner also indicated that the painting created before CBS's hidden camera looked "less polished than some of Marla's previous works." Asked to explain the difference, Winner states: "I can only speculate. I don't see Marla as having made, or at least completed, the more polished looking paintings, because they look like a different painter. Either somebody else painted them start to finish, or somebody else doctored them up. Or, Marla just miraculously paints in a completely different way than we see on her home video."[1]
Marla's parents film her creating a second work, Ocean, but Bar-Lev is not fully convinced. A couple are shown considering the purchase of Ocean. The woman complains that Ocean does not look like the other works by Marla. They buy it anyway. In a slide show, Bar-Lev compares Ocean with the 60 Minutes piece and then with several other works attributed to Marla. Viewers are left to make their own judgments.
The film also raises questions about the nature of art, especially abstract expressionism, the nature of the documentary process, and the perception that the media imparts fame to subjects only to later subject them to intense scrutiny and criticism.
Reception [ edit ]
In his October 2007 review of Bar-Lev's film, Roger Ebert stated: "My own verdict as an outsider is, no, Marla didn't paint those works, although she may have applied some of the paint. In the last analysis, I guess it all reduces to taste and instinct. Some paintings are good, says me, or says you, and some are bad. Some paintings could be painted by a child, some couldn't be."[2]
In his review of Bar-Lev's film, LA Weekly's art critic Doug Harvey reveals a different viewpoint. "The works created by Marla on camera are different from some of her canvasses, similar to others and better than many. Bar-Lev’s big reveal is a bust, and turns what could have been a compelling inquiry into the machinations of the art market and media into a tawdry embarrassment. Apart from the questionable ethics, it’s lousy art. In the final analysis, the filmmaker’s crisis of faith is unconvincing, except as one of a series of blatantly manipulative decisions that, despite the lack of any kind of empirical evidence, bolsters the most commercially viable story that can be milked from the situation — the one where Marla’s parents are supernaturally cunning con artists out to exploit the gullibility of the deluded collectors of essentially fraudulent modern art."[3]
As of March 2013, the film holds a 94% "Fresh" rating at the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, based on 69 positive reviews out of 74 reviews counted.[4]
Post-release events [ edit ]
As of October 2007, the Olmstead's website[5] displays videos of Marla working on three more canvases, Fairy Map, Rabbit, and Colorful Rain.[6] The videos employ the jump-cut technique, meaning that the scene (a shot of the canvas on which Marla paints) is generally continuous, but that the action stops and then starts again with the subject (Marla) having shifted position relative to the video frame. As of August 2008, the website depicts 49 canvases it says have been sold and 16 more available for sale, including two of the three works featured in the videos, Rabbit, and Colorful Rain.
See also [ edit ]
F for Fake, a 1974 Orson Welles documentary which also raised questions about who gets to decide what is and is not art.Public higher education is often thought of as a way to help level the playing field between Americans of all stripes, but there’s evidence that flagship public colleges aren’t the engines of mobility we think.
These schools are often thought a way to provide students from a variety of backgrounds with a high-quality education at an affordable cost. But a new study adds to the growing body of evidence that these schools increasingly serve wealthier students.
Between 1972 and 2007, the share of applicants to the University of Wisconsin-Madison from the bottom fifth of the income distribution stayed roughly the same at less than 5%, according to a study published last week in the Russell Sage Foundation Journal of the Social Sciences. During the same period, the share of applicants from the second-lowest income quintile declined from at least 20% or more to just 11.5% in 2007. But the share of applicants from the top two highest income levels grew from 42.6% to 64.1%.
The university does make efforts to reach more low-income applicants, including through outreach, scholarship programs and transfer agreements with two-year colleges, whose classes typically include a large share of low-income students, according to Meredith McGlone, a University of Wisconsin-Madison spokeswoman. In addition, the school upped its need-based grant aid from $6.6 million during the 2007-2008 academic year to $31.3 million this past academic year, she said.
“UW-Madison is committed to making sure that a high-quality education is not out of reach to students due to their family income,” McGlone wrote in an email.
Barbara Wolfe, a University of Wisconsin professor and one of the paper’s authors, said she found it “very frustrating” that the share of low-income applicants hasn’t budged over several decades, despite these efforts.
“In a broader scheme, it’s tied to this whole question of inequality, it’s tied to the cycle of poverty,” she said. “It does just perpetuate or make worse the current income distribution.”
While this particular research only looks at the University of Wisconsin, the results point to broader concerns about equity in higher education. McGlone noted in her email that “this study speaks to a national trend that affects many universities beyond UW-Madison. Wealthy students are increasingly applying to more and more colleges.”
Wolfe said she hopes the method she and her co-authors developed can serve as a model for researchers in other states to study similar questions. Studies about the income of college applicants typically rely on self-reporting from the applicants themselves, who are teens “if you use what an 18-year-old says is your family income, you’re not doing very well,” Wolfe said.
In order to come up with a more reliable proxy for the income of applicants, Wolfe and her fellow researchers matched the home address listed on a student’s application to her census block and then got the median income of the area.
While the share of low-income students applying to Wisconsin has remained relatively stagnant over the past several decades, the increase in wealthier students applying to the school was fueled in large part by a boost in applicants from out of state. Wisconsin is not alone in this trend: Students with means are increasingly applying to more colleges, including flagship public universities, to boost their chances of admission somewhere.
In some cases, public universities are actively luring these students at the expense of those in their state, as they cope with cuts to state funding. A 2015 report from New America, a Washington-based think tank, found that the share of merit aid—or grants that aren’t based on need — at four-year public colleges grew from 8% to 18%. That indicates that instead of devoting resources to the low-income students who may need them, these schools are using scholarships to draw out of state students who may not need the money, but who will end up paying more than their in-state peers even with the discount, the report claims.
The University of California system came under fire last month after a state audit accused the schools of lowering its standards to admit up to 16,000 out-of-state students who were less qualified on a variety of academic measures than the typical in-state student admitted to the schools. The university system disputed the report’s findings, with its own report, which argued that the schools’ admissions policies favor California residents and noted that the system plans to enroll 5,000 more in-state residents in the upcoming academic year than in the year prior and will add 5,000 more California students on top of that in the next two years.
The state audit “makes inferences and draws conclusions that are supported neither by the data or by sound analysis,” Janet Napolitano, the president of the UC system, said in a statement last week.
The Wisconsin study doesn’t point to any practices at the university that indicate it’s luring wealthier or out-of-state students at the expense of low-income and in-state students. In fact, the chances of a low-income applicant getting into the university increased during the later years of the study. But that’s also true of wealthier applicants. “In considering how this might affect access, we emphasize that applicants from the highest income quintile are far more numerous than those from the lowest,” the authors write in the study.
McGlone noted that Wisconsin does well by the low-income students who do enroll. The school was recognized by the Education Trust, a nonprofit devoted to educational equity, for increasing graduation rates for students from underrepresented backgrounds.
Still, it’s possible things may get more unequal at Wisconsin. For years, the school required that no more than 25% of the freshman class be nonresidents or residents of a state covered by a reciprocity agreement with the school, like Minnesota. That helped to curb the number of wealthy out-of-state students gaining spots over lower income Wisconsin residents, the paper notes. But in 2012, the university’s governing body upped that quota to 27.5% and last year they voted to suspend the limit for four years.
“Because the state contributes a smaller and smaller proportion of UW-Madison’s operating budget, the university administration naturally considers alternative ways of raising revenues, and the many wealthy applicants offer a quick, attractive alternative,” the study authors wrote.
Wisconsin is taking pains to ensure a decent share of students are from the state. The school has committed to enrolling at least 3,600 in-state freshman each year, McGlone said. To give a sense of how that stacks up to the freshman class as a whole, the school enrolled 6,279 freshman in 2013.
Get a daily roundup of the top reads in personal finance delivered to your inbox. Subscribe to MarketWatch's free Personal Finance Daily newsletter. Sign up here.The biggest donor to Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign, and the two biggest donors to Barack Obama’s reelection bid, are all Jewish, contribution rankings published by the Associated Press on Friday show.
By far the largest declared donor overall is casino mogul Sheldon Adelson, who is worth an estimated $25 billion. He has donated $34.2 million so far to aid Romney and organizations supporting the Republican challenger this election, the AP figures show.
President Obama’s top two donors are Jeffrey Katzenberg and Irwin Jacobs.
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Those donors and others are funding a presidential election on track to cost nearly $2 billion, with money going toward individual Democratic and Republican campaigns as well as independent, “super” political action committees working on the campaigns’ behalf.
Big-dollar donors can have big influence. They are often invited to state dinners at the White House and other events with the president. They also may be asked to weigh in on public policy, especially if it affects their financial interests. And the ranks of ambassadors, advisory panels, and other government jobs traditionally are filled with those who have been generous during the campaign.
Here are the top five Obama donors:
No. 1: Jeffrey Katzenberg, 61, Hollywood film producer and chief executive of DreamWorks Animation.
Total donations: $2.566 million
Katzenberg is Obama’s top donor when tallying his contributions to a “super” political committee, money to Obama’s campaign, and the money he arranged for others to write for the president. The biggest contributions include $2 million to the Priorities USA Action super PAC. It was founded by former White House advisers and is the key pro-Obama PAC this election cycle. Katzenberg has helped “bundle” more than $500,000 for the president’s second term, making him among the campaign’s top volunteer fundraisers. He’s also given more than $66,000 to Obama’s campaign and the Democratic Party.
Katzenberg, who runs DreamWorks with fellow Jewish Hollywood titans Steven Spielberg and David Geffen, is also a major donor to Jewish philanthropies and organizations like the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and the Simon Wiesenthal Center.
No. 2: Irwin Jacobs, 78, the founder and former chairman of Qualcomm.
Total: $2.122 million
Jacobs has given more than $2 million to pro-Obama super PACs and about $23,000 directly to Obama’s campaign and the Democrats. But he’s no newcomer to political giving: The billionaire has routinely backed San Diego-area politicians.
Jacobs is a major donor to Jewish philanthropies in Southern California, and reportedly donated $24 million in 2009 alone to a fund managed by the Jewish Community Foundation of San Diego.
No. 3 (tie): Fred Eychaner, founder of Chicago-based alternative-newspaper publisher Newsweb Corp.
Total: $2.066 million
Eychaner has given $1.5 million to the Priorities USA Action super PAC. He’s also given more than $60,000 to the president’s re-election committees, and he’s listed as a major “bundler” for Obama, having raised at least $500,000 for the president. Eychaner, a gay-rights activist, also has donated millions to other nonprofit groups, including more than $1 million to the progressive EMILY’s List organization.
No. 3 (tie): Jon Stryker, 54, a Michigan philanthropist.
Total: $2.066 million
Stryker has given $2 million to the Priorities USA Action super PAC and has given $66,000 in contributions to Obama and the Democratic Party. Stryker is the heir to namesake Stryker Corp., the major medical device and equipment manufacturer. Stryker has been active in politics before the 2012 election; he contributed millions to help Democratic candidates statewide. And he also has given nearly $250 million of his personal wealth to groups supporting gay rights and the conservation of apes.
No. 5: Steve Mostyn, 41, a Houston-based personal injury attorney.
Total: $2.003 million
Mostyn has given more than $2 million to the Priorities USA Action super PAC that’s helping Obama. Mostyn, the former head of the Texas Trial Lawyers Association, is a major backer of Democratic candidates in the state. He’s also sunk cash into a Texas political committee that tried unsuccessfully to unseat Gov. Rick Perry two years ago.
___
Here are the top five Romney donors:
No. 1: Sheldon Adelson, 79, owner of the Las Vegas Sands casino empire.
Total: $34.2 million
Adelson is the largest declared donor to the Romney campaign and supporting political committees, providing more than $34.2 million this election season. He and his wife, Miriam, a physician, have given $10 million to Restore Our Future, a super PAC backing Romney. Adelson also joined relatives to give $24 million to committees backing former Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich. And he has made public pledges vowing to give $10 million to Karl Rove’s American Crossroads super PAC and as much as $100 million this election more broadly to the Republicans.
Worth an estimated $25 billion, Adelson oversees the Las Vegas Sands Corp., which runs casino and resort interests in Las Vegas, Singapore, and Pennsylvania, and Sands China Ltd., a cluster of casinos in the Chinese territory of Macau.
A staunch supporter of Israel, he also is a contributor to the Republican Jewish Coalition, which spent $920,000 since 2002 backing bills aimed at pressuring Iran and enhancing U.S. security cooperation with Israel. In Israel, he owns the widely read, pro-Benjamin Netanyahu free daily paper Israel Hayom.
No. 2: Bob J. Perry, 80, head of a Houston real estate empire worth an estimated $650 million.
Total: $17.3 million
Perry had been at No. 3, after giving $15.3 million to aid the Romney campaign and allied causes so far this election season. But federal campaign figures released Friday showed a new $2 million donation to Restore Our Future in September, vaulting Perry into the No. 2 spot. Long active in Texas and national Republican politics, Perry has donated a total of $10.7 million to Restore Our Future and $6.5 million to American Crossroads. Before backing Romney this year, Perry gave $100,000 to the super PAC backing Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who is no relation. Bob Perry was a top “bundler” for former President George W. Bush’s campaign.
No. 3: Harold Simmons, 81, owner of Contran Corp., a Dallas-based conglomerate worth an estimated $9 billion that specializes in metals and chemical production and waste management.
Total: $16.5 million
Simmons is a longtime backer of Republican and conservative causes. He has donated $16 million to the party’s efforts this year, including more than $11 million to American Crossroads and $1.3 million to Restore Our Future. Simmons and his wife, Annette, also gave $2.2 million to super PACs backing former Republican presidential candidates Gingrich, Rick Santorum and Rick Perry.
No. 4: Robert Rowling, 58, head of Dallas-based TRT Holdings.
Total: $4.1 million
Rowling has given at least $4.1 million to Republican Party and candidates this election. Most of his $4 million in donations went to Rove’s American Crossroads, both through personal donations and through his firm. Rowling also has given $100,000 to the pro-Romney |
father’s brother disappeared. We have no news of him. He was going to Latakia, but never got there. That’s what the rebels are doing,” Ghufran says.
‘The UN won’t consider us refugees, but Hezbollah helps us’
Amal is 50. Her family was living in the Yarmouk refugee camp for Palestinians, even though they are Syrians. She and her husband, who worked as a taxi driver, her two children and her daughter with her children all left Yarmouk.
Amal’s ancestors were from Hermel, so she has a lot of relatives in Lebanon, but she was born in Syria.
Her son-in-law works as a cook. He returned to Syria five months ago to make a living. Now he cooks shawarma at his brother’s food shop, making some $2-3 a day – not enough to sustain a family.
The family’s house in Hermel got hit by a stray missile.
“That day, a TV channel ran my husband’s image – he was crying upon the rubble,” says Amal. “They’d managed to get to us even here with their missile.”
Amal’s husband fell badly sick following the missile strike, suffering a kidney failure, and later a loss of speech. After the kidney failure, his son took him to a hospital located in Janine, a Sunni town.
“They told him at the hospital, ‘We will attend to you if you agree to thank Qatar and [Saad] Hariri on camera,’” Amal tells me. “He did it, as best as he could. But later, Hezbollah found out about him and took it upon themselves to pay for his treatment. They didn’t demand to thanked on TV.”
“The UN won’t grant us refugee status, and they refuse to help us. But Hezbollah has provided us support, and we are very thankful.”
“I know for certain that our home in Yarmouk has been looted, and a house next to ours got destroyed. I called our neighbors about two or three months ago to get the latest news – that’s how I know.”
Amal recalls the summer of 2012, when Al-Nusra Front fighters took hold of the Yarmouk camp. They are still there today. Amal’s neighbor was allowed to enter his own house one last time, and then they kicked him out.
“They have seized total control of our neighborhood in Yarmouk, and now they are amassing there,” says Amal.
“The insurgents consider us traitors: we are on their blacklist. I spent three months watching them prowl our neighborhood. Our house is located at a street intersection where the rebels set up a checkpoint. Time after time, I saw them stop and detain young men from the neighborhood. And later we would find out those boys had been executed.”
“Because of the insurgents, we were down to eating grass: we couldn’t leave the house to go to work, or to go shopping. My boys were afraid to go outside. We considered it a good day if we managed to sneak out to a shop and make it back.”
Forcing a Rebellion
While in Yarmouk, Amal could watch the rebels run the neighborhood, simply by looking out the window.
“Al-Nusra Front men don’t speak Arabic. They are all foreigners from different countries. They wear beards, long shirts and short pants. My sister’s husband went over to talk to them once, but they still wouldn’t allow him into his own house. When he came back, he confirmed that they didn’t speak Arabic,” she says.
Amal knows by name each one of the locals who assisted al-Nusra in occupying Yarmouk. Contrary to insurgent propaganda, those people were not Palestinians.
“There was a Syrian family named Lakud, who were originally from Deraa in the Hauran area. They were the first to defy the government. They went out on street marches, where they carried guns and fired shots into the air. They burnt down a police precinct. There were others marching along, but the Lakuds were the most aggressive ones. They were the ones who showed Al-Nusra militants into the camp,” the woman says.
Amal heard the protesters chant, urging Syrians to take up arms against Iran and its Shia proxies, who allegedly aspire to seize power in Syria.
“They went looking for my son and wanted to kill him for refusing to attend their rallies and take weapons from them,” she tells me. “I barely saved him.”
The insurgents sentenced Amal’s son to death in absentia twice.
“Once, when we were already gone from Yarmouk, rebels came to our house. They were picking a spot to place their sniper. Inside, they found a photo of my son in his uniform, taken when he did military service. He had been a mere private, not even an officer. The rebels left a knife lying on top of that photo, as a sign. Our neighbors called on our house some time later and found it this way, so they told us about it.”
Once Amal’s family fled to Lebanon, they had to wander from one place to another, sheltered by their various relatives.
“Hezbollah got word of our desperate situation, and their men came to us once and brought food. They also bought us all the household essentials, from heaters to mattresses,” says Amal. “When they say that Hezbollah discriminates against the Sunni, they lie. The kind of support we have had from Hezbollah, we have not seen from anyone else.”
Amal says she was shocked by a feature story she watched on Lebanon’s NewTV channel. A Syrian refugee told the media that people from an organization called Lashkar-e-Taiba offered him moneyed assistance in return for his wife and daughter, whom he was supposed to send off to Qatar, where they would “work.”
“Do you understand what they meant to turn those women into?” she says. “These groups have no shame. They rob people, they ruin their lives. They are a disgrace to Islam and to all Muslims.”
The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of RT.With Commando Cody: Sky Marshal of the Universe Republic Pictures decided to go with a television program instead of their standard theatrical serial episodes, but due to contractual obligations with unions employees who worked on the show it had to be released theatrically before it could be broadcast on television. Thus it was released in serialized form in 1953 to the theatre going public, and then finally on syndicated television for NBC in 1955. Many fans of movie serials do not consider this Republic Pictures entry to be a true serial as it does not have the classic cliffhanger ending, instead each episode (which weren’t even listed as chapters) wraps up with Commando Cody and friends thwarting whatever diabolical plan the villains had hatched that particular week. Yet unlike most television show of the period you couldn’t just plop down in the middle of the run to catch an episode as the story was serialized with a beginning, middle, and an end. This is a format more familiar to television viewers today.
Commando Cody: Sky Marshal of the Universe is also an odd duck being a prequel to the Republic serial Radar Men from the Moon (1952) as it is in this serial that we are introduced to the team that will help Commando Cody defeat the threat from the Radar Men. So in this prequel we meet Joan Gilbert (Aline Towne) and Ted Richards (William Schallert) as they are hired by Mr. Henderson (Craig Kelly), who is in charge of all outer space operations, to assist Commando Cody (Judd Holdren) in developing an atomic powered rocket ship. What they don’t know is that they’ve also signed on to be sidekicks in a knock-down drag-out fight against an evil warlord from outer space. The real head scratcher here is that Sky Marshal of the Universe is not just a hyperbolic title for the series but is Cody’s actual job description and title yet he doesn’t even have a rocket at the start of the serial. How exactly can you call yourself Sky Marshal of the Universe when you haven’t even managed to get off your own planet yet? The project that Cody is working on is so top secret that the government insist he wear a mask at all times for his protection as well as those he works with. A mask that looks about as effective as Robin the Boy Wonder’s mask would have been.
Joan and Ted are then informed that the Earth is in the middle of a war with a powerful enemy from outer space, and that what the public believed to be random meteor strikes were actually missile attacks from this enemy. Lucky for planet Earth the amazing Commando Cody is on par with Doc Savage in the brains department, he’s not only an atomic rocket expert but he’s also one of those movie scientists that are good in pretty much every field of science and he manages to devise a cloud of radioactive cosmic dust that completely encircles the Earth that lets nothing pass through it. Thus the bulk of the 12 episode run deals with this mysterious enemy, and their attempts to find a way through the cosmic dust so as to strike at the Earth, and Cody and his pals stopping them at every turn. We later learn that the architect of these attacks is a man known simple as The Ruler (Gregory Gaye) and is from some unknown planetary origin. The Ruler is also a scientific genius and he uses his brilliance to form an array of devastating attacks on Earth, but he doesn’t want to destroy Earth he wants it to submit to his rule so that he can use its resources and location as a staging ground for his campaign to conquer the universe. Lucky for us his brilliance does not extend to his screening practice when it comes to hiring space agents and fifth columnists on Earth as they all kind of suck at their jobs.
The Ruler does have a unique fashion sense though.
As Republic serials go this one had a bit of a lower budget than earlier entries such as the Adventures of Captain Marvel, and to stretch a buck further it included lots of stock footage from the previous serials King of the Rocket Men and Radar Men From the Moon. That aside the overall the production value of Commando Cody: Sky Marshal of the Universe is still pretty solid with the reused footage mostly consisting of shots of Commando Cody streaking through the sky with his rocket pack.
An effect achieved by running a full scale dummy down a cable from a high location to a lower one.
Then interspersed with closes ups of Cody in front of rear screen projections of the sky.
Each week audiences would be thrilled as our heroes had to figure out what diabolical plot The Ruler was orchestrating that particular day in his bid to conquer the Earth; such as dropping bombs into the atmosphere to seed the clouds thus causing massive storms across the globe, creating multiple suns to turn the Earth into a desert, pushing the moon on a collision course with Earth (though that would leave little left of the Earth for The Ruler to actually rule), and he even manages to link Saturn’s gravity field to the Earth’s so as to shift the axis of the planet to cause an ice age. To say that the science behind most of these plots was a little sketchy would be a vast understatement but they are all pretty damn theatrical and you have to give the writers credit for creativity.
The remote control killer robot is about the most believable thing on this show.
What is bit off putting is that the world at large is kept completely in the dark about this “secret war” with an alien super power, so the people of Earth are constantly going nuts when stuff like the moon heading on a collision course with Earth or multiple suns popping into existence with no rhyme or reason. They have no idea why all of sudden the world is rocked by catastrophic occurrences on almost a daily basis. I’m betting the world’s religions would have been doing gangbuster business during this secret war. And clever and heroic as Commando Cody and his sidekicks were there is still a lot of death in destruction happening, for instance in the episode “Nightmare Typhoon” we see New York City basically getting wiped off the map.
How exactly do you spin this into a happy ending?
The show wants us to let slide the fact that billions of dollars of damage is being done across the globe, and that countless innocent lives are being lost, I guess we can chock it all up to the cost of intergalactic freedom, and instead focus on the battle of wits between Commando Cody and The Ruler. I mentioned earlier that much of the plots are foiled because The Ruler’s minions are of less than stellar calibre, Cody can take on three of them single handledly in a fist fight, but Cody himself isn’t surrounded by the best help. The two guards stationed outside their headquarters are knocked out by henchman on an almost daily basis, and Cody himself doesn’t seem to notice that bad guys are constantly parked right outside his office so they can overhear the plans are heroes coming up with. And poor Dick Preston (Richard Crane), who replaced Ted Richards as Cody’s male sidekick in the fourth episode, gets turned into a brainwashed zombie after being kidnapped and Cody doesn’t even notice anything odd. I mustn’t fail to mention that Commando Cody constantly enters rooms, ones where he knows the villains are occupying, with his gun arm outstretched so that it can be quickly knocked out of his hand.
“I hope nobody is hiding behind this door?”
Now this of course leads to the staple of movie serials; the furniture smashing, lamp tossing, ever present fist fight. Sixty percent of the action in a movie serial consists of fist fights with the hero battling an array of henchmen that the chief villain has sent to accomplish some plan, and Commando Cody: Sky Marshal of the Universe is no exception. What’s nice is that the fight scenes themselves are fairly well choreographed in such a way that they don’t look choreographed. The fisticuffs look about as chaotic as a real fight would be, with opponents throwing fists as well as furniture at each other. My particular favorite moment is when Cody is having a punch up with one of The Ruler’s goons in a burning warehouse, the henchmen notices the fire is nearing a bunch of acetylene tanks so he breaks off the fight and tries to flee, but Cody tackles him and knock the guy unconscious. Our hero then flees the building just before it blows up, clearly leaving the knocked out goon to die in the resulting explosion.
Commando Cody is a guy with a nice flexible moral center.
Of course the show isn’t all weapons of mass destruction and fistfights it’s also got your customary space opera stuff. Commando Cody and his team relentlessly pursue The Ruler and his minions even into the depths of space…well once he gets the rocket of his built that is, and this takes them into many dangerous situations.
Where in space a bucket helm and some coveralls is all you need.
And if you are a fan of science fiction movies of the 50s and 60s you may have noticed that most interplanetary landscapes look a lot alike. Whether it’s the moon, or a distant planet, things tend to look a lot like the Southern California desert (Note: Surprisingly Valdez Rock does not make an appearance in this serial) or any other nearby driving location for the cast and crew.
You can tell this is Venus because of the Space Tank.
Here we see a surprisingly lush forest on Mercury.
As serials go Commando Cody: Sky Marshal of the Universe is a fairly decent one, the cast are all fairly good if a little wooden at times and the borrowed footage is blended in rather well, the action is top notch and the “special effects” are as good some of the stuff you’d find in science fiction movies with bigger budgets. So if you like rocket packets, space ships, robots and Ming the Merciless knock-offs you will most likely have a blast watching the adventures Commando Cody: Sky Marshal of the Universe.
But seriously, did any of the other planets get a say in Cody being named Sky Marshal of the Universe?
Commando Cody: Sky Marshal of the Universe (1953) 6.5/10 Movie Rank - 6.5/10 6.5/10 Summary Commando Cody: Sky Marshal of the Universe is a fun Republic serial that contains twelve episodes that all move along at a good clip, and the hero is a surprising well-rounded character for the genre.Straight after his designation as the Italian representative at the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest, Francesco Gabbani earned the love and respect of Eurofans all over the world. “Occidentali’s Karma” has already emerged as one of the songs to watch in Kiev. But the song many of you are hearing these days may be different from the one that will eventually appear at Eurovision.
First of all, the Italian entry needs to be cut down. The original version lasts 3 minutes and 37 seconds, which is, of course, 37 seconds longer than the EBU allows.
Then there is the problem of the lyrics. Its interesting mix of scientific and philosophical references might be lost on European viewers if the song stays entirely in Italian. Everyone is going crazy for the dancing ape next to Francesco on stage, but only those who understand Italian understand why he’s there.
And it’s now clear that the singer’s team is exploring ways to address this.
Luca Chiaravalli — author and producer of the song and the orchestra conductor at Sanremo — revealed the news to Soundsblog yesterday. He said:
“We will make some changes and insert some parts in English because the audience could not understand the meaning of the lyrics all the way. The ape put in that way might seem silly. Our goal is to make the meaning of the song understandable, even to those unfamiliar with our language”.
Fans petition for the lyrics to stay in Italian
As ever fans have had strong reactions, and a petition has already appeared on change.org.
Dear @frankgabbani: Please keep the lyrics of your amazing #Eurovision song in Italian. Just show the evolution of apes on your LED.??????????????????? pic.twitter.com/TYoyO7hbCy — William Lee Adams (@willyleeadams) February 16, 2017
In the meantime the song, which won Sanremo 2017, has surpassed 12 million views on YouTube and 1 million streams on Spotify, hitting #3 on Spotify’s Global Viral 50.
It also gained the attention of several international media including France’s Le Figaro.
Can you feel the hype?
Would you like to hear a bilingual version of the song in Kiev or would you prefer it all in Italian?
Share your thoughts below!• 'My desire is to keep him at the club', says Wenger • Dutch striker did not travel with rest of squad to Asia
Arsène Wenger is still intent on keeping Robin van Persie at Arsenal despite the Dutchman stating that he wants to leave and the club receiving bids from Manchester United, Manchester City and Juventus.
Arsenal flew to Asia for their pre-season tour on Saturday with Wenger citing fitness reasons as the explanation for the forward's absence. "Van Persie is one of the best strikers in the world, if not the best, and my desire is to keep him at the club," Wenger said. "For the rest, I will do what is in the best interests of Arsenal Football Club, as ever. That is where we are. There is not a lot more to say than that."
Wenger is thought to value Van Persie, who turns 29 early next month and has a year left on his contract, at no cheaper than £20m. Sir Alex Ferguson admitted on Friday that United had made a bid for the forward though the offer is thought to be way below Wenger's asking price, as were the initial bids from City and Juventus.
Wenger would not be drawn on whether he is confident Van Persie will stay. "I do not want to talk too much about that situation because I believe it is also important that every individual player is happy," the manager said.
"What is even more important in pre-season is that we focus on the season to come. Robin was an exceptional leader last year, but we have learned how much we had to fight to come into third position [by the close] because we missed the start of the season.
"After seven games we had lost four and we have learned that for us it is vital to focus on the start of the season rather than on any transfers. If the transfers happen, they happen.
"As long as you are at the club you give your best for the club and that is the only pride you can have as a football player and as a manager. As long as you are somewhere you give your best every day for that club. If it changes, it changes. I am convinced that Robin is like that, he is completely focused every day on his job. He loves football, he loves the game and as long as he is here he will do that."
While Thomas Vermaelen will captain Arsenal on tour in Van Persie's absence, Wenger responded to the criticism directed at the club by Alisher Usmanov, the second largest shareholder. Usmanov believes a lack of investment in the squad has caused the seven-year trophy drought and is also the prevailing reason why the Dutchman wants to leave, just as Samir Nasri did 12 months ago.
Wenger said: "We always defend the values of the club, and the model has to be self-sustainable, otherwise it can completely go out of shape and become very fragile. The financial solidity of the club is vital and therefore I have always supported that and I will continue to do that. I believe that the financial fair play is about that. If Uefa push it through they will have a big supporter in me. Football has to work like every single company, it has to work with the money it produces itself."
Wenger also outlined how he views the role of the new £13m signing Olivier Giroud, who may prove the replacement for Van Persie should he leave. "I bought him because he's a real centre forward and he is an intelligent player," the Frenchman said of the former Montpellier player. "He is a player who develops late and I feel he can integrate into the way we play football and add something to the way we play because he is good in the air."
Of his fellow new signing Lukas Podolski, who joined for an undisclosed fee from Köln, Wenger said: "He has been chosen because he can be a goalscorer and a playmaker."
Regarding any further recruitment, Wenger added: "It depends also on how many go out because we have to respect the squad number. It's important to respect that so before we get players in we have to get some players out. That has not happened yet, the market is very quiet. We are still looking to add one or two players."As we try to figure out who the Titans are going to be picking in April, it’s important to try and pick up on trends of the team and GM. We only have one Robinson draft class to base our assumptions on, but he’s made it pretty clear what he values. Robinson wants guys with lots of starting experience who have produced. That much we know.
Paul Kuharsky took it a step further. He came up with an average starts/games played for the 2016 draft class. The number came out to 32 starts and 43 games played. That’s a pretty clear indication of what this team is looking for.
Kuharsky notes that there were some outliers. Kevin Dodd, Derrick Henry and Aaron Wallace only started for one season, but each played in at least 39 career games. You can’t just take guys that have started three seasons worth of games because there just aren’t that many draftable prospects that meet that criteria.
With this in mind, Ty Wurth (you should be following him on Twitter @WurthDraft) compiled a list for me of receiver prospects that hit a 32 career games played threshold. It’s really tough to find “starts” stats for receivers, considering the amount of college offenses that run three and four receiver base sets nowadays, so we decided to use 32 games played as our threshold instead. Wurth also listed their production numbers. To be thorough, here’s a list of all the receivers that hit that mark.
*Note: We didn’t look at every receiver in the class. Just some of main names (36 total), so there maybe a couple of omissions when we look back in April.
Wide receivers (Career games played) and Production
Corey Davis (50) - 331/5278/52
Mike Williams (38) - 177/2727/21
Carlos Henderson (36) - 147/2878/28
Taywan Taylor (50) - 253/4234/41
John Ross (40) - 114/1729/22
ArDarius Stewart (33) - 129/1713/12
Josh Reynolds (38) - 164/2788/30
Damore'ea Stringfellow (32) - 102/1478/12
Amara Darboh (37) - 151/2062/14
KD Cannon (38) - 195/3113/27
Chris Godwin (39) - 154/2421/18
Curtis Samuel (40) - 107/1249/9
Ryan Switzer (53) - 243/2903/19
JuJu Smith-Schuster (40) - 213/3092/25
Evan Engram (41) - 162/2320/15
Zay Jones (49) - 399/4279/23
Cooper Kupp (52) - 428/6470/73
Isaiah Ford (39) - 210/2967/24
Shelton Gibson (32) - 84/1898/17
Stacy Coley (48) - 166/2218/20
Josh Malone (32) - 104/1608/14
Jalen Robinette (44) - 120/2697/18
Darreus Rogers (44) - 127/1487/11
Travin Dural (38) - 100/1716/13
DeAngelo Yancey (39) - 141/2344/20
Trent Taylor (50) - 327/4179/32
Mack Hollins (41) - 81/1667/20
Quincy Adeboyejo (38) - 106/1454/11
Artavis Scott (42) - 245/2480/19
Jamari Staples (34) - 113/1901/10
Drew Morgan (33) - 138/1763/14
Robert Davis (49) - 222/3391/17
Jehu Chesson (45) - 114/1639/12
Travis Rudolph (36) - 153/2311/18
Nicholas Norris (50) - 194/3091/26
Gehrig Dieter (35) - 144/1707/15
Here are a few that fell just short of our baseline number of 32, but may still be in consideration.
Amba Etta-Tawo (26) - 124/1920/15
Kenny Golladay (26) - 160/2285/18
Speedy Noil (30) - 88/1134/9
Dede Westbrook (26) - 126/2267/21
Noah Brown (14) - 33/411/7
Jerome Lane (24) - 101/1800/14
Malachi Dupre (31) - 98/1609/14
Chad Hansen (17) - 111/1498/12
From here, we can narrow down our search by eliminating guys that don’t have great production. Tajae Sharpe was the ultimate production selection last year — and it’s all we have to go on for Robinson when it comes to receivers. We should learn more this season, but based on what we know now, I’d say these guys below are the most likely Titans come April.
They fit everything that (we think) the Titans value in football players. All of these guys have started well over 32 games and put up big time production in the process. You can likely find a Titans draft pick (or two) out of these 12 players. This isn’t to say they won’t pick a player not of this list, but these are the most likely selections in my mind.
Cooper Kupp (52) - 428/6470/73
Corey Davis (50) - 331/5278/52
Zay Jones (49) - 399/4279/23
Taywan Taylor (50) - 253/4234/41
Trent Taylor (50) - 327/4179/32 (Slot WR only)
KD Cannon (38) - 195/3113/27
JuJu Smith-Schuster (40) - 213/3092/25
Isaiah Ford (39) - 210/2967/24
Ryan Switzer (53) - 243/2903/19 (Slot WR only)
Carlos Henderson (36) - 147/2878/28
Josh Reynolds (38) - 164/2788/30
Mike Williams (38) - 177/2727/21 (Missed 2015 season with a neck injury)Proven highly efficient at converting sunlight into electricity, perovskite solar cells have yet to move beyond the laboratory. The crystalline structure of perovskites must be carefully grown upon a substrate, which is normally done by laboratory-scale spin coating - a technology that can't be scaled to large-scale manufacturing. The best devices fabricated using scalable deposition methods, which are suitable for future module production, still lag behind state-of-the-art spin-coated devices.
How the NREL scientists overcame this obstacle is spelled out in a new paper published in Nature Energy, Perovskite ink with wide processing window for scalable high-efficiency solar cells. Kai Zhu, a senior scientist in NREL's Chemistry and Nanoscience Center, is lead author. The co-authors are Mengjin Yang, Zhen Li, Matthew Reese, Obadiah Reid, Dong Hoe Kim, Sebastian Siol, Talysa Klein, Joseph Berry, and Michael van Hest from NREL, and Yanfa Yan from the University of Toledo
To create a perovskite film, a coating of chemicals is deposited on a substrate and heated to fully crystalize the material. The various steps involved often overlap with each other and complicate the process. One extremely critical stage requires the addition of an antisolvent that extracts the precursor chemicals, and thus create crystals of good quality. The window for this step opens and closes within seconds, which is detrimental for manufacturing due to the precision required to make this time window.
NREL researchers were able to keep that window open as long as 8 minutes.
The formula for the precursor perovskite ink included a chlorine-containing methylammonium lead iodide precursor along with solvent tuning, coupled with an antisolvent, which could be deposited onto the substrate by either spin-coating or blade-coating methods. Both methods were tested and produced indistinguishable film morphology and device performance. Blade-coating is more attractive to manufacturers because it can easily be scaled up.
The researchers tested one precursor ink containing excess methylammonium iodide (MAI) and a second containing added methylammonium chloride (MACI). The MACI proved most effective in reducing the length of heat treatment the perovskites require, cutting the time to about a minute compared to 10 minutes for the MAI solution. The shorter time also should make the process more attractive to manufacturers.
Using blade-coated absorbers, NREL scientists made a four-cell perovskite module measuring about 12.6-square centimeters. Of that, 11.1-square centimeters were active in converting sunlight to energy and did so with a stabilized efficiency of 13.3 percent.
This research is supported by the DOE's SunShot Initiative, a national effort to drive down the cost of solar electricity and support solar adoption. Learn more at energy.gov/sunshot.
Source and top image: National Renewable Energy LaboratoryUntil recently, the male Pinterest user was an elusive creature, rarely sighted in the endless landscape of hair styling tutorials. A small number of men were pinning, but their presence was faint, and attracting them with targeted content was a low priority for most users.
Over the last few years, Pinterest has become an indispensable marketing and e-commerce tool – but females have remained the main audience. Though many brands who cater to both men and women use Pinterest as a large part of their online marketing strategy, the content is largely geared exclusively towards women. For example, here’s Nike’s Pinterest profile.
This is all changing fast. In the last few years, the population of male Pinterest users has skyrocketed. Two thirds of all men on Pinterest signed up within the last two years, and came to represent a whopping 18% of all users in 2015. Research has also shown that men’s daily usage of Pinterest is growing at a faster rate than women’s usage – 59% of men increased their use in 2015, compared to 39% of women. So there’s a long way to go before Pinterest loses its reputation as a women’s crafting circle, but we’re getting there. Read on for advice on how to prepare for the new male demographic.
There’s a myth that men are much more pragmatic shoppers than women. It’s long been held that men will usually remain illogically brand-loyal, and return again and again to the last place they made a purchase rather than seek out something new. In other words, not your ideal Pinterest user. However, this myth has been debunked. A study from The Future of Commerce showed that 82% of both men and women use online ratings to shop, and that men are actually more likely to do detailed research online before they buy something.
We also now know that men are more likely to shop using their smartphones, a process that Pinterest has effectively streamlined. Pinterest’s new Rich Pins feature, which allows users to include price tags, product availability status and direct purchasing links, has made the site exceedingly friendly towards e-commerce in a way that no other social media site has accomplished. This functionality is critical to Pinterest’s development as an e-commerce platform – and its growing popularity with men.
So why has Pinterest been ignored by men for so long? There are varying theories, but for whatever reason, it caught on with women first in the United States. In fact, the site was so strongly dominated by females in its early days that a few “man cave” spin-offs like Manteresting started popping up. The idea was to provide a male-friendly alternative, but these sites quickly faded out or morphed into social curations of soft porn, and they’ve mostly been abandoned by now.
It turns out that Pinterest was there for the men all along. More and more men are signing up and finding it a fun and helpful shopping tool that turns out to be fairly gender-neutral. New male users barely register the idea that the site is for girls: in Pinterest’s emerging markets in Europe and Asia, men actually account for nearly 50% of all sign-ups! If you haven’t started already, it’s time to consider adjusting your Pinterest marketing strategy to welcome The Men. They’re coming.
8 Ways to Prepare for the New Men of Pinterest
1. Be organized. Most male users are new to the site and like any new user, male or female, they’ll have a limited patience for a page that’s difficult to navigate. Make sure your boards are clearly labeled and well organized so that men can easily find what they’re looking for.
2. Make your items easily searchable. Male users are more likely than women to spend a lot of time researching a purchase, but they also usually have a specific item in mind. While most females will happily browse Pinterest until something catches their eye, men are more likely to search for something in particular. Make sure you use appropriate and relevant hashtags so they can find your products easily.
3. Research your keywords. When a male user and a female user search the same keyword on Pinterest, different related keywords will pop up in their search results. If you’re trying to target men, try a test search of your relevant keywords and see what’s coming up for male users. This will help you select popular keywords and attract more men to your products.
4. Be competitive. If you’re trying to market to men on Pinterest, your niche is still relatively small. Take advantage of this experimental time by checking out your competition. Try to gauge what male users are reacting to in terms of aesthetic, keywords, and item description, and run some tests to see what works best for you!
5. Be mobile-ready. While Pinterest has long been used as a platform for casually browsing products or DIY tips to be acted on later, men are using the site to research, compare, and buy. Make it easy for them! If you’re selling a product, use Pinterest’s Rich Pins feature, which includes the price and availability of an item, and a direct link for purchase.
6. Adjust your image. If you’re already on Pinterest and your page looks like the inside of Cosmo magazine, it’s time to make some changes. Add some boards that are gender-neutral or designed specifically for men to make it clear that your company is not just for the ladies.
7. Look abroad. In Pinterest’s emerging markets in Europe and Asia, men account for half of all users. Check out how international users are engaging on Pinterest for some hints on where we’re headed.
8. Be sneaky. At the moment, a lot of companies are creating boards that market men’s products to women on boards with names like “Things I Wish My Boyfriend Would Wear”. Because women still dominate Pinterest at this point, this is an easy way to begin marketing products for men. You can also flip the scenario and create boards that help men find gifts for their partners – reportedly, this is one of the main reasons they’re on the site in the first place! Be creative.History will remember Thagrosh Hellborne as the abomination who unleashed the Legion of Everblight onto the world. But before he was the prophet of Everblight, he was an ogrun born of a harsh existence. After escaping slavery, he was compelled by fevered whispers and nightmarish visions to the sealed repository of the athanc of Everblight. In an unimaginable test of resolve, Thagrosh mutilated himself to accept the dragon’s blessing. He cut open his chest and tore apart his own ribcage to drive the athanc into his heart. Its dark power transformed his body into a blighted vessel for Everblight’s immortal presence.
SPECIAL NOTE: PIP 73066 contains the same stat cards as PIP 73002. The model in this box represents the same figure in the game. PIP 73066 replaces PIP 73002. However, |
) now contains "recommendations" from people all over the country, condemning the owner's reported behavior.State agricultural officials will begin setting out more than 1,500 ant bait stations filled with Spam canned meat in seven Orange County cities on Monday as they work to understand how far an aggressive ant species has traveled beyond a colony found in Costa Mesa.
The baiting stations will be staked in the ground up to 5 miles away from the site where the big-headed ant colony was spotted last month in the front yard of a Costa Mesa home, said Mike Bennett, Orange County’s agricultural commissioner.
The study area will include all of Costa Mesa and parts of Huntington Beach, Fountain Valley, Westminster, Santa Ana, Irvine and Newport Beach.
“It’s a tool that will let us know how far out they’ve spread,” Bennett said. “Hopefully, we’ll find out it’s only in this one neighborhood, and we can move to eradication, if that’s what the state chooses to do.”
Named after their disproportionately large heads, big-headed ants are considered an agricultural pest and one of the world’s most invasive insects. They aren’t dangerous to humans.
Bennett said the bait stations won’t contain poison, but state Department of Food and Agriculture officials plan to collect any ants they find inside and send them to a lab for identification.
Big-headed ants are drawn to oily, high-protein Spam, Bennett added.
In mid-April, state agricultural officials confirmed the presence of the aggressive Pheidole megacephala species of big-headed ant in the front yard of a home in Costa Mesa’s Mesa Verde neighborhood, near the Santa Ana River.
It was the first documented sighting of this species in its natural environment anywhere in California, authorities said.
“I knew the state and the county would get in an uproar as soon as I let them know,” said amateur entomologist Gordon C. Snelling, 55, of Apple Valley, who spotted the ants while visiting a friend.
“It was one of those sheer dumb luck things.”
Over a three-day period that ended Thursday, a team of about 10 state and county agricultural inspectors and UC Riverside scientists swarmed the Costa Mesa neighborhood looking for more of the ants.
They documented big-headed ants in 31 outdoor areas near the original colony, although no additional colonies were spotted, Bennett said.
Still, it was enough to convince agricultural officials that the ants had spread – and that it was crucial to know exactly how far.
Bennett said agricultural officials will spend at least a week placing about 1,570 bait stations across an approximately 79-square-mile swath of Orange County.
The goal is to place 20 bait stations in each square mile; pre-planning will be key, he added.
Depending on what authorities find, they might move toward eradication, Bennett said.
Scientists say this variety of ant not only tends to invade homes in large numbers in search of food and water, but also displaces other ants and eats beneficial insects.
Snelling, the amateur entomologist whose sharp eye touched off Orange County’s massive ant hunt, said he suspected the big-headed ants had traveled to his friend’s home inside potted plants or sod, and that they likely had been there at least a year.
His friend had been complaining about aggressive ants invading his house and winding up dead in his swimming pool, Snelling said.
“They were finally getting to the point where it was becoming noticeable,” said Snelling, who works in the pest control industry.
Snelling said he could immediately tell the ants were of the big-headed variety, but he thought it was odd they were so aggressive, as big-headed ants in California aren’t known to swarm homes and pools.
That’s when he began to suspect they might be the aggressive Pheidole megacephala variety, which are native to Africa but until then had never been spotted in the wild in California.
“I thought, ‘Oh boy, what the heck do I have?’ ” said Snelling, who runs the website armyants.org and has published scientific papers on ants.
“It’s one of those things that gets the adrenaline pumping and your brain churning. It’s certainly caused more response than anything else I’ve done.”
Contact the writer: 714-796-7802 or smartindale@ocregister.comI would like to understand what is the best solution for realtime replication between two ZFS on Linux (ZoL) boxes connected by a 10 GbE link. The goal is to use them for virtual machines; only one box at a time will run the virtual machines and the ZFS filesystem itself. Snapshot need to be possible on the first (active) box. I plan to use enterprise/nearline grade SATA disks, so dual-port SAS disks are out of question.
I thought at the following possibilities:
use iSCSI to export the remote disks and make a mirror between the local box's ZFS disks and the remote iSCSI disks. The bigger appeal of this solution is its simplicity, as it uses ZFS own mirroring. On the other side, ZFS will not give priority to the local disks over the remote ones, and that can cause some performance degradation (barely relevant on a 10 GbE network, I suppose). Moreover, and cause of bigger concern, is how ZFS will behave in case of network link loss between the two boxes. Will it re-sync the array when the remote machine become available, or manual intervention will be required?
and make a mirror between the local box's ZFS disks and the remote iSCSI disks. The bigger appeal of this solution is its simplicity, as it uses ZFS own mirroring. On the other side, ZFS will not give priority to the local disks over the remote ones, and that can cause some performance degradation (barely relevant on a 10 GbE network, I suppose). Moreover, and cause of bigger concern, is how ZFS will behave in case of network link loss between the two boxes. Will it re-sync the array when the remote machine become available, or manual intervention will be required? use DRBD to synchronize two ZVOLS and lay ZFS on top of the DRBD device. In other words, I'm speaking about a stacked ZVOL + DRBD + ZFS solution. This seems the preferred approach to me, as DRBD 8.4 is very stable and proven. However, many I/O layers are at a play here and performance may suffer.
. In other words, I'm speaking about a stacked ZVOL + DRBD + ZFS solution. This seems the preferred approach to me, as DRBD 8.4 is very stable and proven. However, many I/O layers are at a play here and performance may suffer. use plain ZFS + GlusterFS on top. From ZFS standpoint, this is the simpler/better solution, as all replication traffic is delegated to GlusterFS. Do you found GlusterFS stable enough?
What do you feel is the better approach? Thanks.As a Black man and an African historian, I have found that one of the most inspiring aspects in the annals of humankind is the outstanding role of African women and their contributions to history. In this brief article, we highlight and pay tribute to some of the greatest of these women.
AHMOSE-NEFERTARI
Queen Ahmose-Nefertari (circa 1570-1530 B.C.) was an active participant, along with her husband King Ahmose, in the final defeat and ejection from Africa of the hated Hyksos invaders and occupiers. As such, she was regarded as a national hero and one of the outstanding figures in African history. Indeed, she was a co-founder of the glorious 18th dynasty of Kmt — called “The greatest royal family that ever mounted a throne.”
Ahmose-Nefertari was born a royal heiress to the thone and became one of Kmt’s most beloved and audacious women. After her husband’s brilliant reign, she ruled the land with her son, King Amenhotep I.
It would not be inaccurate to say that Ahmose-Nefertari was venerated, a practice that continued for more than 600 years after her death. To her memory was attached a special priesthood, who recited in her honor a prayer only used in addressing the pantheon of the most powerful deities in the land. Ahmose-Nefertari was titled “God’s Wife of Amen” and held a position as a priestess in the national religious center. It is interesting too that the surviving portraits of Ahmose-Nefertari are all painted Black — a sign further illustrating her great prominence.Apple Music, the company’s new streaming music service, is launching today in more than 100 countries.
If successful, it could be a big deal for the music industry, which has high hopes that streaming revenue could return it to growth. It could also be a big deal for Apple, whose last major music app—iTunes—became a pivotal product for both.
Rip. Mix. Burn.
When iTunes launched in 2001, its stated function was to make it easy for Mac users to rip digital copies of CDs they owned, make playlists, and burn CDs for playback. But it was even more useful for gathering collections of free, pirated music, downloaded from services like LimeWire. As music piracy took off, CD sales—and industry revenue—fell.
(Apple’s iTunes Music Store launched in 2003 and became the first mainstream source of “legal” digital music. It has generated billions of sales, but digital still represented a minority of music-industry revenue last year.)
The digital hub
The impact of iTunes was even bigger on Apple. While it was launched as “jukebox software,” its more important role grew as the syncing tool for Apple’s increasing number of digital gadgets and software products.
At first, iTunes kept music playlists organized and played trippy animations. Later, it moved songs and videos onto iPods. And then it grew to do everything: Digital media store, iPhone activation tool, podcast distribution network, backup manager, photo/contact sync, and App Store. Now, it’s perhaps bloated and neglected. But for years, it was the glue that held Apple’s fast-growing ecosystem together.
Play it again
Apple Music, likewise, is starting simple. Unlike the iTunes app, it’s not likely to take on many unrelated functions—Apple has its whole iCloud platform for that, now. (And unlike 2001, Apple has some real competition here—Google and Spotify are currently ahead.)
The key factor to its success is the rapid proliferation of more, cloud-connected devices in our lives, which are increasingly sold or serviced by Apple: iPhones, MacBooks, Apple Watches, CarPlay-compatible cars, Apple TVs, wireless Beats headphones, and so on. (Apple has also pledged to support Android phones and Sonos speakers.) Can Apple harness that ecosystem with enough competitive advantages—distribution, design, pricing, curation, quality—to dominate the music-streaming industry?Among the bevy of announcements at Apple’s Sept. 9 iPhone event, Apple Pay must be considered the most impactful.
But Tim Cook and his entourage only got one thing wrong: Canada – not the U.S. – should have been where it launched. If that seems counterintuitive considering our nation’s reputation as a technological laggard, then consider the merchant’s side of the equation.
Apple announced two dozen retail partners along with Apple Pay. This may have left Canadians scratching their heads: shouldn’t it work everywhere already?
Though tech and services created in the United States can take months or years to arrive on the sunny beaches of Canada, we lead in one major category: PIN-and-chip card and terminals, and contactless (NFC credit card) payments penetration.
Considering the merchant side
Most of our major retailers already have the terminals required for contactless payments using NFC phones or credit cards. Today, Canadians can confidently walk into a McDonalds, Loblaws or Starbucks and make a purchase using NFC at a payment terminal that was designed to accept newer PIN-and-chip cards and contactless (or NFC) payments.
In the U.S., you would be hard-pressed to do the same. Moneris, Canada’s largest processor of credit and debit card payments, with three Canadian offices and one in Chicago, estimates that only 5-10% of payments terminals in the U.S. have newer PIN-and-chip technology.
Though contactless payments don’t require PIN-and-chip technology, many merchants have delayed upgrading their terminals to accept PIN-and-chip and NFC payments.
“Contactless has actually been available in the U.S. earlier than chip-and-PIN, but has not advanced,” Karen Cox, VP of Payments & Retail Solutions at Moneris said in an email.
Apple had to strike deals with McDonalds, Subway, and Walgreens to make sure they had the proper terminals for NFC payments when Apple Pay rolls out. Without Apple using its muscle to persuade these retailers to adopt contactless payments, Apple Pay users would have a great piece of tech and nowhere to use it.
Retailers opting out
Notably, Walmart and Best Buy chose not to participate in Apple Pay, instead throwing their support behind a the QR code-based app called CurrentC – which will work without NFC phones and terminals. CurrentC can also bypass credit cards by linking with a chequing account.
In short: American retailers continue to not only delay NFC adoption despite Apple and the increased security offered by PIN-and-chip cards, but are developing new systems to circumvent it entirely. Like universal health care, Canadians are left to wonder why the U.S. can’t just get on with it already.
In the case of NFC, Canucks can thank Interac for our advanced NFC adoption.
Interac, Canada’s not-for-profit institution that coordinates debit payments among banks and merchants, set a 2012 deadline for merchant adoption of chip-and-PIN technology in Canada by shifting liability to merchants for fraudulent payments made using swipe cards. In the United States, that deadline is not until 2015.
“In regions such as Canada, we rolled out Chip / PIN [and] contactless almost concurrently from an acceptance and card issuance perspective,” Cox wrote. In 2015, when the liability shift is imposed in the U.S., many merchant will upgrade their terminals and accept both PIN-and-chip and contactless payments.
“This will give the U.S. impetus for NFC,” Cox wrote. “New terminals themselves all come with contactless capability if not enablement.”
A 2013 Venturebeat article, citing Juniper Research, illustrated the difference between the U.S. and the rest of the planet for contactless payments.
“In the U.S., it is thought that no more than 2 percent of retailers offer contactless POS terminals: the ratio of contactless cards in issue to terminals is around 600 to 1,” Juniper research says. “This compares with ratios of around 200:1 in the UK, 70:1 in Poland, 50:1 in France and 15:1 in Spain.”
In February 2014, Rogers Communications VP David Robinson explained a stark contrast, as noted in the lede of this Venturebeat article.
“In Canada, 75 percent of major retailers accept contactless payment. In the U.S., fewer than 2 percent of retailers do the same,” Venturebeat wrote. “Ten percent of domestic transactions are contactless … and that’s going up about 1 percent a month,” Robinson explained.
Mobile phone-enabled payments have a well documented (and lamented) struggle to gain adoption. Whether it’s PayPal’s app, Google Wallet or Square Wallet – not to mention your bank and cell phone carrier – no app or service has yet been able to gain mass adoption in the U.S. or Canada.
Case in point: Android-based phones have long had NFC hardware, but credit card and debit transactions are still the standard – even in a contactless payment haven like Canada.
Apple could have planted its seed in fertile ground, but instead chose to pursue a bigger piece of the pie. When Apple gets done bringing contactless payments to the U.S., a rapid rollout in Canada will be next – and obvious – choice.
This article first appeared on the Dx3 Digest.Who Knew? Women Who Seek Out An Abortion Actually Want An Abortion!
+ New research from the University of California’s Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health (ANSRH) shows women who decide to get abortions are just as confident as anyone else making other kinds of health care decisions. The research directly debunks the idea that women are conflicted about having an abortion — an assumption which has contributed to GOP-led laws that make it extremely difficult to get an abortion by implementing extended waiting periods, extra counseling visits and more ultrasounds.
“Our finding directly challenges the narrative that decision making on abortion is somehow exceptional compared to other health care decisions and requires additional protection, such as state laws that mandate waiting periods or targeted counseling, and whose stated purpose is to prevent women from making an unconsidered decision,” Lauren Ralph, an epidemiologist at ANSRH and the study’s lead author, told ThinkProgress.
The researchers used the Decisional Conflict Scale for their study and surveyed 500 women at four Utah locations. They asked the women to complete the scale before meeting with a provider and then followed up with the patient three weeks later to see if they went through with the abortion. Overall, the women had a high certainty of their decision. In fact, 89 percent of the women surveyed received abortions.
Think Progress reports:
Because the Decisional Conflict Scale is a standard measure, the researchers were also able to compare their results to other studies of health care decisions. Women, they found, were as certain or even more certain about their decision to seek an abortion as men and women were about the decision to get reconstructive knee surgery, undergo prenatal testing in pregnancy, and move forward with treatment for colorectal and breast cancer.
Election 2016
+ Michelle Obama spoke at a campaign rally for Hillary Clinton in New Hampshire on Thursday. Her speech is killer and so inspiring too! She calls out Trump for bragging about sexually assaulting women and his treatment of women.
“I can’t believe that I’m saying that a candidate for president of the United States has bragged about sexually assaulting women,” Obama said, adding that the comments “have shaken me to my core.”
“Too many of us are treating this as just another day’s headline,” she told the hushed crowd. “As though our outrage is overblown or unwarranted. As though this is normal, just politics as usual. But this is disgraceful, this is intolerable… None of us deserve this kind of abuse.”
+ Angela Davis didn’t endorse Hillary Clinton during her speech at Black Matters: The Future of Black Scholarship and Activism conference at the University of Texas, Austin, points out The Root writer Kirsten West Savali. Instead Davis said she’s voting against Trump while still recognizing she has some “serious problems” with Clinton. In a March interview with Democracy Now!, Davis told Amy Goodman she doesn’t endorse candidates:
I believe in independent politics. I still think that we need a new party, a party that is grounded in labor, a party that can speak to all of the issues around racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, what is happening in the world. We don’t yet have that party. And even as we participate in this electoral process, as it exists today, I think we need to be looking ahead toward a very different kind of political process. At the same time, we put pressure on whoever is running. So I’m actually more interested in helping to develop mass movements that can create the kind of pressure that will force whoever is elected or whoever becomes the candidate to move in more progressive directions.
+ A group of 60 women protested outside of the Trump Tower on Wednesday morning as they condemned Trump and the GOP for having “anti-women, anti-immigrant, and anti-black policies.” They held signs that said “Pussies In Formation,” “Pussy Grabs Back,” and “Cunt Touch This” in direct response to Trump’s deplorable comments in a recently released video and also chanted “If Trump thinks he runs this town, pussy came to shut it down!”
+ While Christian members of the Religious Right are still endorsing Trump after The Video surfaced, Mormons have abandoned Trump. Think Progress reports:
Rep. Jason Chaffetz was one of three Mormon representatives from Utah who either disavowed or un-endorsed Trump, saying his comments were ”abhorrent and inexcusable” before adding, “I’m out.” Utah Gov. Gary Herbert, who had not endorsed Trump so much as admitted he would vote for him, fully backed away mere hours after the news broke, tweeting, “While I cannot vote for Hillary Clinton, I will not vote for Trump.” And perhaps the most unexpected condemnation came from Glenn Beck, a famously conservative talk-show host — and Mormon — who announced that electing Hillary Clinton could be the result of “moral, ethical choice” made by conservatives who stand against Trump.
On The Dakota Access Pipeline
+ A federal appeals court denied the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe’s request to halt construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline, which would transport 470,000 barrels of oil a day across four states. Construction will resume of a section of the pipeline that runs about 20 miles of Lake Oahe in North Dakota, a sacred area for the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and a mile and a half of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe reservation. The tribe argues the pipeline could potentially threaten the Missouri River, their sole water supply. The decision was made a day before Indigenous Peoples’ Day. The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and many other Native tribes and environmentalist groups have vowed to keep fighting to stop the construction of the pipeline.
+ Water protectors and members of Mississippi Stand successfully stopped construction of a site by camping out along the Mississippi River in Iowa. 31-year-old Krissana Mara stopped construction by locking herself to equipment.
Police/Violence
+ The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services released a 414-page report detailing how the San Francisco police department disproportionately targets people of color. The investigation centered around five main areas: Use of force, bias, community policing practices, accountability and recruitment, hiring and personnel practices. The agency will work with SFPD for the next 18 months to implement 272 recommendations they cite in the report.
+ According to the American Civil Liberties Union, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram provided user data to Geofeedia, a company used by law enforcement agencies around the country to monitor Ferguson and Baltimore protests.
+ Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio and his department have a record of racial profiling Latinos and darker skinned people in the name of federal immigration law enforcement. The U.S. Department of Justice officials say they’ll file criminal charges against him because he wouldn’t stop targeting immigrants and Latinos even after a judge ordered him to stop.
+ A judge declares a mistrial of two Albuquerque, New Mexico police officers who fatally shot James Boyd, a mentally ill homeless man.
Law & Order
+ Illinois will reform its juvenile shackling policies. The new policy calls for the least restrictive restraints and is only issued after a special hearing to determine if the young person is a threat to safety or flight risk.
+ A federal judge ruled on Wednesday to extend voter registration in Florida for six days. The Democratic Party filed the lawsuit after Governor Rick Scott urged residents to evacuate for Hurricane Matthew and then refused to change the registration deadline.
+ The German government will make reparations to men imprisoned for sodomy which was outlawed in 1994.
Grab Bag
+ The Oregon bakery that refused to make a cake for a lesbian couple three and half years ago is now closed. The Advocate reports:
After being fined $135,000 by the Oregon Bureau of Labor for violating the state’s 2007 Equality Act, the Kleins refused to pay and appealed to their supporters, who showered them with over $500,000 in donations. The Kleins still appealed the Bureau of Labor’s decision and the Bowman-Cryers said that, as of last month, they haven’t received a penny in restitution.
+ Devan Faraci, a well-known movie critic has resigned as as editor-in-chief of Birth.Movies.Death after a woman talked about her sexual assault on Twitter. Faraci spoke out against the Trump video on his Twitter and then the woman, who’s only been identified as Caroline and who also identifies as a lesbian, asked him if he remembers grabbing her by the pussy.Ramen stickers and sticker sheet
About Fanny
Me
I am a noodle freak. I crave for noodle almost everyday. I like to try different kinds of noodle, but nothing can beat ramen! That's the reason why I designed The Ramen Poster, the first ramen poster that introduced 25 different regional ramen recipes in Japan. My passion for ramen didn't stop there! I also designed The Ramen Poster 2.0 and a Japanese snack poster!
The Sticker Story
After designing for two ramen posters, I started to make ramen stickers with my own sticker machine. I usually use them on my personal belongings like notebook cover and back of the phone. One time, I was using my phone at the subway station. A girl standing next to me saw my ramen sticker at the back of my phone. She came up to me and we actually started talking about ramen, where's our favorite ramen shops, and so on. We eventually became friends and realized we have a few mutual friends as well.
Torigara Ramen, Nakamura, One of my favorite ramen shop in NYC (Photograph by @Foodbunker)
It was a surprising experience to make a new friend through a simple ramen sticker. To me, the ramen sticker was purely an expression to show how much I love ramen noodles. I didn't realize it can become a powerful bridge to connect and attract people who love ramen as much as I do!
The Ramen Stickers
The vinyl stickers are durable, waterproof, and work great with any solid surfaces such as paper, plastic, metal, wood, ceramic, glass, and many others!
There are 5 designs for the ramen stickers. Each has their own theme and "ramen quote". Each sticker is 2"x2" in dimension, I figured that is a good size for using on most personal items.
I <3 Ramen
FEED ME RAMEN
HOT & SPICY, BRING IT ON!
NO RAMEN NO LIFE
MY FAVORITE TYPE OF MEN IS... RAMEN!
Just ramen bowls on a sticker sheet?
Tantanmen & Tokyo Ramen 1.5-inch stickers
I also made sticker sheets for simply delicious ramen bowls as well. I designed two versions: BLUE & VIOLET sticker sheet.
Sticker Sheet - BLUE & VIOLET
BLUE
Version BLUE sticker sheet has three 1-inch ramen (Tori Paitan, Muroran Curry, Hakata ramen) and two 1.5-inch ramen stickers. (Tantanmen and Tokyo Ramen)
Sticker Sheet BLUE
VIOLET
Version VIOLET sticker sheet has a total of six 1-inch ramen bowl stickers: Hakodate, Asahikawa, Sapporo, Shirakawa, Yokohama, and Kyoto ramen!
Sticker Sheet VIOLET
There are unlimited ways to use these tasty bowls! Be creative and be yourself!
Use it to seal your envelope!
Use it on your headphones!
12 Other Ways to Use Your Ramen Stickers
Stretch Goal
$1K + Extra adhesive strength - I want to make sure these stickers don't peel off easily after applied. Plus, it is now more durable with thicker vinyl sticker.
$2K + Glossy Finish - add an extra layer of protection from water and scratches.
$3K + UV laminated - The color will stay vibrant against UV light, which makes your stickers now completely weatherproof! You can use your stickers outdoor without worrying about the wind, the rain, or the sun!He was found guilty of breaching article 2.2.8 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Player and Player Support Personnel
His accumulated demerit points reach six following Saturday’s breach for which he received three demerit points as well as a fine of 50 per cent of his match fee
breach for which he received three demerit points as well as a fine of 50 per cent of his match fee If the left-arm spinner reaches the next threshold of eight or more demerit points within a 24-month period, then they will be converted into four suspension points**
India’s Ravindra Jadeja has been suspended for the upcoming Pallekele Test after his accumulated demerit points reached six within a 24-month period following his latest breach of the ICC Code of Conduct for which he received a 50 per cent fine and three demerit points.
During the third day’s play in the Colombo Test against Sri Lanka on Saturday, Jadeja was found guilty of breaching article 2.2.8 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Player and Player Support Personnel, which relates to “throwing a ball (or any other item of cricket equipment such as a water bottle) at or near a Player, Player Support Personnel, Umpire, Match Referee or any other third person in an inappropriate and/or dangerous manner during an International Match”.
As Jadeja had received a 50 per cent fine and three demerit points during the Indore Test against New Zealand in October 2016 for violating 2.2.11 of the Code, with the addition of Saturday’s three demerit points, he has reached the threshold of four demerit points, which, pursuant to article 7.6 of the Code, have now been converted into two suspension points*.
As such, Jadeja has been suspended from his side’s third Test against Sri Lanka, which will be played in Pallekele from 12-16 August.
Following this suspension, the six demerit points will remain on Jadeja’s disciplinary record. If Jadeja reaches the next threshold of eight or more demerit points within a 24-month period, then they will be converted into four suspension points**.
Saturday’s incident happened on the final delivery of the 58th over when Jadeja, after fielding off his own bowling, threw the ball back at the batsman who had not left his crease. The on-field umpires deemed the throwing “in a dangerous manner” as it narrowly missed Dimuth Karunaratne.
Jadeja admitted the offence and accepted the sanction proposed by Richie Richardson of the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Match Referees and, as such, there was no need for a formal hearing.
The charge was laid by on-field umpires Bruce Oxenford and Rod Tucker, third umpire Richard Illingworth and fourth umpire Ruchira Palliyaguruge.
All level 2 breaches carry an imposition of a fine between 50 per cent to 100 per cent of the applicable match fee and/or up to two suspension points, and three or four demerit points.
NOTES TO EDITORS:
*Two suspension points equate to a ban from one Test or two ODIs or two T20Is, whatever comes first for the player.
** Four suspension points equate to a ban from two Tests or four ODIs or four T20Is, whatever comes first for the player.
Details of ICC Code of Conduct breaches can be found here.
Details of Jadeja’s first offense are as follows:
Match – third Test vs New Zealand, Indore, 8-11 October 2016
– third Test vs New Zealand, Indore, 8-11 October 2016 Charge – Level 2, Article 2.2.11, which relates to “causing avoidable damage to the pitch during an international match”.
– Level 2, Article 2.2.11, which relates to “causing avoidable damage to the pitch during an international match”. Proposed sanction – 50% fine and three demerit points, which was accepted by the player
The BCCI was advised of the match referee’s decision by the ICC on 10 October 2016Ships with rally-car suspension, seahorse-like tails or featuring their own harbours have been unveiled in the fight against a major obstacle to the UK's plans for a clean energy future: seasickness.
New technology is needed to defeat this oldest of seafaring problems, and 13 inventive ideas, including a ship steadied by a huge deep keel and another with a giant robotic arm, have shared a £1m development prize from the Carbon Trust.
The UK plans to erect 6,000 giant offshore wind turbines by 2020 to provide 25% of the country's electricity, but the structures have to be installed in far rougher and more remote waters than the 487 so far erected.
Thousands of technicians and engineers based at sea will be needed for maintenance and repairs, and getting them safely aboard the turbines in heavy swells is one of the toughest challenges currently facing the offshore industry.
"It's not the turbines and it's not the foundations that are the big problems, it's the weather," said Dave Armstrong, whose company North Sea Logistics runs 22 turbine-support ships, and whose hinged gangplank is one of the winning ideas. "If the weather is too rough you can't get the guys out. And the last thing you want is the guy being sick onboard as he's no good to anyone after that, believe me."
Benjamin Sykes, director of innovation at the Carbon Trust and offshore oil industry veteran, agreed. "You have to be a hundred per cent. Seasickness is a real challenge for work that requires precision, complexity and involves heavy machinery: it's not to be underestimated."
The Carbon Trust estimates that millions of journeys will be required to build and maintain the future offshore turbine fleet over its 25-year lifespan. The next turbines will be built up to 300km from shore and stormy seas big enough to halt work with current equipment occur on about 155 days a year, when waves top five feet.
But the new technologies must deliver workers safely and in a fit state in even higher, 10ft waves, cutting lost days to less than 65 a year. Sykes said that will cut turbine downtime, meaning billions of pounds in extra revenue.
One winner, the Australian-designed Nauti-craft, smooths the ride across choppy waters using four hulls connected to the main deck with a hydraulic suspension system (see video above) adapted from rally championship-winning cars. Another ship, called TransSpar and designed by Canada's Extreme Ocean Innovation, has a huge, deep keel for stability, giving it the shape of a seahorse, while a third is an adaptation of a Norwegian Navy minesweeping hovercraft.
Once at the base of the turbine, engineers have to get on to it, even in high seas. Armstrong's idea converts a long section of the deck of a ship into gangway, which attaches to the turbine and remains steady while the boat bobs up and down in the waves. Another idea to solve this problem is a large robot arm from German company Momac (see video below) which uses sensors to keep the arm steady as it places the worker on to the turbine.
"This is technology transfer from the car industry, and not as expensive as you might think," said Jan Matthiesen, offshore technology acceleration manager at the Carbon Trust. "It is light because it it electric rather than hydraulic, and it also moves fast." He said a turbine has to be visited by a team twice a year, for maintenance such as changing the oil in the gearbox, in addition to any visits for repairs.
A third category in the competition was for mother ships to provide a floating home for workers, with multiple daughter ships to ferry them to each turbine. Two winners have open sterns, forming a harbour within the ship up to 85m long into which the daughter ships would sail, sheltered from the elements.
"You will have an offshore community living out in the ocean, just as you do now with the oil industry," MatthiesenSykes says helicopters are not an attractive alternative. "The oil industry is moving away from helicopters for in-field operations because of safety concerns and, in any case, being winched on to the top of a 100m turbine in a gale is not an attractive proposition."
The winners, chosen from 450 entries, get up to £100,000 for nine months of development. The most promising inventions will then be given further funding by the Carbon Trust and its partners, including E.ON, RWE Innogy, SSE Renewables and Dong Energy. The trust is also helping to develop the turbulence-minimising layouts for windfarms with thousands of turbines, as well as new foundation designs.
The Trust's efforts are backed by the government. The energy and climate change minister, Greg Barker, said: "The UK is leading the world in offshore wind power generation, which is creating a huge market here in design, innovation and new technology. These projects represent some of the best ideas to overcome the challenges of working in deeper water."
Armstrong believes the ocean itself is the greatest obstacle of all: "What we do, putting people on the turbines, is the most challenging job in the whole offshore industry."04/02/16Hello, I recently made some changes, I have hidden the promotional material of the comic of said title above as it was a taster for ideas and what I could show, and if there was an audience for it. The material is under storage and will be taken out once I’ve completed the story that is expected to take me a max of two years to completer as sketch, ink, colouring with help on script editing is no easy feat but might be able to squeeze in two pages a month. In short I’m dedicating not just time but a bit of my own life as well, as anyone involved in this.I will show sketches prior to pages (mostly) but some content I’ll hold back on.At some point I might include a novelisation of this.This image is not to be used on any other works, please respect that.If you like to follow the Xcom comic remember to include it on your watch list.RegardsTheBritWriterLink to opening pagechapter 2An introduction about some issues raised to me about the comic's story.This is a column dedicated to those of you who couldn't give two tosses – are possibly cheering even - about the demise of Campbell Live.
For me, Hilary Barry probably summed it up best when she broke down while reading the news last Thursday night. That would be the same day that the Budget was released.
In that Budget some relief was chucked at beneficiaries with children in the form of $25 extra per week. Oh the irony. John Campbell's relentless coverage of the stark reality of child poverty was probably the single biggest factor for bringing that about.
ALSO READ:
*So where to from here for Campbell Live?
*John Campbell to leave TV3
*The numbers behind Campbell Live
*John Campbell: I've got to be a dad
*John Campbell: The Jolly Journo
Nah, you say? Well, how would you know if you're so busy not watching Campbell Live?
To those on the centre-right of the political spectrum there appears to be two common denominators. You tend to watch Seven Sharp for your fix of evening current affairs, and you generally despise the poor.
I mean, John Campbell's constantly been out there talking to |
1940s, she never became a major star, but was critically lauded for her tough, direct acting style.
She often incurred the ire of studio boss Jack Warner by objecting to her casting, refusing roles that she felt were "beneath her dignity as an actress," and making script revisions deemed unacceptable. As a result, she spent a great deal of her time at Warner Bros. suspended.[13] In 1942, she rejected an offer to star with Ronald Reagan in Kings Row, and was immediately put on suspension at the studio. Eventually, a tentative rapprochement was brokered, but her relationship with her studio remained strained. In 1947, Lupino left Warner Brothers and appeared for 20th Century Fox as a nightclub singer in the film noir Road House, performing her musical numbers in the film. She starred in On Dangerous Ground in 1951, and may have taken on some of the directing tasks of the film while director Nicholas Ray was ill.[6]
Director, producer and writer [ edit ]
While on suspension, Lupino had ample time to observe filming and editing processes, and she became interested in directing.[17] She described how bored she was on set while "someone else seemed to be doing all the interesting work."[13]
She and her husband Collier Young formed an independent company, The Filmakers [sic], to produce, direct, and write low-budget, issue-oriented films.[2] Her first directing job came unexpectedly in 1949 when director Elmer Clifton suffered a mild heart attack and could not finish Not Wanted, a film Lupino co-produced and co-wrote.[11] Lupino stepped in to finish the film, but did not take directorial credit out of respect for Clifton. Although the film's subject of out-of-wedlock pregnancy was controversial, it received a vast amount of publicity, and she was invited to discuss the film with Eleanor Roosevelt on a national radio program.[18]
Never Fear (1949) was her first director's credit.[11] After producing four more films about social issues, including Outrage (1950), a film about rape (while this word is never used in the movie)[1], Lupino directed her first hard-paced, all-male-cast film, The Hitch-Hiker (1953), making her the first woman to direct a film noir. The Filmakers went on to produce 12 feature films, six of which Lupino directed or co-directed, five of which she wrote or co-wrote, three of which she acted in, and one of which she co-produced.[18]
Lupino once called herself a "bulldozer" to secure financing for her production company, but she referred to herself as "mother" while on set.[18] On set, the back of her director's chair was labeled "Mother of Us All...".[2] Her studio emphasized her femininity, often at the urging of Lupino herself. She credited her refusal to renew her contract with Warner Bros. under the pretenses of domesticity, claiming "I had decided that nothing lay ahead of me but the life of the neurotic star with no family and no home." She made a point to seem nonthreatening in a male-dominated environment, stating, "That's where being a man makes a great deal of difference. I don't suppose the men particularly care about leaving their wives and children. During the vacation period, the wife can always fly over and be with him. It's difficult for a wife to say to her husband, come sit on the set and watch."[8]
Although directing became Lupino's passion, the drive for money kept her on camera, so she could acquire the funds to make her own productions.[13] She became a wily low-budget filmmaker, reusing sets from other studio productions and talking her physician into appearing as a doctor in the delivery scene of Not Wanted. She used what is now called product placement, placing Coke, Cadillac, and other brands in her films. She shot in public places to avoid set-rental costs and planned scenes in preproduction to avoid technical mistakes and retakes.[8] She joked that if she had been the "poor man's Bette Davis" as an actress, she had now become the "poor man's Don Siegel" as a director.[19]
The Filmakers production company closed shop in 1955 and Lupino's last director's credit on a feature film was in 1965 for the Catholic schoolgirl comedy The Trouble With Angels, starring Hayley Mills and Rosalind Russell. She did not stop acting and directing, however, going on to a successful television career throughout the 1960s and '70s.[20]
Television [ edit ]
Lupino continued acting until the 1970s. Her directing efforts during these years were almost exclusively for television productions such as Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Thriller, The Twilight Zone, Have Gun – Will Travel, Honey West, The Donna Reed Show, Gilligan's Island, 77 Sunset Strip, The Rifleman, The Virginian, Sam Benedict, The Untouchables, Hong Kong, The Fugitive, and Bewitched.
Lupino appeared in 19 episodes of Four Star Playhouse from 1952 to 1956. From January 1957 to September 1958, Lupino starred with her then-husband Howard Duff in the sitcom Mr. Adams and Eve, in which the duo played husband-and-wife film stars named Howard Adams and Eve Drake, living in Beverly Hills, California. Duff and Lupino also co-starred as themselves in 1959 in one of the 13 one-hour installments of The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour and an episode of The Dinah Shore Chevy Show in 1960. Lupino guest-starred in numerous television shows, including The Ford Television Theatre (1954), Bonanza (1959), Burke's Law (1963–64), The Virginian (1963–65), Batman (1968), The Mod Squad (1969), Family Affair (1969–70), The Wild, Wild West (1969), Nanny and the Professor (1971), Columbo: Short Fuse (1972), Columbo: Swan Song (1974), Barnaby Jones (1974), The Streets of San Francisco, Ellery Queen (1975), Police Woman (1975), and Charlie's Angels (1977).
She has two distinctions with The Twilight Zone series, as the only woman to have directed an episode ("The Masks"); and the only person to have worked as both actress and (uncredited) as a director in an episode ("The Sixteen-Millimeter Shrine").
Lupino made her final film appearance in 1978 and retired from the entertainment business at the age of 60.
Themes [ edit ]
Lupino's Filmakers movies deal with unconventional and controversial subject matter that studio producers would not touch, including out-of-wedlock pregnancy, bigamy, and rape. She described her independent work as "films that had social significance and yet were entertainment... based on true stories, things the public could understand because they had happened or been of news value." She focused on women's issues for many of her films and she liked strong characters, "[Not] women who have masculine qualities about them, but [a role] that has intestinal fortitude, some guts to it."[21]
In the film The Bigamist, the two women characters represent the career woman and the homemaker. The title character is married to a woman (Joan Fontaine) who, unable to have children, has devoted her energy to her career. While on one of many business trips, he meets a waitress (Lupino) with whom he has a child, and then marries her. Marsha Orgeron, in her book Hollywood Ambitions, describes these characters as "struggling to figure out their place in environments that mirror the social constraints that Lupino faced.".[13] However, Donati, in his biography of Lupino, said "The solutions to the character's problems within the films were often conventional, even conservative, more reinforcing the 1950s' ideology than undercutting it."[8]
Ahead of her time within the studio system, Lupino was intent on creating films that were rooted in reality. On Never Fear, Lupino said, "People are tired of having the wool pulled over their eyes. They pay out good money for their theatre tickets and they want something in return. They want realism. And you can't be realistic with the same glamorous mugs on the screen all the time."[22]
Lupino's films are critical of many traditional social institutions, which reflect her contempt for the patriarchal structure that existed in Hollywood. Lupino rejected the commodification of female stars and as an actress, she resisted becoming an object of desire. She said in 1949, "Hollywood careers are perishable commodities," and sought to avoid such a fate for herself."[23] [check quotation syntax]
Personal life [ edit ]
Lupino in 1979
Health [ edit ]
Ida Lupino was diagnosed with polio in 1934. The New York Times reported that the outbreak of polio within the Hollywood community was due to contaminated swimming pools.[24] The disease severely affected her ability to work, and her contract with Paramount fell apart shortly after her diagnosis.[25] Despite her health problems, Lupino directed, produced, and wrote many films. Her experience with the disease gave Lupino the courage to focus on her intellectual abilities over simply her physical appearance.[26] In an interview with Hollywood, Lupino said, "I realized that my life and my courage and my hopes did not lie in my body. If that body was paralyzed, my brain could still work industriously...If I weren't able to act, I would be able to write. Even if I weren't able to use a pencil or typewriter, I could dictate."[27] Film magazines from the 1930s and 1940s, such as The Hollywood Reporter and Motion Picture Daily, frequently published updates on her condition.[28][29] Lupino worked for various non-profit organizations to help raise funds for polio research.[30]
Lupino's interests outside the entertainment industry included writing short stories and children's books, and composing music. Her composition "Aladdin's Suite" was performed by the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra in 1937.[5] She composed this piece while on bedrest due to polio in 1935.[31]
She became an American citizen in June 1948[32][33] and a staunch Democrat who supported the presidency of John F. Kennedy.[8] Lupino was a Roman Catholic.[34]
Marriages [ edit ]
Lupino was married and divorced three times. She married actor Louis Hayward in November 1938. They separated in May 1944 and divorced in May 1945.[35][36]
Her second marriage was to producer Collier Young on 5 August 1948. They divorced in 1951. When Lupino filed for divorce in September that year, she was already pregnant from an affair with future husband Howard Duff. The child was born seven months after she filed for divorce from Young.[37]
Lupino's third and final marriage was to actor Howard Duff, whom she married on 21 October 1951.[38] Six months later, the couple had a daughter, Bridget, on 23 April 1952.[39] Lupino and Duff divorced in 1983.[40]
She petitioned a California court in 1984 to appoint her business manager, Mary Ann Anderson, as her conservator due to poor business dealings from her prior business management company and her long separation from Howard Duff.
Death [ edit ]
Lupino died from a stroke while undergoing treatment for colon cancer in Los Angeles on 3 August 1995, at the age of 77.[41] Her memoirs, Ida Lupino: Beyond the Camera, were edited after her death and published by Mary Ann Anderson.[42]
Influences and legacy [ edit ]
Lupino learned filmmaking from everyone she observed on set, including William Ziegler, the cameraman for Not Wanted. When in preproduction on Never Fear, she conferred with Michael Gordon on directorial technique, organization, and plotting. Cinematographer Archie Stout said of Ms. Lupino, "Ida has more knowledge of camera angles and lenses than any director I've ever worked with, with the exception of Victor Fleming. She knows how a woman looks on the screen and what light that woman should have, probably better than I do." Lupino also worked with editor Stanford Tischler, who said of her, "She wasn't the kind of director who would shoot something, then hope any flaws could be fixed in the cutting room. The acting was always there, to her credit."[8]
Author Ally Acker compares Lupino to pioneering silent-film director Lois Weber for their focus on controversial, socially relevant topics. With their ambiguous endings, Lupino's films never offered simple solutions for her troubled characters, and Acker finds parallels to her storytelling style in the work of the modern European "New Wave" directors, such as Margarethe von Trotta.[2]
Ronnie Scheib, who issued a Kino release of three of Lupino's films, likens Lupino's themes and directorial style to directors Nicholas Ray, Sam Fuller, and Robert Aldrich, saying, "Lupino very much belongs to that generation of modernist filmmakers." On whether Lupino should be considered a feminist filmmaker, Scheib states, "I don't think Lupino was concerned with showing strong people, men or women. She often said that she was interested in lost, bewildered people, and I think she was talking about the postwar trauma of people who couldn't go home again."[20]
Author Richard Koszarski noted Lupino's choice to play with gender roles regarding women's film stereotypes during the studio era: "Her films display the obsessions and consistencies of a true auteur... In her films The Bigamist and The Hitch-Hiker, Lupino was able to reduce the male to the same sort of dangerous, irrational force that women represented in most male-directed examples of Hollywood film noir."[43]
Lupino did not openly consider herself a feminist, saying, "I had to do something to fill up my time between contracts. Keeping a feminine approach is vital — men hate bossy females... Often I pretended to a cameraman to know less than I did. That way I got more cooperation."[2] Village Voice writer Carrie Rickey, though, holds Lupino up as a model of modern feminist filmmaking: "Not only did Lupino take control of production, direction, and screenplay, but [also] each of her movies addresses the brutal repercussions of sexuality, independence and dependence."[17]
By 1972, Lupino said she wished more women were hired as directors and producers in Hollywood, noting that only very powerful actresses or writers had the chance to work in the field.[2]
Actress Bea Arthur, best remembered for her work in Maude and The Golden Girls, was motivated to escape her stifling hometown by following in Lupino's footsteps and becoming an actress, saying, "My dream was to become a very small blonde movie star like Ida Lupino and those other women I saw up there on the screen during the Depression.[44]"
Awards and tributes [ edit ]
Complete filmography [ edit ]
Partial television credits [ edit ]
Radio appearances [ edit ]
Notes [ edit ]
Further reading [ edit ]JB Smoove was a guest on Rich Eisen’s radio show earlier this week. Eisen asked if the comedian had heard any new developments on whether there would be a new season of Curb Your Enthusiasm. Smoove answered that he had a phone conversation with Larry David (who he calls every few weeks to check on because he’s “old”) about a month ago, where LD, unprompted, brought up Curb and said, “Ehhhh, I’m thinking about coming back.”
Smoove said this was a major development because Larry “did not say no,” which means “there’s a possibility he may say yes.” Further, LD inquired into Smoove’s availability, which was an overwhelming yes provided he was given enough notice.
Season 8 aired in 2011; Season 9 would be a welcome development in my life. Fingers and toes crossed….News that Edmonton's river valley will soon have seven new and expanded boat docks and launches has met with approval from some residents.
Six of the locations: Capilano, Dawson, Emily Murphy, Hawrelak Park, Buena Vista/Laurier, and Whitemud Park, will be built as early as next spring.
The seventh location at Rossdale will proceed later as part of the Touch the Water Promenade planned for the area.
Six of the docks and launches will accommodate canoes, kayaks and stand-up paddleboards, while the Capilano launch will be used for power boats. It will be expanded to accommodate two vehicles at a time.
Karen Lee is looking forward to the changes.
"I think it's a good idea," she said. "My husband kayaks on the river and where he does go in... it's kind of awkward to get in and out. And just as far as people who are watching the boats go in, there's no place to really sit and watch."
An environmental assessment looking at the impact of the docks on water quality, fish and aquatics, wildlife, soil and vegetation, arrived at a number of solutions to potential problems.
Coun. Scott McKeen calls the project "tremendous."
"Edmonton has a long relationship with its river valley, but not so much with its river," he said.
The $2-million project is funded by the province, the federal government and the River Valley Alliance, along with the city.
The city's contribution works out to about two percent of the total cost, according to Rob Marchak, director of strategic projects with the City of Edmonton.You may have a better chance of winning the lottery or running into Captain Kirk at the mall, but when it comes to being impaled with pieces of the now defunct Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite as it plummets towards Earth, it's better to be safe than sorry. The SatelliteAR Android app has added a temporary feature that gives stargazers the ability to monitor this space junk's trajectory to avoid impact when it re-enters the atmosphere sometime later today. NASA has assured us that the bus-sized satellite won't land anywhere in North America, but if it touches down at night, people on the ground could witness a pretty sweet light show wherever it does land. Android users determined to avoid a Wicked Witch of the East-like fate can download the app at the source link below and check out the video demo after the break.MOSCOW (Reuters) - Former U.S. National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden will fly from Moscow to Cuba on Monday and then plans to go to Venezuela, a source at the Russian airline Aeroflot said on Sunday.
The source said Snowden was already on his way to Moscow from Hong Kong and would leave for Havana within 24 hours.
The South China Morning Post also reported that Snowden had left Hong Kong for Moscow and that his final destination might be Ecuador or Iceland. The WikiLeaks anti-secrecy website said Snowden was heading for an unnamed “democratic nation”.
The flight to Moscow prompted speculation that Snowden might remain in Russia, whose leaders accuse the United States of double standards on democracy and have championed public figures who challenge Western governments.
But Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said he was unaware of Snowden’s plans and the Foreign Ministry declined immediate comment on whether he had asked for asylum.
State-run news agency RIA cited an unnamed law enforcement official as saying Russian authorities had “no claims” against Snowden and that there were no orders to detain him.
Interfax news agency cited an unnamed source as saying Snowden apparently did not have a Russian visa, which U.S. citizens need to enter Russia, and that he might not leave the transit area of Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport.DETROIT, MI – You'll need to find another way to get around for two weeks if you're a regular user of Detroit People Mover
The 2.9-mile elevated light rail system will shut down for track work and a switch replacement project at 2 a.m. Sunday, June 12, and won't reopen until 6:30 a.m. Monday, June 27, according to a news release.
A section of track about 180 feet in length will be replaced.
"A standard activity among rail systems, rail replacement is necessary as a result of accumulated wear on the track. The Detroit Transportation Corporation has performed this project once prior in 2008, when 2,800 feet of track was replaced along six curves," the release said
The project will cost about $300,000.
Two public meetings are scheduled to provide information and take comments about the project. They are:
10:30 a.m.-noon Tuesday, Detroit Transportation Corp. Administrative Office – Buhl Building, 535 Griswold, Suite 400, Detroit
6-7:30 p.m. May 11, Rosa Parks Transit Center, 1310 Cass Ave., Detroit
For special accommodations requests at the meetings, call (313) 224-2160 at least 48 hours in advance and call 7-1-1 for those who are hearing impaired.
Image credit: Michael Kumm via Flickr / licensed by Creative CommonsGibbs to be White House Press Secretary
President-Elect Barack Obama has filled a top staff job: Robert Gibbs, his traveling senior adviser for most of the campaign, will hold the high-profile role of White House press secretary, Mike Allen reports on Politico44.
Gibbs, an Alabama native and former communications director for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, was Obama's communications director during his 2004 Senate race and in the Senate.
He became close counselor to Obama on the road, and though he began the campaign as communications director, wound up spending more time speaking to the candidate than to the press. He also did a couple of memorable, acerbic turns on television in the late days of the race, sparring with McCain aides and with Fox News's Sean Hannity.Chelsea-bound Tiemoue Bakayoko posts pictures of his Monaco farewell
Tiemoue Bakayoko appears to be saying goodbye
For quite a few months now, Monaco defensive midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko has been linked with Chelsea.
In recent days, seemingly every few hours there are reports that Bakayoko is imminently joining Chelsea.
Judging by his Instagram Stories on Sunday, the move to Stamford Bridge is now very close.
So close in fact, that Bakayoko has been saying his goodbyes to Monaco boss Leonardo Jardim.
Tiemoue Bakayoko incoming!
Chelsea will further strengthen their Premier League winning squad this week with two players who look primed to play in the Premier League.
After weeks of rumours, Monaco defensive midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko should arrive at Stamford Bridge. Thereby allowing Nemanja Matic to join Manchester United.
Bakayoko was a key player for Monaco last season, as they won Ligue 1 and reached the semi-finals of the Champions League.
A midfield partnership of Bakayoko and N’Golo Kante is quite frightening for the rest of the Premier League.
Germany and Roma defender Antonio Rudiger is also expected to join Chelsea this week.
Bakayoko on Instagram Stories
The French midfielder may challenge John Terry for how much he uses Instagram Stories.
On Sunday, Bakayoko posted pictures from the Monaco training ground where he appeared to be saying a farewell.
In particular, a picture with Leonardo Jardim, the Monaco coach, was accompanied by no less than five winking emojis.
Chelsea fans are now getting excited about Bakayoko’s imminent arrival. You can be sure the French midfielder will detail much of it on Instagram Stories, unless Chelsea have cottoned onto his love of social media.
Bakayoko says goodbye to Leonardo Jardim & Monaco training centre
Related: Tiemoue Bakayoko & Antonio Rudiger drop huge Chelsea hints on Instagram.
Chelsea icon Frank Lampard, a coke-dealing dominatrix & how his house is a sex dungeon.The extent to which the Efficient Market Hypothesis is true, and the extent to which EMH is believed to be true, are co-determined in simultaneous equilibrium by "supply" and "demand". Here's the picture:
The downward-sloping (hence "demand") curve shows the extent to which EMH is true as a function of the extent to which people believe EMH is true. At one extreme, if nobody believes that EMH is true, so people believe there is no relation between market prices and fundamental values, then each individual has a strong incentive to research carefully the fundamental values of assets before buying and selling, and so market prices will reflect all the information available to everyone, so EMH will be true. At the other extreme, if everyone believes EMH is true, so that market prices already reflect all available information on fundamental values, then no individual has any incentive to collect and process that information, and everybody picks assets by throwing darts, or buys the index, so market prices will not reflect any available information on fundamentals, so EMH will be false.
The upward-sloping (hence "supply") curve shows the extent to which people will believe that EMH is true as a function of the extent to which it is actually true. If EMH is totally false, people will (eventually) learn that it is false, and that it is sensible to collect and process information on fundamental values. If EMH is true, people will learn that too, and won't bother to collect and process information.
There will probably be lags in both curves. There will be a lag in the supply response if learning the extent of market efficiency takes time and experience. There will be a lag in the demand response if it takes time for market prices to drift away from fundamental values when people stop collecting information and start throwing darts instead. Maybe you can get a cobweb model out of these lags. Maybe that cobweb model would look like Minsky-esque cycles: markets start out efficient, so people slowly learn they are efficient, so they slowly drift away from efficiency...etc.
Don't take the picture too seriously. It's only a heuristic device. I don't know precisely what should be on the axes. The "extent to which EMH is true" could be perhaps be defined as the R2 of market prices on fundamental values. But then different people have different bits of local information, and different costs of collecting and processing information, so it's not too clear exactly how much information should be reflected in fundamental values for 100% EMH. The "extent to which people believe EMH is true" could be defined as x% of the population believes that EMH is 100% true, or 100% of the population believes that EMH is x% true, or some combination. And what's important is whether they act as if they believe it is true, of course.
Since I don't know precisely what's on the axes, I can't say whether the demand and supply curves should be curved or straight, or whether they should hit the corners.
If a change in the market structure (allowing short sales?) made the market a more efficient processor of information, that would be represented by an upward/rightward shift of the demand curve. Note that a shift in the demand curve would be partly offset by a movement along the curve. A decrease in the costs of collecting information would be represented by a leftward/upward shift in the supply curve (more people collect information, thereby acting as if they believed EMH were false. Again, the shift in the curve is partly offset by a movement along the curve.
I haven't seen this picture drawn before, but I don't know if it's original. All the bits of the picture are certainly widely known. It helps me think about EMH.
I have made a distinction between fundamental analysis of asset values vs. buying the index/throwing darts. I'm not clear yet on where technical analysis fits in."Perfect pitch" redirects here. It is not to be confused with Pitch Perfect
Absolute pitch (AP), widely referred to as perfect pitch, is a rare auditory phenomenon characterized by the ability of a person to identify or re-create a given musical note without the benefit of a reference tone.[1][2]
AP can be demonstrated via linguistic labeling ("naming" a note), auditory imagery,[clarification needed] or sensorimotor responses. For example, an AP possessor can accurately reproduce a heard tone on a musical instrument without "hunting" for the correct pitch.[3][4] Researchers estimate the occurrence of AP to be 1 in 10,000 people.[5]
Generally, absolute pitch implies some or all of the following abilities, achieved without a reference tone:[6]
Identify by name individual pitches (e.g. F ♯, A, G, C) played on various instruments.
, A, G, C) played on various instruments. Name the key of a given piece of tonal music.
Reproduce a piece of tonal music in the correct key days after hearing it. [ citation needed ]
Identify and name all the tones of a given chord or other tonal mass.
Accurately sing a named pitch.
Name the pitches of common everyday sounds such as car horns and alarms.
Name the frequency of a pitch (e.g. that G ♯ 4 is 415Hz) after hearing it.
People may have absolute pitch along with the ability of relative pitch, and relative and absolute pitch work together in actual musical listening and practice, but strategies in using each skill vary.[7] Those with absolute pitch may train their relative pitch and there has been a reported case of 6 adults in China (with previous musical training) acquiring absolute pitch through specific tonal training.[8] Furthermore, two studies by Harvard and the University of Chicago have shown Valproate, a medication used to treat epilepsy and severe depression, may re-open the "critical period" of learning, making the acquisition of absolute pitch, as well as languages, potentially as efficient for adults as for children.[9] Adults who possess relative pitch but do not already have absolute pitch can also learn "pseudo-absolute pitch" and become able to identify notes in a way that superficially resembles absolute pitch.[10] Moreover, training absolute pitch can require considerable motivation, time, and effort, and learning is not retained without constant practice and reinforcement.[11]
Scientific studies [ edit ]
History of study and terminologies [ edit ]
Scientific study of absolute pitch appears to have commenced in the 19th century, focusing on the phenomenon of musical pitch and methods of measuring it.[12] It would have been difficult for any notion of absolute pitch to have formed earlier because pitch references were not consistent. For example, the note now known as 'A' varied in different local or national musical traditions between what would now be considered as G sharp and B flat before the standardisation of the late 19th century. While the term absolute pitch, or absolute ear, was in use by the late 19th century by both British[13] and German researchers,[14] its application was not universal; other terms such as musical ear,[12] absolute tone consciousness,[15] or positive pitch[16] were also used to refer to the ability. The skill is not exclusively musical, or limited to human perception; absolute pitch has been demonstrated in animals such as bats, wolves, gerbils, and birds, for whom specific pitches facilitate identification of mates or meals.[17]
Difference in cognition, not elementary sensation [ edit ]
Physically and functionally, the auditory system of an absolute listener does not appear to be different from that of a non-absolute listener.[18] Rather, "it reflects a particular ability to analyze frequency information, presumably involving high-level cortical processing."[19] Absolute pitch is an act of cognition, needing memory of the frequency, a label for the frequency (such as "B-flat"), and exposure to the range of sound encompassed by that categorical label. Absolute pitch may be directly analogous to recognizing colors, phonemes (speech sounds), or other categorical perception of sensory stimuli. Just as most people have learned to recognize and name the color blue by the range of frequencies of the electromagnetic radiation that are perceived as light, it is possible that those who have been exposed to musical notes together with their names early in life will be more likely to identify, for example, the note C.[20] Absolute pitch may also be related to certain genes, possibly an autosomal dominant genetic trait,[21][22] though it "might be nothing more than a general human capacity whose expression is strongly biased by the level and type of exposure to music that people experience in a given culture."[23]
Influence by music experience [ edit ]
Absolute pitch sense appears to be influenced by cultural exposure to music, especially in the familiarization of the equal-tempered C-major scale. Most of the absolute listeners that were tested in this respect identified the C-major tones more reliably and, except for B, more quickly than the five "black key" tones,[24] which corresponds to the higher prevalence of these tones in ordinary musical experience. One study of Dutch non-musicians also demonstrated a bias toward using C-major tones in ordinary speech, especially on syllables related to emphasis.[25]
Linguistics [ edit ]
Absolute pitch is more common among speakers of tonal languages, such as most dialects of Chinese or Vietnamese, which often depend on pitch variation as the means of distinguishing words that otherwise sound the same—e.g., Mandarin with four possible tonal variations, Cantonese with six, Southern Min with seven or eight (depending on dialect), and Vietnamese with six.[26][27] Speakers of Sino-Tibetan languages have been reported to speak a word in the same absolute pitch (within a quarter-tone) on different days; it has therefore been suggested that absolute pitch may be acquired by infants when they learn to speak a tonal language[28] (and possibly also by infants when they learn to speak a pitch-accent language). However, the brains of tonal-language speakers do not naturally process musical sound as language;[29] perhaps such speakers are more likely to acquire absolute pitch for musical tones when they later receive musical training. Many native speakers of a tone language, even those with little musical training, are observed to sing a given song consistently with regard to pitch. Among music students of East Asian ethnic heritage, those who speak a tone language very fluently have a much higher prevalence of absolute pitch than those who do not speak a tone language.[30][31][32]
It is possible that African level-tone languages—such as Yoruba,[33] with three pitch levels, and Mambila,[34] with four—may be better suited to study the role of absolute pitch in speech than the pitch and contour tone languages of East Asia.
Speakers of European languages have been found to make subconscious use of an absolute pitch memory when speaking.[35]
Perception [ edit ]
Absolute pitch is the ability to perceive pitch class and to mentally categorize sounds according to perceived pitch class.[36] A pitch class is the set of all pitches that are a whole number of octaves apart. While the boundaries of musical pitch categories vary among human cultures, the recognition of octave relationships is a natural characteristic of the mammalian auditory system.[37][38][39][40][41][42] Accordingly, absolute pitch is not the ability to estimate a pitch value from the dimension of pitch-evoking frequency (30–5000 Hz),[20] but to identify a pitch class category within the dimension of pitch class (e.g., C-C♯-D... B-C).
An absolute listener's sense of hearing is typically no keener than that of a non-absolute ("normal") listener.[43] Absolute pitch does not depend upon a refined ability to perceive and discriminate gradations of sound frequencies,[44] but upon detecting and categorizing a subjective perceptual quality typically referred to as "chroma".[45][clarification needed] The two tasks— of identification (recognizing and naming a pitch) and discrimination (detecting changes or differences in rate of vibration)— are accomplished with different brain mechanisms.[46]
Special populations [ edit ]
The prevalence of absolute pitch is higher among those who are blind from birth as a result of optic nerve hypoplasia.
Absolute pitch is considerably more common among those whose early childhood was spent in East Asia.[47][48][49][50] This might seem to be a genetic difference;[51] however, people of East Asian ancestry who are reared in North America are significantly less likely to develop absolute pitch than those raised in East Asia,[50] so the difference is more probably explained by experience. The language that is spoken may be an important factor; many East Asians speak tonal languages such as Mandarin and Cantonese, while others (such as those in Japan and certain provinces of Korea) speak pitch-accent languages, and the prevalence of absolute pitch may be partly explained by exposure to pitches together with meaningful musical labels very early in life.[48][49][50][52]
Absolute pitch ability has higher prevalence among those with Williams syndrome[53] and those with an autism spectrum disorder, with rates as high as 30% claimed, stating that the rate among musicians in general is far lower.[clarification needed][54][55][56] A non-verbal piano-matching method resulted in a correlation of 97% between[clarification needed] autism and absolute pitch, with a 53% correlation in non-autistic observers[clarification needed].[57]
Nature vs. nurture [ edit ]
Absolute pitch might be achievable by any human being during a critical period of auditory development,[58][59] after which period cognitive strategies favor global and relational processing. Proponents of the critical-period theory agree that the presence of absolute pitch ability is dependent on learning, but there is disagreement about whether training causes absolute skills to occur[60][61][62][63] or lack of training causes absolute perception to be overwhelmed and obliterated by relative perception of musical intervals.[64][65]
There may be a genetic locus for absolute pitch ability,[66][67] which locus would suggest a genetic basis for its presence or absence.[68] A genetic basis, should it exist, might represent either a predisposition for learning the ability or signal the likelihood of its spontaneous occurrence.
Researchers have been trying to teach absolute pitch ability in laboratory settings for more than a century,[69] and various commercial absolute-pitch training courses have been offered to the public since the early 1900s.[70] However, no adult has ever been documented to have acquired absolute listening ability,[71] because all adults who have been formally tested after AP training have failed to demonstrate "an unqualified level of accuracy... comparable to that of AP possessors".[72]
Pitch memory related to musical context [ edit ]
While very few people have the ability to name a pitch with no external reference, pitch memory can be activated by repeated exposure.[73] People who are not skilled singers will often sing popular songs in the correct key,[74] and can usually recognize when TV themes have been shifted into the wrong key.[75] Members of the Venda culture |
the reflector and catch the reflected light.
Remember to shave and wash your face before recording it.
For a green screen, I bought a cheap one off Amazon that is little more than a green bed sheet. The creases need to be ironed out, but your video editor's green screen feature will work well enough even if it isn't perfect. You'll need a few more lights to prevent shadows from falling on the green screen.
Unless you're setting up a dedicated room to act as a studio, you don't necessarily need to buy foam sound-proofing tiles. My solution was to get some used duvets from the thrift store, poke some zip ties through one edge and form a loop, and then hang them from ceiling hooks. I have two duvets to form a sort of cylindrical blanket fort around my bedroom desk that I can take down when I'm done recording.
I didn't really notice the echo when before I had this setup, but I do notice a slight improvement when I compare recordings with and without them. I'd recommend at least some kind of sound proofing for everyone.
Connect your laptop to a monitor. This second screen won't be recorded for the screencast, but can hold notes or web pages you want to look at while recording.
Scripts, Speaking, and Recording
I favor doing multiple repeat takes to practice my delivery, as opposed to writing a script. Scripts take time to write, and while you might be able to do the recording in one take you could end up sounding robotic by reading off a script. Multiple takes can be tiresome, but the final take usually sounds more natural. I almost never pull footage from different takes for the single final video.
You'll come up with ideas and rewordings while doing a take, so a script would need rewrites anyway. Think of each video as a short speech you'll give: you don't need to memorize every word, but you should have all the topics you want to hit memorized.
Position the mic close to your mouth. The Yeti mic is a side address microphone, so have it facing you rather than pointed at you.
Read the rest of Blue's Yeti microphone FAQ. Do a quick test recording to make sure it sounds okay and is not muted. (More than once I've finished an entire take, then realized my laptop's mute setting was on the whole time.) Also, between your laptop's built-in microphone, the webcam's microphone, and the Yeti microphone, make sure that you have the Yeti microphone selected as the audio source before you record.
It's better to speak slowly than quickly. Udemy, YouTube, and other video sites often have video speed-up options. A normal conversation speed is best for videos. Keep in mind that many of your students won't speak English as their first language.
Do a few tongue twisters before recording to get into a presenter mindset. You don't want to be low-energy sounding. I find it helps to smile while speaking. If you aren't recording your face, open your mouth wider than usual to keep yourself from muttering. Keep a glass of water nearby, but not on the desk. Make sure it won't spill on anything if you accidentally knock it over.
I lower my screen resolution to 1280 x 720 (720p) to record. Compared to my laptop's normal 1920 x 1080 resolution, this makes the video files smaller, quicker to download, and fit on more screens (including phones). People watching on 1920 x 1080 screens can have your video open but also fit other windows on their screen simultaneously. But most important for programming screencasts, it makes text larger and easier to read. Sometimes I'll increase the text editor's font size as well.
Don't make videos composed of just a PowerPoint presentation. A screencast is much more information-rich. It's one thing to say "compile the program", and another to actually see someone navigate menus and click buttons to start the compilation process.
If I get flustered while recording, I just take a quick 10 or 20 seconds to compose myself. It's easy to find these silent pauses in the video editor and cut them.
Here's the pre-recording checklist I run through:
Close instant messaging programs that could have pop-ups while recording.
Make sure the Yeti microphone is selected as the audio source.
Have a glass of water nearby.
If I'm recording my face: shave and wash my face.
Do some tongue twister warm ups.
Make sure the mic is unmuted.
Position the mic close to your mouth.
Set screen resolution to 1280 x 720.
Do a quick test recording to make sure the audio sounds okay.
Smile!
Promotion
The worst approach to take is protectively caging up your course. A paywall is biggest wall to getting paid. If you want to make money, you need to start by giving your course out for free to build up a respectable number of students and reviews. I'm always hesitant to buy courses that only have a couple hundred students and a dozen reviews. You won't get paying students until a lot of students have vetted your course.
Announce your course on social media and Reddit with a free code to generate initial interest. Don't offer just a discount for this promotion: make it entirely free. A 90%-off discount still looks like spam. Be sure to note that this free code is for a limited time and make it sound personal like, "I've finished my new Python course and made it free this week with code THANKS_REDDIT". You'll probably get people messaging you after the period asking if they could also get a coupon. Be generous and generate a coupon for them, along with something like "If you like the course, please do rate it." Don't make it sound like you're demanding a positive review in exchange for the code.
Be generous with how many videos you make available for free previews. Of the 50 videos in my Automate course, I have the first 15 free to view (along with some other random videos later in the course). Also make these videos available on a YouTube channel, with links back to the Udemy course page. Better yet, have links using a discount code you made for YouTube viewers (this will also let you track how many students YouTube is bringing you.)
Udemy also allows you to make as many or as few of your videos available for students to download. I go ahead and make all of my videos available for download. It's a large convenience for students. And anyway it's fairly easy to google for instructions on how to download them regardless.
Don't worry about people pirating your course and watching it for free. The only way your course won't be put on torrent sites is if no one likes it to begin with. The kind of piracy you do need to worry about are other people taking your videos and selling them on Udemy or other sites. These sites will have a DMCA or infringement notice form that you can fill out. It's good practice to do searches for your course every now and then.
The promo video that people will see on your course page when they're deciding to buy it or not is incredibly important. Spend as much time as you can and follow Udemy's promo video guidelines religiously. You may want to consider spending money on background music or intro/extro video clips. I like using Pond5.com for buying sound clips.
You might not want to use Udemy's free service to generate a logo. The quality is okay but they tend to reuse them for other courses with just a color palette change. You may want to consider commissioning a logo from a graphic designer. Think of it like a getting a tattoo: keep it simple and spend more than $5 on it.
Good luck!
These are the tips I figured out about my process over a long time, and I wanted to compile them all into a blog post to give others a head start. If you want to learn more, here are some topics to google:Let 'em Grow: Doe Meat Can Fill The Freezer Reasons you should pass the young bucks if you're expecting a wall hanger January 24, 2017
I'm a whitetail deer fanatic. It's mid-January and I'm thinking about which bucks made it through hunting season and which ones didn't. I'm thinking shed hunting, new food plots, stand and trail camera placement. You know what? A lot of other hunters are thinking the same thing. As I travel the country guiding or doing trade shows, the talk almost always turns to whitetails. I may be selling an elk hunt, but I'd bet the farm that before the conversation is over, I'm going to be looking at pics of said hunters' whitetail kills from last season. Often times, these are pictures of immature bucks. Then, as if on-cue I hear, “Man, I wish I could kill a buck like that,” as the hunter stares at a mount hanging on the wall behind me. Well…
Let 'em GROW
I say, it’s simple. If you want to kill that, (pointing to the wall behind me), you can't shoot’em when they look like that (pointing toward their smart phone). I don't do this to be disrespectful or negative toward anyone. I say it because it's the truth. If you want to kill a 140” buck, you can't shoot him when he's 120”. It's just that simple.
I grew up and live in an area where a 120” deer may be your buck of a lifetime. Heck, many guys get excited over a 90” 8 point! I get it and understand, I live here. But, we can't shoot them at that size and expect to kill anything bigger. The easiest part of growing big bucks is not shooting the little ones! Just don't pull the trigger. The first time you let a decent buck walk is the hardest, after that it becomes second nature.
This past July, I found a three year old buck on one of our farms. I wasn't sure if he was gonna be a shooter or not, as my brother and I have a minimum of 130” or older than three. Fast forward to opening day of late muzzleloader here in Maryland. The ground was covered in sleet and the wind blew from the southwest. My brother was perched on the west side of the farm and I on the east. 45 minutes before dark, I text him saying I smelled a buck. Not 30 seconds later, a one horn spike walked out of the thick ditch I was watching. When he turned and looked back, my heart rate quickened as I knew something else was coming, sure enough out walked the buck from July. Throwing my Zeiss binos up, I saw that he grew into a solid 9 point scoring near 130”. I text Brian that he was still alive and where to look so he could see him. We watched him feed off as the sun gave way to the dark of night. Over the next 5 days we saw him 4 more times. Brian had him at 100 yards one evening when a buddy texted, saying a friend of his saw a “giant 8 point” standing in the field where Brian's truck was parked. Before the night was over, 4 more people contacted our buddy talking about this buck. Brian called me and asked, “Do you think I should kill him? A lot of people know where he's at.” I said, “If we shoot him, we’ll know for sure he won't make it.” He didn't pull the trigger and we haven't seen him since. Hopefully, we find his sheds or he shows back up in July. That's the chance we take for being hardcore whitetail fanatics.
Right vs Wrong
To be a total diehard whitetail nut, you have to sacrifice. What's that mean? For starters, you shouldn't use your whitetail property for anything but hunting deer. No goose, squirrel or rabbit hunting. No going out at night trying to call in coyotes or foxes. No Sunday walks with the dog and family through the heart of your hunting area. I know it sounds like a lot but that's what it takes. Sure you can do all of that other stuff and occasionally kill a mature deer but we are talking about making your spot a whitetail mecca. A place where they all run to when everyone else is out walking the dog. A place where a big mature whitetail feels safe to feed before the sun goes down. It's really not hard to do, you just do nothing but hunt deer. You hunt it when the conditions are right. If the winds wrong, you don't hunt. If it feels like one of those days when deer just won't move, like a low pressure system just moved in, you don't hunt. Will you possibly miss opportunities on killing deer? Yep, sure will. Does it matter? Nope. You are creating a sanctuary of sorts, where deer will feel safe day in and day out, year after year. It will pay huge dividends in the long run. It has been said often that 20% of the hunters kill 80% of the deer and I believe that to be true. I don't want to be one of the 20%, I want to be in the top 5% of the size of bucks taken, even if that means going a year or two without killing a buck. Yes, it may be a couple years between buck kills, unless you have some managed “honey hole” of several hundred acres but at least then the bucks you do shoot will be worth it.
Put Up Or Shut Up
It's funny to me that just about everyone I talk to wants to kill bigger bucks. What's even funnier is that 95 percent of these same people will shoot the first racked buck that walks by them! Ok, it's not funny at all. It's just a matter of fact, that most hunters can't stand the thought of going a year without killing a buck. Another thing I hear all the time is, “You can't eat the horns!” No kidding. Then why did you shoot a buck when you could have shot a doe? “Well, umm, there's not enough deer in my area to shoot does.” Then why are you killing any deer there at all? I'm really not trying to be a jerk here. But, come on, really? You don't have to shoot a buck just to prove you're a hunter. These same people that wanna continually talk about killing big bucks, continue to kill immature ones. If you're gonna talk the talk, you better be able to let the little ones walk!
What It Takes
Growing big bucks takes genetics, food and age. Genetics is one thing we can't do a whole lot about. It's either there or it's not. You would be surprised though. Some areas that were never thought capable of having big deer, end up producing some giants because they had the proper nutrition and age. In reality, a majority of the places a whitetail calls home would produce trophy caliber bucks if they were just given enough time to grow up. I feel this is the number one factor across most of the country. Weather definitely plays a role, influencing the amount of inches on the top of a buck's head any given year; especially in the drier western states. If it’s a dry year, antler growth won’t be as significant as it will with a year with plenty of moisture. When the western states have wet springs and adequate rain throughout the summer, look out! We will see some great animals hit the ground come fall.
What can we do to grow bigger bucks? Obviously, let them reach maturity. Food plots in areas with minimal agriculture will definitely help. In areas with lots of ag related crops, I don't think food plots do a whole lot in terms of health of your deer herd. They will help you kill deer but not so much grow them bigger. They can only eat so much. Minerals I believe help, as long as they are high in magnesium, phosphorus and protein. A big part of the minerals sold today are just salt. Deer need a diet that includes salt during the green up months of April, May and June, but it doesn't do a whole lot for antler growth. Either way, you should do your part to ensure they have a full plate when they need it.
Conclusion
Writing this piece wasn't about pissing people off. It isn't meant to belittle the guy that goes out to shoot a deer so he can feed his family. After all, that's why the good Lord put them here. This article was to make people think before they pull the trigger. If we all set the goal of shooting mature bucks for the wall and does for the freezer, the conversation that was explained at the beginning of this article would happen less frequently. I wouldn't push the issue as much as I do but I hear it time and time again. Everybody wants to shoot a big buck, myself included. All it takes is a little restraint and the promise that next year will always be better.Government Grants for Education
There are literally hundred of State & Federal, non Profit organizations, and private foundations that give out millions in scholarships, financial aid, and education Government Grants to students who want to go back to school or people that want a career change. Don't waste time and apply now at AmericaGovernmentGrants.com and find the best Government Grant for Education.
Government Grants for Housing
As many of you know from watching the news or reading the newspaper our country is facing a huge mortgage crisis. With people scared of picking up their phone because they might think it may be a mortgage specialist calling concerning with payments and that word that keeps appearing everywhere FORECLOSURE. The US Government had to step in and setup Housing Government Grants for people with low income, single parents, and people with disabilities. At the end of the day the purpose of the Housing Government Grant is to put a roof under your head. But there are many Government Grants available to people that want the American home which it to buy their first home. A Government Grant can be given to people that want to put up down payment or just don't have the credit to be eligible for financing. So apply today at AmericaGovernementGrants.com for a Housing Government Grant. Remember if you sign up for our program today then somebody else will get a Government Grant!!!!!!The creator of Usagi Yojimbo was signing comics at Rose City Comic-con last weekend, and according to several different reports, he confirmed that his character will in fact be making a return to the lore of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Although we had previously seen the logo for a new line of toys based on the rabbit ronin, there was no confirmation that we would be seeing Miyamoto Usagi in any other form. If the latest reports are true, Stan Sakai himself has finally confirmed that Usagi will be in Nickelodeon’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series.
There may not be an official announcement from Nickelodeon as of yet, but the creator himself has already broken the silence. If I had to guess when we can expect the official press release, I chances are that we may hear something at NYCC in October. Regardless, it’s nice to hear that Sakai has been nice enough to allow Nick to use his character in their TMNT series.
Considering how careful he has been about where and how Miyamoto would appear in other franchises, something tells me that he personally read and approved of the script. If Stan Sakai likes your work enough to bring back Usagi Yojimbo, that’s definitely a good sign. That being said, we have no idea how much involvement Sakai has had in this project. All we know for sure at this point is that he signed some paperwork.
Nickelodeon’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles has already made references to several different iterations of the franchise in its first four seasons. At this point, it makes perfect sense for them to finally introduce yet another memorable friend of the turtles.
I don’t know about you, but I am hopeful that this will be more than just a one-time episode. How awesome would it be if Usagi Yojimbo became a somewhat regular character in Nick’s TMNT series? Whatever happens next, I’m just happy to see Miyamoto Usagi return to the Ninja Turtles lore once again. Now all we have to do is wait until we see those rabbit ears pop up on our TV screens for the first time in a decade!American MMA fighter
Heath Herring (born March 2, 1978[2]) is an American professional mixed martial artist currently competing in the Heavyweight division of Rizin. While perhaps best known for competing in PRIDE, he has also formerly competed for the UFC and K-1.
Background [ edit ]
Herring was born in Waco, Texas and was raised in Amarillo, Texas. His mother is a psychologist working for the Texas prison system and his father is an attorney who owns two different law firms. Herring attended Amarillo High School and played competitive football while being pursued by the school's wrestling coach to try wrestling. Herring initially resisted, but in his senior year Herring began wrestling and qualified as one of the top ten wrestlers in the state for the state championships. Soon after, he began practicing sambo. Herring began training to fight in mixed martial arts when he graduated high school at the age of 18, but also continued his football career as a defensive end for West Texas A&M University's Division II program, although he did not finish his college education.[3]
Mixed martial arts career [ edit ]
Early career [ edit ]
Herring made his professional mixed martial arts debut in 1997 and compiled a record of 13-5 before being signed by PRIDE. After reaching the final of the World Vale Tudo Championship 8 tournament held in Aruba in July 1999, Herring was invited to learn kickboxing in the Netherlands by the show's Dutch promoter Bas Boone and he trained under Cor Hemmers at Golden Glory for a number of years.[4]
PRIDE Fighting Championships [ edit ]
Herring is a longtime veteran in PRIDE, where he participated in 17 fights.[5] Herring was very popular with the Japanese crowd for his unique hairstyles and colors, as well as sporting a duster coat and cowboy hat to the ring during his entrances.[3]
Herring made his promotional debut at PRIDE 9 against wrestler Willie Peeters and won via rear-naked choke submission in the first round. Herring then followed this up with three more wins before being handed his first defeat in the promotion at the hands of Vitor Belfort via unanimous decision at PRIDE 14. Herring followed this up with an impressive TKO win over Mark Kerr before receiving a shot for the inaugural PRIDE Heavyweight Championship.
Herring took part in the first PRIDE Heavyweight Championship fight against Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira where he lost by unanimous decision. Despite his earlier championship loss to Nogueira, he was widely considered the number one contender until his first round loss to Fedor Emelianenko. After the loss to Emelianenko, Herring fought Mirko Cro Cop at PRIDE 26 and was defeated in the first round via TKO. Herring then bounced back, winning his next four consecutive fights before facing Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira in a rematch at PRIDE Critical Countdown 2004. Herring lost the rematch via anaconda choke submission in the second round. Herring would make his last appearance for the promotion at PRIDE 28 on October 31, 2004 against Hirotaka Yokoi and won via first-round TKO in under two minutes.
Herring parted ways with PRIDE in late 2004 because of management disputes.
New Year's Eve kiss [ edit ]
On December 31, 2005, Herring was involved in a memorable MMA moment during K-1's Dynamite 2005 show. During the pre-fight staredown, his opponent, Yoshihiro Nakao, leaned in and kissed him on the lips. Herring reacted, delivering a right hook to the jaw of Nakao, knocking him down. Herring was immediately disqualified and Nakao was carried from the ring. Shortly thereafter, Nakao's cornermen attacked Herring and a brief fight ensued. Herring's trainers, Ricardo Pires and Sergio Penha[6] fought with Nakao's trainers until security stopped the fight. The fight result has since been changed by K-1 from a disqualification loss for Herring to a no contest, as K-1 judges ruled that Nakao's kiss and Herring's subsequent knockout punch were both fouls.[7]
Transition to the UFC [ edit ]
Heath Herring debuted in the UFC for UFC Fight Night 8 and lost on decision against Jake O'Brien after deciding to fight after being injured.
On Saturday, April 7, 2007, at UFC 69 Heath faced off against The Ultimate Fighter 2 Heavyweight finalist Brad Imes. Herring won the match by unanimous decision after 3 rounds.
At UFC 73, Herring lost via unanimous decision to Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira, but not before he landed a left high kick to Nogueira's head late in the first round. Nogueira was sent to the ground, visibly stunned, but Herring did not engage him and attempt to finish the fight, opting to stand up shortly after the kick and beckoned Nogueira to stand as well. The referee motioned Noguiera to stand up after the brief flurry on the ground, giving Herring the advantage but Herring was not able to finish the fight in the first round.
At UFC 82 Heath won a three round split-decision against rising contender Cheick Kongo. While both are considered strikers, much of the fight took place on the ground. After the fight Heath said he was not happy with the fight, he wanted to give the fans a stand-up fight and Kongo refused to stand with him. Herring also said after the fight that he did not even train at all for the ground game.
Herring fought Brock Lesnar at UFC 87 after Mark Coleman was forced to withdraw due to a knee injury.[8] The fight went the full 3 rounds and Lesnar was declared winner by unanimous decision. Herring was knocked down early in the first round with a straight right. According to Heath Herring's official Facebook profile in a note titled "6 Months To Rest", Herring is said to have suffered a broken orbital bone from the first punch of the fight. Herring was scheduled to fight Cain Velasquez at UFC 99, but was forced to withdraw due to an undisclosed illness.
Herring stated in November 2010 that he wants to fight as soon as possible. He was still under contract with the UFC and was expected to make his return.[9]
In September 2011, responding to a question asked via Twitter, UFC President Dana White commented that Herring "...retired after the Lesnar fight".[10]
Herring has taken up the hobby of playing poker since his retirement from MMA[11] and is also a commentator for Rizin Fighting Federation.[12]
Joining Rizin FF Openweight tournament [ edit ]
After eight years away from the sport, the 38-year-old Herring ended his retirement and signed with the Japanese promotion Rizin Fighting Federation. He faced Amir Aliakbari, an Iranian wrestling standout, in the quarter-final round of the openweight grand prix, replacing fellow former UFC fighter Shane Carwin. Herring lost the bout by unanimous decision.
Film career [ edit ]
Heath Herring starred in Never Surrender, released by Lions Gate Entertainment in 2009 as well as Circle of Pain. He has also appeared in Hell's Chain, Unrivaled, Beatdown, and Division III: Football's Finest.
Personal life [ edit ]
Herring was married when he was 18 years old and has a daughter, but the marriage ended in divorce. In August 2014 he remarried, to TV presenter Sarah Grant.[13] Herring's brother also competed in MMA, holding an undefeated 5-0 record before attending Baylor University to play football as an offensive tackle. Herring currently lives in Las Vegas. Before becoming a professional fighter, he worked as a computer programmer.
In the last eight years, all through his thirties, Herring has dabbled in stunt work in Hollywood, tried his hand at professional poker and launched a mixed martial arts promotion in Argentina.[3]
Championships and accomplishments [ edit ]
Mixed martial arts [ edit ]
World Vale Tudo Championship WVC 9 Heavyweight Tournament Winner WVC 8 Heavyweight Tournament Runner Up
Superbrawl Superbrawl 13 Heavyweight Tournament Semifinalist
Bas Rutten Invitational Bas Rutten Invitational 3 Tournament WinnerRestrictions on humanitarian convoys imposed by Syria's government have frustrated efforts to deliver life-saving aid to besieged people in the war-ravaged country, UN envoy Staffan de Mistura said Thursday.
A 17-country United Nations panel, co-chaired by the United States and Russia, has been working since February to boost aid deliveries to an estimated 450,000 Syrians stranded in besieged areas, as well as 4 million others in places the UN describes as hard-to-reach.
After reporting significant progress through the first two weeks of March, UN officials have in recent weeks voiced mounting concern over the obstacles imposed by Damascus.
"Everyone in the meeting was disappointed," de Mistura told reporters after a weekly meeting of the so-called humanitarian taskforce.
"Many of (the countries) are actually frustrated by the lack of new convoys," he added.
He listed Duma, Daraya and East Harasta, all besieged by the regime, as being among the areas in urgent need of supplies.
De Mistura said he raised the issue of flagging humanitarian cooperation with President Bashar al-Assad's government while in Damascus earlier this week during a preparatory meeting for peace talks, which resumed in Geneva on Wednesday.
Asked why the regime was continuing to block aid convoys, de Mistura said that question should be put to Assad's government.
Since the start of the year, UN, International Red Cross (ICRC) and Syrian Red Crescent convoys have delivered aid to 154,000 people in besieged areas and roughly 246,000 others in hard-to-reach areas.
The head of the humanitarian taskforce, Jan Egeland, has said the goal of reaching more than 1 million people before the end of April would not be achieved unless the government became more cooperative.
De Mistura said he made some progress in Damascus by securing tentative permission for the distribution of medical supplies, but the government had specifically excluded surgical equipment, anti-anxiety pills and atropine, which can be used to guard against poison, including sarin gas.
Humanitarian air drops over Islamic State group-besieged Deir Ezzor continued on Thursday, de Mistura said, marking the third one since the World Food Programme carried out a first successful drop over the weekend.
The UN is trying to get supplies to 200,000 people in Deir Ezzor living under the control of the Islamic State group.Anthony Bourdain BURNS Justin Bieber Chef Shoulda Put His Foot Up JB's Ass
Anthony Bourdain BURNS Justin Bieber -- Chef Shoulda Put His Foot Up JB's Ass
Chefdoesn't take kindly to "young punks" who piss in restaurant kitchens... so he went to Twitter and UNLOADED onAfter TMZ posted the footage of JB relieving himself in a janitor's bucket in an NYC restaurant kitchen, Bourdain tweeted -- "The chef should have put his foot up this young punk’s ass."The CNN star continued, "My dishwasher ain’t cleaning that up, squirrel balls!"There's more... "Looking forward to seeing him open for Menudo at the State Fair— in about ten years."And just for good measure: "In a preemptive strike, I plan to tell my daughter that Justin Beiber tortures puppies."Our compliments to the chef.Yang liked to believe she was a good sister. There was never a time Ruby needed her and she wasn't there. Right? There was, without a doubt, no point Ruby had been in a dire situation and Yang had not come through for her. Cognitive dissonance is a terrible thing...
"Yang, can you get to the dorm, the princess is crying and Ruby has no idea what's going on and neither do I." -Blake
Yang read the message on her scroll. What had happened? She went out to pick up a book for Blake and ended up giving in to her drinking habits. Naturally, Ruby just had to get herself into another issue she couldn't fix on her own.
Now, Yang pondered not going home and just staying with a friend for the night. Why should she? She didn't have Blake's book, and she wasn't in the mood to deal with a spoiled crybaby and a waspish little girl.
Two good reasons not to head back to Beacon. Was there a third? How about the fact Blakey wouldn't like that she went out for a book and came back drunk. Yes, there it was... the complications of drinking and having a "good girl" girlfriend.
Yang looked around the room. Filthy men and women were everywhere. The bar she sat at was away from everyone else, but close enough the bartender to keep her glass filed. The atmosphere was heavy with cigarette smoke and regurgitated drinks.
Yang figured there just weren't enough classy drinkers in Vale to keep the place at a higher standard.
It didn't matter. As long as she got quality alcohol, she'd put up with the horrible crowd.
She looked down at her glass. It was half empty. Or was it half full? Yang just wished someone would figure out the damn answer so it would stop bugging her.
Might as well make it all empty. She downed the drink. Would she go back? At least she could sleep on her own bed after a thorough talk with Blake.
Yeah, why not. She goes hopped off the bar stool she sat on and made her way through the building and out the door without too much trouble.
Now where did she park Bumblebee? Shouldn't be too hard to find, it's a big yellow motorcycle.
After searching for a good half hour, and ignoring a "where the hell are you?" from Blake, she found it about five meters from the entrance to the bar. How quaint.
Throwing on her helmet and getting on her ride, she wondered if it would be safe to drive home.
It's only a few miles, what harm could it do?
She started the ignition and Bumblebee roared to life, and she was off.
So this story. It's... Very somber. Oh well.I’ve been slowly trying to catch up with what happened at //build via the videos on Channel9 focusing mainly on the topics around Windows 10 UWP and Mixed Reality with a sprinkling of what’s going on in.NET, C# and some of the pieces around Cognitive Services, identity and so on.
Given that //build was a 3 day conference, it generates a video wall worth of content which then takes a very long time to try and catch up with and so I expect I’ll still be doing some of this catching up over the coming weeks and months but I’m slowly making progress.
One of the many sessions that caught my eye was this one on changes to the packaging of UWP apps;
which talks about some of the changes that have been made in the Creators Update around breaking up UWP packages into pieces such that they can be installed more intelligently, dynamically and flexibly than perhaps they can today.
It’s well worth watching the session but if I had to summarise it I’d say that it covers;
How packages have always been able to be broken into pieces containing different types of resources using the “Modern Resource Technology” (MRT) such that (e.g.) only the resources that are relevant to the user’s language or scale or DirectX level are downloaded for the app.
How packages in Creators Update can be broken apart into “Content Groups” and partitioned into those which are required for the application to start up and those which can be deferred and downloaded from the Store at a later point in order to improve the user’s experience. There are APIs to support the developer being aware of which parts of the package are present on the system, to monitor and control download priority, etc.
How optional packages can be authored for Creators Update such that one or more apps can optionally make use of a separate package from the Store which can install content (and (native) code) into their application.
As you might expect, there’s lots of additional levels of detail here so if you’re interested in these bits then some links below will provide some of that detail;
and there’s more generally on the App Installer Blog and additional interesting pieces in that //build session around possible future developments and how Microsoft Office ™ is making use of these pieces in order to be deliverable from the Windows Store.
The idea of ‘streaming installations’ seemed immediately applicable to me but I need to spend some more time thinking about optional packages because I was struck by some of the similarities between them and app extensions (more here) and I haven’t quite figured out the boundaries there beyond the ability of an optional package to deliver additional code (native) to an application which extensions can’t do as far as I’m aware.
Having got my head around streaming installations, I wanted to experiment with them and that’s where the rest of this post is going.
I needed an app to play with and so I went and dug one out of the cupboard…
A Simple Pictures App
I wrote this tiny little “app” around the time of the UK “Future Decoded” show in late 2016 in order to demonstrate app extensions.
The essential idea was that I have this app which displays pictures from a group;
and there is 1 set of pictures built in – some film posters but I have two more sets of pictures under groupings of ‘Albums’ and ‘BoxSets’.
The original app used app extensions and so the ‘Albums’ and ‘BoxSets’ collections lived in another project providing an ‘extension’ to the content such that when the extension was installed on the system all of the 3 sets of content are loaded and the app looks as below;
This was pretty easy to put together using app extensions and it’s similar to what I wrote up in this blog post about app extensions where I used extensions and App Services together to build out a similarly extensible app.
So, having this code kicking around it seemed like an obvious simple project that I could use to try out streaming installations on Creators Update.
Defining Content Groups
Firstly, I brought all 3 of my content folders into the one project (i.e. Posters, Albums, BoxSets) as below;
and then I set about authoring a SourceAppxContentGroupMap.xml file as covered in this MSDN article;
and I learned a couple of things there which were to firstly make sure that you set the right build action for that XML file;
and secondly to make sure that you’re running the right version of makeappx if you expect it to have the new /convertCGM option That right version on my system would come from;
at the time of writing although I ultimately let Visual Studio build the content group map and only used makeappx as |
what may be the clearest sign that Reddit is attempting to shed its immature, adolescent image, Huffman explained the company is finally going to begin capitalizing its name in its formal communications:
Reddit also going to capital R. They really are growing up. pic.twitter.com/AwbtfoVBea — Jason Abbruzzese (@JasonAbbruzzese) August 5, 2015
Photo via Casey Fleser/flickr (CC BY 2.0)A new Gallup poll finds that more Hispanics worry about illegal immigration than whites or blacks in America.
The poll asked respondents to indicate whether they personally worry about illegal immigration a great deal, a fair amount, only a little, or not at all. Overall, 59 percent of respondents reported worrying about the problem a great deal or a fair amount.
In recent years that number has been higher, specifically among Hispanics.
In its analysis of the results, Gallup noted: "Over the past six years, an average of 67% of Hispanics have said they worry a great deal or fair amount about illegal immigration. That is higher than worry among non-Hispanic whites (59%) and blacks (57%)."
Gallup theorizes that the numbers indicate "Hispanics may be growing more concerned in reaction to the increased focus on dealing with immigrants in the country illegally."
The 2017 poll was conducted Mar. 1-5 with a random sampling of more than 1,000 adults and a 4 percentage point margin of error. Gallup has been tracking responses to this question in early March since at least 2001.
Emily Jashinsky is a commentary writer for the Washington Examiner.The liberal meltdown over the 2016 presidential election resurfaced on the front page of the local news section from Sunday’s Washington Post as journalists Michael Alison Chandler and Tara Bahrampour profiled snowflakes upset at Hillary Clinton’s loss who called in sick from work, wore black the day after the election, and even offered free acupuncture and tea for teary-eyed spa patrons.
In a piece that one could almost guarantee wouldn’t be written if Donald Trump had lost, the lengthy piece lamented that the range of emotions by liberals inside the D.C. area felt “shocked,” “numb,” and “[t]errified” at Trump presidency that sent many spiraling out of control.
The first of seven profiles prided a 38-year-old college professor as having hoped that it’d “be a good day to be a feminist” even though she claimed to have overhear a woman at a restaurant lamenting that Muslims are allowed to vote (which was printed without any proof of authenticity, of course).
<<< Please support MRC's NewsBusters team with a tax-deductible contribution today. >>>
Once it was clear that Trump would become the 45th President of the United States, the reporters explained that this woman felt like her entire gender, faith as a Jewish person, and intelligence were ripped away in repudiation:
She said that she felt a pit in her stomach as she absorbed the notion that a quarter of eligible voters had chosen a candidate whose campaign had often appeared to hinge on racism and misogyny. Trump’s election felt like a referendum on her, she said, as an intellectual, a woman, a person with brown skin, a Jew.
Continuing to check off the boxes of stereotypical D.C.-area residents, the Post went next to a 60-year-old gay man from Silver Spring, MD who called in sick to work the day after the election because he had been so deeply affected by the disappointing results and despite Trump being a New York City liberal for much of his life, he felt concerned about his rights going forward.
“The past several days have also been about self-care: a lunch with friends, where no one talked politics; a night at the Baltimore symphony with his sister (although the two had tickets for Mahler’s “Tragic” Sixth Symphony). And he took his Norfolk terrier for long walks,” they added.
The wallowing by the bitter Clinton voters continued with comparisons between the result to losing a spouse, needing to dress like you’re attending a funeral, and a signal that immigrants will be deported in order for the President-elect’s border wall to be built.
Here are some of the more ridiculous highlights sprinkled throughout the rest of the story [emphasis mine]:A few weeks ago, Curtis Stevens pulled an arguably tasteless if ultimately meaningless stunt via his Twitter page, posting a bunch of pictures of a coffin that read "RIP GGG," his way of promoting and hyping his November 2 HBO shot against Gennady Golovkin.
Here's one of the photos:
Stevens later said that it was just hype, and that there was nothing personal behind it, also noting that after the fight, "everything's cool." It doesn't sound like Gennady Golovkin is looking for the "everything's cool after the fight" approach.
In fact, Golovkin is mad.
Golovkin says it's "bullshit," and adds, "I show him real action in the ring. I want street fight.... No decision, I want street fight." When asked if he wanted "put just a beating on him," Golovkin replied, "Absolutely, yes. Absolutely, yes," and said he believes the fight will end in a knockout either way.
So that's good. Golovkin is now thirsting for blood. That's good for all of us. Nothing to be terrified of at all.Witness contradicts cops’ account of 2013 shooting of teen
When she heard the sirens, Laticia Whitehead was sweating in the Fourth of July heat.
She leaned over a grill on the back porch of her third-floor Washington Park apartment, cooking beside her mother in-law for a family barbecue.
Whitehead looked up and saw a black teenager sprinting across a vacant lot near West 57th Street and South State Street. A police SUV was close behind.
“The next thing you know, the passenger (in the SUV) started opening fire,” Whitehead said, her voice choking with emotion. The teen went limp and fell forward into the scroungy, trash-strewn grass.
“My husband came out ‘Was those fireworks?’ I’m like, ‘No. They just shot this boy.’”
Whitehead’s account of the final moments of 17-year-old Christian Green’s life was delivered in a video deposition last year, three years after Green was gunned down by Chicago Police Officer Robert Gonzalez.
Friday, Whitehead’s video testimony was played for jurors in the trial of a a wrongful death lawsuit filed by Green’s mother, Patricia Green, who rocked softly in her seat just below the courtroom video screen as the testimony rolled. The case, which on Thursday saw CPD Superintendent Eddie Johnson make a rare appearance on the witness stand, will resume Monday in Cook County Circuit Court.
The video deposition was a concession to Whitehead’s status as an extremely reluctant witness. After Green was killed, she called down from her porch to Gonzalez and other officers assembling around the shooting scene.
“I screamed at them, ‘Y’all didn’t have to shoot him! He didn’t do anything! He didn’t make any gestures. He’s just running.’”
When an investigator from the Independent Police Review Authority knocked on her door in the days after shooting, Whitehead said refused to talk to them, and only came forward years later, after her mother in-law died last year, apparently leaving Whitehead as the only other eyewitness to the shooting who wasn’t a CPD officer.
Whitehead’s tearful account of Green’s shooting differs starkly from the versions offered Friday by Gonzalez, and his partner, Officer George Hernandez.
The two officers had responded to a dispatcher’s call, describing a suspect fleeing from police, possibly carrying a gun. Hernandez, who had been driving the SUV, and Gonzalez said they saw Green running awkwardly down State Street, and watched as the teen fumbled a black handgun near the corner of 57th Street, then doubled back to pick up the pistol before sprinting off again.
Hernandez, who was driving, said that as the teen raced across the lot, he turned and pointed the gun at the officers. Gonzalez said that as he was preparing to leap out to give chase, he saw the barrel of the gun pointed at him and his partner, and he opened fire from the open window of the SUV.
Police reports show Gonzalez fired 11 shots at Green, striking the teenager once. Gonzalez said he saw Green stumble, then run a few more steps before slumping to the ground — contradicting what Whitehead said she saw from her balcony.
Gonzalez testified Friday that he couldn’t see whether Green, who was shot in the back, was facing the officers while he was pointing his gun at the officers or not.
“All I could see was the opening of the gun,” Gonzalez said, glancing at the jury. “What’s called the muzzle. It’s where the bullets come out.”
Questioned repeatedly about what he’d seen in the instant he opened fire by attorney Victor Henderson, Gonzalez insisted that he’d been fixated on the gun barrel and “everything else behind it was kind of hazy.”
During several hours of questioning, Henderson tried to raise doubts about what Gonzalez was able to see at all, pointing out that in his statements to police investigators’ reports said the veteran officer claimed to have seen Green turn toward him with the gun. Asked about the discrepancy by Henderson, Gonzalez said the report got his statement wrong.
Henderson, who was seen outside the courtroom putting a large tape measure into his briefcase, also made much of key distances Gonzalez had estimated during the encounter. Gonzalez said Green had been perhaps 30 feet away from the SUV when Gonzalez opened fire. The gun Green had been carrying was found in the grass 70 feet away from the SUV, and Green’s body lay another 70-plus feet away — a total distance, Henderson pointed out, that was equal to half a football field.
“He ran another 120 feet after he was shot?” Henderson asked.
“That’s where he ended up,” Gonzalez said.
“Or is the truth really … that you got him when he was closer to 150 feet away?” Henderson asked.
“No, that’s not accurate,” Gonzalez said, frowning.
Henderson asked how Gonzalez could have missed Green with 10 out of 11 shots if he’d been only 25 or 30 feet away.
“You shot at Christian 10 times and missed him 10 times?” Henderson asked.
“I shot at him 11 times and struck him once, yes,” Gonzalez said.
Dana O’Malley, a lawyer representing Gonzalez, pointed out that Green had ignored Gonzalez’s shouted commands to drop the gun, and that carrying a firearm in 2013 was a felony; Illinois’ concealed carry law took effect roughly two weeks after Green was shot. She also asked why Gonzalez had fired at Green in the vacant lot, and not while chasing him down State Street.
“At that point, he wasn’t an imminent threat, he wasn’t pointing it, but it was enough of a threat level,” for Gonzalez to give chase and draw his gun, the officer said.
“Why did you fire your gun?” O’Malley asked.
“I thought I was gonna die. I thought he was gonna use the gun and I was gonna die,” Gonzalez said. “I had no choice.”
Gonzalez was impassive as he walked out of the courtroom Friday — for the previous four days of the trial, the veteran officer had avoided the press, opting for a private elevator typically used by judges. Judge Elizabeth Budzinski on Friday said she’d been unaware Gonzalez had used the private exit, and told him he’d have to use the public elevator.Updated, Wednesday, 3:50 p.m. | In a time-lapse of 1,338 images, the photographer Luke Sharrett of The New York Times captured President Obama’s many greetings before a dinner at the 47-nation nuclear security conference in Washington on Monday night.
• • •
A day later, we asked Mr. Sharrett to share with readers how this video came about:
This idea was very much last minute in both its conception and execution. After rolling some ideas around, I discussed shooting a collection of time-lapse photos with The Times’s international picture editor Patrick Witty. I received the go-ahead a mere 10 minutes before the marathon of handshakes. Shooting in the White House pool forces a photojournalist to carry as little gear as possible, for mobility’s sake. Covering a president requires a surprising amount of climbing, crawling, running and jumping. Usually there is no room to bring along a tripod. My clamps and remote gear were already mounted 40 feet above the plenary session for a different photo, so my only option left was to hand-hold my camera for 1,338 frames. Toward the end of the greeting ceremony, President Obama had shifted to his left and often greeted leaders on the edge or outside my frame. While the video may be a bit shaky for some viewers’ tastes, it communicates on one level what it’s like to work on a press riser with dozens of foreign press photographers and videographers. There’s plenty of jostling, bumping and bruising as everyone tries to get “the shot.”ARLINGTON, Va. – The Washington Capitals have acquired forward Joel Rechlicz from Phoenix in exchange for forward Matt Clackson, vice president and general manager George McPhee announced today. Rechlicz will report to Hershey.
Rechlicz, 25, has posted 149 penalty minutes in 36 games with Portland of the American Hockey League (AHL) this season, leading the team and ranking 15th in the league in that category among active AHL players this season. He made his Capitals debut on Jan. 31, 2012 versus the Lightning in Tampa Bay and played in three NHL games with Washington last season, recording 10 penalty minutes.
The Brookfield, Wisconsin, native has played in 26 NHL games with Washington and the New York Islanders, collecting one assist and 105 penalty minutes. In 158 career AHL games with Albany, Bridgeport, Hershey and Portland, Rechlicz has compiled two goals, two assists and 794 penalty minutes. The 6’4”, 220-pound forward originally signed with the New York Islanders on May 6, 2008.
Clackson recorded one goal, two assists and 36 penalty minutes in 19 games with Hershey this season.One in five parents say they have forgotten how to play with their children, with a third admitting that taking part in games and activities with their family is boring, according to research.
But while more than half the children questioned for the report by Professor Tanya Byron said they want more quality time with their parents, one in 10 said they know that their parents feel family playtimes are dull and a waste of time.
The State of Play, Back to Basics report interviewed 2,000 parents and 2,000 children aged five to 15 about their play habits. It concludes that play is in danger of becoming a "lost art" for British families, with 21% of parents admitting they no longer remember how to play and struggle to engage their children in creative and imaginative activities that will help their development.
"There are four key ingredients to a successful playtime between parents and children: education, inspiration, integration and communication," said Byron, a psychologist and child therapist best known for her work on television shows, including Little Angels and The House of Tiny Tearaways.
Byron also headed the 2008 independent review commissioned by the Department for Children, Schools, and Families, and the Department for Culture, Media, and Sport into the potentially harmful effects of the internet and video games on children.
"Parents need to take a step back and think back to how their own childhood games used these four pillars and how they can implement them now," added Byron.
"Cross-generational enjoyment, where no family member feels inhibited, under pressure, bored or stressed is key to making these four pillars become part of everyday play."
The report identified a lack of communication between the generations around the types of games and activities they should play together as a key contributor to the problems faced at family playtime.
"Nearly one in three parents choose to play computer games with their children thinking that's what their kids will most enjoy," said Byron. "However, nine out of 10 children said computer games were something they would rather play on their own, while three-quarters said they would prefer to spend time with their parents enjoying more traditional pursuits, such as challenging each other at board games or playing outdoors together."
Time pressures were also cited by parents, with half of those interviewed blaming work and chores for reducing the amount of quality time they are able to spend with their children. Nearly a third of children said that they were aware that work worries prevented their parents from playing with them. This, said Byron, "shows that parents need try to put playtime first – for their children's sake".
Sibling rivalry was identified as a cause of tension for family play, with nearly a third of parents claiming it as the biggest problem when they try and play with their children.
One in 10 adults questioned admitted they felt so overwhelmed and confused by the conflicting information available that it prevented them from playing with their children.
"A lack of clear advice and direction generally on how to engage children in effective play and deal with problems they encounter is a clear issue for parents," said Francois Banon, vice-president of communications at Disneyland Paris, which commissioned the research.
"Play is vital to a child's development. It improves the way they interact, communicate and develop key life skills. Play should be educational and inspirational but above all, it should be fun."Last week, Paul Ryan went on the radio to address the lack of virtue prevalent among men who grew up like me, my father, my brothers, my best friends, and a large number of my people:
We have got this tailspin of culture, in our inner cities in particular, of men not working and just generations of men not even thinking about working or learning the value and the culture of work, and so there is a real culture problem here that has to be dealt with.
A number of liberals reacted harshly to Ryan. I'm not sure why. What Ryan said here is not very far from what Bill Cosby, Michael Nutter, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama said before him. The idea that poor people living in the inner city, and particularly black men, are "not holding up their end of the deal" as Cosby put it, is not terribly original or even, these days, right wing. From the president on down there is an accepted belief in America—black and white—that African American people, and African American men in particular, are lacking in the virtues in family, hard work, and citizenship:
If Cousin Pookie would vote, if Uncle Jethro would get off the couch and stop watching SportsCenter and go register some folks and go to the polls, we might have a different kind of politics.
Cousin Pookie and Uncle Jethro voted at higher rates than any other ethnic group in the country. They voted for Barack Obama. Our politics have not changed. Neither has Barack Obama's rhetoric. Facts can only get in the way of a good story. It was sort of stunning to see the president give a speech on the fate of young black boys and not mention the word racism once. It was sort of stunning to see the president salute the father of Trayvon Martin and the father of Jordan Davis and then claim, "Nothing keeps a young man out of trouble like a father who takes an active role in his son’s life."
From what I can tell, the major substantive difference between Ryan and Obama is that Obama's actual policy agenda regarding black America is serious, and Ryan's isn't. But Ryan's point—that the a pathological culture has taken root among an alarming portion of black people—is basically accepted by many progressives today. And it's been accepted for a long time.
Peddlers of black pathology tend to date the decline of African American virtue to the 1960s. But pathology arguments are much older. Between 1900 and 1930, blacks were three times as likely as whites to be killed. Their killers tended to be black—black were 80 percent of Mississippi's murderers and 60 percent of its victims. According to historian David Oshinsky, the actual murder rate among African Americans was likely higher. "We had the usual number of [Negro] killings during the week just closed," the Jackson Clarion-Ledger reported in 1904. "Aside from the dozen or so reported in the press, several homicides occurred which the county correspondents did not deem sufficient for the dispatches."Today we’re starting the Early Access Program for WebStorm 2017.3, the big update that will be released the end of November 2017.
Toolbox App is the easiest way to get the EAP builds. You can also subscribe to the EAP updates option in the IDE (Preferences | Appearance & Behavior | System Settings | Updates) and get notifications when a new build is available.
Download WebStorm 2017.3 EAP
If you’re not yet familiar with our Early Access Programs, here are some details:
Every week we publish a fresh build for the upcoming version of WebStorm.
EAP builds provide access to the newest features we’re currently developing.
EAP builds are free but expire 30 days after they’re built.
You can install an EAP build side-by-side with a stable WebStorm version.
We welcome your feedback in our issue tracker, youtrack.jetbrains.com/issues/WEB. Please don’t forget to mention the build number you’re using.
Important: WebStorm EAP builds are not fully tested and may be unstable.
WebStorm 2017.3 is going to bring many significant updates. Here are the highlights of what you can already try in this week’s EAP build (173.2290.2):
New and updated refactorings
Extract type alias in TypeScript
The new Extract type alias refactoring allows you to create an alias for a complex type.
Put the cursor on the type and call the Refactor this popup (Ctrl-T on macOS / Ctrl-Alt-Shift-T on Windows & Linux). Then select Extract Type Alias from the list and name the alias.
And if the type is used multiple times, the IDE will spot this and suggest automatically replacing all the instances with the new name.
Convert type alias into interface
With the new intention you can convert type alias into the interface in the TypeScript code.
Hit Alt-Enter on the definition of the type alias and select Convert alias to interface.
Updated Extract parameter refactoring
The Extract parameter refactoring allows introducing a new parameter to the function. It now uses the ES6 default parameter syntax for the optional parameter in JavaScript and TypeScript.
Improved Change signature refactoring
We have improved the Change signature refactoring that, as the name suggests, allows you to make changes to the function arguments: add new parameters, reorder the parameters and change their names and default values.
This refactoring now works with exported functions, correctly updating usages across the ES6 modules, uses the ES6 default parameter syntax, and works with rest parameters and optional TypeScript parameters.
Improved Vue.js support
We are now working on improving Vue.js support. Here’s what’s been done so far:
Closing curly braces are now added automatically in the templates
Code completion and navigation to the definition now works for the props, properties in the data object, computed properties and methods
Auto imports on paste
If you copy and then paste some code without import statements from one project file to another file, WebStorm will automatically add the required imports that were used in the original file.
That works in JavaScript, TypeScript, and Dart.
New REST Client
WebStorm introduces a new way to test APIs from the IDE. Now you can create a file with the.http extension, write the HTTP requests in it and then run them with the icons on the editor gutter. Find out more about it in this blog post.
We believe that new editor-based REST client will help you to overcome many of the limitations of the existing REST Client (available via menu Tools – Test RESTful Web Services), and will make testing and debugging your web services much easier.
Import code style from the ESLint and TSLint configs
Now when you open a project that uses ESLint or TSLint and has code style-related rules defined in their configuration, WebStorm automatically applies those rules to the IDE code style settings. You’ll see a list of rules that were changed in the log tool window. Click Revert to rollback the changes.
Notable Changes
Various improvements in the Stylus support
The built-in TypeScript compiler can now also compile JavaScript files: for that add the "allowJs": true option to tsconfig.json.
option to tsconfig.json. Improvements in the Dart support: postfix completion; Chrome is now used by default for the JavaScript run configurations for Dart Web apps.
You can find a list of addressed issues in the Release notes.
Please share your feedback and report issues on our tracker. Thank you!
WebStorm TeamBoeing has outlined plans to improve the performance and safety features of the batteries used in its 787 aircraft, after two of the planes infamously experienced on-board incidents at Takamatsu and Boston, but has stopped short of offering a thorough explanation for just what went wrong.
What is known is that something caused the batteries on two 787s to become very hot. Why that happened isn't known, but the company hinted, during a 90-minute presentation and Q&A session in Tokyo, that a “deep discharge” event occurred in one cell of the planes' batteries, heating it to the point at which it vented so much hot electrolyte that an adjacent cell warmed and also vented. A manufacturing fault seems to be the reason such an event was able to occur and the company has outlined three key improvements to stop this happening again.
Mike Sinnett, a Boeing vice president and chief project engineer for the battery fix, was at pains to point out that losing batter power won't mean a nasty end for a 787 flight, as the batteries operate for mere seconds in flight and even then only as bridges between other multiply-redundant power sources in the event the main power source isn't working. The batteries do the bulk of their work on the ground, powering systems when the in-flight generators aren't available.
On the contentious flights, “the cells vented,” Sinnett explained, “and the venting is a protective measure that when something happens in a battery cell the pressure and the heat can build up inside that cell. We vent the cell to prevent the pressure from building up too high and to keep the temperature down.”
“This is what happened in the [Japanese] Takamatsu and the [Boston's airport] Logan event. The heat from the cell propagated to other cells and they vented as well. This is a protective mechanism that is designed into the battery cells.”
But when the batteries vent, they leak vaporised electrolyte which looks like smoke. Sinnett insisted the visible vapours were “not the product of combustion [and] not the result of a fire.” Once the batteries vented, he said, all other systems worked as planned with flight crews notified after smoke detectors worked. The vaporised electrolyte was jettisoned overboard, so never posed a risk to passengers or crew.
Sinnett said the event cannot be considered a “thermal runaway”, and that Boeing's batteries have four levels of protection against the only known catalyst of such an event, namely overcharging. Sinnett said he is “very confident” Boeing has “never seen overcharging” in the 787 fleet. He also said he is content that Boeing's suppliers - GS Yuasa makes the batteries and Thales the charger – aren't at fault.
Both have nonetheless redesigned their contributions to the 787. GS Yuasa will “develop and institute enhanced production standards and tests to further reduce any possibility for variation in the production of the individual cells as well as the overall battery.” The battery box will acquire a, pardon the pun, battery of new insulation and isolation features and reside in a new stainless steel enclosure. All components will work in a newly-narrowed “acceptable level of charge for the battery” that will be achieved “both by lowering the highest charge allowed and raising the lower level allowed for discharge.”
The new and improved design for the Boeing 787 battery box
Another change will see “The battery charger … adapted to soften the charging cycle to put less stress on the battery during charging.”
All of these changes need to be certified before the 787 will fly again. Boeing says it's working to earn those certifications as fast as is practicable.
Senior executives said that once the changes are signed off, they'll happily board a 787, on the first flight if possible.
Boeing's almost-explanation of the incident is available as a PDF. ®The snake looked like he had been run over by a car, said Margot Meyerhoff who spotted the reptile on her way to the gym on February 21, 2015. View Full Caption Margot Meyerhoff
Upper West Side — A large dead snake was spotted in a dirty snowbank Saturday morning by a Manhattan woman on her way to the gym.
Margot Meyerhoff was on her way to workout about 8:30 a.m. Saturday when she spotted the dead reptile on West 75th Street between Columbus and Amsterdam avenues.
"(It's) just a very odd thing to see on the [Upper West Side]," Meyerhoff wrote in an email.
"I would imagine it was someone's pet, a careless owner, and the snake just escaped, got run over by a car and froze in the cold," she said, adding the constrictor was still there three hours later when she walked back from the gym.
Dr. Alexandra Wilson who works at the Center for Avian and Exotic Medicine said the snake seemed to be a python.
Snakes with severed heads can still bite up to an hour after they've been decapitated, experts say.
The story was first reported by the Gothamist.Pittsburgh (CNN) -- Pittsburgh isn't ready to throw in one of its Steeler "terrible towels" just yet. But runaway pension costs for its firefighters, police officers and other public workers could crush the Steel City.
The players on the field in this battle are different. Instead of a Republican governor at the center of the controversy as in Wisconsin, Pittsburgh's Democratic mayor is leading the charge.
"It's not even about being Democrat or Republican. It's about being able to manage and run local government," said Mayor Luke Ravenstahl, noting he grew up in a union family.
The numbers are staggering. The unfunded obligation in Pittsburgh's pension system has ballooned to $700 million. Half of all tax dollars in Pittsburgh go to pension and health care plans for public workers, as well as the city's debt obligations. That number could rise to 70% if the city fails to take action.
The painful remedies proposed by Ravenstahl are no less jaw dropping in this union town.
"If I had my way we would offer a 401(k) plan to city employees and government officials. That's what we're talking about. Things have to change," Ravenstahl said.
But his hands are tied by contracts reached between the state and the unions. "We have to offer a pension plan," Ravenstahl said.
A 401(k) plan for public workers is a nonstarter for the city's firefighters. They fear what started in Wisconsin is now on its way to Pittsburgh.
"We have a big target on our backs," says Battalion Chief Robert Cox.
In between calls at the Engine 17 station in the city's Homewood neighborhood, firefighters complained to CNN they are being punished for the city's failure to run its finances.
"Because of fiscal mismanagement, the cities and governments and things, the working man shouldn't have to suffer for that," said firefighter William Gilchrest.
Over the years, unions for the city's public workers have assembled benefits many Americans would envy. Firefighters and police officers can retire with a pension equal to half their take-home pay after reaching the age of 50, after 20 years on the job.
The firefighters, Ravenstahl complains, have an even sweeter deal. They can boost their pension by working more overtime in their last three years of duty, a practice known as pension spiking.
"They're no dummies," Ravenstahl said. "They make as much money as they can. And then we're obligated to pay their pensions based on those last three years of service."
Cox denies his firefighters engage in pension spiking. Pointing to the fire bureau's practice of evenly spreading overtime throughout the department, he says it's just not possible for his men and women to significantly boost their pensions
"The way I understand pension spiking, it's not going on in our bureau," Cox said.
As public employee recipients of pension benefits, the firefighters are also quick to point out they are not enrolled in the federal Social Security system.
Contract negotiations are nothing new in Pittsburgh, home to the International Association of Fire Fighters Local No. 1, the nation's first firefighters union.
The union's representatives say their members are entitled to the money they've put into the city's beleaguered pension system, but they're open to concessions like raising the retirement age.
Ralph Sicuro, a union official with the IAFF Local No. 1, cautions this is no job for senior citizens.
"What am I supposed to do with somebody who's 65 and now they want you to work until you're 70? What do I tell them? They can't get up on that rig anymore," Sicuro said.Jamie Vardy cost £1m from Fleetwood in 2012
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger says Leicester City's success is proof that spending big money does not guarantee success in the Premier League.
Wenger has been criticised in the past for not spending money on players.
Some fans were unhappy he did not sign a striker before last summer's transfer window shut, despite knowing Danny Welbeck would be out injured.
"Leicester is a fantastic example that football is not only about just spending the money," said Wenger.
The Foxes are fives points clear at the top of the Premier League table with 13 games remaining after winning 3-1 at Manchester City on Saturday.
Their starting line-up at the Etihad Stadium cost a reported £16.6m.
Arsenal will move five points behind Claudio Ranieri's leaders if they win at Bournemouth on Sunday.
Their only purchase of the winter window, which closed last Monday, was Egypt midfielder Mohamed Elneny from Basel for a reported £5m.
Leicester striker Jamie Vardy, who became the first player to score in 11 successive Premier League matches, joined from Fleetwood for £1m in 2012.
Asked if the whole country was behind Leicester, Wenger added: "Of course. And it's natural. It's normal.
"The advantage they have until the end of the season, apart from our fans and the [Manchester] City fans and Tottenham fans, the rest of the country is behind Leicester.
"You reproach me about not buying big names, but you will support the team who has no big names."With the recent unveiling of the newest Internet protocol system, trillions upon trillions of devices are being paved access to the Internet for the unforeseeable future. And right on cue, the FBI is already up in arms over IPv6.
With computing devices around the globe already switching from the current Internet protocol system, IPv4, the US Federal Bureau of Investigation is predictably picking a fight with the biggest names in cyberspace to ensure that the FBI and other agencies across North America will be able to inch themselves into the personal Web surfing habits of citizens across the world. Now requests from the FBI to ready a system to easily snoop through Internet traffic has proponents of IPv6 and industry reps alike scrambling to make sense of the feds’ demands.
Under the original and quickly antiquating Internet protocol system, IPv4, only 4.3 billion computers, modems, smart phones and other wired devices can send and receive information through cyberspace. When the latest rollover to IPv6 is complete, however, 340 undecillion addresses (that’s a lot) will be able to be assigned. On the plus side, trillions of more devices will able to be delivered information over the Internet. The FBI, however, wants to make sure that they can still catch cyber criminals and suggest that they might have to insist that the private sector aids them in their future endeavors.
According to report filed this week by Cnet’s Declan McCullagh, the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration and Royal Canadian Mounted Police officials have jointly asked Internet representatives that traceability features be enabled with IPv6 that will allow federal agents to identify suspected cybercriminals with the same kind of ease evident with IPv4. Given that the government is already having trouble trying to find alleged cyberterrorists over the Internet as is, though, they might seriously have their work cut out for them. That’s where McCullagh reports, “The FBI has even suggested that a new law may be necessary if the private sector doesn't do enough voluntarily.”
Speaking on condition of anonymity, an official with the FBI clues Cnet in on just why the agency is against the next-generation Internet protocol:
“An issue may also arise around the amount of registration information that is maintained by providers and the amount of historical logging that exists. Today there are complete registries of what IPv4 addresses are ‘owned’ by an operator. Depending on how the IPv6 system is rolled out, that registry may or may not be sufficient for law enforcement to identify what device is accessing the Internet.”
If hunting for cybercriminals is comparable to searching for a needle in a haystack under IPv4, with IPv6 it will be on par with scouring the stratosphere for a single molecule of oxygen.
John Curran of the American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN) tells Cnet, "We're looking at a problem that's about to occur," and adds that, “as service providers start to roll out V6,” that’s exactly what they’ll receive. The answer, according to the FBI, might be a whole new set of legislation that will let them scour cyberspace for the answers for federal inquiries into alleged Internet crimes.
"We're hoping through all of this you can come up with some self-regulatory method in which you can do it," FBI supervisory special agent Bobby Flaim said at an ARIN meeting earlier this year, reports Cnet. "Because otherwise, there will be other things that people are going to consider."Less than 48 hours after an egomaniacal, snooty, three-toed, sloth-looking wet diaper joked about being a “house nigger” on Friday’s episode of Real Time With Bill Maher, white supremacists armed with bats, bricks and cans of Pepsi rioted in Portland, Ore., at what they deemed a “free speech rally.”
The day after the “Portland Purge,” city officials in Charlottesville, Va., announced that they had issued permits to two white supremacist organizations to hold rallies this summer. The hate group ACT for America has also teamed up with organizations around the country to sponsor an anti-Muslim “March Against Sharia” in 26 cities June 10.
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These incidents have all been explained as consequences of the constitutional protection of free speech. According to their organizers’ logic, being white in America |
’ve exceeded that threshold by these amounts, in millions of dollars:
PHI — $55,344,695
DEN — $34,675,005
KC — $34,546,710
BAL — $24,630,165
SEA — $17,490,191
BUF — $15,796,376
MIA — $15,255,271
GB — $14,436,169
CHI — $7,688,067
SD — $7,643,871
NYG — $7,226,992
CIN — $1,492,088
The twenty (20) teams not listed here have not spent up to the cumulative cap over these four years. And this may be the biggest indictment of this CBA for the players: all teams are on track for meeting the team minimums! Coming into this year, the Raiders and Jaguars were tracking below the minimums when, perhaps not coincidentally, those teams were two of the biggest spenders in free agency and are now tracking above the threshold.
Thus, for the first four-year inspection period, it looks as though all teams will meet their minimum spending although there has only been one year out of five when more than half of NFL teams reached or went above the cap. That should not happen.
Allocation of Risk
Although there was much reaction this summer to eye-popping NBA free-agent contracts, many forget that we have similar gawking at NFL free-agent contracts every March (this year’s batch of golden ticket winners included Olivier Vernon, Malik Jackson, Janoris Jenkins and a few others). The difference, of course, is that while NBA contracts are fully guaranteed, NFL guarantees disappear after the early part of the contract (when teams have the lowest risk). NFL management smiles when agents deceive media and fans with reports of illusory guarantees and inclusion of no-risk first-year earnings into total guarantee.
We hear a lot of reasons why the NFL does not guarantee contracts—even from union leadership—that make perfect sense…for management. The primary reason is the high injury risk for NFL players, which, from a player point of view, is exactly the reason for guaranteed contracts. NFL contracts and the allocation of risk they provide have provided incredible value for teams, especially compared to other leagues. It is unfortunate that player contracts are so tenuous in the sport with the 1) most revenue, 2) highest franchise values, 3) greatest injury risk and 4) shortest career lengths.
Some further argue another myth: that collective player compensation would decrease with an increase in guaranteed contracts. NFL teams routinely shed millions of nonguaranteed dollars by releasing veterans, often replacing them with younger (and cheaper) labor and incurring a leftover cap charge. They would continue to do that with guaranteed contracts; they would simply have to pay real cash along with their cap accounting issue. There has been no data indicating anything other than continued growth in MLB and NBA player compensation despite guarantees regularly paid to released players. And it would add a side benefit: it would reward teams with better player evaluation and cap and cash management, further penalizing bad drafting and free-agent acquisitions.
In refusing to guarantee later amounts of the contract, teams hide behind an archaic NFL rule requiring immediate funding of future guarantees. This is an area the union, through its collective negotiations, needs to pressure for change. Further, player agents in individual negotiations should have the backing and support from the union in pushing the envelope for stronger guarantees, as benefits to the rest of the constituency will flow from there. Owners are obviously able to fund these guarantees; they resist because they can. The “guarantee” structure has become far too team-friendly; it needs to be revamped.
Beyond all the noise about commissioner discipline, franchise tags, practice and offseason limits, etc., here is the core issue of this CBA: teams are getting away with larceny on their most important expense, player costs. Simply, they are not spending or guaranteeing enough. This CBA’s shift in economic power has emboldened the NFL to treat the union as more of a nuisance than a formidable adversary. Their imposition of a new conduct policy while ignoring the union is a prime example.
Ultimately, the leverage in every business relationship goes to the side that is more comfortable with the status quo. When the next round of CBA negotiations arrives, the NFLPA will have the difficult task of changing the key issues mentioned above.
The owners’ status quo halfway through this 10-year CBA has them more profitable and powerful than perhaps ever before.
• Question? Comment? Story idea? Let us know at talkback@themmqb.comDaniel “DC” Cormier (pronounced “KOR, like apple core,-ME-AY”) is the current UFC light heavyweight champion. After a successful run as a wrestler, he began fighting MMA in 2009, defeating all his opponents until he challenged Jon “Bones” Jones for the championship in 2014. Bones had ascended the ranks faster than any other MMA fighter in history, and even though it was early in his career, many predicted that he might one day be the greatest of all time. Jones won the fight.
Although no fighter was able to defeat Jones in the ring, his personal demons did, and mistakes he made in his personal life caused him to be suspended and stripped of the title; Daniel Cormier was the top ranked contender, and was declared the champion.
It took several years before a rematch, which was pushed back once due to injury, and again when Jones tested positive for performance enhancing drugs (PED’s). When the two finally fought, Jones knocked out DC with a violent kick to the head.
But the story didn’t end there. The US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) determined that Jones had used PED’s on the night of the fight, and again Jones was stripped of the title and DC was given the belt.
By now, you’re probably wondering what any of this has to do with U.S. politics. And here is why: It’s about fairness. Jones cheated and won, and the record was reversed because if he didn’t cheat, he would have lost. If he didn’t cheat, he would have lost. So, even though Cormier never beat Jones, it’s only fair that the fight results be thrown out and DC be declared the champ. Because, and I want you to pay attention here, in the UFC, when you cheat, you don’t get to keep the things you cheated to get.
But politics?
If evidence is discovered –disputable evidence—that Clinton rigged the primary, and then evidence comes out –indisputable evidence—that a foreign government then used that evidence to discredit Clinton and push Trump to an electoral college victory, I think we need to have a serious discussion as to whether it is constitutional to reverse the 2016 election results, force a recall of all Trump’s appointments, and just plain install Bernie Sanders as president. I’m not saying we should absolutely do that, I’m saying it is fair to discuss it.
Because…and I hope you’re with me here, Hillary may have cheated, and Trump definitely cheated, and it seems pretty clear to me that Bernie Sanders would have won in a fair election. So why is it that the sport where you punch and kick someone until they can’t stand up, then choke them until they pass out is somehow less disreputable than politics.Image caption Business Secretary Vince Cable says more needs to be done so wealth is shared "across the board"
The national minimum wage for adults increases by 12p an hour to £6.31 from Tuesday.
The rise, first announced in April of this year, follows the recommendations of the independent Low Pay Commission.
Unions are calling for a steeper jump, however, with the TUC general secretary Frances O'Grady saying a "far bigger increase" is needed.
"The UK's lowest-paid workers are now facing an historic living standards crisis," she said.
The rate for 18-to-20-year-olds is increasing by 5p to £5.03 an hour, while it is going up by 4p to £3.72 for the 16-to-17-year-old age group.
Business Secretary Vince Cable said he would ask the Low Pay Commission, which advises the government on the national minimum wage each year, to "look at what economic conditions would be needed to allow the national minimum wage to rise in the future by more than current conditions allow".
Cost of living
The Resolution Foundation, a think tank which focuses on standards of living, said that the minimum wage was in effect falling - in spite of the increase - because of the pace of inflation.
Inflation, measured by the consumer prices index (CPI) fell to 2.7% in the year to August, from 2.8% in July.
It means prices are still rising faster than wages, which rose by 1.0% on average over the same period.
The Office for National Statistics said the drop was due to air fares, petrol and diesel, and clothing prices rising more slowly than in August 2012.
Living wage?
In recent years wage campaigners have sought a so-called "living wage" for employees, arguing the minimum wage does not reflect the real costs of living, especially in the capital.
The Living Wage Foundation argues that companies should pay £7.45 an hour in the UK as a whole, and £8.55 in London.
Rhys Moore, director of the Living Wage Foundation, said: "We believe that a voluntary living wage, working alongside a strong national minimum wage, is the most effective way of getting to grips with the low-wage economy."On Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi recalled the message of love and brotherhood that social reformer Vivekananda delivered at the World Parliament of Religions in Chicago in 1893. Addressing a students’ convention in Delhi to mark the 125th anniversary of Vivekananda’s address, Modi said: “With just a few words, a youngster from India won over the world and showed the world the power of oneness.”
Polemical readings of Vivekananda either glorify or reject him. But it is perhaps more fruitful to read Vivekananda as someone who does not represent any specific ideological tendency, as a more contradictory and open figure among the diverse tribe of modern reformist Hindus.
On tolerance and refugees
Vivekananda delivered a five-part series of lectures in Chicago, the first of which was delivered on September 11. In this lecture, he equated pride with ethics. “I am proud to belong to a religion which has taught the world both tolerance and universal acceptance,” he said.
Compare this statement to the reaction in India in 2015 when writers and artists returned their state awards to protest against the growing atmosphere of intolerance in the country that had led to the murders of minorities and individuals opposed to Hindutva. The majoritarian reaction was full of ridicule. It was as if intolerance was the only mode of expression to force everyone into accepting that India is a tolerant country.
At the same venue on September 19, speaking of an ideal religion Vivekananda said: “It will be a religion which will have no place for persecution or intolerance in its polity, which will recognise divinity in every man and woman [emphasis added].” Here is a firm endorsement of non-persecution in political rule.
In a lecture delivered at Ridgeway Gardens, England, possibly in September, 1896, Vivekananda demonstrated the cultural spirit of Hindus. He said: “The shrine of a Mohammedan saint, which is at the present day neglected and forgotten by Mohammedans, is worshipped by Hindus! Many instances may be quoted, illustrating the same spirit of tolerance.”
The differences between Islam and the heterogeneous forms of Hinduism never deterred a culture of shared reverence. Such gestures of generosity should make votaries of Hindu culture question the demolition of the Babri Masjid in 1992 on grounds that it was built on what Hindus believe to be the birthplace of the deity Ram.
Vivekananda made another significant point. “We believe not only in universal toleration, but we accept all religions as true [emphasis added],” he said. To accept all religions as true is not just a moral obligation, a matter of injunction, but an ethical obligation, a matter of sensibility. Toleration as a universal value is not enough to bridge the gap between people of different faiths. One accepts the legitimacy of another’s faith as much as one’s own. It is spiritual egalitarianism, where the ethical exceeds the epistemological.
At the Chicago conference, Vivekananda gave a striking reason for national pride. “I am proud to belong to a nation which has sheltered the persecuted and the refugees of all religions and all nations [emphasis added],” he said. Offering examples, he spoke of how India sheltered “the purest remnant of the Israelites…which came to Southern India and took refuge with us in the very year in which their holy temple was shattered to pieces by Roman tyranny”. He reiterated his pride in belonging “to the religion which has sheltered and is still fostering the remnant of the grand Zoroastrian nation”. Isn’t such a historical and ethical responsibility enough for India to offer refuge to the Rohingya Muslims fleeing Myanmar, and those driven out of Bangladesh?
Modi also tweeted on Monday that Vivekananda spoke of “the concept of ‘One Asia’” Can we achieve an Asian ideal by dividing refugees, and weighing persecution, along religious lines?
Swami Vivekananda had given the concept of 'One Asia.' He said that the solutions to the world's problems will come from Asia: PM — PMO India (@PMOIndia) September 11, 2017
The Hindu in the well
In Vivekananda’s second lecture in Chicago on September 15, he narrated the popular tale of the sea frog and the well frog to illustrate a point made by the speaker before him on why people of different faiths should “cease from abusing each other”. Vivekananda then gave his own reason behind why such abusive tendencies persist in people of different faiths, against each other. “I am a Hindu,” he said. “I am sitting in my own little well and thinking that the whole world is my little well. The Christian sits in his little well and thinks the whole world is his well. The Mohammedan sits in his little well and thinks that is the whole world.”
By threatening left-liberal students, writers and activists, Hindutva nationalism in India is digging its own little well, where acceptance has been replaced by abuse.
There is a lot in Vivekananda to disagree with, but we need to make sense of his marked contradictions. Even though he held that caste was initially a “glorious social institution” that “should not go; but…only be readjusted”, Vivekananda fiercely attacked “caste-ridden…educated Hindus” whose “God is the kitchen” and “the cooking-pots”. Today’s nationalism, which pokes its nose into people’s kitchens and cooking-pots, would have earned Vivekananda’s scorn.
Octavio Paz in his book, In The Light of India, wrote how reformers like Vivekananda, critiquing Christian missionaries, ironically Christianised Hinduism. The deeper point is that any religious reform – by a Kabir, Gandhi or Vivekananda – is impossible without elements from other faiths.
Manash Firaq Bhattacharjee teaches poetry at Ambedkar University, New Delhi.Advertisement
China is planning to send a robotic exploration rover to the Moon around 2013.
Despite the fact that the moon is so close (cosmically speaking), we haven't really interacted much with the lunar surface since the late '70s. We've taken pictures of it and crashed the occasional spacecraft into it, but in general the moon has been bypassed for sexier planets like Mars.
The opening keynote at this year's IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), in Shanghai, was given by Ziyuan Ouyang, the chief scientist of China's lunar exploration program, which is quite possibly the most active lunar program in the world right now. Ouyang confirmed that, yes, China is planning to send robots to the moon, and he revealed interesting details about the project.
For the past four years, China has been engaged in a three-phase plan that will ultimately culminate in a lunar rover and a lunar sample return mission, scheduled to take place in 2013 and 2017 respectively. The first phase was the Chang'e-1 lunar orbiter, which was launched in 2007 and created multispectral maps of the surface of the moon while also using a laser altimeter to generate a high-resolution 3D map. In 2009, it was one of those aforementioned unlucky spacecraft that was deliberately smashed into the moon in the name of, um, science.
The next step was to send Chang'e-2 (which was originally backup hardware for Chang'e-1) to the moon to test out improved communications systems and pick a nice soft landing spot for a rover. Chang'e-2 launched late last year, and is still sending back data, having not been crashed into the moon (for science!) just yet.
Next will come Chang'e-3, which is scheduled to land in Sinus Iridium sometime “around 2013.” This will be the mission with an unmanned lunar lander and a 120-kilogram autonomous lunar rover, able to choose its own routes, avoid obstacles, and perform science experiments with a suite of sensors, including cameras, x-ray and infrared spectrometers, and a ground-penetrating radar. (See image above; all images are photos of slides presented during the talk.)
One of the (many) tricky parts of operating on the moon is designing a rover that can stay alive during the lunar night, which is a half-month long, making solar power an impracticality. To help keep itself alive, the Chinese rover will have a supplementary nuclear battery powered by plutonium 238, which will give the rover a lifespan of 30 years, although its mission life will be only three months. This is the same type of radioisotope thermoelectric generator system (RTG) being used on the Mars Science Laboratory rover, Curiosity.
And speaking of Mars rovers, here's what the Chinese rover will look like:
Looks familiar, huh?
This rover is only the second stage, though. The third and final stage involves landing on the moon, using either a robot arm or a drill to collect some samples, and then sticking those samples into a little rocket that flies itself back to Earth.
Beyond 2017, China hopes to eventually send humans to the moon, and they're also considering building a permanent lunar outpost.The Kepler team also observed, more definitively, two giant, Saturn-size gas planets around the same star, known as Kepler-9.
On Tuesday, a European team reported what may be a smaller planet, with mass as little as 1.4 times that of Earth, around a star 127 light-years away.
In the 15 years since the first extrasolar planet orbiting a Sun-like star was discovered, astronomers have found close to 500 more. The first were huge gas planets — composed mostly of hydrogen, similar to Jupiter — that orbited extremely close to their stars.
But as detection methods improved, astronomers began to find planets closer in size to Earth and planetary systems that contain nearly as many planets as our solar system.
The Earth-size planet seen by the European astronomers appears to be one of seven circling the star, HD 10180, located in the constellation Hydrus. Christophe Lovis of the University of Geneva, who led the observations, said the group was certain about the existence of five of the planets, all about the mass of Neptune, but squeezed into orbits closer to the star than Mars is to the Sun.
They are less certain about the smallest planet. “For this one, we have about 1 percent false alarm possibility,” Dr. Lovis said. “For us, 99 percent is just not enough to be completely sure.”
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The team also tentatively detected a larger, Saturn-size planet farther from the star.
Neither of the slightly-bigger-than-Earth planets is Earth-like or has much chance for anything to live there. Both have orbits very close to their stars that would sear the surfaces. The small Kepler-9 planet completes an orbit in just over a day and a half at a distance of 2.5 million miles from the star. The small HD 10180 planet is even closer and faster, less than two million miles from the star and completing an orbit in about 28 hours. Earth, by contrast, is 93 million miles from the Sun, and its orbit takes 365 days to complete.
“If one particular word can describe planetary systems today, it’s ‘diverse,’ ” said Douglas N. C. Lin, a professor of astronomy and astrophysics at the University of California, Santa Cruz, who was not involved with either team. “Planets are common, and their properties are diverse.”
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To date, most of the extrasolar planets have been found using the technique of the European team, by looking for wobbles in the wavelength of light from the star caused by the back-and-forth gravitational tugging of unseen planets. The discovery of the HD 10180 planets results from six years of observations at the European Southern Observatory’s 3.6-meter telescope in Chile.
If the orbits of planets are not edge-on to observers on Earth, the technique underestimates the masses of the planets. Dr. Lovis said that for HD 10180, computer simulations show that for the orbits to be stable, the planets cannot be more than three times the minimum masses calculated.
Some planets have been detected when a star dims momentarily as a planet passes in front. The duration of the dip tells the size of the planet, and the time between the light dips tells the length of the planet’s orbit.
The Kepler mission takes that notion and applies it on a grand scale by staring at a patch of sky in the Cygnus and Lyra constellations to continuously observe the brightness of 156,000 stars.
A Kepler scientist, Dimitar Sasselov of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, created a stir last month when he said in a lecture that Kepler had discovered many Earth-like planets. He later said that the candidates had not been confirmed and that he should have said Earth-size, not Earth-like. The Kepler instruments cannot measure atmospheric or geological properties.
So far, the astronomers have seven months of data, and Kepler is scheduled to operate for 3.5 years. Astronomers will soon be able to identify smaller planets farther out, including truly Earth-size planets in orbits that would impart Earth-like temperatures.
“Come back in a couple of years,” said William J. Borucki, Kepler’s principal investigator, “and we’ll give you an answer.”The streak is over. Manchester United surrendered their 10–match unbeaten run against a solid Southampton side, who produced a brilliant away performance to show why they are a genuine top four contender. It is the first time since 1988 that the Saints have won at Old Trafford and the first time since United failed to have a shot on target at home since 2009.
All-in-all, it was a very disappointing day for the Red Devils as they dropped down to fourth place in the table with Arsenal, Tottenham and even Liverpool breathing down their necks in the race for the Champions League. United have to make the most of a good-looking run of fixtures over the next few weeks and re-stabilise themselves comfortably inside the top four.
Here are five key thoughts following the drab performance at home to Southampton.
With players returning, three at the back should have been scrapped
United’s formation has been a hotly debated topic this season but the arguments appear to have been finally ended by another hugely lacklustre performance on Sunday. There are few United fans who still believe that the 3-5-2 formation is the way forward. The system which Louis Van Gaal has been determined to make work since he took over at the club should have been scrapped for this crucial match against a top four rival, especially with injured players returning.
If you look at the strengths of the current squad and the individual qualities that each player possesses, the lack of a top class winger to play on the opposite side to Angel Di Maria would make a 4-3-3 system difficult to implement currently. However, a 4-4-2 diamond which worked quite well for a few games earlier in the season could easily be used to fit in the plethora of attacking talent at the manager’s disposal. Either way, it is surely time to move on from the 3-5-2 which clearly isn’t working.
Three centre backs on the bench? Why restrict yourself?
Jonny Evans, Paddy McNair and Tyler Blackett were all named on the bench for this game, a decision which immediately restricted Van Gaal’s ability to change the game in the second half. The substitutions have been criticised but it was a sheer lack of alternatives that meant the Dutchman was almost forced to throw on Marouane Fellaini in the final stages of the game to try and nick an equaliser. But when Luke Shaw was brought off due to fatigue, a more positive switch than to bring on Blackett was surely the better option.
It is all very confusing when you consider the fact that James Wilson, a raw, hungry and pacey striker was left sitting on the bench at the final whistle when United needed someone to make runs to drag defenders out of position to create space for the midfielders. To confound the misery, Radamel Falcao and Adnan Januzaj, both game-changers when on form were both dropped from the squad altogether. Both would have been good options to have when United needed some inspiration in that second half.
Any Falcao permanent deal appears unlikely after Van Gaal’s decision to drop him
Many eyebrows were raised when Falcao was substituted in the recent draw against Stoke City despite being United’s best player but the decision to leave him out of the squad at the weekend was even more baffling. Despite a poor performance at Yeovil last week, the Colombian was just beginning to show signs of a return to form but Van Gaal decided he was not needed at the weekend despite United lacking attacking options on the bench.
This episode clearly shows that the Dutchman just may not fancy Falcao and lacks confidence that he will ever return to his unstoppable best. Although this may be the case and United may be wiser to not splash out £40million+ to acquire his services permanently, the loan deal was definitely worth the risk when you consider what level Falcao has the potential to play at. But even if Falcao may not be here to stay, the decision to drop him completely for the Southampton game was absolutely ludicrous, especially when you consider the fact that three central defenders were on the bench instead.
Di Maria is wasted up front
The stalemate which was being played out in midfield before the Southampton goal saw Angel Di Maria chasing the ball around like a headless chicken at times. The Argentine was deployed as an orthodox striker, before being substituted after 72 minutes, which in my opinion is a waste of his supreme creative talents. Di Maria hardly had a touch of the ball and looked out of place in a striking role when United were not using counter attacks effectively.
United needed Di Maria’s dynamism and energy in midfield on Sunday. His ability to drive with the ball from a deep area is unique in this current squad and with Southampton choosing to set up with three defensive midfielders; United needed a midfielder who was not afraid to take a risk. Di Maria can produce moments of magic out of nowhere and was wasted up front alongside Robin Van Persie.
It is January and we still don’t know the best team or formation. A worrying thought.
With over half the Premier League season gone, we are still not sure just what United’s best eleven is and in which system they would be utilised in. It is a worrying time at Old Trafford as the Red Devils cannot afford to miss out on Champions League football for a second season running. That would be a disaster. With other clubs having to focus on more competitions, United should comfortably achieve that goal.
I think United will break back into the top four as there is a great deal of quality at the club but Van Gaal must decide on his best team and use a system which gets the best out of each player at his disposal. The Dutchman has got the pedigree and a proven track record so I have no doubts that performances will improve eventually, unlike last season. He has got many things right during his first half season in charge but on Sunday; he got it horribly wrong against an impressive Southampton side.Frozen fans, your moment of truth is here! You think you know every last detail of your new favorite Disney movie, but can you prove it? (If you need a refresher, don’t miss Frozen Weekend March 26 and 27 on Freeform!) We’ve pored over every frame of the film and dug through the biographies of all the actors and crew to bring you the ultimate Frozen quiz.
Coming in at 31 questions, passing this test will be no simple summer stroll. If you want that perfect score, you’re going to have to bundle up and prepare to brave a flurry of swirling trivia. Don’t worry, though. If you get lost along the way and return home with anything less than 100%, you can make this journey a second time! (Or a third…)
1 Which Hans Christian Andersen story is Frozen inspired by? The Ice Maiden Through the Picture Frame The Snow Queen The Angel 2 Early in the creative process, before her final look was decided, designers considered giving Elsa what unique trait? Blue skin Icy wings A long tail A snow-breathing dragon sidekick 3 The visual look of Frozen is primarily influenced by what part of the world? Russia Norway Sweden Iceland 4 Which of the following is not an ingredient for the icy force described in the song "Frozen Heart"? Cold Winter air Freezing wind Mountain rain 5 Where on her head does Anna develop a white streak of hair after Elsa's powers first touch her? The right side The left side The center It all turns white 6 The daughters of which Frozen crew member(s) can be heard on the film's official soundtrack as young Anna and Elsa? Actor Josh Gad Producer Peter Del Vecho Director Chris Buck Songwriters Bobby Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez 7 This is the second animated Disney musical in the director's chair for co-director Chris Buck. Which other film did he direct? The Lion King Pocahontas Mulan Tarzan 8 Frozen's director/screenwriter Jennifer Lee wrote what other Walt Disney Animation Studios film? Wreck-it Ralph Tangled Mulan Brave 9 Which character in the film comes up with the phrase "I like warm hugs"? Elsa Anna Olaf Kristoff 10 What is the design of Anna & Elsa's family's crest? A gold flower over a purple & green banner A knight's helmet over a white and blue banner An orange bird over a green banner A red flower over a purple and pink banner 11 When Anna and Elsa open up their kingdom for Elsa's coronation, there's a famous Disney Princess among the many guests in attendance. Which Princess is it? Aurora Rapunzel Merida Belle 12 What is the name of the software that Frozen's creative team invented to create realistic snow? Matterhorn Ice Palace Blizzard Everest 13 How many salad plates do Anna & Elsa own? 100 1,000 8,000 10,000 14 How does the Duke of Weselton describe his dancing style? Like an agile peacock Like a chicken with the face of a monkey The little dipper Shockingly, all of these ways 15 How many brothers does Hans of the Southern Isles have? 10 12 16 Idina Menzel, the voice of Elsa, appears in which other Disney film? Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl The Princess Diaries Enchanted Oz The Great and Powerful 17 Which fashion trend is especially popular among the guests of Elsa's coronation? Flowers in their hair Hats with bows Tiaras Shimmering glass shoes 18 What time is it when Hans & Anna break into their clockwork dance during "Love is an Open Door"? 8:30 9:45 10:15 12:00 19 What summery item is NOT featured by Oaken when Anna visits his shop? Swimming Suits Clogs Sun balm Parasols 20 A stuffed toy version of what famous Disney character makes a very brief cameo in the film? Mickey Mouse Donald Duck Pluto Goofy 21 Finish the lyrics: "My power flurries through the air into the ground"... A cold wind blows the snow, all is found An icy promise made, my fate is hereby bound The earth beneath my feet becomes a snowy mound My soul is spiraling in frozen fractals all around 22 Where does Elsa create her ice palace? The North Mountain The South Pole The Dark Valley The Far Peak 23 What animals serve as background dancers for Olaf when he sings "In Summer"? Chipmunks Squirrels Seagulls Penguins 24 How do Anna, Kristoff, and Olaf gain entrance to Elsa's palace? An ice slide A secret passage A long staircase A snow portal 25 What does Kristoff say when he is asked to stay behind as Anna enters Elsa's palace? "Ice is my life!" "This is when you'll need me most!" "I came so far to see this!" "You'll catch a cold!" 26 Everyone knows that Olaf is the name of the heroic snowman who dreams of summer fun. But what's the name of the other snowman that Elsa builds to protect her ice palace? Snowball Marshmallow Rocky Frostor 27 Michael Giaimo, art director on Frozen, was responsible for helping to establish the look and style of the film. What other Disney film did he serve as art director on? Pocahontas The Hunchback of Notre Dame Hercules Mulan 28 Which of these traits is NOT one that the trolls are most impressed by when they meet Anna? Bright eyes Working nose Strong teeth Warm heart 29 According to Hans, what were Anna's supposed last words? Her wish for him to lead the kingdom Her hope that Elsa sees justice Their marriage vows A song from her childhood 30 Who convinces Kristoff to go back and help Arendelle? Anna Olaf Sven The Trolls 31 Whose true love finally saves Anna's life from a cold and icy fate? Kristoff Olaf Sven The sisters save each other 1 of 31 You got a perfect score! You’re probably sitting beneath your own personal flurry right now, aren’t you? You are a Frozen expert and we all envy your greatness. Release your up-do into a braid and raise your arms in the air; it looks like you’re the queen! But to be sure, you’d better find out which Frozen character you are! Share on Facebook Share on Pinterest Share on Twitter Take this quiz again! You got {%result value%} out of 31 correct! With an exceptional score like that, you’re just the valiant, pungent, reindeer king that the people of Arendelle have been waiting for! With a little more work, you’ll be scoring 100% in no time. Since you’re such a big fan, you should take our “Which Frozen Character Are You” quiz to find out who you match up the closest with. Share on Facebook Share on Pinterest Share on Twitter Take this quiz again! You got {%result value%} out of 31 correct! Can we just say something crazy? You are clearly a huge Frozen fan. If you want to take a deeper dive behind the scenes of the film, “The Art of Frozen” is an incredible book that will teach you all about how Frozen was made. And don’t forget to take the “Which Frozen Character Are You” quiz to find out who you match up the closest with. Share on Facebook Share on Pinterest Share on Twitter Take this quiz again! You got {%result value%} out of 31 correct! So your quiz-taking performance was a bit of a fixer-upper… Next time we’re sure you’ll do better! If you need to do a bit of research, we have tons of Frozen articles, quizzes, and more for you to browse through, and a quiz that will tell you which Frozen character you are! Share on Facebook Share on Pinterest Share on Twitter Take this quiz again!
To extend your Frozen fix, check out all of the other great Frozen articles on Disney Blogs and take a quiz that will tell you which Frozen character you are!
Posted 5 years AgoCouple found dead in their Marin County home IDd
Marin County Sheriff’s deputies were at the scene in Novato where two people were found dead with gunshot wounds inside a home. Marin County Sheriff’s deputies were at the scene in Novato where two people were found dead with gunshot wounds inside a home. Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Couple found dead in their Marin County home IDd 1 / 1 Back to Gallery
An 84-year-old man and his 79-year-old wife found dead Wednesday from apparent gunshot wounds in their home near Novato were identified Thursday by police.
Michael and Anita Puig De Vall were found dead by family members about 8:30 a.m. Wednesday on the 600 block of Bugeia Lane in an unincorporated area of Marin County, said Lt. Doug Pittman of the Marin County Sheriff’s Office.
Investigators were looking into whether the death was a murder-suicide.
Paul Bourke, who lived next door to the couple, said he would often see them outside of their home and wave, though he didn’t know them personally.
“I’m just shocked,” he said. “I’m sad to hear anything like this happen to anyone.”
Sarah Ravani is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: sravani@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SarRavaniFrom Forbidden Planet, the first film to feature an entirely electronic score, to Wendy Carlos’ switched-on Baroque synth in A Clockwork Orange, electronic music has always been strongly associated with science fiction.
Watching sci-fi, audiences expect to hear “futuristic” music, for which electronic bleeps and synthesized tones are a kind of shorthand. Unlike analogue instruments, which perpetually journey towards entropy, electronic tones suggest something empirical. And in our minds, the future is nothing if not precise, a time when things have been figured out—when margins of error have been nudged into obscurity.
Scoring science fiction with electronics also sidesteps the tricky proposition of considering authentically futuristic music: How to create a score which reasonably evokes a time beyond our own? Every component of music is subjective, and perpetually in flux. Language changes quickly from moment to moment, from generation to generation, from place to place. S |
real’ marriage, that such lesser relationships cannot have the name of marriage.’’
Although the legislature has determined that same sex couples are entitled to ‘‘all the same benefits, protections and responsibilities... [that] are granted to spouses in a marriage’’; General Statutes § 46b-38nn; the legislature nonetheless created an entirely separate and distinct legal entity for same sex couples even though it readily could have made those same rights available to same sex couples by permitting them to marry. In view of the exalted status of marriage in our society, it is hardly surprising that civil unions are perceived to be inferior to marriage. We therefore agree with the plaintiffs that ‘‘[m]aintaining a second-class citizen status for same-sex couples by excluding them from the institution of civil marriage is the constitutional infirmity at issue.’
Although marriage and civil unions do embody the same legal rights under our law, they are by no means ‘‘equal.’’
Gay persons have been subjected to and stigmatized by a long
history of purposeful and invidious discrimination that continues to manifest itself in society. The characteristic that defines the members of this group—attraction to persons of the same sex—bears no logical relationship to their ability to perform in society, either in
familial relations or otherwise as productive citizens. Because sexual orientation is such an essential component of personhood, even if there is some possibility that a person’s sexual preference can be altered, it
would be wholly unacceptable for the state to require anyone to do so. Gay persons also represent a distinct minority of the population. It is true, of course, that gay persons recently have made significant advances
in obtaining equal treatment under the law. Nonetheless, we conclude that, as a minority group that continues to suffer the enduring effects of centuries of legally sanctioned discrimination, laws singling them out for disparate treatment are subject to heightened judicial scrutiny to ensure that those laws are not the product of such historical prejudice and stereotyping.
Okay, I'm about a third of the way through the case, but I have to take a break to do some actual work. I'll try to make my way through the rest of the case as soon as I can.One Product Manager at OnePlus recently took to Chinese Q&A board Zhihu to address some recent criticism of the OnePlus 5's design. With the Shenzhen, Guangdong-based original equipment manufacturer (OEM) recently revealing the first official render of its latest Android flagship, some consumers took online to voice their displeasure about its overall look, criticizing the company for making a device that features an unappealing camera bump and is too similar to the Apple iPhone 7 series, among other things. The firm's employee drew a parallel between those reactions and those that surfaced following the unveiling of the OnePlus 3, stating that they still remember how some consumers were mocking images of the device published by Chinese telecommunications regulator TENAA and saying that the phone was "generic" and "ugly." Many of those same critics later changed their minds after getting the opportunity to use the OnePlus 3, the company's Product Manager said, adding how they believe history will repeat itself with the OnePlus 5.
The same source added that "a flat picture" can hardly be completely representative of an actual device, asserting that consumers should give the OnePlus 5 a chance before making any final conclusions on the handset. The Product Manager also specifically referred to the criticism of the camera bump present on the rear panel of the OnePlus 5, stating that smartphone development is an "art" that requires making compromises and currently doesn't allow for high-end image quality in a completely flat setup. In an effort to significantly improve the photo and video recording capabilities of the OnePlus 5 over those of its predecessor, the Chinese consumer electronics manufacturer had no choice but to design a device whose imaging setup protrudes through its back plate, the company's employee said.
All of the aforementioned arguments may be substantiated after the OnePlus 5 hits the market later this month, with the handset being scheduled for an official unveiling on June 20. According to earlier reports, the BBK Electronics-owned company is planning to release the OnePlus 5 shortly after announcing it and will be offering it in two variants boasting 6GB of RAM /64GB of flash memory and 8GB RAM / 128GB of storage space, respectively. Both models will be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 and offered in a handful of colors, according to previous teasers released by the Chinese OEM.New York Times columnist Charles Blow on CNN New Day discussing Trump's minority outreach effort (Screen capture)
New York Times columnist Charles Blow advised the press this week not to normalize President Donald Trump’s ceaseless lying.
Earlier this week, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer complained that the “default narrative” presented by the press is “always negative, and it’s demoralizing.”
“No, sir, the default is to call a lie a lie; lies are negative because they are the opposite of the truth; and Trump continuously lies,” Blow explains in his Times column on Thursday. “Also, he who is devoid of morality is immune to demoralization. You can’t wring water from a rock.”
“Donald Trump is a proven liar. He lies often and effortlessly. He lies about the profound and the trivial. He lies to avoid guilt and invite glory. He lies when his pride is injured and when his pomposity is challenged.”
Blow asserts that Trump’s gag order on federal agencies communicating with the public is a symptom of his impulsive lying. And in another recent example, Trump doubled down on a lie about winning he popular vote by vowing to order an investigation into so-called voter fraud.
“This is just like Trump, whose inclination is never to admit a mistake, and instead to redouble his self-righteousness even in the midst of his wrong,” Blow says. “This statement weakens our democracy and strengthens voter suppression efforts.”
“Our president is a pathological liar. Say it. Write it. Never become inured to it. And dispense with the terms of art to describe it,” Blow concludes. “A lie by any other name portends the same.”POMPANO BEACH (CBS4) – Aline Leca is a pharmacy technician with an investigator’s mind.
During one week in early July, Leca says she turned in three customers to the Broward Sheriff’s Office at the North Broward Pharmacy for trying to get their hands on powerful prescription drugs through fraudulent means.
Surveillance cameras from the pharmacy captured video of officers taking down one suspect.
In a separate case, according to a search warrant, Leca’s tip led to the arrest of Noel Sinclair on charges of doctor shopping and trafficking in Oxycodone on July 5.
Leca used a drug monitoring program — similar to one that will be implemented by the state on September 1st — to discover that Sinclair had filled a prescription for Oxycodone 12 days earlier at a different pharmacy. After BSO investigators arrested Sinclair, they found 348 Oxycodone pills in his car and more than $10-thousand dollars cash.
The report says Sinclair “admitted to doctor shopping to obtain large amounts of Oxycodone.”
“I’m happy,” Leca told CBS 4’s Carey Codd. “I put someone…that’s not going to be doing trafficking out there anymore.”
Leca said the people she believes are doctor shopping — or using other fraudulent means to try and obtain prescription drugs like using phony prescriptions — play dumb when she questions them.
“They still lie right to your face,” she said. “They make an excuse, (saying) ‘Oh, I didn’t know.’ It’s all over the news.”
Leca showed us the database the pharmacy uses to voluntarily perform a safety check on each customer. The database shows how recently a person got a prescription filled or tried to have one filled. If it’s within 30 days, it raises a red flag.
The goal of the state Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) is to allow doctors and pharmacy’s to communicate and make sure patients are not visiting multiple doctors to get drugs illegally.
Leca believes it will make a difference.
“I didn’t want to have my daughters growing in the world with all kinds of drugs out there,” she said. “If I can eliminate it as much as I can of Oxycodone out there, I will.”
Law enforcement sources say until the state PDMP is in place they won’t know what difference it will make. Investigators hope the program reduces the illegal sale of prescription drugs, cuts down on the amount of people addicted to prescription drugs and stops people from out of state from using I-95 as the Oxycontin Express.Intelligence officials say that the Islamic State group is planning "imminent" attacks on Jewish schools in Turkey, UK based Sky News reports.
According to the Sky News report, the information was collected from six IS operatives who were questioned after being arrested in the southern Turkish city of the southern city of Gaziantep the last week.
The most likely target, Sky News says, is the Synagogue in Istanbul's Beyoglu district. The Synagogue has a school and a community center attached to it.
A security source told Sky News that "in light of these circumstances, extraordinary security measures are being taken above and beyond the high alert level already in place by the Turkish police, as well as vigilance within the Jewish community."
Israel tells citizens to leave Turkey
The Israeli government issued a notice to its citizens in Turkey to leave the country "as soon as possible," citing an increased threat of terror attacks in the wake of a string of bombings in the country's major towns.
Increasing the threat level from two — a low-level concrete threat — to three — a high-level concrete threat — the government also advised Israelis not to visit Turkey.
The warning emphasized the threat from the Islamic State to tourist targets throughout Turkey, especially Israeli tourists.
On March 19, three Israelis and an Iranian were killed when a suicide bombing ripped through a famous shopping street in central Istanbul on Saturday, killing four people.
A DNA test on remains found at the scene of the blast showed that the suicide bomber was a known Islamic State sympathizer.
A total of eleven Israelis were injured in the attack, the Israeli foreign ministry said, with two reported to be in serious condition, two in moderate condition, and six with minor injuries.
On March 13, a suicide bombing in Ankara killed 35, claimed by a branch of outlawed Kurdish separatist group the PKK, against whom Turkey is waging an all-out assault following dozens of attacks against Turkish security forces in the southeast.
On February 17, 28 people were killed and 61 people were wounded in a car bombing targeting military service vehicles in the Turkish capital Ankara, also blamed on the PKK.
The PKK launched an insurgency against the Turkish state in 1984, initially fighting for Kurdish independence although now more for greater autonomy and rights for the country's largest ethnic minority.
The conflict, which has left tens of thousands of people dead, looked like it could be nearing a resolution until an uneasy truce was shattered in July.
Meanwhile, Turkey is also battling the Islamic State group's increased presence in the country. The terrorist organization is behind three of the five suicide bombings to have been carried out in Turkey since July 2015.
Read more:
Israelis wounded in deadly Istanbul blast flown home
Analysis: The Israelis are caught up in Turkey's bloody triangleThe baseball draft is half a century old this year. And maybe it’s time for it to go.
The draft has become an overly complicated machine, jammed with additions of moving parts, that is increasingly grinding innocent ballplayers between its gears. Trying to serve several purposes at once, it manages to be insufficient in some areas and redundant in others. It is, to use old-fashioned computer lingo, a kludge, and baseball would be better off writing itself some new code.
I have an idea for what that new system should be. Before I set it forth, I’ll sketch out how we reached the methods of recruiting new baseball talent we have today. Those thoroughly familiar with them may skip the coming section, but it’s not really that painful, and I do link to another THT writer’s work.
Where We Are Today
The recruitment of new players into the major leagues has evolved immensely since the beginning. Early on, somebody on or representing your team—the profession of scout didn’t really exist yet—would see fellows playing on a minor-league or college or even high-school team, decide they were good enough, and either buy up their contracts if they were pros or sign them to contracts if they were amateurs. The “scout” was often the manager taking advantage of a day off on the schedule or a trusted veteran player too banged up to play that day.
That ad hoc system developed into one with hired scouts, such as the fabled Dick Kinsella and Paul Krichell. Their recommendations sent many a player to the bigs—and it had to be right to the bigs, because farm systems did not exist, yet. Branch Rickey’s first great baseball innovation made it possible to gain control of many more players without choking the parent team with undeveloped rookies. The role of scouts, with many more slots open for players, flourished.
Eventually, bidding wars for prospects erupted, driving signing bonuses ever higher. Organized baseball tried to control this with the “bonus baby” rules, restricting teams’ abilities to control a player signed for a huge bonus. This was done both to limit labor costs and to keep rich teams from snapping up all the best prospects.
For an overview of this era, Steve Treder’s “Cash in the Cradle” article at THT is well recommended. To touch the main point here, evasions of both the dollar limit and the rostering rules were widely suspected. The rules were changed frequently, until finally the system was scrapped in favor of the amateur free agent draft in 1965.
The draft system has picked up accretions over the years, such as the compensatory round for teams that lost certain players to free agency in the preceding offseason and the more recent “competitive balance” round. Also, several years ago a “slotting” system was instituted by which draft picks were accorded dollar values. Teams had to keep total bonuses within the sum of their slot values, with compounding penalties for overspending the limits. Also, failure to sign a specific pick forfeited the slot value of that pick.
This last rule brought serious consequences in last year’s draft. The Houston Astros chose pitcher Brady Aiken with the first pick in the draft and were ready to pay him a $6.5 million bonus. After his physical, though, Houston greatly cut its offer due to worry over the UCL in his pitching arm. Aiken would not take the lowball offers, even when they rose to $5 million.
This not only cost the Astros Aiken, but two later-round picks also went unsigned because the lost slot value took away Houston’s flexibility to pay them over-slot bonuses. The Astros absorbed dreadful press over the incident, only slightly alleviated when Aiken’s UCL blew out and he had to have Tommy John surgery. The draft setup itself came in for rather less criticism.
The draft covers only the United States (plus its territories) and Canada, though even today that blankets the broad majority of players entering the pro ranks. Most of the rest, primarily from the Caribbean, are acquired as international signings. This used to be open season but has recently come under financial restrictions of its own.
Teams are given bonus pools based, like the draft, on reverse order of winning percentage. This money comes mainly in “slot values,” a leftover from a plan to institute an international draft that didn’t pan out. (The specific slot values can be traded, but only in the slot denominations.) The bonus money may be spent in whatever amounts the teams want. Soft caps on going over pool values bring heavy taxes on the overage and bans on spending over $300,000 on any one player in future signing periods.
For Japan and Korea, there is the posting system. Pre-free agency players can offer themselves to MLB if their teams allow it. MLB clubs then bid for the right to negotiate with that player, the winning bid acting as a transfer fee paid to the original team (if that team accept it). If the winning club can’t come to terms, the posting fee is refunded, and the player stays where he is. With Nippon Pro Baseball, there is now a maximum posting fee of $20 million. No limit exists with South Korea because their players haven’t been in such demand, but after the success of Jung-ho Kang ($5 million posting fee), we might soon see MLB negotiating a ceiling with the Korea Baseball Organization.
Where We Could Go
The system—no, systems—in place today have grown overly complex. The main draft, as the Aiken incident shows, can penalize some players for problems between other draftees and the drafting team. The three pipelines to MLB have been created without thought to making them work together, not to mention individually. It’s time they were re-created so they did.
The Streaks: Drysdale and Hershiser in Parallel by Shane Tourtellotte Two consecutive scoreless innings pitched streaks bound two hurlers together in history.
The prime component of all three entry methods is money. The First Year draft has its slot values and spending caps. So do international signings despite not being a draft. The posting systems are all about compensating other major professional teams monetarily for the loss of a valuable player. Any reformed system needs to acknowledge the primacy of money in its functions.
What I propose is the abolition of the First Year draft and the gathering of all signings (except from posting nations) under a single umbrella. Each of the 30 teams will be assigned a pool of money, higher for the less successful teams in the previous season, as the caps are today. Over the following 12 months, they will spend from that pool to give bonuses to all the new players they sign: high school and college, domestic and international.
Choosing a start/end date for the pool poses a problem. The beginning of July would match the current cutoff for international signings and give a decent cushion after the close of the high school and college baseball seasons. The trouble is that pool sizes would be determined by finishing order the previous October. With a July start, it would be nine months before the season’s results began to affect signings and 21 months until it stopped. The lag time is too long and distorting.
It instead probably should be a calendar-year pool, which at least will be easy for fans to remember. This would leave a six-month gap to bridge when changing systems. MLB could calculate pro rata shares of the preceding draft and international pools. They could then either use those values as a discrete pool for those six months only or let them carry over into the first year of the new system.
The current signing pool caps are soft, with a rising scale of punishments as a team goes further over the maximum. I lean toward a hard cap, though it’s less a necessity for the plan than a personal preference. Soft caps are a bit pusillanimous, like drawing a line in the sand, then backing up and drawing another, and another. Sometimes a league needs to commit.
This could produce a hitch with Cuban players. Teams have blown through the international soft caps to sign high-profile Cubans, accepting restrictions to their signings in subsequent years to grab talents like Yoenis Cespedes and Yasiel Puig. Harden the caps, and you imperil those big contracts. A significant bump in the level of the new hard cap could accommodate teams gunning for Cuban talent, giving them room if they accept signing fewer American and Caribbean prospects as the price.
Even without a Cuban adjustment, the size of pool values will be higher than the sum of today’s domestic and international caps. Today’s domestic draft pool covers just the first 10 rounds plus high bonuses over $100,000 for later picks, meaning there is more spending happening than is covered by the caps. Instead of losing or gaining draft picks for signing or surrendering free agents, teams will lose or gain additional money to their pools. The competitive balance round likewise can be converted to additional pool money.
Players signed to baseball academy leagues in the Dominican Republic and Venezuela also would fall under the umbrella. These leagues exist to give young Latin American players a chance to develop without the complications of culture shock from playing in the U.S. (and Canada). Since all 30 teams have involvement in these leagues, there’s no real advantage for any team to gain. The cap probably will be nudged a bit higher to accommodate these players.
There will be no individual caps. Teams may spend as much on a single player as they wish, subject to the limits of their pools, which won’t be diminished by the failure to sign a prospect. There will be no more warped results where not spending on one player leaves a team with less to spend on another.
Of course, the occasional prospect will be stuck when a suitor spends so much on others there’s no longer enough room under the cap to sign him. He will have to content himself with whatever deal he can get from the other 29 teams in the league.
I considered bringing the posting system into this grand scheme, but on reflection I have declined because it doesn’t really fit. The North American and Latin American prospects are entering the pool of pro baseball players. Those being posted already have been pros for years. Their case is much closer to free agency than to initial signing, and the two shouldn’t be mingled.
Pluses and Minuses
The system I’ve proposed would have a number of beneficial effects, and to be honest would raise a few problems, as well. Naturally enough, I will look at the pros first.
1. Simplification
Systems made and maintained by humans tend toward added complexity. That complexity brings friction and waste and easily can slide into diminishing returns. MLB tried to get too complexly smart with its latest draft system, and the Aiken debacle was one result. The next CBA could see an altered system with added complexity, trying to fix the previous iteration but producing more opportunities for unintended consequences and unfair results.
Better, I think, to decide what core effects you are trying to produce with the current system and strip it down to the leanest design that will give you those effects. We don’t need both a draft and a restriction of bonuses to get the competitive results MLB is seeking. Just the latter will do, so just the latter should be used. My preference for a hard cap over escalating penalties fits in this category, as well.
2. More flexibility for teams
With today’s system, baseball teams can spend so much signing new players in North America, and so much internationally, and that’s it. The spending ratio this produces may not be the ideal one. Perhaps teams would be better off putting more money into American players, or maybe they’d be better off concentrating on the Caribbean.
I don’t claim to know what ratio is right, and I don’t have to. With the internal barriers taken down, the teams can make those calculations for themselves, going hard one way or the other, or taking a middle course. May the smartest front offices profit from their decisions. Would we sabermetricians want it any other way?
3. Greater autonomy for prospects
This easily could be the strongest selling point of the system to a skeptical public. For the last half century, drafted players could take it or leave it: sign with the team that drafted them or go do something else with their lives. For high-schoolers, “something else” includes college ball, giving them some negotiating leverage, but their options still are narrow.
With the draft ended, their options expand. Teams can bid openly, and competitively, for their services. Competition will push their bonuses up (subject to the countervailing weight of the caps, so don’t expect runaway inflation). Prospects will have choices, which will even include not signing for the biggest number. A kid who has always dreamed of playing for his favorite team will have far better than a one-in-30 chance of putting himself on the road to attaining his wish.
Giving greater freedom to kids as they jockey to enter the pro ranks would be excellent PR for baseball. There’s been recent grumbling (and lawsuits) over the terrible pay in the low minors, from a sense that players at this level are being exploited. The best way to alter perceptions is to change the underlying reality, and my draft-less system does that.
4. Reviving the art of scouting
It’s not that scouting itself has been eclipsed in the draft era, but the full competitive aspect has. You’re not hustling down America’s back roads to sign some obscure natural before others track him down, you’re fighting to move your prospect up a line or two on your team’s draft board. International scouting still has some of that hustle, though, and maybe North America should get it back.
It won’t be the same as the 1950s, of course. In an age of smartphone videos and YouTube, no phenom will stay any enterprising scout’s secret. But there still will be rich rewards for the discerning eye and the ability to form a bond of trust with some fresh kid with a future. Also, with the level of competition kicked up, teams will want more eyes, meaning more jobs for lifers who live and breathe baseball. Strengthening this unseen pillar of baseball is no bad thing.
There could, though, be a couple bad things that come with abolition of the draft.
1. Dodging the cap
Hinging the whole system upon money could tempt some front offices into a spot of fraud here and there. Some quiet money under the table to a hot prospect, to supplement the above-board bonus he’s getting, could make it easier to get great players while squeezing in under the cap. The last thing baseball needs is a lot of people doing something dirty while the league turns a blind, or at least bleary, eye.
Granted, it isn’t as if today’s system is immune to such worries. There is incentive now to use secret payments to skirt the caps. Hopefully the reason we haven’t heard of any teams doing this is because they fear the consequences, not because they’re too slick to get caught. My system, though, would make the incentive clearer, and MLB would need to show strong oversight to keep some struggling GM from taking a chance.
2. Losing Draft Day
MLB in the last few years has been trying to turn its draft into a promotional extravaganza similar to those of the NFL and NBA. Get rid of the draft, and you’ve given away that goal, making all that work a waste. Maybe this is a problem, but I don’t think so, because I believe MLB is chasing something here it can not catch.
The NFL and NBA drafts have an immediate impact, which brings an immediate interest to watching them, the MLB draft can not have. Other sports’ new players will be expected to turn a team’s fortunes the very next season. In baseball, the timetable for a draftee’s arrival and impact is measured in years, not months. Brandon Finnegan’s leap from the College World Series in June 2014 to the World Series in October of the same year was a great storyline, but largely because a player reaching the majors during the year he is drafted is so uncommon. (And kudos if any commentator said drafting Finnegan would boost Kansas City’s playoff run, but I don’t believe anyone was thinking that way.)
Additionally, the draft’s timing undermines MLB’s promotional goals. The NFL draft comes in April, deep in the offseason, giving a jolt of passion when it’s flagging most. The NBA holds its draft soon after the Finals but still when there’s no other basketball news. Baseball’s draft comes smack in June, fighting with its own slate of games for publicity. Without a huge disruptive change in the draft’s timing, MLB cannot get the promotional benefit from it that other sports do.
Cancelling draft day thus costs far less in utilitarian terms than MLB may fear. The greatest cost from leaving the field might come from sports reporters and commentators painting the move as a retreat from competing with the NFL and NBA, an admission of failure. This leads to the final negative, and probably the hardest to refute.
3. Public perception
Doing away with the draft could bring a firestorm of criticism upon MLB’s head. The headlines and hot takes (facts optional) are easy to imagine. Baseball’s dumping its only guarantor of fairness, so the rich are getting richer, and the players are getting used! It’s an act of desperation, more proof baseball is dying! They’re doing something differently from the other sports, so it must be wrong!
This last line of thinking irks me. Baseball does not have to be like every other sport, any more than other sports have to be like each other, or like baseball. It should not be afraid to be unique, especially as a good part of its appeal comes from its image as a unique part of American culture. The question should be, “Does it work for baseball?” I believe it would.
It’s still necessary to persuade the public that it’s a good, or at least not an evil that should turn them from the game. My method would be forthrightly stating what baseball is trying to accomplish with the new system. Harp on the first three positives* I listed, especially the third. Cutting red tape should resonate with the average fan, broader options for teams might, but greater freedom for new players would be the greatest tool in placating critics.
* The flourishing of scouts is, literally, inside baseball. Don’t complicate things making that case.
Perhaps I’m anticipating more trouble than there would be. I’ll live with that. Better to be prepared for woes that don’t come than to be blindsided and fumble for a response. Besides, I’m trying to be fair in balancing the positives of my not-so-modest proposal.
Conclusion
Do I think baseball will adopt this system or something close to it? Perspective check: I’m one man with no real fame or influence writing at a baseball site. The chances I could push baseball into a reform like this are about the same as a single game having three triple plays, one of them unassisted.
But to give credit where it’s due, Commissioner Rob Manfred might just be the person to make such a leap. In his short tenure in office, he’s shown on several occasions he is open to radical ideas in baseball. He isn’t always embracing them—note the very short kerfuffle over a possible ban of defensive overshifts—but he will give them a hearing. And if the media and Internet don’t rise up in horror as in the overshift matter, he may give them serious thought.
The draft, and international signings, deserve that serious thought. My further opinion is that such serious thought will bring the conclusion that they deserve a better system than they have. Once that is decided, many things are possible. Even something as wild as an obscure baseball writer thinking up the new signing system before the Commissioner of Baseball does.
Or even something as wild as a THT Comments section coming up with the new signing system. Because I don’t imagine I’m going to be the last word here.
References and ResourcesHere’s Tension in your first sentence from my book, Flogging the Quill, Crafting a Novel that Sells.
There’s a reason for working to create tension with your very first sentence—it leads to the second sentence, and you draw your reader into your story sentence by sentence by sentence. It’s clear that each sentence on the first page is charged with the responsibility to KEEP READERS MOVING FORWARD.
When you send a sample to an agent, or when an editor turns to your first page, you are on trial. Not just your work, but your ability. The agent/editor wants to know, can this writer engage me? Can this writer use language to make me read his story?
The story is on trial as well. You get a few hundred words to make your initial case that the journey through the next 80,000 words is worth it, and will reward your reader with a helluva reading experience.
And it all starts with that first line.
But there are so many things in your mind when you craft that first sentence—setting the scene, or characterizing, or creating action, or whatever—it’s entirely possible to miss seeing a lack of tension.
Take me, for example. In one of my novels, I’d reworked that bloody first sentence scores of times, and it had evolved to this:
As I neared one of the bronze lions that guard the Chicago Art Institute, a lean man in a black overcoat aimed a small video camera at me.
While it did what I wanted it to in many ways, including setting the scene and starting with action, it nagged at me that something was missing.
Tension.
I realized that the problem—and the solution—lay in the verb. While “aimed” is descriptive enough, and it gives you a clear picture of the man’s movement, it is otherwise lame. It describes the action, but doesn’t characterize it in a way that can create tension. By the way, I think Stephen King is a master at creating mood and tension in this micro approach to word choice.
In this case, I needed to add a flavor that suggested something was amiss with this action, that there might be jeopardy attached. I didn’t want to be as “on the nose” as something like “threatened.” That wouldn’t make a lot of sense, and would be ham-handed as well. I think the replacement verb below does the trick.
As I neared one of the bronze lions that guard the Chicago Art Institute, a lean man in a black overcoat targeted me with a small video camera.
For me, “targeted” adds an element of purpose to the man’s action. And what do we do with targets? We hit them or shoot at them. That, it seems to me, is implicit in my choice of verb; my protagonist, Annie, feels like a target, and that adds tension.
In addition, since we’re in Annie’s point of view, this adds to characterization because it’s her interpretation of the normally innocent action that lets the reader know that, for some reason, she sees it as a threat.
This is a tiny bit of writing for effect, true, but it contributes to the aggregate that delivers her experience.
After finding this soft spot in my own work, I decided to go through the many samples writers have sent to me and see how their first sentences fared in terms of creating some sense of tension. For example:
In the moment after midnight, the world held its breath.
For me, lots of tension there. Why did the world hold its breath? Why at midnight? What’s happening? Here’s another.
There’s something there.
I like that one, too. There’s menace in those three words, and I want to know more. A bit of dialogue opened the next sample.
“They’re belly beads.”
Hmm. Kinda interesting, but no hint of tension. In looking at the rest of the sample, there was no tension in the opening paragraphs. This writer will have to dig deeper.
Next, from a published novel, Nectar from a Stone, by Jane Guill.
Maelgwyn’s “husbandly attention,” as he called it, went on and on.
That opening line is packed with information and, for me, tension. In those eleven words I get the idea that sex is happening; that the recipient of Maelgwyn’s attention doesn’t think of it the same way that he does; and that she doesn’t like it. This opening both establishes a relationship and smacks of the tension in it.
Here’s another from a published work, E.B. White’s Charlotte’s Web.
“Where’s Papa going with that ax?”
I defy anyone to not rush to the next sentence. Now back to some of the samples sent to me by unpublished writers.
Allison could sense something was wrong all the way to the roots of her fur.
There’s tension alluded to here, but it doesn’t grab me. I think it’s the fact that I’m being told about the tension (“something was wrong”) rather than being shown. I took another part of the opening paragraph and added it in this way:
Allison’s father stepped into the doorway, and she tensed all the way to the roots of her fur.
That’s a start at raising story questions and writing for effect. What about this one?
Inspector Steve Masters of the National Security Branch watched her stride down the airport concourse.
Only the man’s title and the “Security Branch” hint at tension, and vaguely. The lack lies in the action—just watching someone isn’t tension-provoking. How about just a couple of tweaks...
Inspector Steve Masters of the National Security Branch tracked his target through the airport concourse.
Another example:
Grace stirred in bed, kept her eyes closed.
Nope. But a few sentences later, the writer had this:
A floorboard creaked beneath the worn carpet.
Now, if that had been the first sentence, and then we had Grace stirring but keeping her eyes closed, I would wonder what Grace isn’t seeing that makes the floor creak—there would be tension afoot. Next:
Boccaha was a small fat balding man with bad teeth.
That simple description caused no tightening in my mind. For one thing, he’s not doing anything, as far as we can see. As it happened in this sample, it took a couple of hundred words of exposition before anything actually happened.
Here’s an opening (very long) sentence that focuses on scene.
A crisp, bitter winter wind knifed between the buildings of downtown Seattle, slashing like transparent rapids through the alleys and streets, seeping into the cracks around doors and windows, and stealing under people’s coats and hats as nature sought to balance hot and cold.
While I applaud the writer’s effort to set the scene, and he has given thought to using active verbs, all we’re really seeing is a windy day. No tension here. As it happened, his second paragraph started this way:
Darren McAllister’s stiffening body lay face-up in a green, rusted metal Dumpster, half-hidden by discarded pizza boxes and a bulging black plastic trash bag.
Okay, now you’ve got me. Add the wind in later, if you must, but give me tension to begin with. Interestingly, writers often have a real grabber of an opening sentence that comes later in the narrative.
Here’s a writer who didn’t wait around.
She couldn’t run any more, but she didn’t dare stop.
Applause, applause. I want more. Guaranteed that I’ll move on to the next sentence, and the writer increases her chances of hooking me. How about this one?
The Reverend David Wilcox was walking slowly across the wet grass towards the rectory, where his friend Dr Alex Greer was waiting for him.
No sale. This was from a murder mystery. Not even enhancing the verbs (“walking slowly” needs help) would add edge to this simple movement. But about 1,200 words later in the story was this sentence:
He lowered the pillow over Emily’s face and pressed down firmly.
Now we’re talking.
Go to the first line on your first page. If there’s no tension, look for a way to add it—there’s an agent or editor waiting to drop the blade like an executioner if he’s not lured further into the story.
For what it’s worth
Ray
© 2010 Ray Rhamey |
9, for example, life expectancy at birth climbed by 1½ years.
The current decline is said to be due to the opioid epidemic, which has produced a rapid increase in overdose deaths.
But what's driving the opioid epidemic?
This is where things get interesting. Last year, Time magazine reported that ObamaCare was at least partly to blame. Under ObamaCare, Medicare payments to hospitals are conditioned in part on a patient satisfaction survey, which included questions on pain management. That, in turn, health officials said, created an incentive for hospitals to overprescribe opioids.
In recognition of this problem, Obama removed pain management from the questionnaire in late 2016.
If that misguided policy wasn't a driving force, there is clearly a correlation between ObamaCare and the opioid crisis. Overdose data from the CDC show a sharp spike in the trend in non-heroin opioid overdoses starting precisely in 2014 — the very year ObamaCare went into effect.
What's more, there's evidence to suggest that opioid deaths increased faster in states that expanded Medicaid under ObamaCare than those states that didn't.
So, it's at least possible that ObamaCare, by expanding access to prescription drugs and pushing hospitals to prescribe them, helped fuel the current epidemic. And in doing so, it helped to shorten life expectancy. That would be supremely ironic.
At the very least, the data show that expanding insurance and health outcomes aren't as closely linked as ObamaCare advocates claim. Otherwise, life expectancy would have risen along with the gains in coverage.
As we have noted before, lifestyle choices — driving habits, drug use, crime, obesity — matter as much, if not more, than insurance when it comes to overall health. So, too, does economic prosperity, of which we have seen precious little since 2009.
Had the government devoted all that ObamaCare money to things like drug prevention and pro-growth economic policies instead, maybe life expectancy in this country would still be climbing.
RELATED:
Proof That Those International Health Care Comparisons Are Bogus
ObamaCare Is Fueling America's Opioid Epidemic?!
Who Says We Spend 'Too Much' On Health Care?
More Commentary and Opinion from Investor's Business Daily.
Want to make more money in the stock market? Start with IBD University.So my “cage match” with Mark Shea is over. As for the inevitable question “Who won?”, there is nothing so graceless as a debater who publishes a post-debate article on “How I won the debate with X” or who quotes people who tell him that he won the debate with X.
I will let the people in the audience decide who had the better of the argument, along with those who watch the video or audio when they are posted on the Argument of the Month (AOTM) or The Remnant website. You can also check the Remnant’s home and Facebook pages for reactions on how the evening went.
There is, however, one undeniable winner of this debate: AOTM. I don’t think there is any Catholic venue in the world where, with little or no local promotion, 400 + Catholic men show up every month to sit in the hall of a church basement to watch debates on issues pertaining to the Faith. What is the motive?
I don’t think’s it’s the beer, wine and hearty food that are part of the proceedings. Those can be had anywhere without the sacrifice of a weeknight of leisure. These crowds of men show up because they care deeply about the state of the Church and they want to make sense of an increasingly bizarre and frightening situation. They want to know why, for example—as one questioner related during the Q & A session—the principal of a Catholic school in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul area backed down and apologized after defending a parish priest who had dared to speak against “gay marriage.” They want to know why Catholic schools are not teaching the Catholic faith but rather undermining it, why the liturgy is a joke, why the priesthood has been feminized, and why even Protestants are recognizing that the Church appears to have “gone liberal.”
It is not enough to say “Well, the Church has always been in crisis” and leave it at that, for that is an invitation to quietism and silence about the failure of the shepherds to lead the sheep, who have massively wandered away from the doctrines of the Faith even as they continue to sit in the pews of liberalized parishes where political correctness trumps the Magisterium almost everywhere in the Catholic world. There has never been an ecclesial crisis like this. How did it happen? The late, great Dietrich von Hildebrand provided the answer soon after the Second Vatican Council’s endlessly vaunted but actually disastrous “opening to the world”: “
the poison of our epoch is slowly seeping into the Church Herself, and many have failed to recognize the apocalyptic decline of our time.”
Today, we witness what John Paul II admitted in 2003 is nothing less than “silent apostasy” throughout former Christendom. That stunning admission is directly related to the Pope’s earlier admission, in Crossing the Threshold of Hope, that on account of the Council’s novel “cosmic vision” of salvation, the traditional focus on the individual soul and its particular judgment has been lost, the Four Last Things have been forgotten and “one no longer speaks of these things in evangelization,” and, quite simply, Catholic churchmen “have lost the courage to preach the threat of hell”—a situation about which John Paul II himself did little beyond admitting its existence.
That there can be no evangelization worthy of the name without reference to Death, Judgment, Heaven and Hell is what led to the proposition I debated with Shea: “The modern Catholic Church has effectively abandoned the Great Commission.” The very reason for the Great Commission is to make converts in order to save their souls from hell by translating them from their fallen state into the state of sanctifying grace: “He who believes and his baptized shall be saved; he who believes not shall be condemned.” Virtually no one in the post-conciliar hierarchy even intimates the absolute urgency of that divine warning to those outside the Church, or even to those within her visible confines who defy her most fundamental teachings on faith and morals.
Appropriately enough, then, the debate was introduced by something that could not be more perfectly emblematic of the hierarchy’s widespread defection from its evangelical duty:
conveying Pope Francis’s “universal” prayer intention for the month of January: “interreligious dialogue.” (What else?) A Buddhist, a Muslim, a Jew and a Catholic priest each recite the object of their worship, solemnly declare “I believe in love,” and then hold symbols of their respective religions next to each other in a montage of pretended harmony between irreconcilable creeds, only one of which is the way to salvation: the “royal way of the Cross.”
As for the Cross, the only Catholic symbol displayed in the video is a plastic Baby Jesus removed from its crèche and the Holy Family.
Evidently the perpetrators of this mockery of what
called “the one true religion” and “the
one Church of Christ” were afraid to display the one true religion’s most important symbol: Christ Crucified. Thus
Francis reads from a script that hides even his version of a pectoral cross (on which there is no Corpus but a only shepherd boy in a knee length kilt). Reading from that script, Francis declares that “most of the planet’s inhabitants declare themselves believers” and that “many think differently, feel differently” but “are
seeking God or meeting God in different ways…” The Vicar of Christ, failing to mention Christ even in passing, concludes:
“There is only one certainty we have for all: that we are all children of God.”
Actually, no we aren’t. We become children of God only by virtue of Baptism, which frees fallen man from the dominion of the devil, as the exorcism prayers of the traditional baptismal rite make clear. Indeed, following the pattern of self-contradiction that has apparently characterized his
, four days after the video appeared
that Baptism makes us children of God. Yet again Francis says whatever seems required by the rhetorical needs of the moment.
Predictably enough, the neo-Catholic first responders have rushed to the scene of the latest disaster, with Jimmy Akin scouring the Old Testament for references to God the Father and the “sons of the Lord” under the Old Covenant, as if nothing has changed since the Incarnation and the institution of the New Covenant.
As the video graphically depicted for the audience, the generality of post-Vatican II churchmen, led by the conciliar Popes—for this development
with Francis—have virtually replaced the Gospel of Mathew, Mark, Luke and John with the gospel of John, Paul, George and Ringo. All you need is love. But love of what? Love of whatever you love, as long as you are sincere about loving it. As Francis said in his equally infamous interview with his atheist friend Eugenio Scalfari
(published
by the Vatican publishing house):
“
Everyone has his own idea of good and evil and must choose to follow the good and fight evil as he conceives them. That would be enough to make the world a better place.” Actually, no it wouldn’t. For in our time the world is controlled precisely by men who “call evil good and good evil (Isaiah 5:20).”
In the end, this “cage match” was really not about an argument between Mark Shea and me. Rather, it was about awakening people to the reality that during the post-conciliar epoch of “ecumenism,” “dialogue,” and “interreligious dialogue” the ecclesiastical establishment has buried in silence the warning of God Himself about the eternal consequences of rejecting Christ and His Church. Instead, the vast majority of hierarchs, from the Pope on down, have accepted in practice what Pope Gregory XVI, in his encyclical Mirari vos (1832), condemned as a “perverse opinion” that was already being “
spread on all sides by the fraud of the wicked”: namely, “that it is possible to obtain the eternal salvation of the soul by the profession of any kind of religion, as long as morality is maintained.”
Worse, contemporary Churchmen have accepted in practice that even without morality, the “sincere” person who follows his ill-formed conscience can be saved, and that to say otherwise is “rigorism.” “Notions of this sort,”
, “ have discernibly crippled the disposition to evangelize.” They certainly have. And that was my theme during the debate.
This new attitude in the Church results from what Cardinal Ratzinger called an “almost traumatic aversion many have to what they hold to be ‘pre-conciliar’ Catholicism…” That is what traditionalists have said all along. According to the new mentality, said Ratzinger:
t he erroneous conscience, which makes life easier and marks a more human course, would then be a real grace, the normal way to salvation. Untruth, keeping truth at bay, would be better for man than truth. It would not be the truth that would set him free, but rather he would have to be freed from the truth. Man would be more at home in the dark than in the light. Faith would not be the good gift of the good God but instead an affliction.
The propagation of this view, Ratzinger concluded, “could only be fatal to the faith.” So it has been in vast areas of the Church today, where people who call themselves Catholics do and think whatever they please in open defiance of Church teaching. And Francis’s endless railing against imaginary “rigorists” and “doctors of the law” who lack “mercy”
In Mirari vos,
Gregory XVI commanded the bishops of his day to drive out of the Church “the deadly error” that all “believers” are on the way to salvation and to remind the faithful that “without a doubt, they will perish forever, unless they hold the Catholic faith whole and inviolate…” Who in the hierarchy today is driving out that deadly error as opposed to encouraging its further spread through “ecumenical” and “interreligious” manifestations like that appalling video?
As for the currently popular “ecumenical” notion,
, that baptism alone makes one a member of the Church, Gregory reiterated the constant teaching of the Church to the contrary: “A schismatic flatters himself falsely if he asserts that he, too, has been washed in the waters of regeneration. Indeed Augustine would reply to such a man: ‘The branch has the same form when it has been cut off from the vine; but of what profit for it is the form, if it does not live from the root?’” It would appear that almost nobody in the hierarchy is willing to defend that truth today. The only schismatics left in the world are “radical traditionalist” Catholics, and hell is apparently reserved only to them, the Mafiosi, the arms dealers, and other politically acceptable targets of anathema.
So, who won the debate? I hope the Faith won the debate, and that this event contributed in some way to a greater understanding of the reason for the unprecedented evangelical paralysis the hierarchy now exhibits, both ad intra and ad extra. The post-conciliar crippling of evangelization admitted by Cardinal Ratzinger will end only when the Church’s shepherds, including the universal shepherd, regain the courage to speak fearlessly again about the necessity of the one true Church and the one true religion for the salvation of souls. Until then, at least so far as nearly all of our hierarchs are concerned, the Great Commission is on life support.
URGENT NOTE:
Just as the debate began, Mike Matt had to leave the hall because he received the bad news about his mother’s post-operative stroke. Please redouble your prayers for Marilyn Matt.INDIANAPOLIS -- Take a chance on a player with character issues because of his skill set? Or shy away from the player with character issues to avoid possible distractions?
That's an issue NFL teams tend to face with when it comes to draft prospects. But Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard goes into the draft process with an open mind and doesn't judge a prospect without doing his own thorough background check.
"We are going to research every player," Ballard said. "We are going to vet every player hard. We are going to go A to Z to see what the problems are and see if it's something we want to manage. That's going to come as an organizational decision from [owner Jim] Irsay and from the rest of our ownership down to our marketing. How is it going to impact our fans? We have to weigh all of that before we make a decision on a high-risk character guy."
"We are going to vet every player hard," Chris Ballard said of potential draft picks. "We are going to go A to Z to see what the problems are and see if it's something we want to manage." Brian Spurlock/USA TODAY Sports
This year, one of the prospects with a potential red flag is former Oklahoma running back Joe Mixon, who punched a female student in the face in 2014. He was suspended for the 2014 football season and initially faced a misdemeanor assault charge, but he ended up accepting a plea deal with a year of probation, counseling and 100 hours of community service.
Mixon's off-the-field issues kept him from being invited to the combine earlier this month because of a policy the NFL instituted that bars players from taking part in the combine if they have a misdemeanor or felony conviction that involved violence against women.
Ballard didn't talk about any players specifically, but he said the Colts will do their homework before making a decision. The last thing the Colts -- or any team, for that matter -- want is to have to deal with off-the-field problems when the focus should be on developing players, creating competition and putting the best possible product on the field.
"I tell our scouts this: Ignore the noise," Ballard said. "Let's make our own opinion of people. That's why they pay us to do what we do. Let's go meet the family. Kids make mistakes. These are young kids still growing up and they make mistakes and we have to figure out, that's our job and our organization's job, to figure out the guys that we are willing to take a chance on."
Ballard knows firsthand what it's like to go through the process of researching a player. He played a pivotal role in Kansas City selecting cornerback Marcus Peters in the first round of the 2015 draft. Peters was kicked off the University of Washington football team during his junior year after he had issues with the school's new coaching staff.
The Chiefs sent Ballard, then the team's director of football operations, to Oakland, California, to meet with Peters, his family and high school coaches to get firsthand information on the cornerback. The Chiefs took Peters with the No. 18 pick in the first round and he responded by being named the NFL's Defensive Rookie of the Year after making eight interceptions.
"Chris is a good people person," Chiefs general manager John Dorsey said. "I thought it would be important that I had somebody I trusted to go there [Oakland]. He met with the family and met with everybody in the surroundings. I knew once he came back and gave me his report, I was going to see it through his lens because I know how he thinks. He knows how I think and we see things very alike. I knew what he came back and told me was going to be accurate, and I was good with that."Nestle researchers link IBS to anxiety
Researchers at Nestlé Research Center in Lausanne and Canadian collaborators have found that the microbiome of irritable bowel syndrome patients affects their susceptibility for anxiety disorders.
According to the study, gut bacteria from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) patients and anxiety caused similar symptoms, including behavioural changes in mice. Giada De Palma et al demonstrated that transplantation of fecal microbiota from IBS patients with diarrhea (IBS-D) and anxiety resulted in altered gut function and behaviour in mouse recipients, including faster gastrointestinal transit, low-grade inflammation, and anxiety-like behaviour. As IBS is the most common gastrointestinal disorder worldwide, affecting as many as 45 million people in the US, they recommend to evaluate microbiota-directed therapies in IBS patients.
The authors reported that administration of gut bacteria isolated from IBS patients with anxiety to mice caused the rodents to develop similar pathologies. In contrast, microbes from healthy individuals did not lead to any adverse symptoms. Even though the communities of bacteria from IBS samples and healthy controls were indistinguishable, distinct changes in gene expression and blood metabolite composition were found in animals colonised with IBS fecal microbiota vs. healthy control fecal microbiota. The scientists identified a 22 gene-signature and seven metabolites that differed depending on the source of the gut microbes.
Interestingly, most of the upregulated genes were involved in inflammation and immune function, though some were also implicated in neural development. The findings suggest a potential role for resident gut bacteria in IBS and anxiety and should inform donor-screening for fecal transplants.Tomgram: A Second 9/11 in Slow Motion
[Note for TomDispatch Readers: Make sure to watch the striking interview Bill Moyers just did with Mike Davis on his TV show, based in part on "Can Obama See the Grand Canyon?" -- a piece Davis wrote for this site. On the show, Moyers also said that TomDispatch is "one of my favorite websites"! Tom]
Economic Dirty Bomb Goes Off in New York
With a Whimper, Not a Bang the Old Neighborhood Empties
By Tom Engelhardt
A block from my apartment, on a still largely mom-and-pop, relatively low-slung stretch of Broadway, two spanking new apartment towers rose just as the good times were ending for New York. As I pass the tower on the west side of Broadway each morning, one of its massive ground-floor windows displays the same eternal message in white letters against a bright red background: "Locate yourself at the center of the fastest expanding portion of the affluent Upper West Side."
Successive windows assure any potential renter that this retail space (10,586 square feet available! 110 feet of frontage! 30 foot ceilings! Multiple configurations possible!) is conveniently located only "steps from the 96th Street subway station, servicing 11 million riders annually."
Here's the catch, though: That building was completed as 2007 ended and yet, were you to peer through a window into the gloom beyond, you would make out only a cavernous space of concrete, pillars, and pipes. All those "square feet" and not the slightest evidence that any business is moving in any time soon. Across Broadway, the same thing is true of the other tower.
That once hopeful paean to an "expanding" and "affluent" neighborhood now seems like a notice from a lost era. Those signs, already oddly forlorn only months after our world began its full-scale economic meltdown, now seem like messages in a bottle floating in from BC: Before the Collapse.
And it's not just new buildings having problems either, judging by the increasing number of metal grills and shutters over storefronts in mid-day, all that brown butcher paper covering the insides of windows, or those omnipresent "for rent" and "for lease" signs hawking "retail space" with the names, phone numbers, and websites of real estate agents.
I hadn't paid much attention to any of this until, running late one drizzly evening about a month ago, and needing a piece of meat for dinner, I decided to stop at Oppenheimer's, a butcher shop only three blocks from home. I had shopped there regularly until a new owner came in some years ago, and then the habit slowly died. The store still had its awning ("Oppenheimer, Established 1964, Prime Meats & Seafood") and the same proud boast of "Steaks and Chops Cut to Order, Oven-ready roasts, Fresh-ground meats, Seasonal favorites," but you couldn't miss the "retail space available" sign in the window and, when I put my face to the glass, the shop's insides had been gutted.
Taken aback, I made my way home and said to my wife, "Did you know that Oppenheimer's closed down?" She replied matter-of-factly, "That was months ago."
Okay, that's me, not likely to win an award for awareness of my surroundings. Still, I soon found myself, notebook in hand, walking the neighborhood and looking. Really looking. Now, understand, in New York City, there's nothing strange about small businesses going down, or buildings going up. It's a city that, since birth, has regularly cannibalized itself.
What's strange in my experience -- a New Yorker born and bred -- is when storefronts, once emptied, aren't quickly repopulated.
Broadway in daylight now seems increasingly like an archeological dig in the making. Those storefronts with their fading decals ("Zagat rated") and their old signs look, for all the world, like teeth knocked out of a mouth. In a city in which a section of Broadway was once known as the Great White Way for its profligate use of electricity, and everything normally is aglow at any hour, these dead commercial spaces feel like so many tiny black holes. Get on the wrong set of streets -- Broadway's hardly the worst -- and New York can easily seem like a creeping vision of Hell, not as fire but as darkness slowly snuffing out the blaze of life.
A Stroll in the Neighborhood
Let me take you, then, on a little tour of the new face of my neighborhood. Along the ten blocks closest to my home, the banks (with one exception), the fast food restaurants (Subway, Dunkin' Donuts, Blimpie), and above all the chain drugstores that crowd onto successive blocks (Rite Aid, Walgreens, Duane Reade) still stand. It's the small places that seem to be dropping like flies.
So here we go up those subway steps at 96th where a branch of WaMu (Washington Mutual Bank, placed in receivership by the FDIC in September 2008 and quickly sold to JP Morgan) stands empty. Now, start walking up the east side of Broadway, past Citibank on 96th and the Bank of America at the corner of 97th, until you come to little Alpine Sound Electronics, or the shell of it anyway, where I used to buy my cheap, waterproof watches for my daily swim at the Y. Now it's gone, though an emphatic "sale, sale, sale, sale, sale" sign over the door is a reminder of its final moments.
Take another sec and check out the other side of the street, where at mid-block a canopy advertising "Moroccan & Indian Home Decoratives Aromatherapy Exotic Gifts" still stands, but with a "Store for Rent" sign in the window and a desolate interior -- a couple of ratty shelves, a single chair, a half-filled black garbage bag, and a broom. Right beside it is (or was) a tiny children's clothing store. Its striped awning now sports a gaping hole in its center as if it had been hit by a missile, though its window still says, "Made in New York City enjoyed worldwide!" Not so much today.
But let's not tarry. Keep going past 98th, by that butchered butcher shop, but do note, next to it, another vacancy, the shell that housed a small wine bar and restaurant, Vinacciolo, that came and went. Only two long, bare, narrow tables remain on a floor scattered with trash.
Now, we're almost at 100th, passing those two towers with their unrented frontages and, on the east side of the street, the classic façade of the old Metro movie house, closed to build one tower, and still empty. The cracked glass of the ticket teller's booth backed by plywood gives the neighborhood that distinctive Last Picture Show feel.
Just above 100th on the west side of Broadway is the store once occupied by Sterling Optical. They moved more than two years ago (I followed them faithfully) and the metal security grill has remained in place ever since. Ditto the storefront next to it, empty but for a little hand-lettered sign on the door, "Fedex Please Knock Hard" -- it better be mighty hard! -- and a tiny "Zagat Rated 2006 Shopping Guide" decal on the window.
Well, you get the idea, if you haven't already experienced the equivalent wherever you live. At 101st, A & S Art/Framing ("custom framing and mirrors"), a sliver of a store, has closed up shop. Between 102nd and 103rd, Planet Kids is emptying out. ("After 18 years we are closing on March 31st...") On 103rd, the Royal Kabab & Curry restaurant has, like the optician, moved on to lower-rent digs without being replaced; and, on 105th, Tokyo Pop, a Japanese restaurant, all of whose wait staff mysteriously spoke English with French accents, has also disappeared, though its papered-over windows uniquely promise a "Pizzabar" in the Spring. (I'm not holding my breath.)
Actually, if you head in just about any direction, the toll is apparent. Go south on Broadway from 96th, for instance, and you pass the same proliferating patches of emptiness. At 93rd, the tiny storefront of the all-detective bookstore Murder Ink, which closed on the last day of 2006 (about the moment when this deepening recession officially began) remains unoccupied.
Further south, there are slaughtered neighborhood restaurants galore. Not surprisingly, even in food-mad New York, people are eating out less and our streets, except perhaps on a Saturday night, seem visibly less populated. Near the corner of 91st, Mary Ann's, a festive Tex-Mex spot, bit the dust; just before 90th, the upscale seafood restaurant Docks Oyster Bar shut its doors so recently that its red "restaurant" sign is still lit ("Docks thanks you all for your loyal patronage over the years but this restaurant is now closed"); at the corner of 88th, in the spacious two-floor space that used to house Boulevard (on whose paper tablecloths my kids and I drew faces with restaurant-provided crayons), and then a dizzying succession of restaurants whose names escape me, the bar chairs are carefully stored upside down on the bar and a "For Rent" sign is in the window; and, on 77th, Ruby Foo's, a giant pan-Asian joint, described by Zagat's as "Disneyfied," has shut, too.
Only below 72nd street, where the neighborhood gets noticeably tonier, and the banks (TD, HSBC, Capital One, Chase, Bank of America) begin to breed and multiply, and the urban mall stores (Pottery Barn, Barnes & Noble, The Gap, Bed Bath & Beyond) proliferate, do the deaths end (except for a Circuit City branch at the corner of 67th that went down with that bankrupt chain).
Here, stores are still clean, well-lighted places, though a remarkable number of them sport signs that say: "save up to 50%," "up to 70% off"
9/11, The Sequel
Let's not exaggerate. New York City is not downtown Elkhart, Indiana -- not yet anyway (although the other night on Amsterdam Avenue, just east of Broadway, I noted a block of 12 tiny storefronts, nine of which had been emptied). Yes, rents on avenues like Broadway remain sky-high and, these days, getting a bank loan if you're a small start-up is bloody murder, and the city's zoos are losing their state funding, the hospitals are getting rid of staff, the Metropolitan Museum of Art is having layoffs, the unemployment rate is rising fast, property values are sinking, mass transit riders are facing fare increases as well as major service cuts, and the Greater New York Orchid Society has canceled its annual show. Nonetheless, this global financial capital is still surfing the final modest wavelets of the tsunami of money that flowed through its veins in the good times (some of which continues to head "our" way, thanks to government bailout plans).
Still, as you walk past those patches of darkness, a thought almost can't help but form. For the last seven years, we've been waiting for 9/11, The Sequel, to arrive from Afghanistan or some similar place. The media has regularly featured fantasy scenarios in which Islamic terrorists sneak atomic bombs or "dirty bombs" into cities like New York and set them off. ABC's Charles Gibson even highlighted such a possibility in a Democratic presidential debate. ("I want to go to another question... The next president of the United States may have to deal with a nuclear attack on an American city. I've read a lot about this in recent days. The best nuclear experts in the world say there's a 30 percent chance in the next 10 years...") And the Bush administration claimed as one of its great accomplishments the prevention of a repeat of 9/11.
And yet, in a sense, as on September 11, 2001, maybe we were just looking the wrong way. After all, you might say that an economic dirty bomb did go off in downtown New York and this city (not to say, the nation and the world) has been experiencing a second 9/11 ever since, even if in slow motion.
In my neighborhood, back in those fateful September days in 2001, you could hear the sirens, see the jets streak overhead, catch the acrid smell of the towers and everything chemical in them burning, and like the rest of America, watch those apocalyptic-looking scenes of the towers collapsing in clouds of ash and smoke again and again. But if the look then was apocalyptic, the damage, however grim, was limited.
This time around there's no dust, no ash, no acrid smell, no sirens, no jets, and no brave rescuers either. And yet the effect might, sooner or later, be far more apocalyptic and the lives swallowed up far greater. This time, of course, the fanatical extremists were homegrown. Their "caves" were on Wall Street. They hijacked our economy and did their level best to take down our world.
And they may have come closer than most of us imagine. Alpine Sound and Oppenheimer, Tokyo Pop and Planet Kids, Docks and Ruby Foo's have all gone down (and more are surely headed that way). For the people who owned, or ran, or worked in them, unlike the survivors of the original 9/11, there will be no moving bios in the local papers, no talk of compensation, and no majestic memorials to argue about.
For the perpetrators, who have, at worst, gone home pocketing their millions, there will be no retribution. No invasions will be launched, no missiles shot into homes or hideouts. None of them will be pursued to their lairs, or kidnapped off the streets of New York, or from their palatial mansions, or apartments, or estates. None will be spirited to foreign lands to be imprisoned and tortured. None will be labeled "enemy combatants."
Quite the opposite, in 9/11, The Sequel, the U.S. government is willing to pay many of them and their institutions in the multi-billions for their time and further efforts.
In the second 9/11, all the pain and torture is in the neighborhood.
Tom Engelhardt, co-founder of the American Empire Project, runs the Nation Institute's TomDispatch.com. He is the author of The End of Victory Culture, a history of the Cold War and beyond, as well as of a novel, The Last Days of Publishing. He also edited The World According to TomDispatch: America in the New Age of Empire (Verso, 2008), an alternative history of the mad Bush years.
Copyright 2009 Tom EngelhardtThe millennium. A portal is opened. The chain of time is broken.
A young man is transported into the past, altering the course of history and the outcome of the future. He has to find his way home, but first he must travel to the outer edges of time to repair the world’s chronology. On the way, he encounters strange friends and foes, utilizes incredible devices and vehicles, and penetrates and neutralizes the fortresses of the past, present, and future. A paradox has been created. If he does not restore the order of time, nothing will ever be the same. He is the one who will become a hero. He is Crono.
This classic game is part of the Virtual Console service, which brings you great games created for consoles such as NES™, Super NES™ and Game Boy™ Advance. See more Virtual Console games for Wii.Why Victorians should welcome a western derby AFL grand final
Posted
The biggest thing holding Victorian football back isn't too many clubs, but too many dinosaurs like Melbourne, Carlton and Essendon. In this regard, the prospect of a western derby grand final is welcome, writes Jack Kerr.
Victorians used to grumble whenever the "interstate" teams started to do well. Not this time around though, not even with the home of football vacant on preliminary final weekend.
No, right now the very real prospect of an all-interstate grand final - and a western derby at that - seems like a novelty as much as anything else.
While the non-Victorian teams enjoyed a stranglehold on the league at the start of the previous decade, only one flag has left Victoria since. And a Fremantle-West Coast grand final would go against the grain in another way too.
Since 2006, a team from the west has made it to the grand final just once. Ditto the Adelaide teams. Compare that with Hawthorn and Geelong, who have been there four times apiece. Collingwood and St Kilda have been in two each - a feat only one non-Victorian team (Sydney) has been able to match.
With such a strong bias in favour of Victorian teams lately, this weekend represents a slight correction in the order of things. After all, the teams from Perth enjoy a duopoly in the game's second biggest state, so it's a surprise we haven't seen this situation before.
(The local flavours of their playing lists also makes the next fortnight something of a proxy for State of Origin football, a concept the league refuse to bring back. But that's a gripe for another day.)
There has been a strong correlation between the financial and on-field performances of the non-Victorian teams this season. Sydney continues to look reasonably healthy on and off the field. Port and the Crows enjoy a similar market dominance to the WA teams, but were unable to turn that into a profit. Brisbane are the AFL's Lehman Brothers. (The expansion teams are still in their infancy.)
Meanwhile in Melbourne, there's the Kangaroos. By rights, we shouldn't even be talking about a team like them this late in September. Yet here they are again.
In fact, Melbourne's smallest, poorest and least successful clubs have also been amongst the league's most competitive in recent years. North, St Kilda and the Western Bulldogs have made a total of 12 preliminary final appearances since the turn of the century. Averaged out, that's comparable with the teams from South and Western Australia.
And to think that people still wonder if the Victorian capital has an unsustainable number of clubs. If anything, the biggest thing holding Victorian football back right now isn't too many clubs, but too many dinosaurs. Carlton, Essendon, Melbourne and Richmond - the teams that won half of all VFL premierships - have won just three finals between them in more than a decade.
For all the talk of the game being ruined by subs, rotations and rolling mauls (and don't get started on kicking the ball backwards), few things diminish Aussie rules like an uneven contest. It quickly becomes one of the world's most boring sports when one side falls behind, and the Blues, the Bombers and the Demons have put in some stinkers of late. Often in prime time. In front of 80,000 spectators at the MCG. (Well, except in the case of Melbourne, of course.)
In fact, what the opening two weeks of the finals have shown us is that the game is in great shape - at least at the top. Week one produced four absolute classics. Three games went down to the wire, and in the other, West Coast took their game to the next level. The only problem with week two was Hawthorn being way too good.
It's a huge tick for the AFL's equalisation measures - at least for those teams who have been able to adapt to the way football is run in the 21st century. Equalisation has been so effective that a team that finished eighth is just one win away from the grand final. And a team that hasn't played in |
But are ordinary people more interested in hearing a range of opinions on whether Mr Baird's suggestion is a good one, or a range of opinions on why he suggested it in the first place?
The Prime Minister, meanwhile, has congratulated Mr Baird on his fortitude in raising the matter, without going so far as expressing much of an opinion as to whether it's a good idea.
Getting on for two decades ago, prime minister John Howard decided that he would make the case for a goods and services tax. His colleagues were divided between being impressed by his political courage and terrified for their own fates. He took the matter to an election, staked his political life on it, dragged it around the country for three years and didn't give up until a compromise version of the GST had been negotiated - line by line, pretty much - by an unlikely committee consisting of himself, his treasurer Peter Costello, and Meg Lees and Andrew Murray of the Australian Democrats, may they rest in peace.
Does anyone think it's realistic for that compromise to be this country's final word on the most comprehensive and relevant-to-everyone of all the taxes currently at our disposal?
Does anyone think it's weird that - 17 years after the election at which the GST was the biggest issue - our federal leaders now need to be nagged quite hard to express an opinion on it?
And that - given the chance to talk about something that matters to us all - they'd rather argue about just about anything else that doesn't?
Annabel Crabb is the ABC's chief online political writer. She tweets at @annabelcrabb.
Topics: government-and-politics, business-economics-and-finance, immigrationFrench presidential candidate Marine Le Pen is becoming increasingly popular among women, a key demographic for her chances in April’s election.
The populist National Front leader has gained support from two million more women compared to the last election in 2012, according to Bloomberg. Women are far less likely to cast a vote in April’s election compared to men, which makes the gains vital in a tight race.
“Women are the key,” Nonna Meyer, a researcher at the Sciences Po institute in Paris who has studied the National Front for 25 years, told Bloomberg. “These women often abstain and now they are backing Le Pen to protect their jobs and their security.”
Le Pen received support from 17 percent of women voters in 2012 and 20 percent of the men. She’s now backed by 26 percent of likely voters from both sexes.
Booklets with the words “defend French women” have been distributed across France since Le Pen’s campaign launch Feb. 4. (RELATED: Le Pen Mirrors Trump As She Launches Presidential Campaign)
The idea is to portray the populist candidate as a mother, sister, lawyer and leader who will protect French women from Islamist fundamentalists. The message received a boost Tuesday when Le Pen refused to don a hijab and cancelled a meeting with Lebanon’s grand mufti. (RELATED: Marine Le Pen Refuses To Wear Hijab, Cancels Meeting With Key Arab Leader)
The National Front has also become popular within France’s gay community. Nearly 40 percent of married gay men voted for the party in regional elections last year, far higher than their share of heterosexual voters.
Le Pen is expected to win the first round in April, but she trails her opponents in polls of possible second-round contingencies.
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Review title of Matt Performs 1 task fine, with restrictions
Here's what this does- you may hold your tablet in portrait position and take a panoramic image horizontally from Left to Right ONLY. That's it. I often need a Top to Bottom (vertical) image since I work in tight spaces. This won't do it, so quit hoping. Neither will it work R-L. I've been looking for a Panoramic replacement for my Surface 3 since updating to Windows 10 removed that option without explanation. The Windows 8 Surface 3 panoramic picture feature was EXCELLENT and I'll never understand why Microsoft wouldn't keep the camera as-is until a replacement program is available. It's a disappointing downgrade and a step backwards for the camera app. Supposedly, Microsoft will let us have the option again "at some future point", but we're stuck at their mercy. My 3-yr old Android phone takes panoramic pictures horizontally and vertically just fine, it'd be nice if a new $600 piece of hardware could do the same..Lakers head coach Luke Walton acknowledges a target will be on No. 2 overall pick Lonzo Ball's back because of LaVar Ball. (0:47)
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- Moments after the Los Angeles Lakers selected UCLA guard Lonzo Ball with the No. 2 overall pick in Thursday night's NBA draft, Ball's outspoken father, LaVar, made a bold proclamation on national television.
"Lonzo Ball is going to take the Lakers to the playoffs in his first year," LaVar told ESPN's Jeff Goodman.
The Lakers have missed the playoffs for four straight seasons, the longest postseason drought in franchise history, and posted the league's third-worst record last season at 26-56.
"That's the goal," Lonzo said when asked about his father's comments. "You don't play to lose. That's definitely the goal. That's the plan."
With his son making the interview rounds in the tunnels of Barclays Center, LaVar excitedly talked about how he had predicted for a long time that his son would go to the Lakers.
"Yes! Yes!" the elder Ball told ESPN not far from where other families and draft picks sat by the stage. "I told you I would speak it into existence. And everybody kept saying what if? What if? I don't live on what ifs. If I live on what ifs, I will never get to where I am at.
"People always say, 'LaVar, how come you are always right?' I say, 'Because I never get left.'"
When asked about LaVar's playoffs prediction, Lakers coach Luke Walton smiled.
"I'm a very optimistic person, but I don't look that far into the future," Walton said at the team's practice facility, where a group of season-ticket holders and sponsors gathered for a draft party. "Right now, I'm hoping [Lonzo] leads us to a couple summer league victories, and we'll take it from there."
Walton said he expected LaVar's comments will, at least initially, apply pressure on Lonzo.
"I think it will make it more challenging, a little bit, but I think every top draft pick that comes in has a target on their back," Walton said. "The best players in this league want to set the tone with these young players early, to let them know what it's like here. I know when I was a young player, I had a target on my back from my own teammates because of things my dad [NBA great Bill Walton] said, but it ended up working out.
"What's incredible is that he's been, according to [Lonzo], his dad has been great. He's always been there. He's supported him. He obviously loves him, and that's what you want out of a father, so I'm not overly concerned by it."
Philadelphia 76ers teammates Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons indicated Thursday night that the pressure already is on.
Lonzo, though, downplayed whether the pressure will be greater because of his father's comments.
"Nah, everybody says I have a target on my back," he said. "I'm used to it by now. All I can do is go out there and play."
Does he expect his father to keep a lower profile?
"I don't know what he's going to do. It's going to be a surprise for you [media] and me," Lonzo said.
Walton was also asked if he just wanted LaVar to stay out of the spotlight.
"He's his own man," Walton said. "He's going to do what he does and we're going to do what we do and we're going to get after it here. We're not going to change anything. I'm sure [Lonzo will] fit into our culture. He'll help improve our culture with the way he plays, the way he passes, his selfless nature, and that's why we took him."
Despite the bluster associated with LaVar Ball, Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka said spending time with the Ball family at their home helped him to appreciate the patriarch.
"Listen, there can be a sense of bravado with some of the media stuff, but when you get to see the heart of the person and how they treat others, I think that's when you really get to know them," Pelinka said. "And all I can say is, we walked away from that time really impressed with the family."
And while no one knows if LaVar Ball will tone down his talking, Pelinka said the Lakers won't ask him to do so.
"I think LaVar is going to be LaVar," Pelinka said. "Lonzo is going to be a Laker, and he's going to be part of what we do on the court with the other players that we have, but LaVar is his own person."CAMP PENDLETON (CNS) - Military and civilian firefighters Sunday continue to battle a brush fire that has charred 1,245 open acres in the northern reaches of Camp Pendleton.
As of 6:35 a.m., the ground and airborne crews had the blaze at 88 percent containment, base officials said. No structures have been threatened.
The blaze ignited Thursday afternoon off Roblar and Case Springs roads and posed no structural threats.
Military firefighters were being assisted by crews from Cleveland National Forest, the city of San Diego and Cal Fire. Several of the personnel suffered heat-related ailments while working to extinguish the flames, said Cal Fire Capt. Kendal Bortisser.
The cause of the blaze, dubbed the Roblar Fire, was not immediately clear, though it is not uncommon for fires to be sparked at the Marine base by live-ammunition weapons training.Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan will not reschedule his trip to the Palestinian Gaza strip, he said on Tuesday, despite a request to do so from the United States that had irked Ankara.
During a visit to Turkey on Sunday, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry urged Erdogan to delay his visit to avoid endangering U.S. efforts to revive Ankara's ties with Israel and Middle East peace talks.
Erdogan, who has always underlined his desire to visit the Palestinian enclave, said last week he planned to go to Gaza following an official visit to the United States in May.
"Delaying my trip (to Gaza) is out of question. As I said in the past the Gaza trip will take place after my trip to the United States. There will be no delay," Erdogan told reporters, according to state media.
Erdogan's trip would take place at a critical period for Turkish-Israeli relations, frozen after the 2010 killing by Israeli marines of nine Turks aboard a Gaza-bound aid ship.
In March U.S. President Barack Obama brokered a first step in reconciliation between Israel and Turkey, which cut its once extensive ties with the Jewish state after the incident.
Persuaded by Obama, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu apologized last month and an Israeli delegation traveled to Ankara on Monday to discuss compensation to the victims' families.
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Erdogan said his trip to Washington would be on May 14, while Turkish officials said earlier this month that his planned visit to Washington to meet Obama was on May 16.
Palestinian schoolboys hold a poster of Turkey's then-Prime Minister, now President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan at a rally at Gaza Seaport calling on Erdogan to visit Gaza. September 13, 2011 AP
Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan. Reuters
skip -Episode Summary
In case you hadn't heard enough of the ScapeChatz hosts's hot takes on the show, now they've gone and done a live commentary on the first half of Peacekeeper Wars, complete with bonus discussion at the end!
Episode Notes
In case you hadn't heard enough of the ScapeChatz hosts's hot takes on the show, now they've gone and done a live commentary on the first half of Peacekeeper Wars, complete with bonus discussion at the end!
Skip to 1:36:44 to skip the commentary track and go straight to the Moyabag and post-watch discussion.
Regular commenter mrjhandel reviewed us on his show The FastCast here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2uO-WHvnx08&ab_channel=TheFastCast
Our Peacekeeper Wars theme music is "Behold" by Guy Gross from the Peacekeeper Wars soundtrack: https://www.amazon.com/Farscape-Peacekeeper-Wars-Guy-Gross/dp/B00049QLEG
Our Moyabag music is "Planet" by Anamanaguchi: anamanaguchi.com
Feedback? Questions/Comments? Follow ScapeChatz on Twitter: twitter.com/scapechatz Ask us questions on Tumblr: scapechatz.tumblr.com Follow Allen on Twitter: twitter.com/allenibrahim Follow Magellan on Twitter: twitter.com/justapfluke Email us: scapechatz@gmail.com Or leave a comment on this episode's post at reddit.com/r/farscape.
About the Show
Every week, hosts Allen and Magellan watch and review two episodes of a cult classic TV show.
Shows Covered:
Farscape (ScapeChatz)
Freaks and Geeks (FreaksChatz)
Avatar: The Last Airbender (The Last ChatzBender)
The Newsroom (The ChatzRoom)
Pushing Daisies (DaisyChatz)
Babylon 5 (Chatzylon 5)Getty Images
The Packers came back from 11 points down in the first half for a 35-18 win on Sunday, allowing them to move on to a matchup with the Cardinals and ending a Redskins season that went a week longer than many expected it would go when the year got underway.
With no more games left to play, the team will now turn its attention toward getting back to the postseason in 2016. Quarterback Kirk Cousins will likely be a major focus of that attention as he’s set to be a free agent after guiding the team to a division title in his first full year as the starter.
“I think I want to be where I am wanted,” Cousins said, via the Washington Post. “You want to be with people who believe in you and we are going to find out — because we haven’t discussed it much yet — how much I am wanted and where that’ll go. I’m sure it’s a business and the team is going to operate with that mind-set. This is my first time going through that process in the NFL, so it’s new to me. Don’t know a whole lot about it. So we’ll see how it goes.”
The team can make it obvious how much they want Cousins by using the franchise tag to keep him off the open market, a move that would cost them around $20 million if he played out the year under the tag. A report over the weekend said they’re willing to make that move after Cousins thrived down the stretch in the regular season. A quick look at the available quarterback options other than Cousins and the lack of them already in Washington makes it easy to understand why they’d go that route and why Cousins can be choosy about any offers before the tag deadline that would pay him less money.Three boys from Sudan and Iraq who were invited into the US via refugee programs pled guilty to charges of sexually assaulting a five-year-old child in Twin Falls, Idaho in 2016.
A seven-year-old Iraqi boy, a 14-year-old and 10-year-old Sudanese boys, cornered the victim in the laundry room on June 2nd.
They removed her clothes, sexually assaulted her, urinated on her body and in her mouth, and then videotaped the brutal attack, according to witnesses.
“We agreed to the plea bargains. That by no means implies my clients were, or are, fully satisfied with the outcome of these cases or the prosecuting attorney,” Mark Guerry, the attorney for the girl’s family told the Idaho Statesman. “After 10 months their right to some form of justice was long overdue.”
“They were prepared to testify at a trial or enter into to plea agreements months ago. More importantly, no convictions or mere words in statements could ever mitigate the unrelenting trauma and grief their little daughter now suffers as a result of this vicious sexual assault,” Guerry added.
The penalty for the felony sexual exploitation of a child carries a sentence of up to 30 years in prison.
A GoFundMe campaign for the victim and her family can be found here.
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commentsFrom the pantry, you'll need: rotini (or other twisty pasta), black olives, garlic, sun-dried or slow-roasted tomatoes, plain yogurt, white wine vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, agave nectar, feta cheese.
Inspired by a recipe in a Kikkoman brochure. Serves 4 as a main course.
Ingredients
For the dressing:
1 garlic clove
7 sun-dried or slow-roasted tomato halves, roughly chopped
2 Tbsp plain nonfat yogurt
1 tsp Greek seasoning
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1-1/2 tsp agave nectar (or honey, or sugar substitute)
5-6 tsp water
For the salad:
8 oz rotini or other twisty pasta (I use Dreamfields)
1-1/2 cup diced fresh tomatoes, any type
1 cup diced cucumber (I use seedless English cucumber)
1/2 medium green bell pepper, diced
1/2 cup pitted large black olives, sliced in half
3 Tbsp chopped fresh dill
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese, or more to taste
Directions
In a blender, combine all dressing ingredients, and blend on high speed until smooth. If you'd like the dressing thinner, add a bit more water. Set aside.
Bring 4 quarts of water to the boil in a large pot. Cook the pasta according to package directions; drain and add to a large mixing bowl.
Combine all remaining ingredients in the mixing bowl along with as much of the dressing as you like. Garnish with some extra dill fronds, and serve at room temperature.
[Printer-friendly recipe.]KOLKATA: For bank officials, the day did not start when the shutters were rolled up on Thursday morning but much earlier. As if the planning and the slew of video-conferences weren’t enough, some officials had to stay back at office till late on Wednesday night to ensure the vaults were replenished with cash and then return to work early on Thursday. But all these didn’t seem to prepare them for what would follow.A senior manager at the Dharmatolla branch of a nationalized bank could not believe his ears when a middle-aged man barged into his chamber in the morning, introduced himself as a businessman and proposed to deposit Rs 75 crore in cash. “First, I thought I heard it wrong and asked him how much money he had with him. He repeated that he wanted my help to deposit Rs 75 crore in cash. He also assured me he would compensate me for my risks involved in such an illegal transaction. I showed him the door. But it was a nerve-racking moment in my 25-year banking career,” he said.Another bank manager, working for a nationalized bank in the southern suburbs, did not even know how to react when he received a similar proposal and more. Sanjay Mitra had to take help of the local police as a customer threatened him for refusing to accept Rs 49 crore in cash. “He wanted to deposit Rs 49 crore in various names and sought my help to carry out the transaction. He even offered me a ‘good amount’. But when I refused, he got furious and threatened me with dire consequences,” Mitra said. Besides, bank managers had a harrowing time, placating anxious clients, getting fidgety with every moment of delay. “There were times we had to seek replenishment. This caused delays,” a bank manager said.By afternoon, the managers and their colleagues were visibly fatigued, having worked almost the entire night before. “We were tired as we had to work for 18 hours at a stretch. Handling depositors’ rush is something that we are trained to do. But handling strange people with the request of depositing black money in crores is something that is also stressful. I have received requests from at least 10 people who offered me ‘good amounts’ if I let them deposit crores of rupees in Rs 500s and Rs 1,000s,” said a senior manager of the bank.Apprehensive of trouble, the Reserve Bank of India directed bank authorities to instal extra CCTV cameras. “RBI officials in plain clothes and intelligence department officials were deputed to keep a watch on illegal transactions,” a bank official said. Some banks also sought police protection to avoid any untoward incident.Another manager at a private bank said, “We were also alerted about bulk transactions in tranches with fraudulent documents. Whatever delay, we had were because we tried to ensure the peo-ple who deposited bulk cash had adequate documents. We insisted for valid ID cards and retained a photocopy for our records.”I have talked briefly, in past articles, of my laziness. This isn't mere hubris (or the lazy-man's version of hubris...which I could take two seconds to look up in the thesaurus... but... think of all those letters I'd have to type...). I truly am a lazy person. It, in large part, defines who I am as a man.
This laziness applies to my computing as well. Specifically: setting up new system installs.
And, with what I do for a living, I tend to need to blow away, and re-install, one PC or another pretty doggone often. A new clean build/test environment needs to be set up; I hosed my desktop PC by installing a bunch of tools I'll never need; demo machines need to be configured...it goes on and on.
So, of course, I need a way to make that process as fast and painless as possible. Because of the lazy thing I was talking about before.
What would be ideal is to have some sort of webpage where I could check boxes next to what sort of OS and applications I want, add in any settings I like (wallpaper, software repositories, accounts, etc.), and then click to download a ready-to-use CD or VirtualBox image.
Oh! What would be even cooler than that is if it could remember what I had set up previously...then, whenever I go back to that page, I can grab a new CD image (aka "an appliance"), custom built with the latest and greatest versions of everything I had selected. That way, I would never have to update the images I use to restore my systems manually.
That would be taking laziness to 11.
Wham-o! SUSE Studio.
Seriously. SUSE Studio does all of that (using openSUSE or SUSE Linux Enterprise as a base platform that can be tweaked to your heart’s content). It's borderline incredible.
Do you run a company's IT and need a consistent, always-up-to-date platform that can be tailored to your business’s needs? Or perhaps you're just lazy, like me. Either way, the time saving with this tool is off the charts.
To encourage people like me to be even lazier, they provide a free gallery of appliances that have been created (and shared) by others, many of which you can clone as a starting point for your own system.
Honestly, the usefulness of SUSE Studio would make me consider migrating from another system (such as Ubuntu, Windows, etc.). It’s definitely worth taking a look, especially considering the fact that it's free.News of a fifth bike-sharing company is touching a nerve with several people along the Dallas Katy Trail.
Dallas has seen a surge in companies bringing bikes of assorted colors to the streets for the public to use. A lot of them can be found around the pedestrian and bike-friendly Katy Trail.
Friends of Katy Trail, a non-profit that maintains it, is going to be meeting with city transportation officials and bike-sharing company leaders next week to talk about the problem of too many bikes being left around. They say part of the problem is there are too many bikes. On Thursday, they counted more than 130 in a three-and-a-half-mile stretch.
“It just looks like abandoned bikes,” said pedestrian Megan Gorgas. “It’s kind of sad.”
Folks taking the popular path see the bikes every couple hundred feet. Sometimes, they’re in neat clusters while other times they’re in disarray.
“I feel like a ton of people on the trail are riding them,” Gorgas said. “I don't know who is just dumping them on the side.”
Robin Baldock and Lauren Whitson with Friends of Katy Trail walked to gather data and take photos of the bikes. Their trail manager has recently had to spend time moving them.
“Sometimes we find them right in the middle of the trail, which of course is unsafe,” Whitson said.
They know the bikes are popular but worry there's far too many with hardly any rules or oversight over where they can be dumped.
“It’s definitely over saturated,” Whitson said. “It’s costing us a lot of money to upkeep our landscaping. And, frankly, it isn’t very safe.”
Right now, the city is letting the bike share companies do what they want and studying them. People can call 311 with complaints. Around 90 people already have.
But a transportation official with the city of Dallas says regulation recommendations are coming next year. It could mean permits or possible fines.
Everett Weiler just started as general manager of Ofo on Monday. He says one goal is teaching cyclists where to leave the bikes.
“The more that our users get familiar with bike sharing, the better of the whole community is going to be,” he said.
Until then, the often visible growing pains will remain dotting the Dallas landscape.
Although city staff plan to recommend regulations to a city council subcommittee, it's not clear what council will decide.
U-Bicycle is the fifth bike sharing company to expand to Dallas. The plan is for it to bring less than 100 bikes sometime in the month of December.GETTY London is now more dangerous than NYC
Figures released earlier this week uncovered the crisis facing British police forces as crime rates across the country surged by 13 per cent. The last decade has seen London's Metropolitan Police move away from neighbourhood patrols which criminal justice experts have blamed for the rise in crime. The damning figures come amid increased pressure on the capital's police force to save £400 million before 2020, with the number of officers expected to fall below 30,000 for the first time in more than a decade.
Last year there were almost 70,000 burglaries in Greater London, of which 43,000 happened in peoples' homes. The number of robberies has also heavily increased due to the rise in mobile phone theft. According to the statistics London has almost three times the number of reported rapes than New York City.
Police terrorist training exercise Tue, May 10, 2016 Emergency forces and shoppers take place in a simulated terror attack at the Trafford Centre, Manchester Play slideshow Getty Images 1 of 31 Shoppers take place in a simulated terror attack at the Trafford Centre, Manchester
Figures suggest the average person is almost six times more likely to be burgled in London than in New York, and one and a half times more likely to be the victim of a robbery. Last week it emerged Scotland Yard wouldn’t investigate a large amount of low-level offences because of cost cuts. But Scotland Yard officials defended the cost-cutting policy, with the force introducing a 'Crime Assessment Policy' to help police officers judge which crimes are worth following up.
GETTY There were 70,000 burglaries in Greater London
Rory Geoghegan, head of criminal justice at the Centre for Social Justice, said neighbourhood policing had a wide range of benefits. He said: “By embedding proactive community policing, the NYPD is helping tackle crime, improving the quality of life and building better relationships with the community. "It’s an approach and argument that London is struggling to maintain never mind bolster, with too many preferring to talk excitedly about investing in crime hubs to hunt online trolls.”
GETTY Scotland Yard defended the cost-cutting policyAs of December 19 Brampton-bound travellers will have to pay careful attention to what platforms at Union Station they need to board.
For Brampton commuters who are used to arriving and departing from platform 7, 8, 9, and/or 10, your new platform is now 11 and 12. The change will affect departures on December 19, starting with the 3:35 p.m. westbound trip. The change will be permanent until further notice.
GO Transit is encouraging people to leave extra time to learn the new platforms, and to avoid crowding situations.
In readying for the next phase of rebuilding the Union Station train roof, four platforms will be closed and three will be re-opened. This process is expected to repeat until the entire train shed is restored in two years.
Comments
commentsThe following is a timeline for the events in the Japanese animation series Neon Genesis Evangelion and the related movies Revival of Evangelion. All information given is entirely fictional and only serves a purpose for the show itself.
Contents show]
1957 Edit
April Edit
9 - Kozo Fuyutsuki born
1967 Edit
April Edit
29 - Gendo Rokubungi born
1977 Edit
March Edit
30 - Yui Ikari born
1985 Edit
June Edit
17 - Ryoji Kaji born
November Edit
21 - Ritsuko Akagi born.
1986 Edit
December Edit
8 - Misato Katsuragi born.
1991 Edit
July Edit
11 - Maya Ibuki born.
1999 Edit
Gendo Rokubungi and Kozo Fuyutsuki first meet.
Gendo Rokubungi marries Yui Ikari and takes her last name.
2000 Edit
September Edit
10 - The Katsuragi Expedition arrives in Antarctica to investigate "Adam."
12 - Gendo Ikari returns to Japan from Antarctica, taking the research data with him. He knows in advance what the results of the next day's "Contact Experiment" with Adam will be. Gendo and Yui conceive Shinji. Second Impact is only hours away.
13 - Second Impact occurs due to the "Contact Experiment. " 13 - Dr. Katsuragi dies. 13 - Kaworu Nagisa born (according to in-show reference).
15 - A refugee incident leads to war between India and Pakistan.
20 - Tokyo-1 is destroyed by a nuclear bomb (as opposed to a N² mine)
2001 Edit
February Edit
14 - The Valentine Treaty is signed, ending the wars that followed Second Impact.
June Edit
6 - Shinji Ikari born.
September Edit
12 - Kensuke Aida born.
December Edit
2002 Edit
During the official investigation of the Second Impact with Gendo, Fuyutsuki finds Misato Katsuragi in confinement and suffering from aphasia.
February Edit
18 - Hikari Horaki born.
2003 Edit
Construction of the Evangelions begin.
Fuyutsuki threatens to expose the 2nd Impact coverup; he is convinced by Gendo Ikari to instead join Gehirn.
Construction of the MAGI Super Computer System is planned.
The Japanese Strategic Self Defense Forces (JSSDF) is formed, in response to the outbreak of war between China and Vietnam over the Nansha islands (according to the Platinum DVD set's commentary track).
2004 Edit
Yui Ikari disappears during contact experiments with Unit-01 in Hakone 2nd Underground Laboratory. Gendo initiates NERV's involvement in the "Instrumentality Project" and the "Adam Project", and places Shinji in the care of a relative or acquaintance.
The first Rei Ayanami is created during this period but there is some debate as to the precise date and year (between 2004 and 2006).
2005 Edit
Asuka is selected to be the Second Child. Asuka's mother, Kyoko Zeppelin Soryu (who had gone insane shortly before), commits suicide.
Asuka's father remarries.
Misato Katsuragi befriends Ritsuko Akagi; she also meets and begins living with Ryoji Kaji.
The Japanese Diet approves the building of a new capital in Fuji-Hakone.
Construction of Tokyo-3 begins.
2007 Edit
Misato and Kaji break up.
2008 Edit
Planning and design for the MAGI Super Computer System is completed.
Construction of the MAGI supercomputer begins.
Ritsuko Akagi graduates from Tokyo-2 University and joins her mother in the research arm of Gehirn, where she learns of Naoko's affair with Gendo.
2009 Edit
Ryoji Kaji joins Gehirn.
Misato Katsuragi joins Gehirn's 3rd Branch in Hamburg, Germany.
2010 Edit
Rei Ayanami (I) first publicly encountered.
Construction of the MAGI Super Computer System is completed. The night of completion, Rei Ayanami (I) is strangled by Naoko Akagi for telling Naoko that Gendo did not love her and was using her as a tool. Naoko Akagi commits suicide by jumping onto the MAGI.
SEELE disbands Gehirn and moves all assets and personnel to the newly formed NERV in reaction to the death of Dr. Akagi.
2012 Edit
Shinji sees his father for the first time in 8 years at that anniversary of Yui's death; he flees Gendo and the grave.
2014 Edit
Rei Ayanami (II) transfers into the New Tokyo-3 1st Municipal Junior High School.
Construction of entry plugs finishes.
2015 Edit
Generally, a timeline of 2015 overlaps heavily with the plot because so many important and crucial events take place in that year. See it for a more unified overview.
Dates are rarely mentioned in the anime, and often there are multiple possibilities. Events are given in order, with possible dates listed if known.
Rei Ayanami (II) begins attempting to synchronize with Eva Unit-00, which she will only succeed in doing 7 months later.
Rei Ayanami (II) injured during a test of Unit-00.
The third Angel, Sachiel, attacks Tokyo-3, first beginning the pattern of constant Angel attacks which will last up to the seventeenth Angel.
Gendo Ikari orders Shinji Ikari to Tokyo-3, where he joins NERV. Series begins. After Unit-01 goes berserk and defeats Sachiel, Shinji moves into Misato Katsuragi's apartment.
The 4th Angel Shamshel attacks, three weeks after Sachiel's attack. It is defeated by Unit-01; Kensuke and Toji are aboard, and this shared experience marks the true beginning of their friendship with Shinji.
Core of Shamshel retrieved in good condition.
5th Angel Ramiel attacks.
6th Angel Gaghiel attacks.
Asuka Langley Sohryu joins NERV.
Ryoji Kaji delivers Adam, in an embryonic state, to Commander Gendo Ikari, and is attached to NERV headquarters.
11 September [1] The 7th Angel, Israfel is destroyed.
Gendo Ikari has Adam grafted onto the palm of his right hand.
Asuka defeats the 8th Angel, Sandalphon, in a volcano.
9th Angel Matarael attacks.
The Lance of Longinus retrieved from Antarctica by Gendo and Fuyutsuki. Previously had been used in the White Moon against Adam.
10th Angel Sahaquiel attacks.
11th Angel, Ireul, penetrates a "protein wall" defense in NERV and begins to crack the MAGI system.
Unit-00 tasked with using Lance of Longinus for an unknown task; possibly arresting development of Lilith in Terminal Dogma.
12th Angel, Leliel, attacks.
Unit-04 is lost after a problem during a test of its S² Engine destroys it and the entire 2nd US NERV installation surrounding it.
Unit-03 is destroyed by Unit-01 (under the control of the Dummy Plug system) after being possessed by the thirteenth Angel, Bardiel, after being transported to Japan from the 1st US NERV branch. (Alternative date: January 2016 [2] )
) In the manga, Toji Suzuhara (previously designated the Fourth Child) dies during the battle between Units 01 and 03. In the series, he loses his left leg during the battle.
The 14th Angel, Zeruel, is eaten by a berserk Unit-01. Its S² Engine is absorbed by the Eva, giving it unlimited power reserves. (alternative date : January 2016 [2] )
) Shinji merged with the Eva, and his body was reverted to LCL inside the entry plug for 30 days.
Ryoji Kaji is shot to death by an unknown person.
Lance of Longinus lost killing the 15th Angel (Arael) rendering it inaccessible for SEELE's purposes.
Rei Ayanami (II) self-destructs her Eva, killing herself and the 16th Angel (Armisael), and Tokyo-3. (Alternative date: March 2016 [2] )
) To strike at Gendo, Ritsuko Akagi destroys the Dummy Plug System and all Rei clones except for the recently activated Rei III.
Asuka Soryu breaks down and is no longer capable of piloting an Evangelion. SEELE sends Kaworu Nagisa as a replacement.
Shinji Ikari kills the seventeenth Angel, Tabris, in the form of a human boy named Kaworu Nagisa. (Alternative date: March 2016 [2] )
) With the last Angel except for the humans, Adam, and Lilith dead, SEELE and NERV turn on each other as SEELE attempts to put into operation its Human Instrumentality Plan. The TV series begins focusing on the Instrumentality of Shinji, while The End of Evangelion records the war between SEELE and |
unpleasant situation. It is almost always a really bad idea to be operating illegally in a foreign country and it seems that is what you are doing.
Bottom Line: Don’t take a job in China without first making sure that both your employer and your job will be on the up and up.Reading through some of the contributions on class and atheism I am struck by a glaring omission. Brown's opening salvo has been to argue that atheism can be a class thing worn for the status it presumably imparts in certain circles – thus implying that there might not be an intrinsic, intellectual reason for choosing atheism. Nick Spencer shows that there is indeed a correlation between educational level and atheism. In the US this phenomenon is far more pronounced: a recent Pew survey shows that among scientists in the US only one-third believe in God, as opposed to 83% in the general population.
For some reasons it seems to be anathema to say that there might be an intrinsic reason for the correlation between educational level and the rejection of religion: atheism takes training, and is more difficult. We accept that in medicine, physics and mathematics, but, for reasons of political correctness, it is very much considered a faux pas to say the old 19th-century thing: it takes education to develop a worldview based on science. It would be even more outrageous to say that the reasons for choosing atheism over religion might actually be valid, as the so-called new atheists have dared to claim. It seems that it has become something of a class-thing (not necessarily socio-economic, but of belonging to the politically-correct elite) to bash Dawkins, Dennett and Hitchens.
Let's look at some facts and arguments, then. According to the Pew survey, 85% of humanity is religious in some way, and that's probably a low estimate, since nobody knows the true figures about China. This doesn't mean that religion is true (it can't, because religions contradict each other), but that there are strong cognitive and motivational factors that give religions an evolutionary advantage in the market of ideas. A scientific worldview is cognitively and emotionally more difficult, and hence at a disadvantage.
Cognitive psychologist Howard Gardner has shown that there is an essential difference between the unschooled mind which picks up certain things without formal training and the mature, schooled mind. The unschooled mind acquires sensorimotor and interpersonal skills, language – and stories. The human mind is naturally inclined to think in anthropomorphic terms. A child is more prone to explain the behaviour of dots on a computer screen through intentions and beliefs than through the workings of a computer programme.
Religions primarily function through stories that are easily remembered, because they're counterintuitive. We more easily remember stories about people going to heaven, resurrecting the dead and splitting the waters of the sea, because these events (called "miracles" in religious parlance) run against what we know about the world. Hence religions are easily taught from age 3 onwards, and, as Richard Dawkins has pointed out angrily, it is very difficult for humans to let go of stories that have been inculcated by the authority figures we depend on as children.
Complex theories like classical physics (let alone relativity and quantum physics) and evolutionary theory can only be taught once the mind achieves the ability to abstract thought (what Piaget called "formal operations"), ie in adolescence. Understanding these theories requires training, and they are always at a disadvantage vis-a-vis anthropomorphic stories used by most religions.
The disadvantage of the scientific worldview becomes stronger when we include motivational factors. Modern experimental existential psychology has shown to what extent we humans are incapable of accepting our mortality and the sheer contingency of our existence. We try everything to hang on to worldviews that protect us from the terrifying knowledge that we might as well not have existed, that each of us will cease to exist as an individual with death, and that our species is but a passing episode on a tiny planet in a minor solar system in one of hundreds of billions of galaxies.
This puts religions at an enormous evolutionary advantage, because their worldviews almost invariably give humans a special place in the universe. Our existence is wanted by the creator, and we are here for a reason. The greatest advantage of religions is that almost all major religions promise some form of immortality. Given our terror of death, this puts religions at a huge advantage over the scientific worldview.
None of what I have said here is new except for recent data. It has become quite fashionable to bash Dawkins, Dennett, Hitchens et al and to call them "new atheists" as if they say something new. It is even more fashionable to think that atheism betrays a lack of cultural sensitivity or sophistication, exemplified by Terry Eagleton's moniker "Ditchkins", used to make fun of Dawkins and Hitchens. But basically they restate the very cogent analyses of thinkers like David Hume, Marx, John Stuart Mill, Nietzsche and Freud that explain why humans hang on to the strangest beliefs despite evidence to the contrary.
The critics of the new atheists like Terry Eagleton and Karen Armstrong keep arguing that the true function of religion is not to state facts about the world, but to structure our lives through rituals and to open our eyes to the transcendent dimension. I beg to differ: while a small minority look for spiritual experience and ritual without buying into the factual assertions of religion, in the end most religious people just have certain beliefs about the world that are comforting, and that's why they stick to their faiths.
So why, at the onset of the 21st century, is it so difficult to say in this ongoing discussion that religion is psychologically comforting and that this is the reason it has such a strong hold on the human mind? I think it is primarily because of the cultural imperative of political correctness not to offend the religious, and the mistaken belief that such pseudo-respect will prevent unrest and strife – even though appeasement has often been counterproductive, as in the case of the fatwa against Rushdie, the relentless fight of the Bible-belt against liberals and evolution in the US, and the ruthlessness of messianic right-wingers in Israel in colonising the West Bank.
While some critics of the "new atheists" have made valid arguments, primarily that their optimistic humanism is far from realistic, they are missing out on a simple point: adhering to a scientific worldview requires discipline; it requires giving up on the certainties of childhood and the belief in ultimate protection. I don't know whether doing so turns us into better human beings, but it certainly makes us intellectually more responsible.Another couple is going from paradise to boot camp! Marriage Boot Camp: Reality Stars' upcoming sixth season includes Bachelor in Paradise newlyweds Jade Roper and Tanner Tolbert, along with a Real Housewives pair, Us Weekly can exclusively reveal. Watch the exclusive first promo in the video above.
The WE tv relationship-counseling series' new season launches in October. The cast consists of Roper and Tanner, Karen Gravano and boyfriend Storm (Mob Wives), Keke Wyatt and husband Michael Ford (R&B Divas: Atlanta), and Jim and Amber Marchese (The Real Housewives of New Jersey season 6).
In addition, the show has one more surprise: A mystery three-person relationship — a so-called "thrupple" — will also be moving into the house in a first for the series.
Roper and Tolbert, both 29, were the standout couple from Bachelor in Paradise season 2. Roper, one of Chris Soules' castoffs from The Bachelor season 19, and Tolbert, who unsuccessfully vied for Kaitlyn Bristowe's love on The Bachelorette season 11, were nearly inseparable during their time on the beach in Mexico, and later tied the knot in January. Their wedding ceremony was featured in an ABC special that aired on Valentine's Day.
This is certainly not the first time that a Bachelor Nation couple has sought assistance on Boot Camp. Season 5 — airing its finale on Friday, August 12 — includes Paradise season 1's Michelle Money and Cody Sattler, while The Bachelor season 18's Sean Lowe and Catherine Giudici took part in Boot Camp season 4.
Watch the first season 6 promo in the video above.
Tell Us: Which couple are you most looking forward to seeing in the new season?
Marriage Boot Camp: Reality Stars season 6 premieres on WE tv in October. Season 5's finale airs Friday, August 12, at 9 p.m. ET.
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Rachel Jeantel watches defense attorney Don West while on the stand during George Zimmerman’s trial for the 2012 shooting death of Trayvon Martin. (Reuters/Jacob Langston/Pool) Ad Policy
Rachel Jeantel was the last person to speak to Trayvon Martin before George Zimmerman killed him on the night of February 26, 2012. On the third day of Zimmerman’s murder trial, after opening statements that featured the words “fucking punks” and knock-knock joke, and testimony from a number of witnesses, Rachel took the stand.
Visibly shaken, Rachel recounted the details of her phone conversation with Trayvon the night he was killed. She says he told her that a “creepy-ass cracker” was watching him. He attempted to lose him, but the man kept following, at which point Rachel suggested that Trayvon run. The phone was disconnected shortly after, and when the two were reconnected, Trayvon told Rachel, “The nigga is behind me.” Rachel then heard a bump, the sounds of “wet grass,” and what she thought to be Trayvon saying, “Get off.”
The court took a recess after the state was finished questioning Rachel, as she was too broken up to continue at that moment. When they returned, Don West, a lawyer on Zimmerman’s defense team, resumed the questioning. Rachel’s demeanor noticeably shifted. She became agitated, answering West’s questions with quick “yes”es and exasperated “no”s. The more tedious the questions, the more frustrated she became. She was looking at a man trying to get someone off for killing her friend. West was doing what a defense lawyer does, of course, by trying to catch Rachel in a lie, poke holes in her story and cast doubt on her credibility. And the way she responded reflected the fact she knew exactly what was going on and she was determined not to let him rattle her. She may have frustrated him just as much as he did her.
Rachel’s testimony is an emotional reminder of just what happened. A teenage boy was killed. His family and friends were left to mourn. For some of them, the pain is still fresh. The man responsible walked free for more than a month. There’s a possibility he could be found not guilty.
Several times, West brought up the fact Rachel lied about her reasons for not attending Trayvon’s wake. “You. Got. To. Un. Der. Stand,” she told West, breaking up each syllable to emphasize her frustration. “I’m the last person—you don’t know how I felt. You think I really want to go see the body after I just talked to him?”
Rachel Jeantel isn’t a Hollywood actress. She’s not a trained professional. She doesn’t testify in court regularly. She’s a young black woman missing her friend. She showed up to court to give all the information she had as to what happened the night he died.
“Are you listening?” she asked West at highly contentious point her testimony where it seemed he had either lost interest or chosen to ignore the things she was saying. How many young black women could ask that question to the world daily? We should be listening more. We should hear what the Rachels of the world have to say. It’s unclear how Rachel’s testimony will affect the jury and the ultimate outcome, whether they’ll read her as hostile and uncooperative. No matter what, though, Rachel stood and defended herself and Trayvon (and frankly, many other black youth) against the condescension, against silencing, and against the character attacks. For that, she should be commended and thanked.
Thank you, Rachel Jeantel.
Mychal Denzel Smith on why justice for Trayvon Martin’s death may never come.The Hillary campaign represents the totalitarian humanist convergence of imperialists, plutocrats, police statists, and the politically correct that I predicted in this article for LewRockwell.Com nearly 10 years ago. Also notice that the 1% that controls the Democratic party comes not from the traditional WASP elite but from left-wing of the capitalist class, i.e. the rising upper middle class of the “newly rich” that I described in this piece.
By Thomas Frank
Vanity Fair
Rich Americans still have it pretty good. I don’t mean everything’s perfect: business regulations can be burdensome; Manhattan zoning can prevent the addition of a town-house floor; estate taxes kick in at over $5 million. But life is acceptable.has not imposed much hardship, and neither will
And what about Donald Trump? Will rich people suffer if he is elected president? Well, yes. Yes, they will. Because we all will. But that’s a pat answer, because Trump and Trumpism are different things. Trump is an erratic candidate who brings chaos to everything. Trumpism, on the other hand, is the doctrine of a different Republican Party, one that would cater not to the donor class, but rather to the white working class. Rich people do not like that idea.
Yesterday’s primary handed victories to Trump and Clinton, and, if Michael Lind is right, Trumpism and Clintonism are America’s future. Lind’s point, which he made last Sunday in The New York Times, is that Trumpism—friendly to entitlements, unfriendly to expanded trade and high immigration—will be the platform of the Republican Party in the years going forward. Clintonism—friendly both to business and to social and racial liberalism—will cobble together numerous interest groups and ditch the white working class. Which might be fair enough, but Lind didn’t mention rich people. Where will they go?In his article published on LewRockwell.com, Bill Sardi details 18 reasons why you should not vaccinate your children against the flu this season. Here are nine of them:
The swine flu is simply another flu. It is not unusually deadly.
This is the first time both seasonal and pandemic flu vaccines will be administered. Both seasonal flu and swine flu vaccines will require two inoculations. This is because single inoculations have failed to produce sufficient antibodies. This is an admission that prior flu vaccines were virtually useless. Can you trust them this time?
Adjuvants are added to vaccines to boost production of antibodies but may trigger autoimmune reactions. Some adjuvants are mercury (thimerosal), aluminum and squalene. Why would you sign a consent form for your children to be injected with mercury, which is even more brain-toxic than lead?
This is the first year mock vaccines have been used to gain FDA approval. The vaccines that have been tested are not the same vaccines your children will be given.
Over-vaccination is a common practice now in America. American children are subjected to 29 vaccines by the age of two. Meanwhile, veterinarians have backed off of repeat vaccination in dogs because of observed side effects.
Modern medicine has no explanation for autism, despite its continued rise in prevalence. Yet autism is not reported among Amish children who go unvaccinated.
Researchers are warning that over-use of the flu vaccine and anti-flu drugs like Tamiflu and Relenza can apply genetic pressure on flu viruses and then they are more likely to mutate into a more deadly strain.
Most seasonal influenza A (H1N1) virus strains tested from the United States and other countries are now resistant to Tamiflu (oseltamivir). Tamiflu has become a nearly worthless drug against seasonal flu.
Public health officials are irresponsible in their omission of any ways to strengthen immunity against the flu. No options outside of problematic vaccines and anti-flu drugs are offered, despite the fact there is strong evidence that vitamins C and D activate the immune system and the trace mineral selenium prevents the worst form of the disease.
How to Protect Yourself without Drugs and Vaccinations
This year it is more important that you protect your children and loved ones from the flu vaccines than influenza itself.There will always be threats of flu pandemics, real or created, and potentially toxic vaccines will continue to be peddled as the solution until enough people realize there’s a better, safer, saner way.You can break free of the drug-solution trap right now by following these natural health principles. I have not caught a flu in over two decades, and you can avoid it too, without getting vaccinated, by following these simple guidelines, which will keep your immune system in optimal working order so that you're far less likely to acquire the infection to begin with.As I've previously reported, optimizing your vitamin D levels is one of the absolute best strategies for avoiding infections of ALL kinds, and vitamin D deficiency is likely the TRUE culprit behind the seasonality of the flu -- not the flu virus itself.This is probably the single most important and least expensive action you can take.If you are coming down with flu like symptoms and have not been on vitamin D you can take doses of 50,000 units a day for three days to treat the acute infection. Some researchers like Dr. Cannell, believe the dose could even be as high as 1,000 units per pound of body weight for three days.Sugar decreases the function of your immune system almost immediately, and as you likely know, a strong immune system is key to fighting off viruses and other illness. Be aware that sugar is present in foods you may not suspect, like ketchup and fruit juice.Just like it becomes harder for you to get your daily tasks done if you're tired, if your body is overly fatigued it will be harder for it to fight the flu.We all face some stress every day, but if stress becomes overwhelming then your body will be less able to fight off the flu and other illness. If you feel that stress is taking a toll on your health, consider using an energy psychology tool such as Meridian Tapping Techniques, which is remarkably effective in relieving stress associated with all kinds of events, from work to family to trauma.When you exercise, you increase your circulation and your blood flow throughout your body. The components of your immune system are also better circulated, which means your immune system has a better chance of finding an illness before it spreads. You can review my exercise guidelines for some great tips on how to get started.Increase your intake of healthy and essential fats like the omega-3 found in krill oil, which is crucial for maintaining health. It is also vitally important to avoid damaged omega-6 oils like trans fats found in most processed foods, as it will seriously damage your immune response.Washing your hands will decrease your likelihood of spreading a virus to your nose, mouth or other people. Be sure you don't use antibacterial soap for this -- antibacterial soaps are completely unnecessary, and they cause far more harm than good. Instead, identify a simple chemical-free soap that you can switch your family to.Garlic works like a broad-spectrum antibiotic against bacteria, virus, and protozoa in the body. And unlike with antibiotics, no resistance can be built up so it is an absolutely safe product to use. However, if you are allergic or don't enjoy garlic it would be best to avoid as it will likely cause more harm than good.In this particular case, I'd also recommend you stay away from hospitals unless you're having an emergency, as hospitals are prime breeding grounds for infections of all kinds, and could be one of the likeliest places you could be exposed to flu bugs of all kinds.As a side note, please beware that 21 different pediatric Tylenol products have been recently recalled due to the possibility of bacterial contamination. So, if your child comes down with cold or flu symptoms, make sure you do not give him or her a potentially contaminated product.Better yet, help your child recover using more traditional cold and flu remedies, such as, hydrogen peroxide solution in the ear, zinc lozenges, high quality raw honey, or a homemade cough syrup.QR Code Link to This Post
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Japanese prototype of a train that levitates on cushions of air.
High speed trains are huge in Asia, but barring a catastrophe, most of them are designed to stay firmly on the ground, running on rails. There are plenty of good reasons not to run on rails, though, one of which is that you can go much faster without all that friction. This is the idea behind maglev trains, but there's still a lot of wind drag that crops up between the bottom of a maglev train and its track that makes them less efficient (which combined with other problems make maglevs very costly).
A ground-effect vehicle takes advantage of this fast-moving air and uses some stubby little wings to fly just above the ground, like a maglev without the mag. This is a tricky thing to do, since you have to control the vehicle more like an airplane than a train, meaning that you have to deal with pitch, roll, and yaw and not just the throttle. A Japanese research group led by Yusuke Sugahara at Tohoku University has built robotic prototype of a free flying ground-effect vehicle [photo above] that they're using to test an autonomous three axis stabilization system:
The researchers are looking to use this robot to generate a dynamic model of how vehicles like these operate, which they hope to apply to a manned experimental prototype train [first photo at the top] that can travel at 200 kilometers per hour in a U-shaped concrete channel that keeps it from careening out of control.
Later, the plan is that the same technology can scale and power a large commuter rail system called the Aero Train [concept below]. If this is the future of commuting, we'll be literally flying to work some day.
Sugahara and his colleagues describe the project in a paper, "Levitation Control of Experimental Wing-in-Ground Effect Vehicle along Z Axis and about Roll and Pitch Axes," presented today at the IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), in Shanghai.Inside Blue Origin’s new Shepard Capsule That Will Bring Tourists to Space
By Krisana Estaura, | March 30, 2017
New Shepard Interior
New Shepard Interior
Blue Origin has released the first interior photos of the New Shephard capsule that will take first paying customers to space by 2018.
The announcement was made by the company's CEO Jeff Bezos on Wednesday, March 29.
According to The Verge, Bezos wrote in an email update that what makes the interior of New Shepard capsule unique is that "every seat's a window seat, the largest windows ever in space."
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The photos show six reclining black leather seats with blue piping. The seats, arranged around the interior of the capsule, are emblazoned with the company's feather logo, which, according to Bezos, is "a symbol of flight with grace and power." There is also a small personal view screen to track the flight.
There is also a brightly lit console in the central portion of the capsule. Ars Technica, however, explained that it is not a table or an in-flight service bar, but the capsule's escape motor.
Unlike SpaceX's Crew Dragon capsule that is intended to send astronauts to the International Space Station, the New Shepard capsule is a suborbital vehicle that will take people on an approximately 10-minute flight into space. It has been successfully launched and landed five times already, but without any person on board.
Blue Origin has not disclosed the pricing for the trip yet, but Ars Technica believes it will most likely cost $100,000 to $200,000.
New Shepard will be bringing its first paying customers to space in 2018. During Ascent, Blue Origin explained that passengers could experience 3 to 5Gs, although the maximum forces will only last for about 10 seconds,
According to The Verge, a mockup of the capsule will be presented to the reporters during the 33rd Space Symposium from April 3 to 6 in Colorado Springs.Thursday brought some big news out of Toronto – in an effort to retain top center Tyler Bozak, Maple Leafs GM Dave Nonis waived center Mikhail Grabovski with the intention of buying out his contract.
After playing parts of two seasons with the Montreal Canadiens, Grabovski moved on to Toronto where he spent five seasons, amassing 91 goals, 117 assists and 208 points in 340 career games as a Leaf. Most notably, the 29-year old combined for 52 goals and 109 points in the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons, earning a five-year, $27.5 million extension last summer.
In 2013, Grabovski added just 9 goals and 16 points, along with an abysmal minus-10 rating, which was a large factor in the buy-out.
The 5’11” 183 lb. playmaking forward is known for his smooth skating and daft maneuverability, while also possessing quick hands and great timing with passes. Grabovski, along with oft-linemate Nikolai Kulemin, were the center of controversy last season for their unproductive play. But as THW’s Mark Ascione pointed out in March, these players were given the tough task of playing against other teams’ top lines on a nightly basis. In return, the two players saw their power-play time diminish.
Under Leafs Head Coach Randy Carlyle, Grabovski lost his offensive zest for which he was so greatly known across Ontario. He will be looking to sign with a team that needs him for offensive firepower.
Enter the St. Louis Blues.
St. Louis Head Coach Ken Hitchcock stresses a very defensive game as well, but his team is severely lacking offense. A team that ranked 17th in terms of goals-per-game (2.58), the Blues also need to fill the loss of long-time top-six forward Andy McDonald, who called it quits this summer due to medical concerns. Grabovski plays a similar style to McDonald. He is a pass-first player who excels when playing along the half boards.
The Blues are stockpiled with guys that can drive the net – Chris Stewart, David Backes and T.J. Oshie to name a few. Grabovski, who excelled when playing with the feisty Clarke MacArthur in 2011-12, can get the puck to the middle while other Blues forwards create havoc in the slot.
Hitchcock would not likely ask for Grabovski to be in a defensive role. With two-way forwards Backes and Oshie finding time against top lines, Grabovski could lead the Blues’ offensive mindset.
The Blues were one of at least seven teams that met with recent Lightning buyout Vincent Lecavalier last weekend. He has since signed a five-year contract with the Philadelphia Flyers.
Other free-agent options include Stephen Weiss and Mike Ribeiro. These centers are very attractive to a growing offense, but Grabovski would fit more of the mold that the Blues play. He has experience in a defensive system, but could step in as a top-line center. This could alleviate some of Backes’ offensive responsibilities, allowing him to have more of a defensive-focus in his game.
[See Related: Stephen Weiss Asking For How Much Per Year?! ]
After signing Jordan Leopold to a two-year, $4.5 million extension on Wednesday, the Blues have about $13.20 million remaining in cap-space. The team still has defenseman Alex Pietrangelo and forward Chris Stewart remaining as restricted free-agents.
If owner Tom Stillman is willing to spend to the cap next season, Grabovski could be the piece that finally pushes the young Blues offense over the hump in 2013-14.Ten cases of whisky — 120 bottles — gone in eight minutes.
Manitoba-made Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye is flying off shelves more than a month after a being called a "masterpiece" and named 2016 World Whisky of the Year in British writer Jim Murray's annual Whisky Bible.
The whisky also sold out in November, with only occasional shipments available since then.
On Tuesday, shoppers lined up outside the Grant Park liquor mart in Winnipeg after getting wind of a new shipment arriving. Store employees couldn't unpack the cases quickly enough.
Crown Royal's'masterpiece' whisky sells out in 8 minutes in Winnipeg 1:38 Roger Buchanan, who tried three other times to get a bottle and struck out, arrived an hour before the store opened and was one of the first in line.
"People like their alcohol at Christmas and why not try something that has gotten a good review on the ratings around the world?" he said.
"I mean, it's a whisky of the year. Manitoba doesn't get to say that very often."
Staff at the Grant Park liquor mart unpack cases of Crown Royal Northern Harvest on Tuesday morning. (Thibault Jourdan/CBC) Tracy Webber also arrived early and finally got her hands on a bottle after visiting six liquor stores on Monday and coming up empty.
"I've been online constantly looking where they're getting them," she said.
The scenario is much the same across the country, where stocks of the whisky are scarce.
According to the Liquor Control Board of Ontario, sales at LCBO outlets have jumped 400 per cent this Christmas season due to the Crown Royal craze.
In Alberta, Edmonton liquor retailers have also said they can't keep up with demand.
Murray's nod to Northern Harvest Rye marked the first time a Canadian whisky received the World Whisky of the Year honour.
"To say this is a masterpiece is barely doing it justice," Murray said in a release at the time, adding that Northern Harvest takes rye to "new heights of beauty and complexity."
Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye (Angela Johnston/CBC) The Crown Royal distillery in Gimli, a community of just over 1,900 on the western shore of Lake Winnipeg, has been producing its whisky since 1939 — the year of the royal visit by King George VI and Queen Elizabeth.
The Northern Harvest Rye came out this year and according to the Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries, 800 bottles were sold in the province the first six weeks it was available. That was before Murray's Whisky Bible came out.
In the month since then, the total has reached 20,000 sold in Manitoba. About 2,500 bottles were made available Tuesday at liquor marts across the province and all are now gone.
"The phone's been ringing off the hook [asking] if we have any," said Ebba Troschuk, the store manager at the Grant Park location.
"We've been trying our best to get as much product as possible," she said, adding "it's a worldwide outage right now, everywhere — all the provinces as well as the world."
There won't be any more of the whisky available before the new year, she added, but "a real good shipment" should arrive in mid-to-late January.
"It's been quite the challenge to try and keep people happy."20 Years Ago Today: The Most Important Law On The Internet Was Signed, Almost By Accident
from the give-thanks dept
The amount of information communicated via interactive computer services is therefore staggering. The specter of tort liability in an area of such prolific speech would have an obvious chilling effect. It would be impossible for service providers to screen each of their millions of postings for possible problems. Faced with potential liability for each message republished by their services, interactive computer service providers might choose to severely restrict the number and type of messages posted.
The internet as we know it would be aif 20 years ago today, President Clinton hadn't signed the Communications Decency Act. To be fair, nearly all of the CDA was a horrible mess that was actually afor the internet. A key part of the bill was about "cleaning up" pornography on the internet. However, to "balance" that out, the bill included Section 230 -- added by two Congressmen in the House of Representatives: Ron Wyden and Chris Cox. They had pushed this clause as a separate bill, the Internet Freedom and Family Empowerment Act, but it didn't get enough traction. It was only when they attached it to the Communications Decency Act (which had passed the Senate without it), that it was able to move forward. And thus, 20 years ago today, when President Clinton signed the CDA, most of the attention was on the "stopping indecency" part, and very little on the "throw in" of Section 230. And yet, there's a strong argument that Section 230 may be one of the-- perhapsmost important -- passed in the past few decades.As you hopefully already know, a year later, in Reno v. ACLU, the Supreme Court tossed out basically all of the CDA as unconstitutional. The only tidbit of the law that remained valid? You guessed it: Section 230. And, of course, it becamein enabling the internet to grow the way it did. It's been said in the past, fairly accurately, that no law contributed more to the growth of the internet than CDA 230, and that's because of a fairly simple and straightforward principle. CDA 230 simply said that an internet service isfor actions of its users. This meant that new websites and internet services didn't need to carefully monitor and track everything that every user did to make sure it wasn't violating a law. That meant the legal risks and liability for creating services that allowed the public to create all kinds of content went way down.Without a robust Section 230, it's difficult to see many of the most popular platforms today existing. It's no surprise that soon after CDA 230 we saw the rise of blogging and social media -- and almost always coming from American companies. Both would be significantly more difficult without Section 230's protections. In fact, much of the push for Section 230 came in response to a horrible court case, Stratton Oakmont v. Prodigy, in which an internet bulletin board commenter attacked financial firm Stratton Oakmont, and its president, for apparently being involved in criminal and fraudulent activity. Stratton Oakmont -- now perhaps well known as the firm portrayed as doing all sorts of criminal and fraudulent things in the movie The Wolf of Wall Street -- sued Prodigy for the comment. The liability from such a ruling scared numerous online platforms, in particular because a key part of the ruling was that because Prodigy posted "guidelines" and removed posts with offensive language, it suddenly became a "publisher" of the content, and was liable for that content.A key, and often overlooked, part of Section 230, is that it actually does encourage sites to take proactive measures to filter content, by noting that any kind of moderation or guidelinesremove the protections of Section 230. As such, sites get to decide for themselves whether or not to moderate their content in any way, without facing the legal risk of suddenly being declared the publisher. Other countries have no such protections, leading to some dangerous rulings, and creating something akin to a "right to be forgotten" in some instances.There have been numerous cases testing Section 230 over the years -- and the law has remained strong and in place -- though it is still being challenged to this day. The biggest and most important case was Zeran v. AOL, the first case testing Section 230, in which the court found that Section 230 was a powerful tool that kept sites from being held responsible for content posted by users.Section 230 has been powerful in so many ways. It has bothandonline by letting companies set up platforms where people can speak openly. Without it, the internet would be much more limited as a platform for communicating to the public. As the 4th Circuit noted in its ruling in the Zeran case:It has, by making it clear that there was no duty for websites to monitor and track their users, to avoid any kind of liability. It has created incentives to, by making it clear that companies could be formed to enable public communications, such as blogging, forums and social media -- without being sued into bankruptcy over misuse. And it has actually enabledof platforms in not making them give up protections, if they choose how to moderate certain content.It is difficult to express just how important Section 230 has been over the past 20 years other than to say that, without it, it's unlikely that you would be able to comment on Techdirt today. It's also unlikely that you'd have tools like Twitter or Facebook or Yelp or AirBnb. Any service that relies on public input owes a huge debt to Section 230, and it's quite incredible that it was basically included as an "add-on" that very few noticed when it was signed.So, as we're hanging out here on the internet |
. Now was when the body came flying through the glass, and we were already down a man, already there was somebody missing that could be slung through the glass at me. I backed into the CQ area, and locked the inner doors. I could still see outside, and still see the missing LT's car. He was in there, listening to Duran Duran, smoking a cigarette, and planning on coming in here and ripping my throat out. THen he'd drink my blood. Then he'd gnaw the flesh from my... I shook my head to clear away those thoughts. Fuck him. I bet I could whip some undead butterbars ass. I was Private Monkey, bad motherfucker. Killing machine. Twisted steel and sex appeal. All the women love a killer. "You alright, Private?" Captain Bishop asked. He sounded genuinely concerned, so I answered him while I locked the door to the stairwell. "Dark monkey thoughts." I told him. "Monkey?" "YEs, sir. My father called my brothers and I his'monkey-boys' out of affection. I'm a good climber." I told him. "Oh. I thought you were saying something else." he admitted. "We all bleed and die the same, sir." I answered, letting him know I knew what he meant by those words. The hallway door locked firmly, the two bathroom doors did not, niether did the empty room that read "REC ROOM" above the doorjam. The boots had stopped stomping, but we were still working by flashlight. I knew there wasn't breakers tripping, it was fuses, so that meant that the wiring was bad. That was it, just bad wiring. The wind was coming in through the walls, and shifting the wiring. Tandy had gotten drunk, or maybe he was despondent about his spank-sock rejecting, or something, and had gone outside. "Private Monkey, why is there an SS dagger stuck in your boot?" Captain Bishop asked me. "We found a bunch of crates, and Sergeant Vickers left me alone in that sub-basement. I'm a soldier, I'm more comfortable with a weapon in my hands." I shrugged. "You can have it." "They are illegal here in Germany. We have to turn Nazi paraphanelia over to our German hosts so they can destroy it." Captain Bishop looked thoughtful. "How many do you think were down there?" "Well, sir, the sub-basement extends roughly the length of the building and *CRASH CRASH CRASH* "KEEP IT DOWN UP THERE, ASSHOLES!" (that got me a funny look) "and I'd estimate about a quarter of it is full of crates. Some of them are different sizes, so I doubt they are all knives. There's also a torn Nazi flag with bulletholes in it." I finished. "Let's go get some shut-eye, son." Captain Bishop told me. I noticed he didn't ask for the.45 back, nor did he ask me to give up my knife. I went in the day room, found my little nest, and closed my eyes. I heard Captain Bishop lock the dayroom door before I fell asleep, but not much else. ------------------------------- Breakfast was lukewarm mermite eggs and kangaroo meat. I kept catching myself doing headcount, and Cobb visibly flinched every time a screamed howled out from the hallway, the stairwell, or from above us. "Listen up, men." Captain Bishop ordered. We all paid attention to him while we kept eating. "Sergeant Vickers and SPC Carter will be going into post. We're going to have MI put a tap on our phones. They will also bringing back dinner and tomorrows meals. Private Cobb will be taking the 5-ton and getting us two light sets, a one point fiveFor the song by Mamamoo, see Melting (album)
"You're the Best" is a song performed by Joe Esposito and written by Bill Conti (music) and Allee Willis (lyrics), which came to prominence as the music to the All-Valley Karate Championships montage in the 1984 movie The Karate Kid in which the protagonist, Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio), proves a surprisingly formidable contender.
Background [ edit ]
"You're the Best" came to prominence after being used in the 1984 film The Karate Kid. Responding to years of criticism of "You're the Best" on the radio, singer Joe Esposito called in to the Adam Carolla Show on April 9, 2008. The criticism was that the lyric "History repeats itself" was inappropriate because it was played during Daniel LaRusso's (Ralph Macchio) first All-Valley Tournament in The Karate Kid. Esposito revealed that the power ballad[2] was originally intended for the Rocky III soundtrack, but was replaced by "Eye of the Tiger". It was subsequently also turned down for the Flashdance soundtrack in favour of "Maniac" by Michael Sembello. The Karate Kid's director, John G. Avildsen, liked the song so much that he used it in the movie.[3]
Usage [ edit ]
The track has been used since in numerous homages to eighties movies, including:
Animated television [ edit ]
Live-action television [ edit ]
Live-action film [ edit ]
Professional sports [ edit ]
Mexican wrestler Ricky Marvin uses the song as his theme.
Commercials [ edit ]
Radio [ edit ]
Video games [ edit ]
Other songs [ edit ]This weekend, I’m going to the Mojave Desert, deep into an arid wilderness of a half-million acres, for some stargazing, bouldering and January sunshine on my public lands. I won’t be out of contact. I checked. If Sarah Palin says something stupid on Donald Trump’s behalf — scratch that. When Sarah Palin says something stupid on Donald Trump’s behalf, I’ll get her speaking-in-tongues buffoonery in real time, along with the rest of the nation.
The old me would have despised the new me for admitting such a thing. I’ve tried to go on digital diets, fasting from my screens. I was a friend’s guest at a spa in Arizona once and had so much trouble being “mindful” that they nearly kicked me out. Actually, I just wanted to make sure I didn’t miss the Seahawks game, mindful of Seattle’s woeful offensive line.
In the information blur of last year, you may have overlooked news of our incredibly shrinking attention span. A survey of Canadian media consumption by Microsoft concluded that the average attention span had fallen to eight seconds, down from 12 in the year 2000. We now have a shorter attention span than goldfish, the study found.
Attention span was defined as “the amount of concentrated time on a task without becoming distracted.” I tried to read the entire 54-page report, but well, you know. Still, a quote from Satya Nadella, the chief executive officer of Microsoft, jumped out at me. “The true scarce commodity” of the near future, he said, will be “human attention.”A new installation image for Arch Linux is now available that sees the distribution's default boot process switch from the previous System V implementation to systemd for booting the live system. Because of the change, initscripts are no longer available on the live system. However, the developers note that they are still installed by default, but this "is likely to change in the near future".
The move to the systemd init system was first proposed by the Linux distribution's developers in mid-August; users have been able to install systemd alongside Arch's own initscripts for some time now. Other distributions that have switched to systemd include Fedora, openSUSE and Mandriva.
Based on the 3.5.5 Linux kernel, Arch Linux 2012.10.06 is a regular monthly snapshot of the rolling-release operating system for new installations. Among the changes since the last snapshot are a simplified EFI boot and setup process, and the use of the gummiboot boot manager to display a menu on EFI systems. Additionally, new packages including ethtool, the FSArchiver tool, the Partimage and Partclone partition utilities, rfkill and the TestDisk data recovery tool are now available on the live system.
Further information about the new installation media, including a full list of new packages, can be found in the release announcement. Arch Linux 2012.10.06 is available from the project's Downloads page. The ISO images are intended for new installs or for use as a rescue system; existing users will have already received the updates through the built-in update mechanism. Arch Linux is targeted at advanced Linux users, emphasising simplicity for developers over ease of use for end users; it and its components are released under a variety of licences.
See also:
(crve)INDIANAPOLIS -- Colts head coach Chuck Pagano made it back to the team complex for a short staff meeting Monday.
It's the first time Pagano has been back since being diagnosed with a form of leukemia Sept. 26.
Interim coach and offensive coordinator Bruce Arians says he listened to the discussion after doctors cleared Pagano, whose white blood-cell count has increased as he has undergone treatment for the illness. He's scheduled to start a second round of chemotherapy next week.
Arians told reporters last week he didn't expect Pagano back at the team facility for a while because doctors wanted to keep him in a sterile environment where he would not risk infection.
Arians says the surprise visit gave the team a boost and notes Pagano went home when he became tired.Zagat, the restaurant review service Google acquired in 2011, has finally been given a mobile makeover today following years of what have been only minor updates and bug fix releases. Launching first on iOS, the updated Zagat app features a refreshed logo and new look-and-feel, as well as features that tailor the app to the individual user.
Before today’s refresh, the app had a massively outdated user interface that made it seem like a holdover from an earlier era on mobile. Effectively, it seemed like the Zagat app had been abandoned following Google’s acquisition, which was primarily focused on beefing up Google’s own local reviews with Zagat’s data.
The company first used Zagat to overhaul its Google+ Local efforts at a time when it was hoping to turn Google+ into a Facebook competitor where business owners would claim and operate their own pages.
The company had also come under fire for the way it had botched its handling of Zagat post-acquisition, with an older iteration of the app that presented dining stories over helping people actually figure out where to eat right now.
But as Google+ stagnated, the company moved away from further Zagat integrations, and instead focused on gathering its own restaurant data from crowdsourced reviews via its Local Guides program, and more recently, a wider group of Maps users. This has allowed it to update its Google restaurant listings product with an expanded set of information beyond business hours and other facts to include more nuanced details like a restaurant’s ambience, specialized menu options, whether it’s family friendly, and more
Now, it seems Google is giving Zagat a second look.
[gallery ids="1358970,1358969"]
Explains the company, the new Zagat app will make recommendations based on where you’re currently located and the time of day. For example, if it’s almost lunch time, you can just push a button to find a place that’s open for lunch nearby.
Thanks to its revamped interface, this “find nearby” function is a lot more useful. With a single tap, you’re shown the best Zagat-rated restaurants near you.
You can also toggle this switch off to see all restaurants, as well as tap on buttons to narrow by type of eatery (bakery, deli, American, brunch, etc.) or click a “Filter” button to narrow search results even further. Filtering lets you really drill down into options like price range, food score, decor score, service score, whether it accepts online reservations, open hours, and more.
You can also choose how restaurants are sorted – best match, Google rating, Zagat food score, distance, or pricing. And you can filter by new places, in case you’re looking to branch out from your old favorites.
By default, restaurants are presented in list view, but you can toggle over to a maps view instead to see pins with their accompanying Zagat rating on a map.
In addition to finding nearby restaurants, the app’s homescreen can direct you to other recommended lists – like quick bites nearby, best Italian in your city, or best wine lists, for example. Below these, a “Top Zagat Picks Near You” will point you to some of the best restaurants to try.
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With the newly added navigation buttons at the bottom of the app, you can also switch over into other sections, like Search (where you can now tap on buttons per cuisine type or search by Neighborhood); “City’s Best” (a list of the best places that’s available in select major metros); and a “Saved” section where you can make your own lists of places you want to visit.
Google has also changed the way Zagat’s ratings are being presented, it notes. While it continues to collect separate ratings for Food, Decor and Service, it has now simplified these figures in an easier to understand 5-point scale. (Zagat, of course, was known for its iconic 30-point rating system. 5 points brings Zagat more in line with competing services, including Google’s own biz ratings.)
Overall, the changes make Zagat a fairly useful restaurant finding application again, and one that does a better job at actually finding the better places to dine in town than Google Maps.
However, given that Google had abandoned the app for so long, it may be hard for the company to get users – who have since moved on to Yelp, Foursquare, and others – to return.
Zagat is available for free on iTunes.AP Photo/The New Mexican, Clyde Mueller
Sun coverage More Sun political news
When the election is this near and polls are this close, it often seems like any soft breeze could tip the scales in favor of one presidential candidate or the other.
Such as a good jobs report. Or a bad debate performance.
Or a third party candidate.
Gary Johnson, the Libertarian Party’s pick for 2012, hasn’t gained as much recognition as his third-party predecessors.
He hasn’t been invited to participate in the debates, as Ross Perot was in 1992. He hasn’t yet captured as many headlines as did the 2000 cycle’s Ralph Nader, whose 90,000 votes in Florida tipped the scales out of former vice president Al Gore’s favor enough that George W. Bush was eventually awarded the state’s electoral votes and became president.
Despite that, Johnson’s campaign, and the Libertarian Party backing him, consider Johnson to be a more serious candidate than any of his predecessors.
“Gov. Johnson is the most qualified person to be president of the United States that I know of,” Judge Jim Gray, Johnson’s running mate, said in an interview with the Sun on Thursday. “As he has said: We will run to win.”
But, as Gray and members of the Libertarian Party readily admit, their real goal is a far more modest showing that won’t get Johnson anywhere near the White House. Still, the very fact he’s on the ballot could potentially keep one of the two frontrunner candidates from getting in.
“In a close race, can he be the spoiler? Certainly he can be the spoiler,” said Jennifer Duffy, senior editor with the Cook Political Report. “In a really close race, a third candidate who gets 2 percent can make a difference.”
The Johnson camp’s goal is actually 5 percent, that being the performance threshold necessary to get public funding in 2016.
“Academic polls are showing the governor between 5 and 6.5 percent, so that’s where we are now,” Campaign Manager Ron Nielsen said in an interview Thursday, adding that he expected the turnout for Johnson in Nevada to be higher. “What we’re presenting is an opportunity for voters to make a choice. And we say it’s the best choice.... If the notion comes up that Gary Johnson is a spoiler, then so be it. People have the right to make a decision.”
“If we just get 5 percent of the vote nationwide, it will be historic,” Gray said. “It will be the beginning of the end of the two-party system.”
To reach that goal, his campaign is doing everything they can to promote Johnson on a limited budget — the campaign has less than $2 million in total reported receipts — and almost no airtime.
But with his name recognition still relatively low, it’s clear that his campaign staffers are promoting the negative aspects of Democrat Barack Obama and Republican Mitt Romney to rustle up the protest vote.
“It is a protest we’re encouraging: We’re protesting the two-party system,” Nielsen said. “We’re protesting the same versus the same, and we’re offering something different.”
Johnson’s showing in Nevada — where the presidential race remains tight — depends on how many voters decide they want to cast a protest vote and, of those, how many of them decide to choose Johnson as their protest selection.
Nevada has its fair share of disaffected voters this year, especially in the Republican Party.
“Nevada’s a very unique situation.... I think we’ll have a huge faction of people that are GOPers on the Ron Paul side who want to see the revolution continue with Gary Johnson,” said Brett Pojunis, a national committee member with the Libertarian Party who is based in Nevada and is supporting Johnson. “Gary in the campaign has spent a tremendous amount of time, effort, resources and money developing a message specifically for the Ron Paulers, and that message is: ‘If you loved Ron Paul, you’re going to love Gary Johnson.’”
Pojunis rattled off several points of Johnson’s platform that matched up with Paul’s. They’re both anti-war, pro-small government and in favor of ending the Fed. It’s a message Johnson has been taking directly to the Ron Paul supporters for months, even appearing at a rally of the Paul faithful in Tampa to ask for their support.
“(Ron Paul’s) supporters are coming to us because we have one enormous benefit and quality that Dr. Paul does not: We will be on the ballot in November, and he will not be,” Gray said.
That message is swaying some Paul followers, but not with the same against-all-odds gusto they exhibited for Paul.
“My vote is about 98 percent cast in stone for Gary Johnson,” said Cynthia Kennedy, a Paul supporter from Las Vegas and one of the Nevada delegates to the Republican National Convention who broke their obligation to vote for Romney in Tampa, Fla., in favor of Paul. “But who knows? At the last minute, something might happen and Obama makes a terrible decision — if he’s leading in the polls and it’s absolutely imperative to get him out of there, I might change my mind.
“But Romney seems to be doing okay without my vote,” she hastily added.
“I think (Johnson’s) a much better candidate than Romney or Obama... and I may vote for him. But I’m not supporting him or endorsing him; I’m not actually going out and hustling up votes for him,” said Jim Ayala of Henderson, who also was an RNC delegate who switched from Romney to Paul. “I probably agree with maybe 80 percent of the stuff Gary Johnson talks about. But I see Rand Paul as a much more viable collector of the Paul support.... He probably agrees with his father on 90 percent of the issues.”
Johnson already has vowed that he would remain the Libertarian Party’s candidate through the 2012 cycle and run again in 2016 — when most Paul supporters are expecting that their former leader’s son Rand, currently serving as a U.S. senator from Kentucky, will pick up the mantle of the movement his father inspired and possibly run for president.
“It’s tough to go with a guy like Gary Johnson knowing that it’s going nowhere,” said Carl Bunce, Paul’s former state campaign director, who said he would not be shifting his loyalties. “I think (Johnson’s) a good asset for the libertarian mindset, movement, argument, but I don’t think he’ll have a huge effect from Nevada, as far as pulling voters from Republicans.”
In Nevada, Johnson isn’t the only option to register one’s displeasure with the two big-party candidates on offer. There’s also the option to vote “none of these candidates.”
“None of the above — I think that might be more of a factor than Gary Johnson, actually,” Bunce said.
But it’s difficult to know for sure. There hasn’t been much reliable polling in Nevada that takes Johnson’s candidacy or the none of the above option into account, Duffy said.
Paul’s supporters drew a lot of attention during the Republican primary season, but in the end, they didn’t turn out that many votes: Paul drew only 6,175 to the state caucuses out of a total 32,894 voters.
“In the presidential election, there’s going to be what — 800,000 voting here? It’s a very small fraction of the total,” said David Damore, professor of political science at UNLV. “In Nevada, some folks pride themselves of that libertarian mindset, so it is better territory for (Johnson) than a lot of places. But it’s still at the margin.”
The numbers are slightly better when one looks to registered Libertarian voters, who number just shy of 8,000 statewide, according to the Nevada secretary of state’s official count from September 2012.
Pojunis and other Libertarians plan to use the Johnson campaign to grow those numbers: On Monday, the Libertarian Party will launch a three-week long “Double the LP” drive to promote Johnson and double their dues-paying membership, a campaign that will culminate on Oct. 26 with a party in Las Vegas featuring Johnson and Gray.
But whether that will generate enough energy around the campaign to put Johnson over the turnout top isn’t clear.
Thus far, Johnson has attracted only modest crowds, such as the 300 who turned out to hear him speak at UNLV last week — and that’s the Libertarian Party’s estimate. Campaign officials did not share formal estimates of anticipated attendance for a series of events Gray plans to hold in and around Las Vegas on Friday.
In an interview, Gray was particularly optimistic about his chances of winning over the local electorate, from all parts of the political spectrum.
“In Nevada, there’s such disenchantment: Most people figuring on putting an ‘X’ by Obama’s name are just voting against Romney, and most people putting an ‘X’ by Romney’s name are just voting against Obama,” he said. “We are coming at Obama from the left... and we’re coming at Romney from the right.
“We’ve approached the Tea Party... and we’re in line with the Occupy movement. We are in the middle where neither Buchanan nor Ralph Nader were. We apply across the board. We are classic liberals and classic conservatives.... We are refreshing.”
But in this election climate, a refreshing alternative may not be enough to get voters up and to the polls — even if they are fed up with their standard choices.
“Romney or Obama... a lot of time voters just can’t stomach voting for either of them,” Duffy said. “But they still don’t want to be the spoiler."83-strong entry for Corsica
The championship's upcoming fourth round, the Che Guevara Energy Drink Tour de Corse (6th - 9th April), has attracted a strong entry of 83 crews, organisers have revealed.
For the first time this season, the all-asphalt classic will feature a full house of WRC championship categories from World Rally Cars to the 2017 debut of the Junior WRC for drivers aged 29 and under.
David Serieys, the rally's race director, said he was happy to have have built on last year's 77-strong entry after the event moved from an Autumn slot in the 2016 calendar.
Serieys said: “With 83 crews entered, today we have registered a very satisfying number of entries. I would like to hail this increase as a great success because of the fact that we have organised two Tours de Corse with a gap of only six months between them. It’s the obvious proof of the enthusiasm shown by professional and amateur drivers for this mythic event in the World Rally Championship.”
There are 14 World Rally Car crews on the FIA-approved entry list, 12 of which will be at the wheel of the latest 2017-spec machines. Entries are headed by defending champion Sébastien Ogier, and include Citroën's first outing for a trio of C3 World Rally Cars for Kris Meeke, Craig Breen and Stéphane Lefebvre. Norway's Mads Østberg will return for his second rally this year in his M-Sport Ford Fiesta.
Fifteen crews are registered in WRC 2, including local hero Eric Camilli, currently second in the standings, and former Volkswagen driver Andreas Mikkelsen who returns to the Skoda squad after winning the opening round at Rallye Monte-Carlo.
Ten crews, driving identical Ford Fiesta R2s, will contest the Junior WRC class on the first of six championships rounds this year. A further five drivers are registered in WRC 3. Other notable entries include French asphalt experts Roman Dumas (Porsche 997 GT3) and Francois Delecour (Abarth 124) in the RGT category.
Follow this link to see the full list of entries.
Video
More NewsA 2-week-old baby is placed in a machine to have his body mass index measured at the Children's Hospital in Aurora, Colo., during a 2010 research study on obesity in infants. (Rick Wilking/Reuters)
How can skinny people still exist? If we live in an environment that promotes obesity — filled with fast food, sugary drinks, TVs and cars — why isn’t everyone obese? And if our genes cause us to be fat, why has the search for “obesity genes” failed?
For me, the quest to answer these questions began when I was a student working in labs with genetically identical mice eating identical food. Surprisingly, the mice differed greatly in size. What caused the differences if it wasn’t their diets or DNA?
As I moved between labs, I noticed that pregnant mice without access to exercise wheels produced offspring that would themselves have larger, fatter offspring. While the first and second generations weren’t much larger, subsequent generations certainly were. To me, this was an amazing observation: The activity levels of grandmothers and mothers during pregnancy determined the fatness of future generations. But was my observation correct? And if so, what were the mechanisms?
I wasn’t the first to observe this trend. Half a century earlier, the geneticist D.S. Falconer had found that by breeding only the largest offspring of genetically identical mice eating identical diets, it was possible to produce progressively larger and fatter offspring over several generations.
This finding supported my intuition that genes and food aren’t sufficient explanations of obesity. Despite the recent fanfare over the identification of a suite of genes associated with obesity, they explain less than 2 percent of the variation in obesity between individuals. This leaves the other 98 percent — known as the missing heritability — still to be discovered.
When I began my own experiments, I found further evidence that calorie intake doesn’t explain obesity: Active mothers and their leaner offspring ate more food and calories than the fatter, inactive mice. Once again, I wasn’t the first to discover this. In the 1950s, nutrition scientist Jean Mayer demonstrated that active animals, whether mice, rats or humans, ate more food and stayed leaner and healthier than sedentary ones.
By 2014, I had conducted an extensive literature review that turned my intuition into a theory that revealed the missing heritability and a new way of understanding why so many children today are obese. The answer was a combination of a mother’s body composition and physical activity during pregnancy.
When pregnant women are physically active, the increased energy demands redirect nutrients to her muscles and away from her fetus. This competition between the mother’s muscles and the developing fetus’s fat cells produces leaner, healthier babies. Their genes and food intake are irrelevant to the process.
This competition doesn’t happen in inactive mothers. Without having to struggle for energy and nutrients, the fat cells in the fetus increase in both size and number, increasing the birth weight of the infant — a factor strongly related to adult obesity and Type 2 diabetes. This is passed on down the line, with future generations becoming fatter and increasingly inactive and unhealthy.
This is an example of non-genetic evolution, where traits are transmitted to offspring with no underlying change in their genome. This process helps to explain my and Falconer’s observations in mice, while demonstrating the power of the uterine environment to permanently shape the metabolic processes that predispose some fetuses to obesity and metabolic disease.
As it turned out, the idea that the uterine environment affects the fetus is commonplace in evolutionary biology and has been observed across many species. Known as “accumulative maternal effects,” it describes how a mother’s age, size, fat stores and behavior, including physical activity, affect not only her health and metabolism but also that of future generations.
Humans are no exception. For instance, a 1995 study of babies born through egg donation found that the only discernible factor influencing their birth weight was the surrogate mother’s body mass. The egg donor’s body mass, her own birth weight and the birth weight of her other children bore no relationship to the birth weight of the infant produced from the donated egg.
The genes from the egg donor’s biological mother played no detectable role in the birth weight of the infant. This helps to explain why, despite many billions of research dollars, the search for the “genes that make us fat” will continue to disappoint.
The idea that the nine months we spend in the womb affects our health has been around for centuries; in fact, it was discussed by the ancient Greek physician Hippocrates. More recently, the “thrifty phenotype” hypothesis developed in the 1990s argued that an impoverished uterine environment can program a fetus’s metabolism, predisposing it to obesity and diabetes. However, this doesn’t explain why childhood and adult obesity exploded during the late 1970s, when food was abundant.
This is where my theory transforms our understanding of childhood obesity.
For most of human history, survival required huge amounts of physical exertion. Hunting, gathering, chopping wood and carrying water provided a dose of physical activity that made deliberate exercise unnecessary. Yet over the past century, socio-environmental changes slowly eliminated physical labor. At first, technological advances coupled with a more healthful food supply led to the birth of children that were the fittest in human history. But by the middle of the 20th century, the advent of labor-saving devices, the rising popularity of the car and passive, sedentary entertainment led to people becoming fatter and more inactive.
From 1965 to 2010, the amount of energy expended in the home by women in the United States decreased by almost 2,000 calories per week. At the same time, the amount of time they spent watching TV and using computers doubled. My research has found that obese U.S. women get less than one hour of vigorous physical activity per year. Not surprisingly, just as non-exercising mice produce grandchildren that are bigger and fatter, so do U.S. women.
By the late 1970s, a tipping point was reached in which mothers were so inactive that the evolution of human energy metabolism was markedly altered. As a result, fetuses grew so large that the need for Caesarean sections rose significantly. The increased use of surgical interventions during pregnancy allowed both the larger babies and the mothers who produced them to survive and reproduce. Thus, natural selection was rendered artificial selection, and the number of metabolically compromised children and adults increased in the global population.
Non-genetic evolution is the primary determinant of obesity — not gluttony, fast food or genes. The best solution to the obesity epidemic is to encourage would-be mothers to increase their levels of physical activity so that they can prepare their metabolism for pregnancy and have leaner, healthier children.
Archer is a physiologist and obesity theorist at the Nutrition and Obesity Research Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham. This article was produced by New Scientist.: The impact of fire and fall during the Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 tragedy had caused some of the bones of the victims to be buried as deep as two feet underground, said D13 (Bank Data/DNA) chief assistant director, ACP Hussein Omar Khan.The Royal Malaysian Police Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) commander for the MH17 tragedy, said the victims' bones were found buried in the ground when the recovery team made its final mission in April this year."Until April this year, only 296 victims had positive identification while the other two victims were unidentified. Therefore, the recovery team made a final mission in April this year," he said, adding that only the Netherlands and Malaysia went on this final mission as Australia felt it was highly risky."We used armoured and bullet-proof cars to get into the crash site," he recalled in his talk titled 'Mass Fatality Investigation: The MH17 Experience' at the International Conference on Environmental Forensics organised by Universiti Putra Malaysia, here, today.The Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 plane was en route to Kuala Lumpur from Amsterdam when it was brought down over eastern Ukraine on July 17, 2014, killing all 298 people on board.Hussein said during the final mission, the recovery team had to dig the crash site area as some of the bones were found to be buried in the soil."Archaeology forensics was used in the search this time. It was surprising to find bones 40cm and two-feet deep in the ground," he said.Hussein said after the final mission, the recovery team believed the last two victims were identified and 99 percent of the recovery operation was completed."Now grass has grown on the crash site and it is unlikely the recovery team will go there again unless there is any necessity," he added.This post was made with an older stylesheet
Xnoise is aiming to be fast and easy to use, and after testing its latest version for a few hours today I can confirm it succeeds. The main features of the player are:
Support for Video files playback
ID3 tag editing
Lyrics fetching using 3 different lyrics websites (all three lyrics plugins included by default)
Automatic album art fetching
“Now playing” tab that displays album art
Fast metadata library search
Ability to play any GStreamer media
Last.fm integration
Smart Notifications
Ability to extend by installing more extensions
You can see most of these features in action on the following video:
It is true that Xnoise is not packed with features that will cover every single need one could have, but it certainly is useful for those who want to do the “main” media playback everyday things fast, stable and easy. The latest version is 0.2.3 and sounds a lot more unstable than it actually is.
It came out just today and you can find it on this website. Ubuntu users use this ppa:shkn/xnoise at your own risk.96 years ago today, on 15 January 1919, Rosa Luxemburg was detained, interrogated and murdered by right-wing soldiers under the command of socialist Defence Minister Gustav Noske. Today she is remembered around the world for her life and ideas.
Born in Russian-Poland in a middle-class Jewish family in 1873, Rosa Luxemburg emigrated to Switzerland after completing High School and enrolled at Zurich University. Whilst still a student she co-founded the Social Democracy of the Kingdom of Poland (SDKP, later SDKPiL), with Leo Jogiches, Adolf Warszawski and Julian Marchlewski, before being awarded a doctorate in 1897.
The following year, she moved to Berlin and joined the German Social-Democratic Party (SPD), then the largest and most powerful socialist organisation in the world. She rose to prominence on the left-wing of the SPD as a firebrand speaker, journalist and theoretician, writing works on economics, nationalism, imperialism, war, socialism and democracy.
Luxemburg taught at the SPD party school, wrote for party newspapers and represented the Poles and Germans at meetings of the Socialist International before 1914. When Revolution came to her homeland in 1905, she returned to Warsaw and endured imprisonment for her revolutionary activities, before returning to exile in Germany.
In the years preceding 1914, Luxemburg warned frequently of the oncoming crisis of imperialism and the dangers of a catastrophic war. She called on European workers to refuse to take up arms against eachother.
When war broke out in August 1914, the European socialist parties, who had long declared their hostility to war and determination to resist it by all means, crumbled and supported their respective governments. When the SPD voted in favour of war credits in the Reichstag (thus demonstrating support for the Kaiser’s government and the war), Luxemburg contemplated suicide for the only time in her life.
Luxemburg co-founded the anti-war, socialist group ‘The Spartacus League’, named after the Roman rebel slave, with other German socialists. Her anti-war activities soon led to her arrest and she spent the majority of the four years of the war in the Kaiser’s prisons. From her cell, she produced the anti-war ‘Junius Pamphlet’ as well as other works, whilst also leading the underground Spartacus League. Her own party, the SPD, disowned and expelled her and other anti-war activists.
In November 1918, sailors mutineered and began the German November Revolution. The Kaiser was deposed, workers and soldiers councils established and a new government, led by the SPD, took control of Germany. Rosa Luxemburg was released from prison and returned to Berlin, where she co-founded the German Communist Party (KPD) on New Year’s Eve.
Tensions between the SPD government (headed by Friedrich Ebert and Phillip Scheidemann) and the more radical socialist parties, namely the Independent Social-Democratic Party (USPD) and the KPD, boiled over on 5 January 1919. The spark was the government dismissal of Berlin’s police chief, Emil Eichhorn, a USPD member who had been appointed during the November Revolution. In response, strikes and demonstrations erupted across the city, led by the USPD, KPD and Revolutionary Shop Stewards- who formed a ‘Revolutionary Committee’.
Armed workers and soldiers occupied the newspaper district and other key buildings in central Berlin, while the leaders of the Revolutionary Committee argued, dithered and fractured. Meanwhile, the government moved in well organised regiments of ‘Freikorps’ (right-wing soldiers formed out of demobilised soldiers and led by reactionary officers), positioned outside the city by Defence Minister Gustav Noske, who called himself ‘the Bloodhound of the Revolution’.
The ‘Spartacist |
for violence against Democrats despite no relationship, and blames Republicans for violence against Republicans when the perpetrator is a progressive activist.
The media’s big problem right now is that everyone in the country knows how they’d be covering yesterday’s shooting if the parties were reversed.
Progressive Democratic activist James Hodgkinson spent years on social media and in local and national politics focusing on his hatred of Republican politicians. On Wednesday, he went after a group of Republican politicians as they practiced baseball in the early morning, shooting a member of the Republican leadership, two capitol police, a legislative aide, and a lobbyist. Rep. Steve Scalise remains in critical condition.
Hodgkinson’s social media trail and the accounts of neighbors leave no question that the man was politically engaged, aligned with progressives, and upset with Republicans.
Some media coverage of the incident has been fine, if restrained. The media have not chosen to make this shooting a referendum on leftist political violence, on the use of extreme rhetoric and conspiracy theorizing by major mainstream media, on the dangers of the resistance movement. There has been no rush to introspection.
Some media treatment has been disgusting. The New York Times ran an editorial that is dangerously dishonest.
First, Let’s Flash Back to 2011
Before we discuss it, we should reflect on the 2011 Tucson shooting in which a deranged man shot up a Gabby Giffords political rally, killing six and injuring another 18. Despite the fact that the man was extremely mentally ill, obsessed with Giffords, and not conventionally political, the media immediately leaped to the conclusion that conservative rhetoric had led him to shoot Giffords. There was no evidence to support the idea initially, and the false claims were disproven with time.
The day after the shooting, the Times editorial board wrote that Jared Lee Loughner “is very much a part of a widespread squall of fear, anger and intolerance that has produced violent threats against scores of politicians and infected the political mainstream with violent imagery.” It said that opponents of Obamacare were threatening members of Congress, and mentioned an effigy of a Democratic representative hung outside a district office.
It is facile and mistaken to attribute this particular madman’s act directly to Republicans or Tea Party members. But it is legitimate to hold Republicans and particularly their most virulent supporters in the media responsible for the gale of anger that has produced the vast majority of these threats, setting the nation on edge. Many on the right have exploited the arguments of division, reaping political power by demonizing immigrants, or welfare recipients, or bureaucrats. They seem to have persuaded many Americans that the government is not just misguided, but the enemy of the people.
That was what the New York Times wrote when a man who believed that the government practices mind control through grammar shot up Giffords’ rally.
Sarah Palin came in for particular condemnation by the media. Why? Well, although there is literally zero evidence that Jared Loughner ever saw it, Palin’s political action committee had drawn a map that targeted certain congressional seats for campaigns. The map showed gun sights on the congressional districts that donors were supposed to focus on. While military campaign technology is common for political campaigns, the media pretended that this was somehow in part responsible for Loughner’s shooting.
Andrew Sullivan, then at the The Atlantic, wrote “No one is saying Sarah Palin should be viewed as an accomplice to murder. Many are merely saying that her recklessly violent and inflammatory rhetoric has poisoned the discourse and has long run the risk of empowering the deranged. We are saying it’s about time someone took responsibility for this kind of rhetorical extremism, because it can and has led to violence and murder.”
Writing in The New York Times, Matt Bai said Palin and others used “imagery of armed revolution. Popular spokespeople like Ms. Palin routinely drop words like ‘tyranny’ and ‘socialism’ when describing the president and his allies, as if blind to the idea that Americans legitimately faced with either enemy would almost certainly take up arms.”
MSNBC used a graphic that said “Power of Words” with an image of Loughner, suggesting that conservative rhetoric was responsible for the shooting.
And The New York Times’ Paul Krugman wrote “Climate of Hate,” a column blaming Republicans and conservatives for creating a climate of violence in which Giffords was shot. He said Republicans needed to take a stand against “eliminationist” rhetoric. James Taranto of the Wall Street Journal showed the significant problems with this general media talking point at the time, and it’s worth a review.
Back to 2017 and Alexandria
Now it’s 2017. We’ve seen months of street protests, many of them violent. Antifa protests have involved torched cars and buildings, and physical confrontations. We’ve seen parades shut down rather than let Republicans march in them. There have been acts of serious violence against Trump supporters. Media messages about Republican policies are continued variations on the theme that Republican policies will literally destroy the planet, enslave women, or kill sick people. Media messages on Donald Trump include conspiracy theories that he is a Russian stooge committing treason, or simply suggest that he needs to be removed from his duly elected office by whatever means.
Okay. Now let’s go to The New York Times editorial in response to Wednesday’s shooting:
Was this attack evidence of how vicious American politics has become? Probably. In 2011, when Jared Lee Loughner opened fire in a supermarket parking lot, grievously wounding Representative Gabby Giffords and killing six people, including a 9-year-old girl, the link to political incitement was clear. Before the shooting, Sarah Palin’s political action committee circulated a map of targeted electoral districts that put Ms. Giffords and 19 other Democrats under stylized cross hairs. Conservatives and right-wing media were quick on Wednesday to demand forceful condemnation of hate speech and crimes by anti-Trump liberals. They’re right. Though there’s no sign of incitement as direct as in the Giffords attack, liberals should of course hold themselves to the same standard of decency that they ask of the right.
Are you kidding me? Are you kidding me? Are you mother-bleeping kidding me, New York Times? This is an insane couple of paragraphs.
For starters, it is a completely indefensible falsehood to state that “the link to political incitement was clear” in the Giffords shooting. It wasn’t clear when media personalities falsely claimed that in 2011, but after a thorough review of the evidence showing Loughner’s mental illness and general lack of traditional political engagement, it’s an error that boggles the mind now.
To still blame Palin for something completely unrelated shows a level of derangement that is honestly quite worrisome. Since the Times knows it’s not true that the map played a role in the shooting, it is discrediting to state otherwise. This is the very picture of fake news, at a time when media outlets are claiming they are paragons of virtue and truth-telling. The New York Times ran an ad during the Oscars saying “the truth is hard,” but it’s not that hard to avoid saying false things that you know to be false.
The last line includes two doozies. It’s simply false to say that “there’s no sign of incitement as direct as in the Giffords attack.” Hodgkinson is responsible for his own behavior, even if he was in a political environment that has pushed the idea that Republicans are illegitimate holders of power. Unlike Loughner, Hodgkinson’s local media reports and social media record paint a picture of a man who was highly political.
His social media showed that he liked or was a member of groups such as “Dump Trump,” “Liar, Liar Republican Campaign on Fire,” “Stop the Obstructionist Tea Party,” “Just Say No to Republicans,” “Republicans ARE the Problem,” “Stop the Speaker,” “No More Republicans,” “Hey Republicans….Shut up!,” “Hate All Republican Douches (H.A.R.D.),” “Fire the Republican Government,” “Republicans are stupid,” “Republicans Suck,” “Americans Against The Republican Party,” “Fight the Right,” “The Republican Party Makes Me Sick,” “Expose Republican Fraud,” “Terminate the Republican Party,” and “The Road to Hell Is Paved With Republicans.” He followed politicians and celebrities such as John Oliver, Bill Maher, and Seth MacFarlane, who use extreme rhetoric against Republicans.
Bai said spokespeople who use words like “tyranny” when describing politicians shouldn’t be “blind to the idea that Americans legitimately faced with either enemy would almost certainly take up arms.” Well if that’s true, what in the world should Americans do in response to the non-stop mainstream media and Democratic narrative that Republicans are enabling an existential threat to the country by not resisting the duly elected president and legislating destruction of people and the planet when they enact their policy goals?
Blame the Victims, Hard
The second doozie is the claim that “liberals should of course hold themselves to the same standard of decency that they ask of the right.” Varad Mehta described the editorial as the Platonic form of a Times editorial: “hypocrisy, double-standards, duplicity, and moral obtuseness.” He wrote of the line about decency, “No one who actually believes this would’ve published such an abominable editorial. So clearly the NYT doesn’t.”
The New York Times in this very editorial shows that its standard is to blame Republicans for violence against Democrats when there is no relationship of any Republican to that violence, and to blame Republicans for violence against Republicans when the perpetrator is a progressive Democratic activist.
As Guy Benson put it:
How is this newspaper held in any regard when it willfully and gratuitously publishes malicious lies about Republican politicians six years after they knew they were wrong?
And what can be done when the most revered of the liberal papers is engaged in Stalinesque rewriting of history to suit the purposes of its propaganda?There's been a lot of chatter about the new Star Wars: The Force Awakens trailer which LucasFilm and Disney unleashed upon the world this Thanksgiving weekend.
Some people thought the 88-second trailer was too short, didn't reveal enough, and didn't awaken the hype quite the way they'd hoped.
Others, like myself, thought quite the opposite. For my part, as an avid and long-time Star Wars fan, the trailer was a perfect opening salvo. It did everything it needed to do in less than two minutes.
Here are five reasons why it was the perfect opener for the new trilogy, and the right way to introduce fans to Episode VII, The Force Awakens.
1. The new trailer introduces us to the characters and the universe without revealing the plot.
In under a minute-and-a-half we're introduced to several new faces. We see the character played by John Boyega, who springs up with a scared look on his face---we all jumped at this point---decked out in a Storm Trooper outfit, much like Han Solo and Luke Skywalker were in Episode IV: A New Hope.
We get a brief glimpse of Daisy Ridley's character riding some form of glider on what is presumably Tatooine, the home world of Luke and Jabba the Hutt.
We also see Oscar Isaac's character piloting an X-Wing, orange jumpsuit and classic pilot helmet so very reminiscent of the first three films.
And finally we get a brief shot of a droid spinning across the desert and a shot of a red-lightsaber-wielding Sith, stalking through a dark forest.
That's quite a few characters, but no dialogue and no plot reveals. Talk about a teaser.
Here, we may as well include the actual trailer so you can watch it again:
2.The new trailer shows off the film's impressive, and understated, CGI.
The trailer introduces us to a beautiful, yet familiar, universe. One of the biggest complaints about the prequel trilogy was its overuse of CGI. Director J.J. Abrams and Disney/LucasFilm have apparently taken these criticisms to heart for the new trilogy.
CGI in The Force Awakens trailer is lovely but understated. The X-Wings and Tie-Fighters look better than in the original trilogy but they look essentially like the same spacecraft. Ridley's desert glider is a fine piece of animation, but it's also rusty and old-looking, much like Luke's hover-car and much of the tech in the original trilogy. These aren't flashy gizmos racing around a track. They're functional, but you get the sense they're still composed of bolts and grease and wire, rather than just pixels.
And boy, watching the Millennium Falcon dodge about the Tie-Fighters, watching those X-Wings speed just meters above the glistening water...it doesn't just get me excited for the film, it makes me downright impatient for some new Star Wars video games. We have the technology!
3. The teaser captures the look and spirit of the original trilogy.
So the CGI does a great job capturing the feel of the original trilogy, but the trailer doesn't stop at CGI. The costumes Ridley and Isaac are wearing send me right back into that Star Wars universe that we haven't seen in decades. I wasn't quite two years old when Return of the Jedi hit theatres. And as far as I'm concerned, the prequel trilogy simply doesn't count as Star Wars.
Ridley looks like she's been plucked right out of the original trilogy. Her outfit is like a desert version of the costume Leia wears during the Endor scenes in Return of the Jedi. Isaac's pilot outfit is so distinctly Star Wars at first I thought he was Wedge Antilles (actor Denis Lawson turned down an offer to appear in the new trilogy, sadly.)
4. The new trailer is effective thanks to its use of tension, humor, and nostalgia.
To make a good teaser trailer, or really any good movie/game/TV trailer at all, you need to be economical. You don't want to show too much, but you don't want to leave people just scratching their heads. In a very short space you need to create tension and anticipation, at least for a film like Star Wars.
The new Force Awakens trailer manages all of this by combining just a few elements: Humor, fear, and a sense of triumph.
The trailer opens with a spooky voice-over (by actor Andy Serkis, best known for his role as Gollum) proclaiming "There's been an awakening. Have you felt it?" Moments later, after a nice shot of Tatooine, John Boyega's character springs into the frame accompanied by a blare of horns. Everyone jumps. Music is still spooky but we cut to a shot of an R2-like droid spinning across the desert and it's cute and we all chuckle (comic relief, thank goodness, not only is this a good bit for the trailer it also suggests the movies will be funny, too.)
Then we flash to a close-up shot of some Storm Troopers and a scared looking Daisy Ridley scooting off across the desert. We cut to a Isaac piloting his ship, and then X-Wings over the lake---a moment of beauty amid the tension. And at last, a hooded figure stalking through a dark wood. The narrator intoning "The Dark side...and the Light." Queue controversial cross-guard lightsaber---though whatever you think of the blade, the moment is still spooky and filled with dread, something Sith ought to evoke.
At last we cut to a moment of nostalgia and glory: The Millennium Falcon soaring through the sky, dodging Tie-Fighters, the swell of the familiar Star Wars theme song filling our ears. Tension, fear, humor, nostalgia, and triumph. All neatly packaged in 88 seconds.
5. It raises more questions than it answers
Of course, that 88 seconds doesn't give us much to go on, no matter how much time we spend dissecting and predicting its every frame.
That's a good thing!
My greatest fear is that Disney will go overboard in its marketing for the film---even though we all know it doesn't need to. I don't want to see too much of Episode VII's plot. I'm happy just seeing a few glimpses of it, seeing the universe a bit, and special and practical effects, and some snapshots of the heroes and villains.
This teaser trailer raises lots of questions but gives us no answers. Clues, sure, but nothing solid.
Where is the Star Wars universe politically at this point? The Emperor was slain and the rebellion won a great victory on Endor in Return of the Jedi, but from this teaser it certainly looks like a sizable enemy force remains. What does it mean that the Force has awakened? Are Jedi and Sith awakening in greater numbers? Are we seeing a resurgence in both the Dark and the Light side of the Force? Has the Republic been restored or are we still in a state of galactic war and peril? All the questions we were already asking remain shrouded in mystery, and thank goodness for that.
Since the Expanded Universe has been tossed out, we can only guess at where these new films will take us. It's nice not knowing that future, and I hope by the time we sit down in theatres next December, we'll still have all these questions rolling about our heads. (And for those of you who suggest I just not watch upcoming trailers for the film I can only plead my own weakness of resolve. There's no way I'm skipping trailers for this film, though I often do for others.)
Whatever the case, this was pretty much the perfect way to introduce fans to the new film, and to quell fears about Disney's and Abrams' direction with the franchise. I, for one, am hopeful.
See also: What Disney Needs to do to Make the Next 'Star Wars' Trilogy AwesomeBrushes can make or break a makeup look, so its imperative you choose ones that are good quality. We totally understand that not everyone has the cash to blow at MAC, Sigma, or Hakuhodo. And while there are some really great makeup brushes out there that are super affordable, one of the best places to buy cheap, amazing quality brushes is closer than you think. The art supply store. Yes, you heard us. The art store. Think about it. When you look at them, it’s easy to see that makeup brushes are modeled after artist brushes, so it makes sense that you can use them just as well!
When buying art brushes to use for makeup, there are a few important things to keep in mind. The first is the texture. Make sure you’re feeling the bristles of the brushes–if they’re too rough and scratchy, it’s obvious they’re not going to work on your eyes and face. It’s also important to figure out what kind of hairs you want for your brushes. The art store carries both natural haired bristles, which work best with powder products, and synthetic haired bristles, which work amazingly with liquids and creams. Now, if you walk in and feel overwhelmed by the selection, don’t worry–we’ve got you covered. Here’s a list of 10 types of makeup brushes you can find to get you started:
1. Foundation and concealer brushes.
Any flat, synthetic haired brush that you find at the craft store will work wonders as a foundation or concealer brush. These brushes either come in a filbert shape, which is rounded at the top, or a square shape. We recommend the Simply Simmons’ Filbert brushes and Flat Wash brushes for their soft texture, array of sizes, and durability.
2. Powder and blush brushes.
A larger, fluffy brush is key for flawlessly applying powder, blush and bronzer. Luckily, at the art store there are multiple options to choose from. Once again, remember to feel the bristles to make sure they’re not too rough. We enjoy Loew Cornell’s Natural Round Mop Brush, which comes in three different sizes.
3. Quill mop brushes.
Slightly more expensive, the Isabey Squirrel Quill Mops are some of the most versatile brushes you can find at an art supply store. The soft, tapered bristles are originally made for watercolor painting, but with a range of sizes, these brushes are perfect to use for powder, highlight, or to blend color into the crease.
4. Flat eyeshadow brushes.
Loew Cornell’s Maxine’s Mop brushes are, for sure, the most popular artist brush that can be used for makeup. In four different sizes, the flat, oval shape is perfect for packing color onto the lid. And even better, the 3/8″ brush is almost a perfect dupe for the ever-so-popular MAC 239 brush. Score!
5. Blending brushes.
Fluffy, blending brushes are crucial for achieving a flawless eyeshadow look. Watercolor brushes, such as the Artist’s Loft Marseille Sable Round Watercolor Brush, are perfect to use because of the soft texture of the bristles. The long, tapered shape is also ideal for more precise crease work.
6. Pencil brushes.
Pencil brushes are excellent for precision work on the eyes, placing color on the inner corners, and shading the lower lash line. Lucky for us, the craft store carries a perfect and much cheaper alternative. Princeton’s Preferred Fix-It Brush is a pencil brush with a pointed tip that’s sturdy and keeps it shape no matter how many times you wash it.
7. Angled brushes.
To be quite honest, the art store is probably the best place you can ever purchase angled brushes from. Pretty much every brand carries a range that comes in all different sizes and bristle hairs. Art store angled brushes are perfect for shadow, liner, brows–you name it! Our absolute favorite is the American Painter Angular Shader Brush for its thin shape, precision, and ability to distribute product evenly.
8. Fine liner brushes.
Fine liner brushes are excellent for creating the perfect cat eye or doing more graphic liner looks. Almost every brand carries fine brushes for artists’ precision work. We suggest sticking to durable, synthetic bristles that flow well with the movement of your hands and keep their shape, such as Princeton’s Spotter Brush.
9. Chisel brushes.
Flat, square brushes–otherwise known as chisel brushes–are extremely versatile for makeup application. They can be used to apply concealer, shadow, smudge out eye pencils, fill in eyebrows, do eyeliner, apply lipstick–the possibilities are endless! So, we highly suggest you run out and grab a few now. Our favorite just so happens to be the American Painter Chisel Blender Brush.
10. Lip brushes.
Sharp, thin, synthetic-haired lip brushes are what every makeup artist turns to in order to create the perfect pout. The small shape is perfect for achieving clean, precise edges, while the flat bristles layer on color evenly and smoothly. When shopping for a lip brush at the art store, you have quite a few options. We suggest going with a small, filbert style brush, like the American Painter Long Filbert Brush in Size 2, because of the synthetic hairs, which clean up easily, and its ability to fit around all the contours of the mouth with no problem.The Daily Caller News Foundation is attending the 17th Annual White Privilege Conference in Philadelphia, being held April 15-17. The following is part of a series of articles concerning events at the conference.
The 17th Annual White Privilege Conference (WPC) in Philadelphia got off to an inspired start Friday morning, as the conference’s lead organizer called for members to raise money for the mother of a man who was killed after shooting a police officer.
While other conferences may be content with a single keynote speaker to open the event, this conference was more ambitious, with a series of no fewer than four different speakers on a variety of topics. The first two speakers were Jasiri X, an activist hip-hopper from Pittsburgh, and Yusef Salaam, a man who was released after spending years wrongfully imprisoned for the rape of a Central Park jogger in 1989. Both received an enthusiastic response
But the real highlight of the opening was a pair of addresses by Philadelphia-area activists. The first, a member of the Philly Coalition for REAL Justice, won cheers from the audience for his involvement in the interruption of Bill Clinton during a recent campaign visit he made on behalf of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
“My colleagues and I … we are unapologetic socialists,” he said, which provoked a wave of applause.
But the audience had even more enthusiasm for Delphine Matthews, who told the story of how her son Frank McQueen was shot and killed by police in Chester, Pennsylvania.
“On June 2, 2014, my son was shot over 20 times,” she said. “They said he shot an officer. I don’t know.”
“I know my son did not shoot an officer,” she continued to an enraptured audience. “I would bet my life he did not shoot an officer.” She acknowledged that McQueen had a prior criminal record (his rap sheet was five pages long), but said he was no longer a threat to society when he was shot.
“He paid for his mistakes. He did a 360-degree turn,” Matthews said, although she didn’t say her son had actually been arrested just a couple weeks before his death for violating a restraining order.
Matthews did acknowledge the restraining order itself, though, saying that when he was shot, McQueen was at the home of the woman who had the restraining order against him. The very reason police ended up shooting McQueen was they had been called to the house after the woman reported a domestic violence incident.
“The girl had a restraining order, but from what I gather, she invited him over,” Matthews said. “And when most of you guys are in love with a girl, regardless of a restraining order, if she said ‘Come on over, let’s reconcile, let’s get things together,’ some of you guys are gonna come.”
Matthews says she was drugged upon going to the hospital, supposedly to prevent her from having a heart attack. But that drugging, she said, means she also can’t remember the events of the day her son died.
Matthews said she is still committed to pursuing justice for her son, but needs money to hire legal assistance, in part because she hired a private investigator who simply scammed her out of money.
With Matthews admitting her financial distress, the White Privilege Conference sprung into action. Moore came back to the front of the stage and announced he was giving Matthews an envelope filled with $1,000 to assist her. He encouraged others in the audience to contact Matthews to make donations, and also said that a percentage of all funds raised at the conference (which has hundreds of attendees) would go to her benefit.
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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.01.03.2015According to the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic, Kiev is redeploying withdrawn heavy weaponry near the contact line.DONETSK (Sputnik) — Ukraine's government troops are regrouping heavy arms near the line of contact, the deputy commander of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic's (DPR) forces said Sunday."Unfortunately, DPR intelligence is spotting new cases of withdrawn Ukrainian units being redeployed [in] violation of Minsk agreements, 20-30 kilometers [12-18 miles] from the line of contact," Eduard Basurin said at a news briefing.The official also flatly denied accusations that DPR was secretly turning back its large-caliber arms to positions from which they had been previously pulled away."These assumptions are untrue and cannot serve as justification for Ukraine's non-compliance with its obligations to withdraw weapons," Basurin said.Earlier in the day, Basurin, along with a self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic (LPR) official, told RIA Novosti that both DPR and LPR have completed heavy weaponry withdrawal in adherence to the deal with Kiev.Basurin added at the briefing that his command passed on the details of the withdrawal to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe's (OSCE) observers.The agreement, dubbed the Minsk Accord, was signed after extensive talks on February 12 in the Belarusian capital. It specifies 13 measuresto end the conflict in east Ukraine.Worked out by the German, French, Russian and Ukrainian leaders, it includes the aforementioned pullback of heavy arms, a general ceasefire and an all-for-all prisoner exchange.Sunday marks the 14th day since the ceasefire came into force and the last day of the large-caliber arms withdrawal envisioned by the deal.Introduction
Ivy Bridge Models
I would like to thank Intel for providing the review samples., the world's largest semiconductor company, released a new series of CPUs called Ivy Bridge several months ago. The Ivy Bridge processors are the successors of the Sandy Bridge series, but they use the same LGA1155 socket. Furthermore, Intel has been using thedomination for a while now on their product names to identify an unlocked processor with the ability to increase the multiplier beyond those of normal models. The new product line includes two unlocked CPUs, just like with the Sandy-Bridge series. In today's comparison, you will have the opportunity to see and compare the two unlocked processors of the Ivy Bridge series: the Core i5-3570K and the Core i7-3770K.As you can see, the main differences between the two unlocked processors are thetechnology and the size of L3 Cache. The i7-3770K has 33% more cache than the i5-3570K. HyperThreading "creates" one more virtual core for each physical core a processor has, which increases the speed of multi-tasking loads.President Donald Trump in a speech to the United Nations General Assembly condemned the Syrian government for attacks against its own citizens and pledged that the United States would seek a solution that would allow refugees to return home.
"We appreciate the efforts of the United Nations agencies that are providing vital humanitarian assistance in areas liberated from ISIS. And we especially thank Jordan, Turkey and Lebanon for their role in hosting refugees from the Syrian conflict," Trump said Sept. 19.
The United States has provided billions of dollars in support and seeks refugee policies that will enable "their eventual return to their home countries to be part of the rebuilding process," Trump said.
"For the cost of resettling one refugee in the United States, we can assist more than 10 in their home region," Trump said. "Out of the goodness of our hearts, we offer financial assistance to hosting countries in the region, and we support recent agreements of the G-20 nations that will seek to host refugees as close to their home countries as possible. This is the safe, responsible and humanitarian approach."
We wondered about the accuracy of Trump’s claim that what’s spent on resettling one refugee in the United States could be used to help more than 10 refugees in their home region. We found the on-the-ground reality of aid to refugees to be so complex that it’s not possible to prove or disprove Trump’s statement.
The U.S. Health and Human Services Department (HHS), for example, told us that many mainstream programs and federal departments offer aid to refugees, and that makes an overall per-capita cost estimate impossible to calculate
Independent experts also told us refugees come to the United States for permanent resettlement, whereas refugees in neighboring countries are there for humanitarian aid with the expectation that they will go back to their home countries. So a direct comparison isn’t appropriate.
Given the complexity of the calculations, we won’t put this claim on the Truth-O-Meter. Here we will provide an overview of the refugee resettlement process in the United States versus resettlement support in a refugee’s "home region."
The White House declined to comment on the record.
Refugees in the United States
Refugees undergo extensive vetting before arriving in the United States. When they get here, they are eligible for assistance from the Office of Refugee Resettlement within HHS. That help includes cash and medical assistance for up to eight months after the date of their arrival, English as a foreign language classes, job training and employment services.
A total of 84,995 refugees came to the United States in fiscal year 2016, according to U.S. State Department data. So far in fiscal year 2017 (which ends Sept. 30), 52,282 refugees have arrived in the United States. Former President Barack Obama had set the refugee admission cap for fiscal year 2017 at 110,000, but the Trump administration seeks much lower levels. Trump’s executive orders have said that the entry of more than 50,000 refugees in fiscal year 2017 "would be detrimental to the interests of the United States."
As for costs, the State Department reported that in fiscal year 2016 it spent nearly $545 million on the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program — that accounts for processing, transportation, reception and placement costs. (An expert told us refugees have to repay the full cost of their travel tickets, usually within two years.)
About $1.6 billion in fiscal year 2016 went to Refugee and Entrant Assistance, administered by the Office of Refugee Resettlement within HHS. Refugee and Entrant Assistance funds programs that help refugees, asylees, Cuban and Haitian entrants, survivors of torture, Special Immigrant Visa holders, trafficking victims as well as unaccompanied children who were apprehended by immigration officials and are waiting for a resolution of their immigration case.
About $697 million of Refugee and Entrant Assistance’s 2016 budget went to resettlement services, according to Refugee Council USA, a coalition of non-governmental organizations that help refugees.
So how much is spent per refugee resettlement? That’s not clear.
"The amount and type of federal assistance provided to a refugee during his or her period of eligibility can vary greatly," said Victoria A. Palmer, HHS spokeswoman. "Additionally, cash and medical assistance are administered at the state level, and the state cost-sharing amounts vary significantly from state to state."
Estimates and expert perspectives
Whether refugees cost money or contribute to the U.S. economy is a controversial issue.
A November 2015 study from the Center for Immigration Studies, which favors low immigration levels, found a $64,370 cost to taxpayers per refugee from the Middle East over the course of the refugee’s first five years in the United States.
"For what it costs to resettle one Middle Eastern refugee in the United States for five years, about 12 refugees can be helped in the Middle East for five years, or 61 refugees can be helped for one year," the study said.
The five-year resettlement estimate includes expenses incurred by offices within HHS and the State Department, plus welfare and education costs, the center reported. The estimates are based on 2013 figures.
"It should be clear that what drives these costs are the initial expenditures by (Office and Refugee Resettlement) and (Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration) and the very high use of welfare by Middle Eastern refugees," the CIS report said.
But several experts cautioned against making a cost-effectiveness argument based on these two types of support, as Trump did.
Costs associated with temporary first asylum in a neighboring country versus costs for resettlement in a new country "are not remotely comparable," said Michelle Mittelstadt, director of communications and public affairs at the nonpartisan Migration Policy Institute.
Temporary asylum is a humanitarian response to keep people alive, whereas resettlement offers refugees a chance to rebuild their lives, Mittelstadt said.
"People in countries of first asylum often have no access to work, their children are not in school, and they have no access to a permanent status. They are living lives interrupted, at the margins of society," Mittelstadt said. "So suggesting that leaving people in countries of first asylum can be the cost-effective solution to resettlement ignores what this means in reality."
Economies in the "home region" for Syrian refugees, for instance, also are not comparable to the economy of the United States, said Alessandra Von Burg, a communications professor at Wake Forest University who works with refugees in North Carolina.
Because of their weak economies, most of the funding for refugee camps, including food and medical aid, comes from international organizations and from foreign aid from the United States, "so the numbers are hard to compare as costs to individual nations," Von Burg said.
"Hosting nations in the Middle East and Europe provide healthcare too, but the medical costs are lower than in the United States, so again a direct comparison is difficult," Von Burg said.
Trump made an apples-to-oranges comparison, said Miriam Potocky, an expert on refugee resettlement and professor at the School of Social Work at Florida International University.
"Syrian refugees living in neighboring countries do not have access to the same rights, opportunities, and standards of living as those resettled in the United States," Potocky said. "So, the president may possibly be technically accurate about costs, but it is one thing to be confined to a refugee camp for years with no access to education, legal employment, or decent housing, and quite another to be in the United States where refugees receive assistance to rebuild their lives."
Other experts also told us it’s important to consider economic benefits refugees bring to the nations where they resettle.
"Looking only at costs distorts the picture greatly," said David Martin, an emeritus professor of law at the University of Virginia. "Refugees who stay idle in a first asylum camp cannot contribute to the host society, whereas those who are resettled mostly do, especially over time."
In March, Trump sent a memo to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson asking for an estimate of the long-term costs, at all government levels, associated with the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program and how to cut those costs; and for a report on the estimated number of refugees supported in countries of first asylum ("near their home countries") for the same long-term cost of supporting them in the United States.
In response to that, Martin and nine other scholars and practitioners in immigration and refugee affairs sent a letter to Tillerson saying that Trump’s request was "a flawed exercise because it treats the two measures as comparable solutions to what are very different challenges." The letter’s signatories included senior immigration and refugee officials from past Republican and Democratic administrations.
The refugee and immigration experts said a study should include the long-term economic, fiscal, and social benefits of refugee resettlement.
"While a short term comparison may show that the initial investment in resettling someone in the United States is more costly than giving that person meager food rations in a refugee camp, surely the long-term comparison … would show that resettlement is actually a cost effective approach," said Jen Smyers, director of policy and advocacy for the immigration and refugee program with Church World Service, one of the nine national agencies that resettle refugees on behalf of the U.S. government.
The New York Times reported on Sept. 18 that the Trump administration had rejected an HHS internal study that found a $63 billion positive fiscal impact from refugees over a 10-year period.
The White House told the New York Times that the internal report was politically motivated and that a separate report asserted that per-capita costs are higher for refugees than for Americans.
Debate persists on the number of refugees that should be allowed into the United States and on how they impact American society. The president, in consultation with Congress, determines the |
the mainstream media except as the butt of jokes or hideous perpetrators of abuse. And so too with our men: alternatively desexualised or over-sexualised. Queer bodies of colour, across the spectrum are even further marginalised, exoticised, fetishized or deemed undesirable. Worst of all, this goes unchecked and unrecognised because of the dominance of ‘white saviour’ discourses or the fallacy that one oppressed group (white LGBTQ in this case) cannot oppress or be complicit in oppression of others.
Even news stories of our professional achievements are framed consistently in familiar tropes of ‘overcoming great odds,’ which are always identified as individual, familial and culturalGreg Berlanti has said that discussions of a crossover between Supergirl and The Flash have not yet happened.
Originally appearing at the Bleeding Cool website, there were a lot of suggestions this weekend that a crossover for Supergirl and The Flash might be happening later in this TV season, perhaps for May sweeps. Such a crossover would involve shows from both the CBS network (which airs Supergirl), and The CW (which shows The Flash).
At a screening and Q&A this afternoon for the Flash/Arrow crossover that will be airing on Tuesday and Wednesday nights, super-producer Greg Berlanti revealed that there are not yet plans for a Supergirl/Flash crossover… more specifically, there have not been discussions yet, but “only because we just received the pickup,” Berlanti says. “So, not at this point.”
(Supergirl received a back order of 7 more episodes, taking the Season One total to 20 episodes for Season One, this morning.)
To say “not at this point” still could leave the door open for later developments…. Would you like to see a crossover between the shows? Leave some comments below!ICO Update June 7, 2017
ICO Update June 7, 2017 – Here is the progress of the Initial Coin Offerings that we are following. Please go to https://urbancrypto.com/ongoing-icos/ for a full list of Ongoing ICOs.
Cofound.it ICO Update
Cofound.it is a distributed global platform that connects exceptional startups, experts and investors worldwide. It will first be built by the blockchain community for the blockchain community. They had their ICO set for today, but opened a pre-sale on June 5, so that there would not be a quick ICO with the whales coming in and sweeping away all the tokens. Impressively, they sold out the Pre-Sale in less than 2 days raising almost 15 million dollars.. To the left, you can see the info summarizing their Pre-Sale: https://blog.cofound.it/
Monaco ICO Update
The Monaco ICO continues on a slow but steady pace. They are approaching their next price increase at 50,000 ETH contributed as the are around 49,000 ETH. With about 10 days left is it getting harder to see them reaching their soft-cap of 150,000. The company seems confident that they will get closer. As already having raised over 10 million, they have enough to move forward with their project.
Raised: 40511.56 ETH
Issued: 5675846.37895603 MCO
Participants: 4015
Read More on the Monaco ICO here.
To follow the progress of the ICO click here: https://mona.co/tokensale.html
Wagerr ICO Update
Wagerr has blown passed their original 10 rounds of funding. They have sold over an additional 25 million of their tokens and are in the middle of round14 out of a possible 20 rounds. The cost is now $.07 per WGR.
TOTAL SOLD: 100,095,998
3,114 Participants / 6,973 Registered
To see more about Wagerr and their ICO click here.
To follow the progress of the ICO click here http://www.wagerr.com/ico
DCORP ICO Update
As of now, they have raised around 2.4 million towards their 9.5 million goal. The ICO ends on June 29, so there is still al ot of time to get to their goal. I find the project very interesting and you can have a look at our profile by clicking the link below.
To read more on DCORP click here.
To follow the progress of the ICO click here https://www.dcorp.it/crowdsale
Sphre (Air) XID Token ICO Update
The Shpre – Air ICo continues to move along at a slow pace. They have already raised over 3.5 million dollars which is not a bad start. With 22 days remaining and only 33.5% of the allocated tokens sold, we advise researching this project more and see if it looks interesting to you.
The crowdsale moves along with a total of:
1313.80442639 BTC
541 Participants
5631 Transactions
This is only about 33% of their goal, but they still have time,
To read more about Sphre click here.
To follow the progress of the ICO click here https://tokeninvestor.com/crowdfunding/air
ZrCoin ICO Update
With just 2 days remaining on the ZrCoin ICO, they have raised 5.8 million towards their hard cap of 7 million. They are getting close to their goal of enough for 2 plants and a complete success. Yake a look at the profile below, it is not too late to participate.
To read more on ZrCoin click here.
To follow the crowdsale click here:https://zrcoin.io/
Giga Watt ICO Update
The Giga Watt ICO has only recently begun and there is still over 50 days remaining. It seems that the progress bar is frozaen at this time.
To read more on Giga Watt click here.
To follow the crowdsale click here:
For a more comprehensive list of ongoing ICOs please visit here: https://urbancrypto.com/ongoing-icos/
Upcoming Initial Coin Offerings
We have updated our list of upcoming ICOs and it is extensive. We have added links to the companies websites and whitepapers where available. Here is a small example of the upcoming ICOs we have listed. For a completely comprehensive list click here: https://urbancrypto.com/upcoming-icos/
ICO Update June 7, 2017It may come as no surprise that Keanu Reeves, who opts to intersperse mega-hits like Speed with quirkier art-house fare like Little Buddha, isn't exactly motivated by money
The actor has even signed away a sizeable back-end deal for two Matrix sequels, the Wall Street Journal reported Friday in a profile of Reeves' erratic Hollywood career.
According to the paper, Reeves handed over his valuable profit-sharing points to the franchise's special-effects and costume-design team. Whoa, dude!
"He felt that they were the ones who made the movie and that they should participate," an unnamed movie executive tells the Journal.
And it's not the first time that Reeves has shared his movie spoils. On The Devil's Advocate, Reeves shaved his salary by a few million dollars so that producers could afford Al Pacino, and he did the same thing on The Replacements to be able to work with Gene Hackman, according to the Journal.
Keeping Keanu Happy
But don't cry for Reeves' bank account: the actor was paid $10 million upfront for The Matrix and ended up earning $35 million from back-end deals when the film became a hit. If it were up to studio execs — and doubtless, most moviegoers — Reeves would be cast only in profitable, surefire action movies like The Matrix and Speed. Instead, says the Journal, Warner Bros. compromises with the actor, greenlighting movies like Sweet November or the upcoming baseball movie, Hardball, that no one particularly wants to see to secure Reeves' services for the big movies.
Still, the actor's quest for diverse roles paid off recently when he won unexpected praise for his turn as a redneck wife beater in the little-seen The Gift.FILE - In this Feb. 20, 2015, file photo, Peter Lomonaco, co-founder of the Alaska Cannabis Club, and CEO Charlo Greene smoke at their medical marijuana dispensary in Anchorage, Alaska. On Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2015, Alaska became the third state in the nation to legalize marijuana. Senate Judiciary is planning two hearings Monday, March, 9, 2015, on the bill to decriminalize recreational marijuana, and create new crimes for other acts related to marijuana. (AP Photo/Mark Thiessen, File)
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Anchorage police served search warrants at marijuana activist Charlo Greene's Alaska Cannabis Club after receiving reports of illegal marijuana sales.
The police took marijuana and impounded a Dodge Dakota and a Jeep Liberty on Friday, KTUU (http://bit.ly/1ARX4oU ) reported.
Greene is a former television reporter who gained notoriety when she quit her job on live TV in September with an expletive and announced she's becoming an advocate to legalize the recreational use of marijuana in Alaska.
Greene, whose legal name is Charlene Egbe, told KTVA the club is a medical marijuana dispensary. "We don't sell any recreational marijuana. We don't sell any medical marijuana. This is a place for cardholders to come and share their own cannabis," she said.
The residence is home to multiple medical marijuana cardholders, as well as the club, she said.
"I saw them uproot a couple of marijuana plants. They took some bongs and pipes and phones and computers, and that's pretty much it," Greene said on scene as bags of items were carried out by police.
Greene said she reopened the club on Saturday.
"By opening back up bright and early, less than 24 hours after the local police department's failed scare tactic, we, at the Alaska Cannabis Club, have made it clear that the will of the people is stronger than any force they have — and we aren't going anywhere," she said in an email to The Associated Press.
Greene said she was "incensed" the police executed a search warrant on her instead of focusing on a stabbing and shootings that happened nearby just a few hours before.
Alaska voters last year approved a ballot measure legalizing the recreational use of marijuana. But it's still illegal to sell the drug.
Guidelines for the regulation of the marijuana trade are under consideration by the Legislature.
Anchorage Police Department spokeswoman Jennifer Castro said it's "very important that people don't try to jump the gun until the state sets our other rules and protocols for the sale and commercialization of marijuana."When Stephen Harper’s Conservatives proposed sweeping new security measures last year, the third-party Liberals didn’t quite know what to do. Justin Trudeau’s party attacked Bill C-51, arguing that, among other things, it gave the Canadian Security and Intelligence Service too much power.
CSIS director Michel Coulombe's comments this week indicate the spy agency is using the authority granted it by Bill C-51 in the most minimal of ways. In effect, it is doing little different than before the law's creation. If CSIS continues to do what it has always done, why does it need Bill C-51’s extraordinary new powers, asks Thomas Walkom. ( Adrian Wyld / THE CANADIAN PRESS file photo )
Yet in the end, the Liberals voted for it anyway, promising to re-open and amend some areas of the new statute if they won power. Bill C-51 is now the law of the land. The new Liberal government has not yet proposed amendments. And, as the Star’s Tonda MacCharles reported this week, CSIS is quietly exercising its new muscles. Director Michel Coulombe told a Senate committee Monday that the security service has used its new authority to disrupt potential security threats almost two dozen times since the fall.
Article Continued Below
Exactly what CSIS did was not explained. Bill C-51 allows the service to do anything short of assault, sexual violation, perversion of justice, or murder if it feels the need. It can even override the constitution’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms. But any of these more extreme measures requires a judicial warrant. Since, according to Coulombe, no such warrants were issued, it seems the service did not break any laws. Instead, CSIS continued to do what it has long done. Sometimes, the director said, agents talked to targets to let them know they were under investigation. Sometimes, agents talked to the families and friends of suspected terror supporters in an effort to encourage de-radicalization.
Such activities were well within the CSIS mandate before Bill C-51 was passed. So the obvious question arises: If the service continues to do what it has always done, why does it need Bill C-51’s extraordinary new powers?
Article Continued Below
The CSIS response, repeated by Coulombe Monday, is that Canada’s allies give their spy agencies similar powers. Yet, as law professors Craig Forcese and Kent Roach told a Senate committee last year, there is no evidence that this statement is true. Critics have pointed out that there are good reasons to keep CSIS out of the threat-disruption business. First, it can easily get out of hand. CSIS was created in 1984 in large part because the RCMP, which had been handling national security, became too involved in playing dirty tricks against so-called security threats. In one famous instance, the Mounties burned down a barn to prevent Quebec separatists from meeting there. Second, a hyperactive security service can easily interfere with the ability of real police to build legitimate criminal cases. Third, the remarkably intrusive powers granted CSIS by Bill C-51 are cloaked in secrecy. Even the fact that judicial warrants have been sought must be kept hidden. Roach and Forcese note that the law, as written, would allow CSIS to operate a secret prison system. “We cannot risk a parallel system of detention by a covert agency able to act against people who have committed no crime,” the two security experts told a Senate committee last year. Trudeau’s Liberals have pledged to make changes. In particular, they would eliminate the ability of CSIS to override the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. And they would make all of Canada’s various security agencies subject to oversight from a new parliamentary committee. But the Liberal election platform made no mention of CSIS’ new power to break ordinary statute law. Nor does it speak to the fact that, as written, the new law would allow CSIS to set up secret jails. Are these powers to remain? If they were desperately needed to combat security threats, there might be an argument for keeping them. But clearly they are not. Coulombe’s comments this week indicate that CSIS is using the authority granted it by Bill C-51 in the most minimal of ways. In effect, it is doing little different. If so, good for CSIS. The world has too many blowsy security services involved in disrupting real or perceived threats. In national security, as elsewhere, modesty is a virtue. If Canada’s security service thinks for some odd reason that it needs specific, legislative authority to talk to targets or their families, then that should be granted. But the overly broad language allowing CSIS to break most laws should be repealed. Thomas Walkom's column appears Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday.(CNN) — A man has been charged in the home invasion and shooting of a North Carolina mom last week.
Semantha Bunce, 21, a combat medic in the National Guard, was in her Charlotte home breast-feeding her 4-month-old son in her bedroom when intruders barged in Tuesday, November 3, according to CNN affiliate WSOC.
As the intruders broke into the home and opened fire, Bunce fired back with her own weapon.
"I think it was a shock to the intruders just as much as it was to her," her husband, Paul Bunce, told the affiliate.
Her son was unharmed in the shooting, police said.
She remains in the Carolinas Medical Center recovering from injuries from at least two gunshot wounds.
Family members told WSOC that she has at least one more surgery ahead of her.
A friend has established a GoFundMe account* to help with her impending expenses.
Semantha's husband told WSOC that his wife's National Guard training allowed her to protect herself and her son.
I would love to personally thank each and every one if you for your support during this time. No words can truly express... Posted by Semantha Hunter-Bunce on Friday, November 6, 2015
"Thank you, thank you, thank you for all the undying support," Semantha said on her Facebook page.
"It means the absolute world to me and my family to have your support during this time of tragedy," she continued.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg police have charged Reco Latur Dawkins Jr., 23, with attempted first degree murder, felony breaking and entering and conspiracy in connection to the incident.
Dawkins will have his first court appearance Tuesday.
---
*KSL.com does not assure that the monies deposited to the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit to the account, you should consult your own advisors and otherwise proceed at your own risk.
Copyright 2015 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
×When Margaret Atwood wrote Oryx and Crake in 2003, most of the inventions in the book were, to the non-scientist's eye, relatively outlandish: cross-species gene-splicing; growing meat in a petri dish; man-made pandemics. Ten years later, with the publication of MaddAddam, the last book in the trilogy, they are simply part of the news cycle. Atwood has an uncanny ability to second-guess developments in biotechnology, although frankly, she thinks, if they had any sense, scientists would look to her books and do more.
"Mohair sheep, they haven't done that yet," she says in the Atwoodian tone, a kind of steely levity. "I think it would be quite a good commercial venture. You can imagine a lot of people wanting to get their own DNA hair." The 73-year-old smiles, thinly. "I'm offering it as a free gift to the world."
We're in Toronto, where Atwood has lived for much of her adult life. Much of what she says comes out lightly crusted in sarcasm. A pleasure of her books is the drive-by assassination, and in MaddAddam no one is safe: the religious maniacs, the corporate monsters, the leftwing do-gooders. Of a well-meaning but fundamentally misguided environmentalist group, she writes: "It lived off the good intentions of city types with disposable emotions who liked to think they were saving something." When the charity launches an ad campaign to save drowning polar bears it features "a smiling green furfucker telling everyone what a sterling lot of good Bearlift was doing, and please send more cash or you'll be guilty of bearicide." The evocation of the landscape is, as one would expect, secondary to that of the language.
Now everyone is doing it, but when Atwood first wrote science fiction it seemed an eccentric departure, a position with which she has always been comfortable. Ever since the early 1970s when she was asked how she coped with being a novelist and doing the housework ("I would say, look under the sofa"), she has been aggressively indifferent to criticism. "So I'm told," she says coolly on the question of whether greater visibility increases the impact of failure. She will write what she wants, and that's all there is to it.
In any case, she believes, these three novels – the middle one is The Year of the Flood, which Atwood wanted to call God's Gardeners but couldn't risk it being mistaken for "a rightwing nut-bar book" – barely qualify as science fiction. "If I were writing about Planet Xenor, that would be different. It is our world, except with a few twists." In brief: in the near future, a "bioterrorist group" attacks the corporations that have replaced government to keep most of the population in drug-assisted servitude, and unleashes a pandemic that erases humanity. (With a few exceptions.) In this world, pig hybrids outsmart humans and an off-shoot species of mankind wanders about purring, but it is, at the same time, a realistic novel full of tight domestic dramas in the midst of the apocalypse.
It is also a novel about self-definition. "There's the story, then there's the real story, then there's the story of how the story came to be told," realises Toby, the protagonist, and asks herself, as a proxy for the author: "What else to write, besides the bare-facts daily chronicle she's begun?"
Thus every story begins, unfolding on the understanding that all accounts are partial, all impressions subject to change. As a child, for example, Atwood and her family would spend their summers out in the wilds and their winters in the city, so that "my idea of a city was that it was always cold and covered with snow, because that was the only time that we went." Her father, Carl Atwood, was a zoologist conducting entomological research (she used the details in her novel Cat's Eye). Her mother was a nutritionist. Atwood's interest in science isn't coincidental and she didn't need consultants for the novel. "I grew up with the biologists. I know how they think."
The biologists, in turn, are rather grateful for her interest. "They're my readers. I have a big following among the biogeeks of this world. Nobody ever puts them in books. 'Finally! Someone understands us!'"
In fact, the only experts she consulted for MaddAddam were hackers, who she turned to for advice on how characters might pull off secret communication in the age of spying. What's interesting, Atwood says, is that with snooping potential as it currently is – and in light of the NSA eavesdropping revelations – you can "watch people revert to older technologies, as a way around some of this." Like what?
She grabs my notebook, scribbles something down and theatrically tears it up. "It's the only safe way. Then you rip it up and burn it. Don't even flush it down the toilet, it's too risky. We have ways of opening up those toilets." As a character in Year of the Flood says of digital technology: "If you can see it, it can see you."
Atwood is a polymath. She has ideas about how to fix almost everything and takes pride in her rugged resourcefulness – unlike so many namby-pamby authors who wouldn't have a clue what to do if the lights went out. When she walks down a street, for example, she likes to point out to whomever she's with what, in the natural world, they could eat, should the need arise. "I just want them to be prepared."
Until the apocalypse comes, technology fascinates her. It's not surprising that, along with Salman Rushdie, she is among the most prolific Twitter users in her peer group. She thinks of it as akin to "a radio broadcast" rather than a method of self-promotion. "So, like the host of a radio show, I can promote other people's work." But not your own?
"I wouldn't. It becomes boring. I tweet things people have shared in that area – if they've shown me a review, it's a courtesy to acknowledge it by retweeting it. But to say, 'Buy my book'? I don't think that's what it's for any more than at a party you would say, 'I want you to buy my book, that's £12 right now.' But you might say, 'See that woman over there in the purple gown? She just wrote a sensational novel, which I have read.' It's useful for that. And also for, 'Sign this petition, look at this cause. Save More Bees.' I'm very keen on Save More Bees right now."
She enthuses for 10 minutes about bees: how they feature in folklore going back to the Greeks; how for a long time botanists laboured under the misapprehension that the queen bee was actually a king, hence, in chess, the king is stationary and the queen moves around. How they buzz to "ventilate the hive", and "will sense if you're afraid or have bad emotions towards them". How they manage to be cute, even though they can sting you. Atwood looks wise for a moment. "It's because they're fuzzy."
Her capacity to absorb and retain esoteric information is a function of a ravenous intellect. (In the case of bee knowledge, it was put to good use in MaddAddam, when a character's reading of bee behaviour saves the day.) She needs a lot of intellectual movement to avoid boredom and has been known to get 150 pages into writing a novel and then abandon it because, she realised, it was a refuge from the more difficult book she should have been writing. So it went with The Handmaid's Tale – "I had a corpse immediately before writing that. Yes. And I had one immediately before writing Surfacing. And then a couple of others. I got into it a reasonable distance and realised that although it was going to work, it wasn't going to work that way. I had to go back and start at the beginning and take a different approach."
And then, presumably, you're so relieved the book's working, you don't find the material scary any more. "That's right. That's exactly right."
The Handmaid's Tale was in some ways her first foray into science fiction, and generated an interesting response. Beyond its literary merits, women lauded it for its feminism, and it appealed to a lot of male readers for the "constructed world" aspect. "They like blueprints of made-up places. It's not that women don't, but that engineering thing, 'How would I arrange the space? OK, what about the weapons, how would I do that?' If there's an underground in it and some warfare, men get into that." (It also triggered an amount of hate mail from religious groups, who, she says, you'd think would have more sense than to align themselves with the fundamentalists in the book).
Natasha Richardson in the 1990 film adaptation of The Handmaid's Tale. Photograph: Ronald Grant Archive
Atwood has always written about monsters, of one kind or another. In Cat's Eye, it's the school bully. On a forum called Wattpad, she has co-written a zombie serial with Naomi Alderman called The Happy Zombie Sunrise Home. "We each had a character. I ran the grandmother, fending off the zombies with the garden tools. She ran the granddaughter. It starts out with the granddaughter saying to the grandmother, 'Mom just ate dad in the kitchen. What do I do?' And the grandmother says, 'I never liked that woman... self, self, self that's all she ever thought about."
This interest is something she has, at times, suspected her agents think "is beneath my dignity". Nonetheless, as with so many things, she has given the undead a great deal of thought. "There's a difference between werewolves and vampires on the one hand, and zombies on the other. Zombies are always in a group; it's never just one. Whereas Dracula, although he's made a few others, they're fairly singular. Vampires are always rich, because they've lived a long time and accumulated stuff. They tend to be aristocratic. Vampires get the joy of flying around and living forever, werewolves get the joy of animal spirits. But zombies, they're not rich, or aristocratic, they shuffle around. They're a group phenomenon, they're not very fast, they're quite sickly. So what's the pleasure of being one?"
She regards me expectantly. Is there a pleasure?
A triumphant look. "You have no responsibility! It's not your fault, you can do nothing. Don't expect anything from me, I'm just trying to shuffle. They've had to speed them up a bit."
In World War Z they swarm.
"Right. They've had to speed them up because it was getting too boring."
❦
These days, for Atwood, the most pressing question is one of time. The major downside of her success is that she is asked to lend her voice to a lot of laudable causes that take her away from her writing. She was sufficiently up against deadline with MaddAddam to have finished it on a train. "It's a consciousness of the clock ticking. So am I going to do anything that big again? Probably not. Whereas if I were 40 I would say, 'Of course!'"
When Atwood started writing, she was subject to public rebuke for trying to run a family at the same time, and elements of that debate have failed to move on. For goodness' sake, she says, why do people constantly fuss around these issues. "Who's making up the obligations, number one? Who said you have to do it, number two? Who says you have to be a writer, number three? No one's holding a gun to your head. Who says who says who says?"
The recent Atlantic essay by Lauren Sandler advising women writers to have only one child if they want to achieve anything professionally causes Atwood to make a giant eye roll. "They can do whatever they like. Leave them alone. Alice Munro has three. I would personally have liked to have had more." (She has a daughter who lives in Brooklyn).
"These are the choices you make," says Atwood. "Do what you want. If you don't want to have children, don't have them; if you do want to have them, have them. There's going to be consequences either way." She gives it a moment's thought. "I mean poor old Charlotte Brontë possibly shouldn't have had children because it killed her, but Emily didn't and she died anyway. Sooner or later, I hate to break it to you, you're gonna die, so how do you fill in the space between here and there? It's yours. Seize your space."
Hers is a toughness born of experience. "I'm of that generation that was told by all of the social historians and literary writers, that of course women writers had to dedicate themselves to their art and they couldn't have both. So I thought to hell with that. I didn't see why it had to be either/or." When her daughter was little, Atwood and her then husband lived on a farm and he was very involved. "We hired somebody to help with the sheep, cows, tractor driving and correspondence. But we ourselves split the child care. We had somebody come in a couple of mornings a week. And no, we didn't feel very guilty."
Until that point, Atwood had always fitted in writing around a day job, so she was used to squeezing it into the off hours. "If you have a job in the daytime, you write at night. It's all a question of how much you want to do it. You don't want to do it, then throw it out the window. Make your choice. Stop whining about it and filling up copy in magazines with your guilt. Sorry to sound so pragmatic. How dirty it is under your bed is your business, not anyone else's."
How was this attitude received at the time? "Mean. Hard. Aggressive. Cruel. Yes." She shrugs; tant pis.
A woman sitting several tables away interrupts to say: "Can I buy you a glass of champagne, Miss Atwood, for all the reading pleasure you have given me over the years?" ("Oh, I really appreciate it," says Atwood. "But not at this time of day.")
Can she imagine herself, as Munro did recently, announcing a retirement from writing? Atwood looks suddenly fierce. "Don't believe it. People say that, but what they're really saying is, 'Stop calling me. Don't bother me, I'm retired. Now I can write more!' It's a great temptation. But they never really follow through, because as soon as they say it, they feel free, and as soon as they feel free, they get another idea. What they're really saying is, 'I don't feel obligated.'"
The only real end is the one that is forced on you, in small or in large scale, as the characters in MaddAddam discover. What is the pleasure of anticipating the end of the world? "I think the pleasure is we like to walk it through in advance, with a consciousness that's still human. So you can't actually wipe out the human race and then tell a story about it. There has to be somebody still alive through whom you can hear that story. It's like that conundrum of where will I go after I die. You're still imagining an I."
Get it while you can, says Atwood. Move on to the next thing. Stop faffing about and making excuses. "One story ends, and you ask, 'What about later?' Well, later, the dragon will be released. You'll have the new Jerusalem. God will make another world. You just can't say, 'That's it. End of Story." A small, dry pause. "But what about the next story?"
• Margaret Atwood is in conversation with John Mullan at the Edinburgh international book festival today. edbookfest.co.uk.President Obama finally took a sit-down interview on the National Security Agency scandal and we’ve pasted a partial transcript below. Disappointingly, most of it is (very) generic and defensive. But, there is one important takeaway: President Obama couldn’t answer whether oversight courts (FISA) have ever rejected a single NSA spying request.
PBS’s Charlie Rose asked, pointedly, “has FISA court turned down any request?”
The president appears to bumble through the answer, “The — because — the — first of all, Charlie, the number of requests are surprisingly small… number one. Number two, folks don’t go with a query unless they’ve got a pretty good suspicion.”
This is problematic, since leaker Edward Snowden has claimed that the FISA courts are essentially a “rubber stamp” for any NSA investigations. As a result, they routinely exploit legal and technical loopholes to spy on Americans with direct and indirect ties to foreign suspects.
The rest of the partial transcript shows Obama defending the program, claiming that it doesn’t permit broad spying on U.S. citizens, and touting his civil liberties record.
Transcript below (via BuzzFeed):
Barack Obama: Well, in the end, and what I’ve said, and I continue to believe, is that we don’t have to sacrifice our freedom in order to achieve security. That’s a false choice. That doesn’t mean that there are not tradeoffs involved in any given program, in any given action that we take. So all of us make a decision that we go through a whole bunch of security at airports, which when we were growing up that wasn’t the case…. And so that’s a tradeoff we make, the same way we make a tradeoff about drunk driving. We say, “Occasionally there are going to be checkpoints. They may be intrusive.” To say there’s a tradeoff doesn’t mean somehow that we’ve abandoned freedom. I don’t think anybody says we’re no longer free because we have checkpoints at airports.
Charlie Rose: But there is a balance here.
Barack Obama: But there is a balance, so I’m going to get to your — get to your question. The way I view it, my job is both to protect the American people and to protect the American way of life, which includes our privacy. And so every program that we engage in, what I’ve said is “Let’s examine and make sure that we’re making the right tradeoffs.” Now, with respect to the NSA, a government agency that has been in the intelligence gathering business for a very long time —
Charlie Rose: Bigger and better than everybody else.
Barack Obama: Bigger and better than everybody else, and we should take pride in that because they’re extraordinary professionals; they are dedicated to keeping the American people safe. What I can say unequivocally is that if you are a U.S. person, the NSA cannot listen to your telephone calls, and the NSA cannot target your emails … and have not. They cannot and have not, by law and by rule, and unless they — and usually it wouldn’t be “they,” it’d be the FBI — go to a court, and obtain a warrant, and seek probable cause, the same way it’s always been, the same way when we were growing up and we were watching movies, you want to go set up a wiretap, you got to go to a judge, show probable cause….
So point number one, if you’re a U.S. person, then NSA is not listening to your phone calls and it’s not targeting your emails unless it’s getting an individualized court order. That’s the existing rule. There are two programs that were revealed by Mr. Snowden, allegedly, since there’s a criminal investigation taking place, and they caused all the ruckus. Program number one, called the 2015 Program, what that does is it gets data from the service providers like a Verizon in bulk, and basically you have call pairs. You have my telephone number connecting with your telephone number. There are no names. There is no content in that database. All it is, is the number pairs, when those calls took place, how long they took place. So that database is sitting there. Now, if the NSA through some other sources, maybe through the FBI, maybe through a tip that went to the CIA, maybe through the NYPD. Get a number that where there’s a reasonable, articulable suspicion that this might involve foreign terrorist activity related to Al-Qaeda and some other international terrorist actors. Then, what the NSA can do is it can query that database to see did any of the — did this number pop up? Did they make any other calls? And if they did, those calls will be spit out. A report will be produced. It will be turned over to the FBI. At no point is any content revealed because there’s no content that —
Charlie Rose: So I hear you saying, I have no problem with what NSA has been doing.
Barack Obama: Well, let me — let me finish, because I don’t. So, what happens is that the FBI — if, in fact, it now wants to get content; if, in fact, it wants to start tapping that phone — it’s got to go to the FISA court with probable cause and ask for a warrant.
Charlie Rose: But has FISA court turned down any request?
Barack Obama: The — because — the — first of all, Charlie, the number of requests are surprisingly small… number one. |
3:28 am PT...
Even if Obama is willing to die for the cause of restoring democracy, it behooves him to restore first and die later, all ye trolls above, such as ## 5 & 6. I've been saying what McGovern says all along, as I said to Grizzly Bear Dancer last week: Your comments are filled with real facts and concerns. But you have not addressed the chief weakness in the Kennedy model, which you seem to be espousing. It leads to a less-than-one-term presidency. JFK could have been more shrewd in his effort to accomplish some of the lofty goals he set for himself...a president can make inroads, can slow the train. But not by getting himself shot or otherwise booted. Shrewdness is absolutely essential. Frank Church made inroads that can never be taken away. Revelations of outrageous crimes, like Brad and Sibel are working on, once out of the bag, cannot be lost.
COMMENT #14 [Permalink]
... ProudPrimate said on 9/12/2009 @ 3:32 am PT...
#11 — the etymology is the fact that kid gloves are made from kid leather, ie., very young goatskin. They are the finest material to be had for the purpose.
COMMENT #15 [Permalink]
... ProudPrimate said on 9/12/2009 @ 3:55 am PT...
#7 — There is this story out there, which I haven't spent loads of time checking, "A careful examination of the real evidence in this event shows that Ted Kennedy was framed in the killing of Mary Joe Kopechne and then his life and his children's lives threatened if he ever told the truth about what happened. The facts in the case and the conclusions that can be drawn from them are contained in a book by Boston researcher Robert Cutler" and the last reference is footnoted as You the Jury --- Robert Cutler --- Self Published --- 1974 We also know that Hunt's son Saint John Hunt told Alex Jones that when he was a boy, his father was watching the report of Bobby's death, and quipped about the murders. "One of the things he [my father, E. Howard Hunt] liked to say around the house was 'let's finish the job --- let's hit Ted [Kennedy].'" --Saint John Hunt (the son of E. Howard Hunt), interviewed on The Alex Jones Show, 14 May 2007 As I remember it, the story was Teddy woke up in a motel, and the treat was that every single member of his extended family would be killed, as his nephew John Jr. was later to be, if he persisted in running for president. His chances were toast by then anyway, because of Kopechne's death. Kind of like a horse's head in bed with you.
COMMENT #16 [Permalink]
... Phil E. Drifter said on 9/12/2009 @ 5:13 am PT...
Kennedy was assassinated, like the presidents before him who were, because he opposed the federal reserve. Oswald was obviously a patsy.
COMMENT #17 [Permalink]
... Bob In Pacifica said on 9/12/2009 @ 6:58 am PT...
First off, to bifurcate the CIA from the Federal Reserve or Wall Street or Big Oil or other major corporatists is absurd. Take a look at the Wall Streeter who founded the agency. Look at the CIA as an international Pinkertons, breaking up actual democratic movements around the world for the benefit of their corporate ownership. And while that same role has been handled domestically by the FBI, the CIA and other intelligence agencies (like the NSA) have taken greater roles in the US. To understand the role of the Presidency and Congress you need to study American history over the last fifty years. Compliant Republican Presidents push the corporatist agenda. Democratic Presidents find themselves with less and less control of governments. Of our last three Democratic Presidents before Obama, the first was assassinated, the second was removed from office through the CIA's October Surprise. The third one carried the corporatists' water. This should explain the dynamics of power in Washington: Why should Republicans, who are afraid of death panels and secret Obama armies, etc., have been so willing to have handed the FISA enhancements last year? They knew it was a better than even chance that "socialist" Obama was going to be President and yet they were willing to let him have all that power to spy on Americans. Why? Because the power of the intelligence agencies does not accrue to the Presidency. It accrues to the intelligence agencies. At best the President is a frontman. At worst, a hostage.
COMMENT #18 [Permalink]
... Lora said on 9/12/2009 @ 7:15 am PT...
I don't think we have any real idea of the possible threats against our elected representatives who cross the guys with the big bucks and power. It's all very well for us to sit here on our complacent rear ends and say that they don't deserve to be in office if they can't accept the risks. There are risks that we haven't conceived of. These people with power and money play very, very dirty and they play for keeps. We need to provide our people with body armor - against the psy-ops disinformation, propaganda, and smear campaigns - and we need to relentlessly expose the shadowy puppet masters for who and what they are. How, I'm not sure. One thing - we need to support Brad and folks like him who aren't afraid to put the facts out there. We can share and forward the facts to as many who will listen. For those who don't, perhaps we can get them to examine why they don't. Fight disinformation with facts and evidence. Fight smears with questioning why they matter. Fight psyops with examining why we hold the beliefs we do. We are fighting a successful brainwashing of the entire country. Normal tactics do not suffice. Normal expectations of our representatives mean nothing if they have been sufficiently threatened.
COMMENT #19 [Permalink]
... Heil Mary said on 9/12/2009 @ 7:19 am PT...
Proud Primate, Mike Rivera of What Really Happened said he has relatives in Martha's Vineyard, and they saw out-of-place E. Howard Hunt in disguises all over the place a week BEFORE Ted's "car accident". Nixon admitted on tape that he had assigned the Secret Service to keep a close eye on Ted's hanky panky "after" the "accident". Someone (perhaps you?) posted a scary explanation that goes something like: Mary Jo was an inadvertent threat of incriminating info to Hunt and his gang when she previously told her roommate, an LBJ aide, that JFK planned to dump LBJ for his reelection. The various JFK haters needed to keep LBJ as VP or even president. She may have jump started or accelerated the assassination. At the infamous party with Ted, she reportedly kept whining about wanting to leave and pestered Ted to drive her back. As he reluctantly began driving her down the road, she noticed a male friend walking along the road and made Ted pick him up. Ted was very suspicious of the scenario and kept watching the man in his rear view mirror. He saw him reach into his jacket to pull something (a gun?) out. Ted panicked and drove off the bridge. Perhaps he would have rescued Mary Jo, but when he surfaced, men standing on both banks began shooting at him. He had to swim under water quite a distance to get away. When he escaped, reached a pay phone, and called local friends, Hunt's CIA goon squad answered and threatened his entire family if he didn't drop out of the Presidential race. He and his family would be allowed to live if he made up a cover story about the "accident". More recently, another bio whose title I can't recall or find in google, recounted his embarrassing but poignant drunken rant on a plane in which he fretted about being assassinated next. JFK Jr.'s aptly named magazine, George, was an enormous OVERLOOKED threat to the Bushes and their treasonous goon squads because Jr. reportedly planned to bypass CIA-controlled MSM in outing his family's killers.
COMMENT #20 [Permalink]
... Ernest A. Canning said on 9/12/2009 @ 7:40 am PT...
I, for one, don't think Obama's betrayal of ordinary citizens and the rule of law is driven by fear. To the contrary, I believe he made a conscious decision to sell us out the moment he decided to run for President. Take health care. As an Illinois State Senator, Obama favored a single-payer system. Even as President, Obama has conceded that a single-payer system provides the only means to achieve universal coverage. Obama will rail against the evils of private insurance and big pharma at the same time he meets privately with their execs to give them everything they want, including a mandate that everyone must purchase insurance. His "reform" amounts to a $900 billion give-away to the insurance industry over the next ten years even as it would leave 36 million still without insurance at the end of those ten years. That betrayal, along with Wall Street bail-outs, can't be explained by fear of the CIA. The billionaires are Obama's real constituency, and he very much wants to be part of the club. Panetta's lobbying to prevent prosecutions may well reflect fear of people inside his own agency, but let's not forget that Holder went ahead and appointed a special prosecutor anyway. Obama and Holder are willing to throw a few low level CIA officers and contractors under the bus for the same reason that Rumsfeld was willing to go after "a few bad apples" in the wake of the Abu Ghraib scandal --- to protect those at the top who ordered torture to begin with --- in Rummy's case that meant protecting himself. It's all a part of an elite consensus --- elites taking care of their own.
COMMENT #21 [Permalink]
... Ernest A. Canning said on 9/12/2009 @ 8:02 am PT...
The "death bed confession" of E. Howard Hunt.
COMMENT #22 [Permalink]
... me said on 9/12/2009 @ 8:35 am PT...
How about some dramatic action? An Army brigade to seize CIA headquarters and everyone in it, then start digging through papers. Prevent anyone connected with the CIA from taking any action until the truth is known.
COMMENT #23 [Permalink]
... Big Dan said on 9/12/2009 @ 9:56 am PT...
The media is at the top of the pyramid. They film tea protesters, and no others. Does anyone get this? If you control the media, the corporate mass media, you can make people think ANYTHING!!! 85% of people, according to polls, want a public option. How do you stop it? Film tea protesters ONLY...and say on TV: "Americans don't want health care reform...LOOK! See? On TV!" RIGHT NOW...as we speak, we're seeing it in action. The TV is covering the 9/12 tea protests. If that was an anti-war protest, well you even have PROOF, you know it wouldn't be shown. How do we get around this? THAT IS THE QUESTION WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT!!!!!!!!! How do we get around the biggest most important sham that's perfectly in place: THE CORPORATE MEDIA IS BOUGHT OFF AGAINST US AND THEY HAVE TO CALL IT "LIBERAL" TO KEEP THIS SHAM UP!!! You need a RIGHT RIGHT corporate media in place, to call the RIGHT media (the so-called "liberal" media) "liberal". What do we do about it? All things start off in a hole, because of the not "liberal" media. Look at the Sibel Edmonds coverage. We DAILY point out that the media is FASCIST and not liberal. What do we do about it? To show the American people this? It's a catch-22: the TV would be the best place...THAT is why it's controlled and bought off. The way around it, is to have liberal and progressive internet sites form some type of loose bond, where they coordinate coverage of a progressive protest, and ALSO point out at the same time the LACK of coverage by the facist (so-called "liberal") media. This is not being done! They have FOX "news" in place driving the entire TV. This is not by accident!!!
COMMENT #24 [Permalink]
... Big Dan said on 9/12/2009 @ 9:58 am PT...
TV is actually an INFOMERCIAL for the wealthy few and corporations and the military industrial complex. One big, fucking infomercial!!!!!!!! They even use infomercial tactics!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
COMMENT #25 [Permalink]
... Big Dan said on 9/12/2009 @ 9:59 am PT...
There has to be some coordination among progressive internet sites on progressive protests, and things like that. IT AIN'T GONNA BE COVERED ON TV, AND IF IT'S NOT ON TV, IT DIDN'T HAPPEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!
COMMENT #26 [Permalink]
... Big Dan said on 9/12/2009 @ 10:00 am PT...
WE HAVE TO BYPASS TV!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
COMMENT #27 [Permalink]
... Big Dan said on 9/12/2009 @ 10:02 am PT...
Phil Donahue had the only liberal show on TV, MSNBC, in the lead up to the Iraq War. He had the #1 show. They shitcanned him because he was speaking out against the war. He's lucky they didn't TASER HIS ASS AND THEN KICK HIM OFF!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If something like 9/11 or another war happens, Keith Olbermann, Rachel Maddow, and Ed Shultz will be TASERED AND THROWN OFF THE TV!!!!!!!!!!
COMMENT #28 [Permalink]
... Lora said on 9/12/2009 @ 10:08 am PT...
Clearly there are many explanations of a non-threatening or non-conspiratorial nature as to why Obama now wants to tell us that health insurance companies are our friends. Just saying, when Democrats cave for no known reason (and when moderate Republicans take extreme positions for no known reason), there may be an unspoken or explicit threat, and we should perhaps not dismiss their actions out of hand as cowardly.
COMMENT #29 [Permalink]
... Big Dan said on 9/12/2009 @ 10:08 am PT...
If it wasn't for MSNBC/Olbermann/Maddow/Shultz, the entire mainstream TV media would be the same fascist shitboat it became during the Bush years.
COMMENT #30 [Permalink]
... Big Dan said on 9/12/2009 @ 10:10 am PT...
"Embedded" reporters with the military...WTF????
COMMENT #31 [Permalink]
... Lora said on 9/12/2009 @ 10:14 am PT...
Bob, is that you from TL?
COMMENT #32 [Permalink]
... czaragorn said on 9/12/2009 @ 10:25 am PT...
Sheesh! The Mop and Becket guy sleeps late and gets upstaged. Sorry about that, Brad...
COMMENT #33 [Permalink]
... PLUNGER said on 9/12/2009 @ 10:58 am PT...
GHW Bush OWNS the CIA. Let me say that again. George HW Bush literally owns and controls the covert (Shadow Government) branch of the CIA...the entity that planned and carried out the 9/11 operation with Agent Cheney at the helm and Israeli operatives Dov Zakheim and Kobi Alexander in supporting roles. It is funded internally by among other means, drug running operations using jets from their own fleet out of locations such as Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport. The CIA is not only named for George HW Bush. He owns it. It's a private entity - not beholden to Congress - or anyone. The bigger question then becomes, on whose behalf does it operate? Answer: David Rockefeller. Isn't it interesting that nobody ever writes about the most powerful man in America, David Rockefeller? Now why do you suppose that is?
COMMENT #34 [Permalink]
... PLUNGER said on 9/12/2009 @ 11:01 am PT...
That said - they are being blackmailed by their 9/11 co-conspirator, Israel. That 9/11 was an inside job is truly the worst kept secret in DC. Everyone knows it. They are all being blackmailed by Israel. All of them.
COMMENT #35 [Permalink]
... Jack Markuszka said on 9/12/2009 @ 11:26 am PT...
Read Joan Mellen's book: Farewell to Justice Farewell to Justice - HomeNov 16, 2005
http://www.joanmellen.net/
COMMENT #36 [Permalink]
... yvonne said on 9/12/2009 @ 12:59 pm PT...
Ashara Love (#9), I agree with you 100%. I have said in the past more than a few times that if we want to destroy the corporate monster that is literally devouring the rest of us, we have got to stop feeding it! If we stop feeding it, maybe we can starve it to death. But to win this battle will require unwaivering commitment and resolve from the masses--and therein lies the greatest obstacle to defeating the corporate beast.
COMMENT #37 [Permalink]
... Marty Didier said on 9/12/2009 @ 1:19 pm PT...
To fully understand what this is, we can't focus just on Obama. The problem is much larger and complex than Obama and has been around for decades. I was in a family for more than 26 years who are deeply involved with those near the top of what is happening. The real problem is we are in the midst of a White House Coup that started with 911. The plans were explained to me and others within the family I was in back in the mid 90's. 911 was considered a starting point for executing their plans. Obama may be looked upon as someone who will save us but with what I know, he won't. It would be great if he came through but from his past involvement (that I'm aware of) with those involved in the Coup attempt, I don't beleive it's possible. There is a valid point with claiming that he may have fear as I personally know many involved in this who are not only scared but totally paranoid. Take my comments to heart as this is totally real. However there is a goood side. If you know about this Coup attempt, you also may know what to look for in the news. There is a growing opposition to the Coup that continues to shave away it's existance. The good news in my opinion is that the shaving actually is turning into cutting off chunks more as time surfaces the real meaning of what is happening. Stand back and look at this actually as a Coup attempt similar to "the Business Plot" back in 1933 only this time they did their homework. The family talked about the failed attempt back in 1933 and remarked how plans were made to make sure they were successful this time! Marty Didier
Northbrook, IL
COMMENT #38 [Permalink]
... yvonne said on 9/12/2009 @ 1:48 pm PT...
Since the corporate media is a major problem and facilitator of deceiving and constantly bombarding the American people with disinformation, misinformation, propaganda, etc., maybe we should organize a massive protest against them. And we should also be protesting to cover our leader's back if he and others are indeed being threatened by a rogue element within the CIA. Of course, for any of this to be successful, it would require the participation of millions of unhappy Americans demanding that their voices be heard and their views accurately and fairly reported. (In other words, we need to make ourselves impossible to ignore.) It's just a suggestion, but we've got to start taking responsibility for own lives by taking control of the situation through ACTION, not just words, and get our butts out there in force, and actively participate in creating the reality we want to live in; and not for our sake alone, but for the sake of our children and all generations to come. This is our moment, people, so let's make it something worthwhile so that future generations will have something to thank us for.
COMMENT #39 [Permalink]
... ProudPrimate said on 9/12/2009 @ 2:53 pm PT...
Ernest Canning (#4): Excellent stuff I did not know, #1 Marita Lorenz, and #2 Haldeman's affirmation. A valuable piece of text. Big Dan (#23): The media is at the top of the pyramid. I would couch that as "at the right hand of the majesty", its cats-paw, its scepter. Bob In Pacifica(#17) At best the President is a frontman. At worst, a hostage. Eloquent, and sadly true. But: ROBinDALLAS(#8): So is there any agency or entity on the planet that can stand up to the CIA gestapo...? Only one — the people, united. The chance of their unity is slim to none, but united they cannot be stopped. The extent to which the Deep State (to use Peter Dale Scott's perfect phrase) goes to keep them in the dark is proof that they are afraid of the people ever learning the truth in sufficient numbers. Heil Mary (#19): Someone (perhaps you?) posted a scary explanation that goes something like: Mary Jo was an inadvertent threat... Not I — the story I heard was that he woke up in a motel with a severe lump on the head. Otherwise a similar summary. But I did see reference to a newspaper article placing Hunt at Hyannisport. Another quote I found: "The other important testimony came from [White House spy] Tony Ulasewicz who said he was ordered by the Plumbers to fly immediately to Chappaquiddick and dig up dirt on Ted. The only problem Tony has is that, according to his testimony, he arrived early on the morning of the "accident", before the whole incident had been made public."
--from The Taking of America 1-2-3 by Richard Sprague The fact that Hunt's deathbed confession ties him in close to the JFK, and Saint John Hunt speaks of the CIA's wish to get Teddy as well is very strong. I ordered the book today. I put a lot of stock in Ray McGovern's expertise.
COMMENT #40 [Permalink]
... John Beck said on 9/12/2009 @ 3:18 pm PT...
Having read the article and the remarks submitted,I'm not sure if there is one sane person representated.
COMMENT #41 [Permalink]
... ashara love said on 9/12/2009 @ 3:19 pm PT...
Hey all-do a web search on this guy marty didier in northbrook, I'll. He's posting all over the place w/ his story. Not a lot more than what he says here-however a number of places he posted highlighted the links to resko & blago. Yikes. Chicago IS a corrupt cesspool (where is there NOT a corrupt cesspool, one might ask...) And Obama cannot have swum in that cesspool without getting filthy, for sure. The statement that rang a bell for me in Didier's post was: "Take my comments to heart because this is totally real." DING! People who say stuff like that usually have, shall we say, an agenda... Hey Marty, if you are lurking, spill it or go away. We don't got no time for people who dangle little carrots and don't share the whole story. Who are you anyway, for real? PsyOps r us???
COMMENT #42 [Permalink]
... Ernest A. Canning said on 9/12/2009 @ 5:06 pm PT...
ProudPrimate said on 9/12/2009 @ 2:53 pm PT... The extent to which the Deep State (to use Peter Dale Scott's perfect phrase) goes to keep them in the dark is proof that they are afraid of the people ever learning the truth in sufficient numbers. ____________________________ Excellent assessment that is substantially similar to Howard Zinn's observations in A Power Governments Cannot Suppress: There is a basic weakness in governments, however massive their armies, however vast their wealth, however they control images and information, because their power depends on the obedience of citizens, of soldiers, of civil servants, of journalists and writers and teachers and artists. When the citizens begin to suspect they have been deceived and withdraw their support, government loses its legitimacy and its power.
COMMENT #43 [Permalink]
... molly said on 9/12/2009 @ 6:36 pm PT...
The CIA is the largest terroist organization in the world. They are supported by drugs and every type of humanly depraved enterprise in existance. They really got going after WW11. WE imported the worst nazis....they are our CIA.When we use the right words.....we can win the struggle. WE have a fascist govt. The aftermath of Katrina was genocide. The Iraq war is also genocide. Because we want to steal the oil that belongs to Iraq and Iran. Read benjaminfulford.typepad.com.....we are in for big changes because of our fascist govt.It is almost over. Thank God.
COMMENT #44 [Permalink]
... Orangutan said on 9/12/2009 @ 6:36 pm PT...
The old problem with Bullies. You face them or try to avoid them or ignore them? I think we need to face them and push back with as much force as they have. Prosecute them and tell the truth. Don't bad down out of fear. It never works. It's easy for me to say though. We'll see.
COMMENT #45 [Permalink]
... Big Dan said on 9/12/2009 @ 7:03 pm PT...
I took these videos and pictures...ZERO media coverage the next day, I looked for it: http://www.youtube.com/p...ay/uploads/8/Vjjoq1C-WP4 http://s46.photobucket.c.../f143/maplespak/?start=0
COMMENT #46 [Permalink]
... Big Dan said on 9/12/2009 @ 7:05 pm PT...
In the videos, I kept turning around 360 degrees, because I couldn't see the beginning or end of the people, I was astounded! There had to be at least tens of thousands of people there.
COMMENT #47 [Permalink]
... Victor said on 9/12/2009 @ 9:54 pm PT...
If everyone that breathes keeps praising The Lord and doing what they truly believe to be right with a sincere heart, why would God not help out. Call me crazy but in 1963 while sitting in my drafting classroom and when they announced over a loud speaker that your President JFK had just been kill, I visioned some of my thought of JFK going around the classroom saying, Victor I wanted to die. I must be honest and say that I did not hear any voices, "IT" was just 'Deep thoughts' of the shock I guess. Some might truly believe that I'm probably a crazy Christian fanatic but I say that I'm not and if any of you don't believe me just ask sinner vic! Peace
COMMENT #48 [Permalink]
... Agent 99 said on 9/12/2009 @ 10:39 pm PT...
Naw, Victor, I don't have a religious ion in my body and I can see that. That sounds true to me. I'm pretty sure JFK did want to be dead if he would not have been allowed to be the best president he could be. I don't think any true human, and he sure was one of those, would want to live more than do the right thing... not when the stakes are that high.
COMMENT #49 [Permalink]
... Floridiot said on 9/13/2009 @ 5:10 am PT...
Carey said this back in the '80s, ('70s, '60s) about the media out to destroy unions and populist Governments, so it isn't anything new, what we had already figured out without even knowing about his studies. Just confirmed. 6 parts: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIk6-4KosE0
COMMENT #50 [Permalink]
... Floridiot said on 9/13/2009 @ 5:21 am PT...
You'll note however, that the corporations will whip out the McCarthyite card again and again if we get too uppity...it's time and this time they have the teabaggers ready made for the retaking of the hearts and minds of the unwashed.
COMMENT #51 [Permalink]
... Big Dan said on 9/13/2009 @ 5:27 am PT...
Floridiot: that's a very good video.
COMMENT #52 [Permalink]
... DGP North said on 9/13/2009 @ 7:02 am PT...
... ashara love said on 9/12/2009 @ 3:19 pm PT... "Take my comments to heart because this is totally real." DING! People who say stuff like that usually have, shall we say, an agenda..." Agenda or not, one word that Marty Didier uses in his comment is "coup". I tend to agree with the use of this term in regards to the 911 attacks, to "shock and awe" the world into submission, enabling their agenda. I think that Col. Donn De-Grand-Pre U.S. Army(Ret) was telling the truth in a 2004 interview with Alex Jones when he called the 911 attacks a coup. Transcript can be read here.. http://www.prisonplanet.com/022904degrand.html He makes some very interesting comments about events of that time and none of it was covered be the msm.
COMMENT #53 [Permalink]
... ProudPrimate said on 9/13/2009 @ 7:22 am PT...
Victor (#47) you must be my age. I was a Senior in HS the day he died, at lunch between two hours of Latin. In the subsequent decade I did a lot of psychedelics, and then in the following 15 years was a Christian fundamentalist. Finally, I came to realize that in both those periods, I experienced, first from external chemistry, then from internal, what is known as the "loss of distinction of self from non-self". Like a person with color-blindness cannot distinguish red from green, and by shutting one eye you more or less lose the ability to distinguish near from far, it is possible through drugs and through mental and "spiritual" exercises to lose the ability to tell whether "voices" are coming from outside yourself or are merely your own thoughts. This is a physiological phenomenon. An organ in the brain malfunctions when the proper chemistry is not present. This happens naturally in people also, unfortunately. If you get a chance, see the movie, A Beautiful Mind about the famous mathematician John Nash, who became extremely paranoid and deluded, but actually saved himself by means of the strength of his intellect. Although he could not but believe his delusions from a perceptive point of view, his logical processing was so strong that he was able to override it and force himself to believe the exact opposite of what he was seeing.
COMMENT #54 [Permalink]
... ProudPrimate said on 9/13/2009 @ 8:11 am PT...
Big Dan (##45 & 46) it's true, the revolution will not be televised. I was in the Kennebunkport March of 8-25-07. You can see me in this clip coming into the frame at 1:51 from the left. I'm the old fat guy (I'm a lot leaner now) in the red shirt with the placard on top of my head coming in to the left edge of the screen. By the way, if you can't tell what my sign says, this is it: (click for pic) That march got some local coverage up here in Maine. But not much in toto though it was about 4000. But we the people did change the congress and the president. That was a big popular uprising. We do have that bully pulpit and Obama's great communication skills. We do have Olbermann, Maddow, not to mention Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert and Bill Maher. We have the ACLU. We have Thom Hartmann and other good laborers. None of the above, at least the TV types, is really giving them both barrels, ie,. that 9/11 was an inside job, and the things that Ray McGovern is saying in this interview. But I stand by my above statement: the people united can never be defeated. Remember, the USSR was overthrown with fax machine message trees. Determination is what it takes.
COMMENT #55 [Permalink]
... ProudPrimate said on 9/13/2009 @ 8:27 am PT...
DGP North(#52)— I remember hearing that interview on Alex's show (podcast) but I'd forgotten how tall it was. I never noticed the comment about Israeli mini-nukes in Iraq! This interview was almost exactly five years ago. I cancelled my renewal a month ago when InfoWars began to consistently delete my comments unless they were unimportant. If I brought in documentary proof that they (Nimmo usually) were fudging the facts, they simply didn't allow the post. But Alex has done great work over the years. It breaks my heart to see him pandering to this teabag baloney. Feet of Clay, I guess. He can't turn loose of his Redneck roots.
COMMENT #56 [Permalink]
... To Be Fair said on 9/13/2009 @ 8:52 am PT...
So is there any agency or entity on the planet that can stand up to the CIA The Pentagon. In fact, the Pentagon's already pretty much killed the CIA and transferred most intelligence to the military itself. I'd check out Tim Weiner's Legacy of Ashes. The myth of the all powerful CIA is just that, a myth. Rumsfeld, Cheney and the neocons slapped the CIA like a cheap whore. If Obama feels threatened, the probem is with the Secret Service, not the CIA.
COMMENT #57 [Permalink]
... ProudPrimate said on 9/13/2009 @ 9:24 am PT...
Floridiot (#50) — As a Maine-iac, let me say, Awesome source there, the Alex Carey audio. I found two mp3's which I combined, and am about to do some housework while I listen. On the same subject, everybody should see the four hour-long segments from BBC of Adam Curtis's The Century of the Self, all about Bernays and his relatives, incl. Anna Freud, and how they were all about manipulation and control, not liberation. ToBeFair (#56) — good point. Weiner is top drawer. I have his Blank Check, about the Pentagon's Black Budget. We should have listened to Ike. Poor Harry Truman didn't know what hit him. If Obama feels threatened, the problem is with the Secret Service, not the CIA. Col. L Fletcher Prouty (prouty.org) said that no head of state can be taken out without first turning his bodyguards. He goes into it in depth, talking about De Gaulle shaking hands freely milling about in a soccer stadium in Peru — but his team had spent 6 months culling all his enemies from the province. Yes he talks about JFK in depth — quality level 1+.
COMMENT #58 [Permalink]
... ProudPrimate said on 9/13/2009 @ 9:27 am PT...
I was afraid of that — I put the italics inside the link! It apparently couldn't sort them out. OK the link as included above is correct for the Alex
Carey mp3's. The link for the Curtis video is this
COMMENT #59 [Permalink]
... ProudPrimate said on 9/13/2009 @ 10:40 am PT...
well, I took a walk instead. I listened to the whole hour mp3 from Pacifica of the Alex Carey manuscripts. It's almost hopeless, the level to which the majority of cocker-spaniels in the USA are completely at the mercy of this propaganda, with it's virtually limitless funding. Events like the Depression and the Vietnam War are exceptions, periods when "bread and circuses" fall short of persuading the great unwashed. Still, we are here, communicating on this, for now, unlimited channel, the web. We know they are lying. We must continue to hope that by dint of understanding we can change the way that the masses look at reality. Other than that, we're toast.
COMMENT #60 [Permalink]
... To Be Fair said on 9/13/2009 @ 12:01 pm PT...
He goes into it in depth, talking about De Gaulle shaking hands freely milling about in a soccer stadium in Peru — but his team had spent 6 months culling all his enemies from the province. Ha. Degualle was a badass. I just wish Obama had half his character. Then he'd be able to pull out of Aleri....I mean afghanistan. Then again, maybe not. I think Andrews is largely full of it when he talks about Kennedy being gunned down because he turned peacenik. But his book is an interesting attempt at mythmaking and he's spot on about how Kennedy couldn't have turned against the military industrial state had he tried. Same with Obama. Same with anybody. If Kucinich or Bernie Sanders got into the White House tomorrow, both of them would either govern like an imperialist or simply be rendered ineffectual. That being said, there really were an awful lot of public figures murdered in the 1960s. It could be a conspiracy. It could be the fact that polticians back then simply didn't have the same security and assumptions they'd be in danger they have now (although the DeGualle example proves otherwise). I wonder if we'll ever really know.
COMMENT #61 [Permalink]
... Sand said on 9/13/2009 @ 1:46 pm PT...
He was more than glad to concede to his Skull-n-Bones brother. All his Masters had to do was deem it so. Puppets do not ask questions, they obey. Yeah, this whole 'ritual' thing going on among the elites really creeps me out... "... |
are imported from China’s dialect.
At the time, “love” was written in the characters of “lonely sadness” (恋). According to the creator, the modern concept of love (愛) was imported from the western culture. While Kotonoha no Niwa is said to be set in the modern times, it will be focusing about 恋 in the original “lonely sadness” meaning—yearning for someone in dismal solitude rather than the modern context of it.President Donald Trump's decision to fire FBI Director James Comey earlier tonight is raising neck hairs across the political spectrum. Already, Freedom Caucus Rep. Justin Amash (R-Mich.) and Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) have called for the appointment of a special commission to investigate Russia's involvement in the 2016 presidential campaign:
Removal of Director Comey only confirms need for select cmte to investigate #Russia's interference in 2016 election https://t.co/LfKlwSw6iQ — John McCain (@SenJohnMcCain) May 9, 2017
My staff and I are reviewing legislation to establish an independent commission on Russia. The second paragraph of this letter is bizarre. https://t.co/wXeDtVIQiP — Justin Amash (@justinamash) May 9, 2017
"This is a desperate act by a vulnerable, comprised president to avoid accountability," tweeted third party presidential candidate Evan McMullin:
This is a desperate act by a vulnerable, comprised president to avoid accountability. The people's Congress must step up its investigations! https://t.co/N36p68pVPM — Evan McMullin (@Evan_McMullin) May 9, 2017
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) is also calling for a special committee:
We need a real, independent prosecutor who @realDonaldTrump can't fire, Sessions can't intimidate, & Congress can't muzzle. We need it now. — Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) May 9, 2017
And here's Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Oreg.)
Comey should be immediately called to testify in an open hearing about the status of Russia/Trump investigation at the time he was fired. — Ron Wyden (@RonWyden) May 9, 2017
(Wyden's full statement is here.)
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY.) has a theory:
AG Sessions lied under oath about meetings with Kislyak. One way to exert control after recusal is by getting rid of FBI Director. Chilling. — Kirsten Gillibrand (@SenGillibrand) May 9, 2017
Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC), chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, is "troubled by the timing and reasoning" of Comey's dismissal:
"I am troubled by the timing and reasoning of Director Comey's termination," Sen. Burr (R-NC) says https://t.co/RYsIHJPnLI pic.twitter.com/DIdXa3vVdI — CBS News (@CBSNews) May 9, 2017
Even Edward Snowden is bothered:
This FBI Director has sought for years to jail me on account of my political activities. If I can oppose his firing, so can you. https://t.co/zUp5kquy8q — Edward Snowden (@Snowden) May 9, 2017
Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) is not bothered:
Susan Collins, whole-heartedly backing Trump's decision to can Comey. pic.twitter.com/PzjITco6AS — Matt Viser (@mviser) May 10, 2017
(Timing could definitely be better. Trump is reportedly meeting tomorrow with Russia's foreign minister.)
The Nixon Presidential Library, meanwhile, wants Twitter to stop calling this a "Nixonian" play:Fig. 6: A spiny-leaved pineapple in the Supply garden, Homestead, Fla., 1946.
The pineapple plant is a terrestrial herb 2 1/2 to 5 ft (.75-1.5 m) high with a spread of 3 to 4 ft (.9-1.2 m); a very short, stout stem and a rosette of waxy, straplike leaves, long-pointed, 20 to 72 in (50-180cm) 1ong; usually needle tipped and generally bearing sharp, upcurved spines on the margins. The leaves may be all green or variously striped with red, yellow or ivory down the middle or near the margins. At blooming time, the stem elongates and enlarges near the apex and puts forth a head of small purple or red flowers, each accompanied by a single red, yellowish or green bract. The stem continues to grow and acquires at its apex a compact tuft of stiff, short leaves called the "crown" or "top". Occasionally a plant may bear 2 or 3 heads, or as many as 12 fused together, instead of the normal one.
As individual fruits develop from the flowers they join together forming a cone shaped, compound, juicy, fleshy fruit to 12 in (30 cm) or more in height, with the stem serving as the fibrous but fairly succulent core. The tough, waxy rind, made up of hexagonal units, may be dark-green, yellow, orange-yellow or reddish when the fruit is ripe. The flesh ranges from nearly white to yellow. If the flowers are pollinated, small, hard seeds may be present, but generally one finds only traces of undeveloped seeds. Since hummingbirds are the principal pollinators, these birds are prohibited in Hawaii to avoid the development of undesired seeds. Offshoots, called "slips", emerge from the stem around the base of the fruit and shoots grow in the axils of the leaves. Suckers (aerial suckers) are shoots arising from the base of the plant at ground level; those proceeding later from the stolons beneath the soil are called basal suckers or "ratoons".
Origin and Distribution
Native to southern Brazil and Paraguay (perhaps especially the Parana-Paraguay River) area where wild relatives occur, the pineapple was apparently domesticated by the Indians and carried by them up through South and Central America to Mexico and the West Indies long before the arrival of Europeans. Christopher Columbus and his shipmates saw the pineapple for the first time on the island of Guadeloupe in 1493 and then again in Panama in 1502. Caribbean Indians placed pineapples or pineapple crowns outside the entrances to their dwellings as symbols of friendship and hospitality. Europeans adopted the motif and the fruit was represented in carvings over doorways in Spain, England, and later in New England for many years. The plant has become naturalized in Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras and Trinidad but the fruits of wild plants are hardly edible.
Spaniards introduced the pineapple into the Philippines and may have taken it to Hawaii and Guam early in the 16th Century. The first sizeable plantation 5 acres (2 ha)was established in Oahu in 1885. Portuguese traders are said to have taken seeds to India from the Moluccas in 1548, and they also introduced the pineapple to the east and west coasts of Africa. The plant was growing in China in 1594 and in South Africa about 1655. It reached Europe in 1650 and fruits were being produced in Holland in 1686 but trials in England were not success ful until 1712. Greenhouse culture flourished in England and France in the late 1700's. Captain Cook planted pineapples on the Society Islands, Friendly Islands and elsewhere in the South Pacific in 1777. Lutheran missionaries in Brisbane, Australia, imported plants from India in 1838. A commercial industry took form in 1924 and a modern canning plant was erected about 1946. The first plantings in Israel were made in 1938 when 200 plants were brought from South Africa. In 1939, 1350 plants were imported from the East Indies and Australia. but the climate is not a favorable one for this crop.
Over the past 100 years, the pineapple has become one of the leading commercial fruit crops of the tropics. In 1952-53, world production was close to 1,500,000 tons and reportedly nearly doubled during the next decade. Major producing areas are Hawaii, Brazil, Malaysia, Taiwan, Mexico, the Philippines, South Africa and Puerto Rico. By 1968, the total crop had risen to 3,600,000 tons, of which only 100,000 tons were shipped fresh (mainly from Mexico, Brazil and Puerto Rico) and925.000 tons were processed. In the period 1961-66, imports of fresh pineapples into Europe rose by 70%. Soon many new markets were opening. In 1973, the total crop was estimated at 4,000,000 tons with 2.2 million tons processed. The increased worldwide demand for canned fruit has greatly stimulated plantings in Africa and Latin America. For years, Hawaii supplied 70% of the world's canned pineapple and 85% of canned pineapple juice, but labor costs have shifted a large segment of the industry from Hawaii to the Philippines. Because production costs in Hawaii (which are 50% labor) have increased 25% or more, Dole has transferred 75% of its operation to the Philippines, where, in 1983, it employed 10,000 laborers on about 25,000, mostly rented, acres (10,117 ha).
Pineapples were first canned in Malaya by a retired sailor in 1888 and exporting from Singapore soon followed. By 1900, shipments reached a half million cases. The industry alternately grew and declined, and then ceased entirely for 3 1/2 years during World War II. The Malaysian Pineapple Industry Board was established in 1959. Thereafter there has been steady progress. The pineapple, was a very minor crop in Thailand until 1966 when the first large cannery was built. Others followed. Since then processing and exporting have risen rapidly. In 1977-78 many farmers switched from sugarcane to pineapple. Of the annual production of 1 1/2 million tons, 1/8 is canned as fruit or Julce.
South Africa produces 2.7 million cartons of canned pineapple yearly and exports 2.4 million. In addition, 31,000 tons of fresh pineapple are sold on the domestic market and 500,000 cartons exported yearly. As in many areas, pineapple culture existed on a small scale on the Ivory Coast until post WW II when cultural efforts were stepped up. By 1950, annual production amounted to 1800 tons. By 1972, it had risen to 200,000 tons for shipment, fresh or canned, to western Europe. Cameroun's annual production is about 6,000 tons.
In the Azores, pineapples have been grown in green-houses for many years for export mainly to Portugal and Madeira. They are of luxury quality, carefully tended and blemish free, graded for uniform size and well padded in each box for shipment.
As of 1971, the ten leading exporters of fresh pineapples were (in descending order): Taiwan (39,621 tons), Puerto Rico, Hawaii, Ivory Coast, Brazil, Guinea, Mexico, South Africa, Philippines and Martinique (5,000 tons). The ten leading exporters of processed pineapples were (in descending order): Hawaii, Philippines, Taiwan, South Africa, Malaysia (Singapore), Ivory Coast, Australia, Ryukyu, Mexico, Thailand (10,500,000 tons).
In Puerto Rico, the pineapple is the leading fruit crop, 95% produced, processed and marketed by the Puerto Rico Land Authority. The 1980 crop was 42,493 tons having a farm value of 6.8 million dollars.
For 250 years, pineapples have been grown in the Bahama Islands. At one time plantings on Eleuthera, Cat Island and Long Island totaled about 12,000 acres. The pineapple was a pioneer crop along the east coast of Florida and or, the Keys. In 1860 fields were established on Plantation Key and Merritt's Island. And in 1876 planting material from the Keys was set out all along the central Florida east coast. Shipping to the North began in 1879. In 1910 there were 5000 to 10,000 acres stretching as far north as Ft. Pierce. There were more than a dozen families raising pineapples on Elliott's Key where an average crop was 50,000 to 75,000 dozen fruits, mostly sent by schooner to New York. When the industry was flourishing, Florida shipped to New York, Philadelphia and Baltimore one million crates of pineapples a year from the sandy ridge along the Indian River. It was believed in those days that the pineapple benefitted by closeness to salt water.
Wood-lath sheds roofed with palmetto fronds, Spanish moss or tobacco cloth were constructed to provide shade which promoted vigorous plant growth and high fruit quality. Wood-burning ovens were scattered through the sheds for frost protection in winter. Small, open boxcars operating on steam or horsepower ran on wooden rails the length of the shed to transport loads of fruit to the packing station. In open fields, plants were sheltered by palmetto fronds from mid-December to mid-March. 'Smooth Cayenne' had to be grown in sheds. It was not successful in the open. One early planter on Eden Island moved his farm to the mainland because bears ate the ripe fruits. With the coming of the railroad in 1894, pineapple growing expanded. The 1908-09 crop was 1,110,547 crates. Then Cuban competition for U.S. markets caused prices to fall and many Florida growers gave up. The ridge pineapple fields begain to fail as the humus was exhausted by cultivation. Fertilization was steadily raising the pH too high for the pineapple. World War I brought on a shortage of fertilizer, then several freezes in 1917 and 1918 devastated the industry.
In the early 1930's, the United Fruit Company supplied slips for a new field at White City but the pressure of coastal development soon reduced this to a small patch. Shortly after World War II, a plantation of 'Natal Queen' and 'Eleuthera' was established in North Miami but, after a few years, the operation was shifted inland to Sebring, in Highlands County, Central Florida, where it still produces on a small scale.
Varieties
In international trade, the numerous pineapple cultivars are grouped in four main classes: 'Smooth Cayenne', 'Red Spanish', 'Queen', and 'Abacaxi', despite much variation in the types within each class.
'Smooth Cayenne' or 'Cayenne', 'Cayena Lisa' in Spanish (often known in India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Thailand as 'Sarawak' or 'Kew') was selected and cultivated by Indians in Venezuela long ago and introduced from Cayenne (French Guyana) in 1820. From there it reached the Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew, England, where it was improved and distributed to Jamaica and Queensland, Australia. Because of the plants near freedom from spines except for the needle at the leaftip and the size-4 to 10 lbs (1.8 4.5 kg)-cylindrical form, shallow eyes, orange rind, yellow flesh, low fiber, juiciness and rich mildly acid flavor, it has become of greatest importance worldwide even though it is subject to disease and does not ship well. Mainly, it is prized for canning, having sufficient fiber for firm slices and cubes as well as excellent flavor.
It was the introduction of this cultivar into the Philippines from Hawaii in 1912 that upgraded the Philippine industry from the casual growing of the semi-wild type which was often seedy. There are several clones of 'Smooth Cayenne' in Hawaii which have been selected for resistance to mealybug wilt. It is the leading cultivar in Taiwan. In 1975, the Queensland Department of Primary Industries, after 20 years of breeding and testing, released a dual purpose cultivar named the 'Queensland Cayenne'. South Africas Pineapple Research Station, East London, after 20 years of selecting and testing of 'Smooth Cayenne' clones, has chosen 4 as superior especially for the canning industry.
'Hilo'is a variant of 'Smooth Cayenne' selected in Hawaii in 1960. The plant is more compact, the fruit is smaller, more cylindrical; produces no slips but numerous suckers It may be the same as the 'Cayenne Lisse' strain grown in Martinique and on the Ivory Coast, the fruit of which weighs from 2 to 2 3/4 lbs (1-1 1/2 kg) and has a very small crown.
'St. Michael', another strain of 'Smooth Cayenne' is the famous product of the Azores. The fruit weighs 5 to 6 lbs (2.25-2.75 kg), has a very small crown, a small core, is sweet with low acidity, and some regard it as insipid when fully ripe.
'Giant Kew', well-known in India, bears a large fruit averaging 6 lbs (2.75 kg), often up to 10 lbs (4.5 kg) and occasionall up to 22 lbs (10 kg). The core is large and its extraction results in too large a hole in canned slices.
'Charlotte Rothschild', second to 'Giant Kew' in size in India, tapers toward the crown, is orange-yellow when ripe, aromatic, very juicy. The crop comes in early. 'Baron Rothschild', a Cayenne strain, grown in Guinea, has a smaller fruit 1 3/4 to 5 lbs (0.8-2 kg) in weight, marketed fresh.
'Perolera' (also celled 'Tachirense', 'Capachera', 'Motilona', and 'Lebrija') is a 'Smooth Cayenne' type ranking second to 'Red Spanish' in importance in Venezuela. It has long been grown in Colombia. The plant is entirely smooth with no spine at the leaftip. The fruit is yellow, large-7 to 9 1bs (3-4 kg) and cylindrical.
'Bumanguesa', of Venezuela and Colombia, is probably a mutation of 'Perolera'. The fruit is red or purple externally, cylindrical with square ends, shallow eyes, deep-yellow flesh, very slender core but has slips around the crown and too many basal slips to suit modern commercial requirements.
'Monte Lirio', of Mexico and Central America, also has smooth leaves with no terminal spine. The fruit is rounded, white-fleshed, with good aroma and flavor. Costa Rica exports fresh to Europe.
Other variants of 'Smooth Cayenne' include the 'Esmeralda' grown in Mexico and formerly in Florida for fresh, local markets; 'Typhone', of Taiwan; 'Cayenne Guadeloupe', of Guadeloupe, which is more disease resistant than 'Smooth Cayenne'; and 'Smooth Guatemalan' end 'Palin' grown in Guatemala; also 'Piamba da Marquita' of Colombia. Some who have made efforts to classify pineapple strains have proposed grouping all smooth-leaved types under the collective name 'Maipure'. In Amazonas, Venezuela, this name is given to a large plant with smooth leaves stained with red. The fruit has 170 to 190 eyes.
Fig. 7: 'Red Spanish' (left) and 'Abacaxi' (called 'English' in the Bahamas) (right). In: K. and J. Morton, Fifty Tropical Fruits of Nassau, 1946.
Two vigorous hybrids of 'Smooth Cayenne' and 'Red Spanish' were developed at the Agricultural Experiment Station of the University of Puerto Rico and released in 1970'P.R. 1-56' and the slightly larger 'P.R. 1 67', both with good resistance to gummosis and mealybug wilt and of excellent fruit quality. 'P.R. 1 67' averages 5 3/4 lbs (2.5 kg), gives a high yield32 tons per acre (79 tons/ha). The fruit is sweeter yet with more acidity than 'Red Spanish', less fibrous and good for marketing fresh and for canned juice. It was introduced into Venezuela about 1979 and is grown in the State of Lara.
'Cabezona' ('Bull Head', or 'Pina de ague') is a prominent variant (a natural tetraploid) of 'Red Spanish' long grown in Puerto Rico in the semiarid region of Lajas, to which it is well suited; also in El Salvador. The plant is large, over 3 ft (1 m) high; the leaves are gray-green. The fruit is conical but not as tall as that of 'Valera'; averages 4 to 6 lbs (1.8-2.75 kg) and may reach 18 lbs (8 kg) or more. It is orange-yellow at maturity, has few fibers and sweet-acid flesh. The stem is large and extends up into the base of the fruit and if the fruit is broken off when harvested it leaves a cavity. Consequently, it must be cut with a machete and later trimmed flush with the base in the packing house. It is marketed fresh only. It is resistant to gummosis. Platts reported that it gave a low yield and was disease prone in Florida. There are small plantings in the States of Trujillo and Monagas, Venezuela. It has been cultivated frequently in the Philippines.
'Valera' ('Negrita', or 'Andina'), is an old cultivar originating in Puerto Rico; it is grown in the States of Lara, Merida and Trujillo in Venezuela. It is a small to medium plant with long, narrow, spiny, purple green leaves. The fruit is conical cylindrical, weighing 3 1/2 to 5 1/2 lbs (1.5-2.5 kg); is purple outside with white flesh.
'Valera Amarilla' is a 'Red Spanish' strain grown in the States of Lara and Trujillo in Venezuela. The fruit is broad cylindrical and tall with a large crown; weighs 4 1/2 to 9 lbs (2-4 kg); is yellow externally with very deep eyes, about 72 to 88 in number. The flesh is pale-yellow and very sweet in flavor.
'Valera Roja', grown in Lara, Trujillo and Merida, Venezuela, is a small-to-medium plant with cylindrical fruit 1 1/2 to 2.2 lbs (0.6-1 kg) in weight, reddish externally, with 100 eyes. It has pale-yellow flesh.
'Castilla' is a 'Red Spanish' strain grown in Colombia and El Salvador.
'Cumanesa', supposedly a selection of 'Red Spanish', grown mainly in the State of Sucre, Venezuela, is a medium-sized plant, very spiny, producing an oblong fruit with a large crown. It is orange-yellow externally; weighs 2 to 3 3/4 lbs (0.9-1.70 kg). and has yellowish-white flesh.
'Morada', believed to be a variant of 'Red Spanish', is one of the less important cultivars of Colombia and the State of Monagas, Venezuela. The plant is large, with long, narrow, purple-red leaves. The fruit is broad-cylindrical, purple-red externally, with white flesh.
'Monte Oscuro' ('Pilon'), is a large plant with broad, sawtoothed, spiny-edged leaves. The fruit is barrel-shaped, large, weighing 6.6 lbs (3 kg); has 160-180 medium-deep eyes; is yellow outside with deep-yellow, fibrous flesh. It is,grown among Mauritia palms in the State of Monagas, Venezuela.
'Abacaxi' (also called 'White Abacaxi of Pernambuco', 'Pernambuco', 'Eleuthera', and 'English') is well known in Brazil, the Bahamas and Florida. The plant is spiny and disease-resistant. Leaves are bluish-green with red-purple tinge in the bud. The numerous suckers need thinning out. The fruit weighs 2.2 to ll lbs (1-5 kg), is tall and straight-sided; sunburns even when erect. It is very fragrant. The flesh is white or very pale yellowish, of rich, sweet flavor, succulent and juicy with only a narrow vestige of a core. This is rated by many as the most delicious pineapple. It is too tender for commercial handling, and the yield is low. The fruit can be harvested without a knife; breaks off easily for marketing fresh.
'Sugarloaf' (also called 'Pan de Azucar') is closely related to 'Abacaxi', and much appreciated in Central and South America, Puerto Rico, Cuba and the Philippines. The leaves of the plants and crowns pull out easily and this fact gave rise to the unreliable theory that pineapple ripeness is indicated by the looseness of the leaves. The fruit is more or less conical, sometimes round; not colorful; weighs 1 1/2 to 3 lbs (0.68-1.36 kg). Flesh is white to yellow, very sweet, juicy. This cultivar is too tender for shipping.
Among several strains of 'Sugarloaf' are 'Papelon', and 'Black Jamaica', and probably also 'Montufar' ('Sugar Slice' of Guatemala). The latter fruit is green, conical, weighs 2 to 5 1/2 lbs (0.8 2.5 kg); has yellow, very juicy, flesh, sweet yet a little acid. This pineapple also is too tender to ship.There are a number of tropical American cultivars not categorized as to groups, and among them are:
'Brecheche', grown to a limited extent in southern Venezuela, is a small fruit with small, spineless crown. Average weight is 1 1/2 to 2.2 lbs (0.7-1 kg). The fruit is yellow externally. Flesh is yellow, with little fiber, small core, very fragrant, very juicy.
'Caicara', grown to a small extent in the State of Bolivar, Venezuela, is a large fruit weighing 4 to 5 1/2 lbs (1.8-2.5 kg). with a large, spiny crown. It is cylindrical conical with deep eyes; yellow externally with white flesh, a little fiber, very juicy, with large core.
'Chocona' and 'Sante Clara' are cultivars that have been introduced into Trinidad.
'Congo Red' is a plant with bright-red, long-lasting flowers. The fruit bends over and cracks in hot, dry weather. It weighs up to 5 lbs (2.25 kg), is waxy, with yellow flesh of good flavor.
'Panare', named after the tribe of Indians that has grown it for a long time, is commercially grown to a small extent in the State of Bolivar, Venezuela. The plant is of medium size with long, spiny leaves. The fruit is bottle-shaped, small, 1 to 1 l/2 lbs (0.45-0.70 kg), with small crown; ovate, with deep eyes; orange externally with deep-yellow flesh; slightly fragrant, with little fiber and small core.
'Santa Marta' of Colombia, is subject to cracking of the core in hot, dry weather.
In Peru, farmers still grow the old common 'Criolla' because it can be sold fresh and is not easily damaged in shipment. But modern pineapple production in that country depends on the 'Smooth Cayenne' for canning.
Minor cultivars in Colombia include: 'Amarilla de Cambao', 'Amarilla de Tocaima', 'Blanca Chocoana', 'Blanca del Atrato', 'Blanca de Valle del Cauca', 'Cimarrona', 'Espanola de Santander', 'Hartona', 'Jamaiquena' and 'Manzana'.
'Cacho de Venado' is grown to a small extent in Monagas and Sucre, and 'Injerta' in Trujillo, Venezuela.
'Pearl', 'Itaparica', 'Paulista', and 'Maranhao' (or 'Amarella') are spoken of in Brazil; 'Azucaron' in El Salvador; 'Roja' in Mexico. It remains to be determined if some of these names are merely synonyms for cultivars already referred to.
'Mauritius' (also known as 'European Pine', 'Malacca Queen', 'Red Ceylon' and 'Red Malacca') is one of the 2 leading pineapple cultivars in Malaya; also important in India and Ceylon. The leaves are dark green with broad red central stripe and red spines on the margins. The fruit is small, 3 to 5 lbs (1.36-2.25 kg), yellow externally; has a thin core and very sweet flesh. It is sold fresh and utilized for juice.
'Singapore Red' (Also called 'Red Jamaica', 'Singapore Spanish', 'Singapore Queen', 'Singapore Common') is second to 'Mauritius' in popularity. The leaves are usually all-green but sometimes have a reddish stripe near the margins; they are rarely spiny except at the tips. The fruits, cylindrical, reddish, with deep eyes, are small3 1/2 to 5 lbs (1.6-2.25 kg)with slender core, fibrous, golden-yellow flesh; insipid raw but valued for canning. The plant is disease and pest-resistant.
The related 'Green Selangor' (also called 'Selangor Green', 'Green Spanish', and 'Selassie') of Malaysia has all-green leaves prickly only at the tips. The flesh is golden-yellow, often with white dots. This cultivar is grown for canning.
'Queen' (also called 'Common Rough' in Australia) is the leading cultivar in South Africa, Queensland and the Philippines. The plant is dwarf, compact, more cold-resistant and more disease-resistant then 'Smooth Cayenne'. It matures its fruit early but suckers freely and needs thinning, and the yield is low. The fruit is conical, deep-yellow, with deep eyes; weighs 1 to 2 1/2 lbs (0.45-1.13 kg); is less fibrous than 'Smooth Cayenne', but more fragrant; it is juicy, of fine flavor with a small, tender core. It is sold fresh and keeps well. It is only fair for canning because of its shape which makes for much waste.
'Natal Queen' of South Africa, also grown in El Salvador, produces many suckers. The fruit weighs 1 1/2 to 2 lbs (0.75-0.9 kg).
'MacGregor', a variant of 'Nasal Queen' selected in South Africa and grown also in Queensland, is a spreading, more vigorous plant with broad leaves and large suckers produced less freely. The fruit is cylindrical, medium to large, with firm flesh and flavor resembling 'Queen'.
'James Queen' (formerly 'Z') is a mutation of 'Nasal Queen' that originated in South Africa. It has larger fruit with square shoulders.
'Ripley' or 'Ripley Queen',,grown in Queensland, is a dwarf, compact plant with crimson tinge on leaves; takes 22 weeks from flowering to fruit maturity; is an irregular bearer. The fruit weighs 3 to 6 lbs (1.36-2.7 kg); is pale-copper externally; flesh is pale-yellow, non-fibrous, very sweet and rich. In Florida this cultivar tends to produce suckers without fruiting.
'Alexandria', a selection of 'Ripley Queen' in Queensland, is more vigorous with large suckers and fruit. The fruit is conical, tender, with 'Ripley Queen' flavor.
'Egyptian Queen' was introduced into Florida in 1870. It was popular at first, later abandoned. The fruit weighs 2 to 4 lbs (0 9-1.8 kg).
'Kallara Local' is a little-known cultivar in India. Minor strains in Thailand are 'Pattavia', 'Calcutta', 'Sri Racha', 'Intorachit' and 'Chantabun'.
In the evaluation of pineapples, the crown can be an asset or a liability. Small crowns detract from the decorative appearance of the fruit; large crowns are more attractive but hamper packing and constitute too great a proportion of inedible material from the standpoint of the purchaser.
Climate
The pineapple is a tropical or near tropical plant limited (except in greenhouses) to low elevations between 30°N and 25°S. A temperature range of 65°-95°F (18.33-45°C) is most favorable, though the plant can tolerate cool nights for short periods. Prolonged cold retards growth, delays maturity and causes the fruit to be more acid. Altitude has an important effect on the flavor of the fruit. In Hawaii, the 'Smooth Cayenne' is cultivated from sea level up to 2,000 ft (600 m). At higher elevations the fruit is too acid. In Kenya, pineapples grown at 4500 ft (1371 m) are too sweet for canning; between 4500 and 5700 ft (1371-1738 m) the flavor is most suitable for canning; above 5700 ft (1738 m) the flavor is undesirably acid. Pineapples are grown from sea level to 7545 ft (2300 m) in Ecuador but those in the highlands are not as sweet as those of Guayaquil.
Ideally, rainfall would be about 45 in (1,143 mm), half in the spring and half in the fall; though the pineapple is drought tolerant and will produce fruit under yearly precipitation rates ranging from 25 to 150 in (650-3,800 mm), depending on cultivar and location and degree of atmospheric humidity. The latter should range between 70 and 80 degrees.
Soil
The best soil for pineapple culture is a well-drained, sandy loam with a high content of organic matter and it should be friable for a depth of at least 2 ft (60 cm), and pH should be within a range of 4.5 to 6.5. Soils that are not sufficiently acid are treated with sulfur to achieve the desired level. If excess manganese prevents response to sulfur or iron, as in Hawaii, the plants require regular spraying with very weak sulfate or iron. The plant cannot stand waterlogging and if there is an impervious subsoil, drainage must be improved. Pure sand, red loam, clay loam and gravelly soils usually need organic enrichment. Filter presscake from sugar mills, worked into clay soils in Puerto Rico, greatly enhances plant vigor, fruit yield, number of slips and suckers.
Propagation
Crowns (or "tops"), slips (called nlbs or robbers in New South Wales), suckers and ratoons have all been commonly utilized for vegetative multiplication of the pineapple. To a lesser degree, some growers have used "stumps", that is, mother plant suckers that have already fruited. Seeds are desired only in breeding programs and are usually the result of hand pollination. The seeds are hard and slow to germinate. Treatment with sulfuric acid achieves germination in 10 days, but higher rates of germination (75-90 % ) and more vigorous growth of seedlings results from planting untreated seeds under intermittent mist.
The seedlings are planted when 15-18 months old and will bear fruit 16-30 months later. Vegetatively propagated plants fruit in 15-22 months.
In Queensland, tops and slips from the summer crop of 'Smooth Cayenne' are stored upside down, close together, in semi-shade, for planting in the fall. Some producers salvage the crowns from the largest grades of fruits going through the processing factory to be assured of high quality planting material.
South African experiments with 'Smooth Cayenne' have shown medium-size slips to be the best planting material. Next in order of yield were large crowns, medium-size suckers, medium-size crowns and large suckers. Medium and large suckers, however, fruited earlier. Trimming of basal leaves increased yields. Workers in Johore, Malaya, report, without specifying cultivar, that large crowns give highest yield and more slips, followed by small crowns, big slips, small slips, large and small suckers in descending order.
With the 'Red Spanish' in Puerto Rico, the utilization of large slips for planting in the first quarter of the year, medium slips during the next six months, and small slips in the final quarter, provides fruits of the maximum size over an extended period of harvest. Storage of slips until optimum planting time prevents premature bloom and diminished fruit size.
The 'Red Spanish' reaches shipping-green stage (one week before coloring begins) in Puerto Rico 150 days after natural blooming.
In South Africa the 'Queen' is grown mainly from stumps, secondly from suckers. The stumps which have fruited are detached from the mother plant as soon as possible to avoid their developing suckers of their own. In comparison with suckers, the stumps are consistently heavier in yield after the 4th crop. When suckers are used, those of medium size, approximately 18 in (45 cm) long, planted shallow and upright, yield best.
In the past, growers preferred plants that supplied abundant basal slips for planting, not recognizing the fact that such plants gave smaller fruits than those without slips or suckers. Also, breeders aim toward elimination of slips to facilitate harvesting. Because of the increased demand for planting material, a new method of mass propagation received wide attention in 1960. During the harvest, plants that have borne single-crowned, superior fruits without basal slips are selected and marked. Following harvest, these plants are cut close to the ground, the leaves are stripped off and the stemsusually 1 to 2 ft (30-60 cm) long and 3 to 4 in (7.5-10 cm) thickare sliced lengthwise into 4 triangular strips. The strips are disinfected and placed 4 in (10 cm) apart, with exterior side upward, in beds of sterilized soil, semi-shaded and sprinkler-irrigated. Shoots emerge in 3 |
or other information.
“Is there any security for defense attorney information? This new disclosure is simply the latest in a series of revelations of courtroom monitoring, hidden surveillance devices and legal-bin searches,” commented James Connell, an attorney for 9/11 defendant Ali Abdul Aziz Ali.
Adding to the problems, the defense also questioned the loss of, as one attorney put it, “months of work” due to a network upgrade by the Defense Department. According to reports, they were attempting to mirror D.C. system available to defense teams there at Guantanamo. The attempt wasn’t all that successful, resulting in the loss of documents related to several cases.
“Entire files, months of work was just gone... I have no evidence of any nefarious conduct, but it demonstrates again that we don’t have confidence that our files and communications are secure,” Navy Cmdr. Stephen C. Reyes told the Washington Post.
Reyes is an attorney for Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri, who stands accused of organizing the USS Cole bombing.
Addressing the most recent delays and problems, Daphne Eviatar, speaking for Human Rights First said that the situation is “...further evidence that the military commission system is a sham and that all terrorism trials should be held in real U.S. federal courts on U.S. soil, where the rules are clear, defendants' rights are respected and the verdicts will have credibility.”Mmmmm... Ponies....Here is my submission for Week 35 of The theme for Week 35 was "Create an Imitation of Another's Work", so here is a drawing taking inspiration from Springfield's most famous residents featuring Lyra (or Heartstrings or whatever we're calling her now) taking a seat on the Simpson's couch [link] as only she can. Well, Lisa always did want a pony, so why not Lyra? 35 weeks into the ATG Alumni group and amazingly this is the first time I've drawn this character in my life, so I hope she doesn't look too off or anything. Also, I'm pretty sure this gag must have been done at some point before now, but I just couldn't resist."My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic" is © Hasbro"Friendship is Magic" designs created by Lauren Faust "The Simpsons" is © FOX BroadcastingMEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico’s central bank sold dollars in Mexico and New York on Thursday to fight off the peso’s nose dive to record lows amid fears U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s protectionist policies could further hammer Latin America’s second-biggest economy.
A picture illustration shows Mexican pesos and U.S. dollars banknotes in Mexico City July 6, 2015. REUTERS/Edgard Garrido
The central bank sold at least $1 billion in U.S. currency in morning trade, four traders told Reuters, asking not to be identified because they were not authorized to speak publicly.
The bank kept the amount confidential.
Mexico’s currency commission said in a separate statement that the move was aimed at providing liquidity and combating recent volatility in the peso, adding that it could not rule out further discretionary intervention to support the currency.
The dollar sales mark the bank’s first currency intervention since February 2016, when it sold $2 billion to prop up the sinking peso. The peso depreciated 20 percent last year alone and was among the world’s worst performing currencies.
Banco Base said in a report following the intervention that the decision was aimed at combating “speculative positions” that had built up against the peso.
Mexico's peso MXN=MXN=D2 strengthened after the intervention was reported, but trade was choppy and it pared gains to trade flat around 21.48 per dollar after Trump threatened Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T) with a "big border tax" if it followed through on plans to build a new factory in Mexico to build cars for the U.S. market.
The peso posted a record low at 21.624 per dollar on Wednesday after minutes from the U.S. Federal Reserve’s Dec. 13-14 meeting hinted that faster rate hikes could be needed under Trump.
Historically the impact of Mexico’s currency interventions have tended to be short-lived, and the peso has continued to trend lower.
Juan Garcia, director of national operations for the central bank, confirmed the surprise sales and said they would continue through the day, but he declined to specify volumes.
Prior to the February intervention, the Banco de Mexico had sold dollars in rules-based auctions since a deep slump in the peso in 2014. The February dollar sales were a major policy shift and marked the first time the bank opted for direct dollar sales since the 2009 financial crisis.
On Tuesday, the peso was rocked by Ford Motor Co’s (F.N) decision to cancel a planned $1.6 billion investment in central Mexico.
Also, a major fuel price hike that took effect on Jan. 1 has stirred inflation fears and provoked numerous protests and some looting. President Enrique Pena Nieto on Wednesday defended the hike.
The currency fall continued on Wednesday and was compounded by the Fed’s minutes showing policymakers were concerned that quicker economic growth under Trump could require faster interest-rate increases in the United States.
Trump’s election win drove the Mexican currency steadily lower, with the sell-off fueled by his threats to scrap a trade deal between Mexico and the United States, and to levy punitive tariffs on Mexican-made goods.
On the campaign trail, Trump threatened to halt money transfers from Mexican nationals in the United States unless the country agreed to pay for the massive wall he has vowed to build on the U.S. southern border to keep out illegal immigrants.The edition of 'The Hindu', one of India's oldest English dailies with a netpaid circulation of about 1.5 million copies around the country, will hit the news-stands in the 'Maximum city' tomorrow.
Announcing the launch of the edition at a press meet here today, N Ram, Chairman, Kasturi and Sons, the publisher of the daily, said the new edition has been one of the most ambitious projects of the media house which has a long association with the city stretching from the days of its very inception 137 years back.
"We enjoy a goodwill in..We enter with great hope. We are extremely optimistic...There is a place for our kind of journalism... We believe in credibility, integrity and authenticity of journalism," Ram said.
Asked if who he thought is the competitor of 'The Hindu' in Mumbai, Ram said "nobody", and added that "we have respect for all newspapers."
On a question about a predominantly south-based newspaper being accepted in a different cultural milieu, Ram said, "We greatly admire the culture here."
Though these are very strong cultures standing on their own feet, both are passionate about music and sports, he said.
Ram said there is still a demand for the 'long-form' of journalism even among the youth, and added that the newspaper will continue to maintain "a line between editorial and business" that has always been its clear principle.
Dwelling on the long association of the daily with Mumbai, N Ravi, the former Editor-in-Chief of the Hindu and Director of Kasturi & Sons Ltd, said the city has a tradition of welcoming the newcomers.
"Bombay has been exhaustively reported by 'The Hindu' right from its inception. We are quite optimistic about the new edition," he said.
Dr Malini Parthasarathy, Editor, said while holding on to its core brand strength of "credibility and integrity", the Mumbai edition of 'The Hindu' will be unique incorporating special pages, catering to each aspect of the "Maximum City" as the country's financial and corporate headquarters as well as a film and fashion hub.
"We realise our core brand strength is the credibility and integrity of our reporting. This brings authenticity to our perspective. At the same time we acknowledge Mumbai's great transformation into an upwardly rising global city," she said.
A pioneer in bringing cutting-edge technology in the
field, in Mumbai's context 'The Hindu' was the first newspaper in to have a direct teleprinter network between its Madras (Chennai) and Bombay (Mumbai) offices in 1949, a press release issued by the daily said.
'The Hindu', which has a major presence online, was the first Indian newspaper to start an online edition in 1995.
Stating that the Mumbai edition marks "many firsts" for the newspaper, it has eight pages uniquely catering to the city capturing both the buyoant and poignant stories.
Resident Editor Sachin Kalbag and Kasturi & Sons CEO and MD Rajiv Lochan were also present at the press meet.The device, which eliminates blind spots by providing a 360 degree view around the vehicle, uses four external cameras to produce a 3-D image on the dashboard.
Makers Fujitsu Laboratories say the gadget is expected to become available in the next three years and will cost betwqeen £500 and £1,000.
A spokesman said: "It is basically video technology where you put cameras on the four corners of the car and it creates a 3D image.
"Each camera would capture its surrounding view and it's this that is used to create the picture.
"It would be viewed on a screen in a car on a sat nav type device or set into a dashboard.
"It would allow the drive to view all around the car while driving or stationary.
The technology adapts to different driving situations, allowing the motorist to view the entire surroundings of a vehicle, from the point of view and field of view that is most appropriate for each situation.
Fujitsu said it would improve road safety by helping drivers in parking, passing on a narrow street, and seeing around tricky corners.
Road safety charity Brake said the product sounded like it would help drivers.
But spokesman Jane Whitham said care would have to be taken to make sure it didn't distract motorists.
She said: "On a basic level it sounds like a good idea and anything that makes roads safer can only be a good thing.
"Brake would be concerned that the device could be distracting to the motorist.
"There needs to be serious thought as to how distracting something like it could be."MADISON, Wis. - A 2-month-old girl was rescued by her father after a series of incidents at a downtown crosswalk caused the baby's stroller to roll down North Webster Street Wednesday, Madison police said.
According to a release, a Madison family was crossing the street heading toward the children's museum around 12:45 p.m. when a SUV turned from East Mifflin Street onto North Webster Street into their path.
The father got his 3-year-old boy out of the road, and the mother, who was pushing the stroller with the 2-month-old girl in it, tried to do the same, but she tripped and fell, police said. The mom lost her grip on the stroller, which sent it rolling downhill on Webster Street.
The Jeep's driver, a 53-year-old woman, told police she did not see the family until the last second, but when she saw the stroller rolling down the street, she pulled over and tried to grab the stroller, according to the release.
When the woman got out of the Jeep, she forgot to put it in park, so it also started rolling downhill with no one behind the wheel, police said. When she tried getting back in the Jeep, she was knocked to the ground.
The dad was able to catch up with the stroller and rescue the baby, but no one was able to stop the jeep, according to the release. Another driver tried to position his vehicle to try and stop the Jeep's momentum, but it didn't hit anything or anyone in the intersection until it hit a tree.
The driver was taken to a hospital with road rash, and was cited for failing to yield the right of way.
Police said the family was relatively uninjured, and the 2-month-old baby slept through the entire incident.Vishwaroopam ban: Muslim groups end protest, Haasan to cut 7 scenes
Chennai: Ending a week-long drama, Kamal Haasan's controversial Tamil film Vishwaroopam is finally poised for release in Tamil Nadu with some cuts after the actor and Muslim groups opposed to it reached a settlement during the state-government brokered talks here today.
Emerging after the marathon talks lasting six hours in the presence of Home Secretary R Rajagopal at the Secretariat, Haasan said they have agreed to remove certain audio portions and hoped the government would revoke the ban imposed in the wake of protests by some Muslim outfits which considered the film offensive to their religion.
"We will immediately arrange to announce the date of release after consultations, including with technical team," the actor who produced the mega-budget Rs 100 crore film told reporters ending nearly two-month long uncertainty marked by twists and turns over its release.
Haasan said they would withdraw their petition in the Madras High Court challenging the two-week ban and expressed hope that the government would revoke its action that drew nation-wide criticism for stifling freedom of expression.
Tamil Nadu Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam representative M H Jawahirullah, MLA, said Haasan has agreed for some cuts in the film, portions of which Muslims had deemed to be offensive.
The filmmaker has agreed to drop seven scenes from the film that the Muslim groups had problems with and have agreed to muting some other scenes. "We will put something else in the place of those scenes," Haasan said while addressing the media.
"The outcome of the meeting is fruitful," he said as the tri-partite meeting came after Chief Minister Jayalalithaa offered to facilitate it to pave the way for the release of the film though she had strongly justified the ban.
The multi-lingual film, originally slated for release on January 11, has been released and running smoothly in other states including Kerala with a 25 per cent Muslim population, and Andhra and Karnataka. Its Hindi version Vishwaroop hit theatres in north India yesterday which, according to Haasan,
had evoked 'fantastic' response.
Haasan, who made a brief statement and refused to take questions, thanked Jayalalithaa for facilitating the solution to the issue which sparked a major controversy.
"In the talks with my Muslim brothers, I heard their grievances and explained technical problems. The censor board would be informed," he said on the mutually accepted cuts.
The talks were to be held yesterday but did not materialise as the Muslim organisations insisted on the presence of Haasan who was in Mumbai for the release of the film's Hindi version.
A spy thriller set in the US and Afghanistan with the plot centered around terror, the film hit the first roadblock after tech-savvy actor's faceoff with exhibitors over his insistence on releasing it on Direct-to-Home platform a day ahead of the theatre release, forcing him to put it off indefinitely.
Another hurdle came when Muslim outfits expressed apprehensions over the content of the film and sought a preview for them, which the actor obliged but failed to win their nod leading to the government's ban on grounds of law and order problems.
Haasan took the battle to the court challenging the ban and got a relief with a single judge allowing its release, but it was short-lived as a division bench on an appeal by the government struck it down.
The case is coming up on February 6 for hearing before the single judge to whom the division bench reverted the matter. Anguished and hurt, a "fed up" Haasan threatened'self-exile' to move to a'secular place' in the country excluding Tamil Nadu, or overseas as done by late painter M F Hussain following opposition by right wing groups to his nude paintings of Hindu gods and goddesses.
As Haasan spoke of 'cultural terrorism' and poured out his heart explaining pledging of his entire property to make the film, support flowed for him from the film industry in Tamil Nadu and Bollywood as also the Centre which questioned the state government's ban after the censor board's clearance.
PTI
Updated Date: Feb 02, 2013 21:32:30 ISTDidi Taihuttu, his wife, three kids and their cat bet all they have on bitcoin. The Dutch family of five is in the process of selling pretty much everything they own — from their 2,500-square-foot house, to their shoes – and trading it in for the popular cryptocurrency. They have moved to a campsite in the Netherlands, where they're waiting for bitcoin to really take off.
It's only been a few months, but the 39-year-old father of three says he doesn't regret a thing. "We were just like – sell it, sell it, what can we lose? Yeah, we can lose all the material stuff. Yeah, we can lose all our money. Yeah, we don't have three cars anymore. We don't have the motorcycle anymore. But in the end, I think we, as a family, will still be happy and just enjoying life."
He once mined for bitcoin, but now only trades it, along with other cryptocurrencies like ether, ripple, neo, dogecoin and XLM. The family is still in the process of liquidating assets and investing the proceeds in cryptocurrencies as they go. The income from trading is enough for food and necessities, which the family says is all it needs right now.Image copyright World Economic Forum Image caption Olafur Grimsson is the longest serving president in Iceland's history
The president of Iceland has given a cautious welcome to the prospect of Scotland becoming independent after the 2014 referendum.
President Olafur Grimsson told the BBC that small independent countries in northern Europe have fared well.
In an interview for Newsnight, he added that "independence was not a disaster" and "could be the road towards prosperity and a good society".
But he said it was a "decision for the Scots to take".
Iceland is beginning to emerge from the trauma of its banking crisis, and is showing strong signs of economic recovery.
In an interview to be broadcast early next week, Mr Grimsson told the Newsnight programme's Joe Lynam that his country was surrounded by an arc of successful, small nations in the North Sea, who were all doing relatively well.
He said: "If you take a long-term view of about 100 years or so, the history of northern Europe is that countries have become independent one after the other.
"Whether Scotland will follow that route is a decision for the Scots to take.
Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption The president of Iceland gives a a qualified welcome to the prospect of an independent Scotland
"But despite difficulties that we have all faced, the moral of the story of independence in the North Atlantic - from Norway, through Iceland and growing self rule in the Faroes and Greenland - is of course that the nations have fared quite well.
"Independence is not a disaster, but can be the road towards prosperity and a good society."
Mr Grimsson is the longest serving president in Iceland's history, having held the post since 1996.
The country was part of the so called "arc of prosperity" along with Ireland and Scandinavia, which nationalists pointed to before the financial crisis as an example of what Scotland could become if it was independent.
But the financial crisis led to it being given a huge bailout by the IMF in 2008 as its currency plunged and its banks were allowed to collapse.
However, earlier this year Iceland was praised by the IMF after returning to strong growth having spared its citizens many of the austerity measures felt elsewhere in Europe.Ready to fight back? Sign up for Take Action Now and get three actions in your inbox every week. You will receive occasional promotional offers for programs that support The Nation’s journalism. You can read our Privacy Policy here. Sign up for Take Action Now and get three actions in your inbox every week.
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Killing at least sixteen Afghan civilians as they slept. Urinating on dead Afghan bodies while laughing about it. Setting fire to their Korans. Day after day, a tired American public hears that these are just “isolated acts” and that these incidents “cast shadows” and “complicate” Washington’s plan for a gradual withdrawal of troops over the next thirty-four months. We are told that the raging anger and distrust between many Afghan and American troops is a further sign that the steady plan is at risk. Ad Policy
But what if it’s the other way around, that the repeated acts of madness—and the record number of US military suicides—are signals of distress from an American army that knows it cannot win this war?
Many in the peace movement, myself included, have reluctantly accepted the reality that the withdrawal of our superpower state from Afghanistan would be gradual because so many powerful forces are invested in the ill-fated adventure. This includes our president, who pledged his reputation; the Pentagon, stung by failures in Iraq; the CIA; the neocons and Republicans, with their never-surrender diatribes; NATO and the United Nations; the liberal humanitarian hawks and the mainstream media, which never ever advocates for rapid withdrawal.
While others left the frontlines of the peace effort after Iraq, and more would leave to join the fight against Wall Street, a vibrant peace network has still carried on the push for steady withdrawals, lobbying our Congressional representatives to co-sponsor Barbara Lee’s HR 780 bill to defund the war safely and responsibly or petitioning our senators to sign letters to the president.
Any progress, many of us thought, was better than the deepening quagmire, and so it was a welcome event when the president began de-escalating the war, which he himself had thought necessary to escalate. Ten thousand US troops have already come home since that command. Another 22,000 will come home by this fall. Sixty-eight thousand to go, in stages, by the end of 2014. The end of the American combat role is being pushed up in time for the NATO summit at the end of May. Unsettled and unsettling questions remain: whether US troops will stay in training, advisory and counter-terrorism roles and, if so, how many; whether US bases would come to symbolize a permanent imperial presence in that “graveyard of empires”; how many American and Afghan lives would be lost or permanently damaged; and how many trillions in additional deficits an unfunded war would cost. But a managed de-escalation is at least underway, and it has appeared to many, including the president, that we could turn our attention to other woes.
Not so. I’ve warned several times of how many things can go wrong when a superpower is under the illusion that it can control the endgame of a war which it cannot win and cannot afford. The biggest difference between Afghanistan and Iraq is that the Afghan “government” lacks popular support and is a just a shell over nepotism and corruption. The Afghan “armed forces” lack the morale, unity, training, cohesion and organization to defend even their own enclaves after American forces leave. It’s not that the Taliban are popular with an Afghan majority either. But the Afghan president is Humpty-Dumpty. His army can’t be trusted by anyone, including its American trainers.
Isn’t it time to reverse the traditional Machiavellian fear of losing? That will only lead to new calls from think tanks to “stay the course.” But since it’s a course to nowhere, has it become the very reason so many of our troops are going berserk or committing suicide—because they know in their bones that their bodies are being sacrificed for someone else’s face?
Courage in leadership requires grasping when defeat is inevitable, when it’s too late to worry about political cover because the corpses and the taxes are piled too high, when denial only makes it all worse.
The president has to say that the people of Afghanistan don’t want us there, that our troops can’t defend a country that doesn’t like us, and therefore the time has come for us to leave. We of course should stand ready to assist a war-ravaged country if asked by the Afghans and by a new international coalition.
As he gives that signal, the potential vacuum will be filled by regional diplomatic efforts. An interim power-sharing arrangement will be supported by Karzai (he will have no choice) and the governments of Pakistan, China, Turkey, Iran, Russia and India, along with humbled envoys from the United Nations and NATO. If nearby Vietnam can co-exist productively with the United States, so can Afghanistan. If Obama has introduced a new military doctrine letting others lead, as in Libya, surely he can promote a new diplomatic initiative in which the United States lets others lead as well.
Perhaps this is an over-reaction to recent catastrophes, and the sturdy American war bureaucracy will muddle along and muddy its tracks. But the power of illusion can overpower a superpower to the point of no return—that is the danger we are in.Actor Wil Wheaton lashed out at House Speaker Paul Ryan following the deadly shooting at a Texas church Sunday, using social media to blast the congressman’s call to prayer after the attack, which claimed the lives of 26 worshippers and injured 30 others.
Ryan tweeted Sunday afternoon that residents of Sutherland Springs, Texas, where the shooting took place, “need our prayers right now.” The small community in Texas was devastated after a gunman, identified as Devin Patrick Kelley, stormed the First Baptist Church and opened fire on Sunday morning services.
“The murdered victims were in a church,” Wheaton fired back at Ryan in one of several tweets about the incident Sunday. “If prayers did anything, they’d still be alive, you worthless sack of sh*t.”
https://twitter.com/wilw/status/927284357609353218
Wheaton followed up his initial tweet by calling out Ryan for what he claimed was the Speaker’s “refusal to address gun violence.” The 45-year-old Stand By Me actor also apologized after several Twitter users apparently criticized him for insulting people of faith.
“Your faith is your business, and people like Paul Ryan exploit it while they hide behind words without deeds, and people continue to die,” the actor wrote.
https://twitter.com/wilw/status/927293181804273664
https://twitter.com/wilw/status/927303064863645696
https://twitter.com/wilw/status/927303480921931776
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Wheaton was just one of numerous celebrities to weigh in on Sunday’s attack on social media.
Netflix talk show host Chelsea Handler blamed Republicans for the massacre, while celebrities including author Stephen King, actor Kumail Nanjiani, and director Adam McKay called for increased gun control measures.
Follow Daniel Nussbaum on Twitter: @dznussbaumIt seems as though Universal Music Group and Mattel have hit upon an ingenious new means of squeezing a few extra merchandizing dollars from the Beatles’ five-decade-old back catalogue. Entertainment Weekly reports that the El Segundo, California-based toy manufacturer has struck a deal to release a special collection of Yellow Submarine-themed miniature vehicles, including a tiny yellow submarine styled after the one featured in the 1968 animated film. The line of brightly hued toys is planned to correspond with the 50-year anniversary of the song “Yellow Submarine,” which was featured on the Beatles’ 1966 album Revolver and served as inspiration for the genuinely strange cult film by George Dunning.
Music fans unfortunate enough to have made collector’s completism a part of their personal identity will now be obligated to buy the toy submarine, plus six cars with designs inspired by the aesthetics of the movie. The collectibles will be available as an assortment pack at The Cirque du Soleil Beatles Shop at the Mirage Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas starting tomorrow, before ultimately getting stocked on Walmart shelves nationwide June 15.
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To see a preview of the full line, check out Entertainment Weekly’s exclusive debut announcement.Oct 9, 2015; Kansas City, MO, USA; A general view of a ball and glove on the field before the Kansas City Royals and the Houston Astros play in game two of the ALDS at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports
What Orioles pitcher had the greatest single season of all time? Who’s the greatest pitcher in Orioles history? I gathered a bunch of research to find out.
Who is the greatest of all time? It’s the question that’s fueled bar arguments for decades. Who was the greatest quarterback of all time? The greatest pitcher? The greatest NBA player? Everyone has a different opinion, and honestly the question is pretty subjective, but I asked myself, who is the greatest pitcher in Orioles history? Who had the greatest single season in the history of Orioles pitchers? So I combined my love of nerdy statistics that no one else cares about and baseball history to figure it out.
There were two ways that I went about compiling this data. First, I used what’s called game score, a metric designed by Bill James to numerically measure how well a pitcher pitched. Here’s how game score is measured:
Begin with 50 points Add one point for each out recorded Add two points for each inning completed after the fourth Add one point for each strikeout Subtract two points for each allowed hit Subtract four points for each allowed earned run Subtract two points for each allowed unearned run Subtract one point for each allowed walk
A game score of 50 is essentially a quality start, anything over 70 is exceptionally good, and below 30 is really bad.
With that in mind, I took the game logs of some of the best seasons from Orioles pitchers and figured out their average game score for the year. Here’s the top ten:
Name Year Average Game Score Dave McNally 1968 68 Jim Palmer 1972 64 Jim Palmer 1973 64 Hoyt Wilhelm 1959 62 Jim Palmer 1975 62 Mike Cuellar 1969 62 Jim Palmer 1970 61 Jim Palmer 1976 61 Jim Palmer 1977 61 Jim Hardin 1968 61
If you asked any Orioles fan “who had the greatest pitching season in team history?” most of them would probably answer “Probably Jim Palmer right?” Now it’s no surprise that Palmer consists of six of the top ten seasons of all time, but there are a few interesting nuggets in there, like number one; Dave McNally in 1968, when he averaged a game score of 68 on any given night, his best being two nights of an 87 game score: July 11th against the Washington Senators, when he pitched a complete game shutout with six strikeouts and two hits, and August 9th against the California Angels when he threw another complete game shutout with four hits and eight strikeouts.
We also have Hoyt Wilhelm’s amazing 1959 year (more on that later), Mike Cuellar’s year in 1969, and Jim Hardin’s year in 1968. Of the top-ten average game scores in the table above, the best individual game score came from Jim Hardin who, on August 19th, 1968, threw a complete game shutout against the California Angels, giving up only two hits, zero walks and eight strikeouts, for a game score of 91.
Now, you may have noticed that two of the top-ten game score seasons happened in 1968, and that leads me to the second statistic I used in this venture.
Statistically speaking, 1968 was a really interesting year for pitchers. It had the lowest league ERA of the modern era (2.98) and the lowest number of runs scored per game of the modern era (3.42). In other words, it was the year of the pitcher, everyone pitched well. There were seven pitchers who finished the 1968 season with sub-2.00 ERAs (including Dave McNally), with the lowest being the current record holder for best season ERA, Bob Gibson, who threw a 1.12 ERA that year.
It was because of this that I thought using traditional stats and game score might be a bit misleading. Sure, Dave McNally had an amazing year in 1968, but so did everyone else. What I want to know is, who had the best season relative to the league, who dominated the league?
To determine this, I took the season ERAs of some of the best pitchers in Orioles history, compared them to the league ERA of that season and calculated the differential. So essentially, the question I was asking was, who most outperformed the rest of the league?
The example I like to use to explain why I like this stat is Pedro Martinez’s 2000 season with the Red Sox. In 2000, the league ERA was 4.77, the highest of the modern era, right in the midst of the so-called steroid era, and in that season, Pedro Martinez ended the year with a 1.74 ERA. That number alone would be phenomenal in any year, the fact that Pedro was able to have that low of an ERA in a year where 15 different players hit at least 40 home runs (for reference: only six players did it last year and only one did it in 2014) is incredible.
So along with game score, I used ERA differential to help determine the greatest season from an Orioles pitcher. There are some similarities in the top ten in ERA differential and the top ten in average game score, but there are some interesting differences:
Name Year Season ERA League ERA Differential Hoyt Wilhelm 1959 2.19 3.90 1.71 Jim Palmer 1975 2.09 3.71 1.62 Jim Palmer 1973 2.40 3.75 1.35 Mike Cuellar 1969 2.38 3.61 1.23 Jim Palmer 1978 2.46 3.69 1.23 Mike Mussina 1992 2.54 3.75 1.21 Jim Palmer 1972 2.07 3.26 1.19 Jim Palmer 1970 2.71 3.89 1.18 Jim Palmer 1977 2.91 4.00 1.09 Dave McNally 1968 1.95 2.98 1.03
First thing that’s obvious, Palmer dominates again (are we surprised?), as he takes six of the top ten seasons in ERA differential for an Orioles pitcher, though not the same six seasons as game score. With this chart, we also get the most modern pitcher for the Orioles in this article, Mike Mussina in his first full year as a starter with the Orioles, and subsequently, the best year of his career.
So which Oriole had the best season in team history? It’s close, but I think I’m going to give it to Hoyt Wilhelm in 1959, though Jim Palmer’s 1973 season comes in a close second.
Hoyt Wilhelm was an incredible pitcher, and I don’t think that really needs to be said, the guy is in the Hall of Fame, but it’s true. He had one of the best, if not the best, knuckleballs in baseball history, and in that 1959 season, he caused a major headache for Orioles’ catcher Gus Triandos. Triandos was a big, slow catcher, and that resulted a lot of passed balls when Wilhelm was pitching. In the words of Triandos, “Heaven is a place where no one throws a knuckleball.”
Here is a fascinating video of Wilhelm talking about his knuckleball, with a little footage of the actual pitch:
While mostly known for being a reliever, 1959 was the year that Wilhelm started the most games in his career, and he won the American League ERA title with his 2.19 ERA. However, the next year, the Orioles were blessed with an excess of viable starting pitchers, and Wilhelm moved to the bullpen, starting only on occasion. Eventually he got traded White Sox for Luis Aparicio and Al Smith, and went on to be an excellent closer for Chicago.
While Wilhelm had the best season for a pitcher in Orioles history, I think it’s safe to say, looking at both the game score and ERA differential stats, that Jim Palmer is statistically the greatest Orioles pitcher of all time. Which, to be honest, is sort of like saying water is wet and fire is hot, we all know this, but to see just how dominate Palmer and other Orioles greats were from a statistic perspective is fascinating.Welcome to the second issue of the Developer Digest. We have prepared a summary of information for you directly from the developers and from their answers on the forums so you do not miss any crucial new piece of information.
Richard Taylor (chief Armored Warfare developer)
Whether BMPT should be an AFV:
It is our intention to have the occasional convention-defying vehicle show up among the various classes. We'll keep an eye on how they do balance-wise since the only thing that is determined purely by class are the class-specific mechanics available to the vehicle.
About dedicated scouts above tier 6:
While there are no dedicated scout vehicles past Tier 6 yet, there will be. Unfortunately, that line of vehicles is not going to get extended during CBT. There are a couple really fun vehicles we have in store for filling out the rest of that line but they'll come in after launch.
On the appearance of platoons of wildly different tier vehicles (“troll platoons”):
It is our intent to prevent platoons with a wide tier range from entering the queue. In EA3, I believe that range is 3 Tiers (so a Tier 1 can queue with a Tier 4, a Tier 4 can queue with a 7, etc.). In EA4, that range will be reduced to 2 Tiers (so a Tier 1 can queue with a Tier 3, a Tier 4 can queue with a Tier 6). Our intent is to allow platoons with a limited range but to block outright obvious trolling platoons that bring a bottom tier vehicle into a high tier match. We'll continue to keep an eye on how things are playing out with the limited tier range.
Andrew Rowe (Armored Warfare systems designer)
On why Centauro 155 is a tank destroyer in Armored Warfare:
Regarding the concerns about the Centauro 155/39 |
tried to use all necessary options to resolve the situation, including bringing a psychologist trained to negotiate in hostage situations and trying to get information about Martin's mental health from the Veterans Administration, which wasn't available because of federal law, said Garcia, the deputy chief.
Police responded because Martin's wife, Gail, called 911, saying in an interview with KOAT-TV on Monday that her husband suffered from depression and for some unknown reason "just went crazy." She said he demanded that she and their two children get out of the house, then pulled a gun.
"The kids got so scared and started running and telling me to go," Gail Martin said.
Garcia says more than a dozen bullet casings were found near Armand Martin after the shooting. Police identified the officer who opened fire as 12-year veteran Daniel Hughes.
Correia said he believed the SWAT team actually escalated the conflict with Martin by throwing flash bangs into his home rather than working to end it without the use of deadly force.
"These tactics and procedures are exactly what the DOJ criticized in its report," he said.
Nora Tachias-Anaya, another advocate who took part in Monday's protest, said Martin was alone in his home and posed no harm to anyone.
"It would have been to their advantage to just let him fall asleep," she said.
Police said the wife and children were in danger, and once Martin started shooting, they had no choice but to return fire.
But some observers say Albuquerque police will have a hard time convincing people that they are sincere in adopting reforms.
"It seems like a threshold has been passed," Timothy Krebs, a University of New Mexico political science professor, said. "Now, it doesn't matter what the facts are."
Al Jazeera and wire servicesThe phrase “Fake News” has exploded in usage since the election, but the term is similar to other malleable political labels such as “terrorism” and “hate speech”: because it lacks any clear definition, it is essentially useless except as an instrument of propaganda and censorship. The most important fact to realize about this new term: those who most loudly denounce Fake News are typically those most aggressively disseminating it.
One of the most egregious examples was the recent Washington Post article hyping a new anonymous group and its disgusting blacklist of supposedly pro-Russia news outlets – a shameful article mindlessly spread by countless journalists who love to decry Fake News, despite the Post article itself being centrally based on Fake News. (The Post this week finally added a lame editor’s note acknowledging these critiques, which absurdly claimed that it did not mean to “vouch for the validity” of the blacklist even though the article’s key claims were based on doing exactly that).
Now we have an even more compelling example. Back in October, when WikiLeaks was releasing emails from the John Podesta archive, Clinton campaign officials and their media spokespeople adopted a strategy of outright lying to the public, claiming – with no basis whatsoever – that the emails were doctored or fabricated and thus should be ignored. That lie – and that is what it was: a claim made with knowledge of its falsity or reckless disregard for its truth – was most aggressively amplified by MSNBC personalities such as Joy Ann Reid and Malcolm Nance, The Atlantic’s David Frum, and Newsweek’s Kurt Eichenwald.
That the emails in the Wikileaks archive were doctored or faked – and thus should be disregarded – was classic Fake News, spread not by Macedonian teenagers or Kremlin operatives but by established news outlets such as MSNBC, the Atlantic and Newsweek. And, by design, this Fake News spread like wildfire all over the internet, hungrily clicked and shared by tens of thousands of people eager to believe it was true. As a result of this deliberate disinformation campaign, anyone reporting on the contents of the emails was instantly met with claims that the documents in the archive had been proven fake.
The most damaging such claim came from MSNBC’s intelligence analyst Malcolm Nance. As I documented on October 11, he tweeted what he – for some bizarre reason – labeled an “Official Warning.” It decreed: “#PodestaEmails are already proving to be riddled with obvious forgeries & #blackpropaganda not even professionally done.” That tweet was re-tweeted by more than 4,000 people. It was vested with added credibility by Clinton-supporting journalists like Reid and Frum (“expert to take seriously”).
All of that, in turn, led to an article in something called “The Daily News Bin” with the headline: “MSNBC intelligence expert: WikiLeaks is releasing falsified emails not really from Hillary Clinton.” This classic fake news product – citing Nance and Reid among others – was shared more than 40,000 times on Facebook alone.Israel Defense Forces troops were dispatched twice on Sunday to remove roadblocks that were set up in an attempt to thwart access to four Palestinian villages in the southern Hebron Hills.
Residents of the villages discovered the roadblock around 10 A.M. Sunday, between a dirt path leading to the villages and an asphalt road leading to the illegal Israeli outpost of Mitzpeh Yair.
At 6 P.M., roughly three hours after an army bulldozer removed the barrier, a group of Israeli men wearing skullcaps replaced the roadblock using rocks and tires, as soldiers and police officers looked on. At around 8 P.M., the soldiers once again removed the roadblock -- this time with their bare hands.
Three of the villages that were blocked (Jinba, Al-Markaz and Halawa) are among eight villages inside Firing Zone 918, which the IDF intends to evacuate and demolish to make way for a live-fire training area. The High Court of Justice is expected to rule on the inhabitants’ petitions against the forcible evacuations in September.
The fourth village, Bir el-Eid, is closest to the Mitzpeh Yair outpost. When the roadblock was discovered Sunday morning, Bir el-Eid residents also noticed that the water cistern that provides drinking water for them and their flocks had been polluted and reeked of a foul odor. They believe vandals threw an animal carcass into the reservoir, which the army later confirmed to Haaretz.
Activists from Ta’ayush, an Arab-Jewish rights group, and Rabbis for Human Rights notified the army about the roadblocks. An army bulldozer arrived more than five hours later to reopen the path. Meanwhile, activists from the International Solidarity Movement who came to the village Sunday evening to record the residents’ testimony said they encountered a group of Israelis erecting a new roadblock of rocks and tires, in the same area connecting the dirt path to the asphalt road. (The Civil Administration has prohibited residents from paving the dirt path and even issued an injunction to stop work after residents began clearing the rocky ground.)
The activists saw a white civilian car whose passengers were uniformed and watched what went on without interfering. Afterward, an army jeep appeared; soldiers got out, approached the Israelis who were constructing the roadblock, shook their hands and spoke with them, while more Israeli civilians arrived (there were about a dozen in all). Then at 7 P.M., a police car appeared and the officers also spoke for about half an hour with the Israelis building the roadblock. Activists said they got the impression the police were negotiating with the Israelis.
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At about 7:30 P.M., the Israelis left the path they had blocked and began walking toward Mitzpeh Yair, and the police officers left as well. When the Palestinians wanted to remove the roadblock on their own, the remaining soldiers stopped them, telling them the army bulldozer would arrive in about an hour and reopen the road. But the bulldozer never came, and the activists saw the soldiers removing the rocks and tires themselves.
The IDF Spokesperson’s Unit confirmed to Haaretz that the access path had been blocked twice and reopened by soldiers, and that an animal carcass had been found in Bir el-Eid’s water cistern.
Residents of Bir el-Eid have documented several incidents in which their water cisterns were polluted and their water pipes broken. In the early 2000s, the residents were forced to leave the caves where they lived because of traffic and construction restrictions and attacks by settlers. They returned after a legal battle backed by Rabbis for Human Rights and Ta’ayush.
Children play at a school in the Palestinian village of Jinba. Amira Hass
A flock in the Palestinian village of Jinba. Alex LevacCourt documents say a dispute over cup placement in the drinking game turned violent, leaving one man with a broken eye socket, five stitches, and possible requiring facial surgery.
Beer pong is a drinking game in which players attempt to throw or hit table tennis balls into cups of beer, and their opponents are required to drink the contents of any cup in which a ball lands.
A Fargo police officer responded to an assault report at Sanford Medical Center on Dec. 12 after Mason Haley showed up there with obvious facial injuries, court documents say.
Haley didn't have many details for the officer because he thought he might have been knocked out by a blow from a beer bottle, but two other people who were at the same house party told the officer what happened.
Witness Jacob Lommen told the officer that he, Haley and another man, Cody William Dzielinski, were playing a game of beer pong at the party at 817 11th St. N., documents say.
Lommen said Dzielinski got upset with Haley over the placement of the beer cups, documents say. As the two were arguing, Dzielinski picked up a beer bottle and hit Mason in the face, knocking him to the ground before getting on top of him and punching him repeatedly, Lommen said.
Katie Held, another partygoer, told the officer she saw the whole fight, and that Dzielinski waited until Haley had his back turned before striking him with the beer bottle and knocking him down.
Dzielinski is charged with Class C felony aggravated assault.
His next court appearance has not yet been set.For other people named Michael Parks, see Michael Parks (disambiguation)
Michael Parks (born Harry Samuel Parks; April 24, 1940 – May 9, 2017) was an American singer and actor.[1] He appeared in many films and made frequent television appearances but was probably best known for his work in his later years with filmmakers such as Quentin Tarantino, Robert Rodriguez, and Kevin Smith.
Kevin Smith is producing a documentary on Michael's life titled Long Lonesome Highway, The Story of Michael Parks. It stars James Parks, Kurt Russell, Haley Joel Osment, Robert Rodriguez, Leonard Maltin, Mickey Rourke, Justin Long, Wyatt Russell, Mark Frost, and more.[2][3]
Personal life [ edit ]
Parks was born in Corona, California.[4]
He drifted from job to job during his teenage years, including picking fruit, digging ditches, driving trucks, and fighting forest fires. He was briefly married at the age of 16. The marriage produced a daughter, Kim.
His second marriage at age 24 to actress Jan Moriarity lasted only a few months, ending with her apparent suicide from an overdose. His third marriage produced a son, James. After living in New Orleans in the 1980s and ending his fourth marriage in 1991, he moved back to California. In 1997 he married Oriana in a private ceremony with no attendants. The union lasted until his death.
Career [ edit ]
In 1961, Parks portrayed the nephew of the character George MacMichael on the ABC sitcom The Real McCoys. He appeared with Bette Davis as Cal Leonard in the 1963 Perry Mason episode "The Case of Constant Doyle", and gained recognition in the role of Adam in John Huston's The Bible: In the Beginning... (1966).
His other early roles included an appearance in two NBC series: the legal drama Sam Benedict, as Larry Wilcox in the 1962 episode "Too Many Strangers", and the medical drama The Eleventh Hour, as Mark Reynolds in the 1963 segment "Pressure Breakdown". He also appeared in The China Lake Murders and Stranger by Night, having portrayed a police officer in both.
Parks was the star of the series Then Came Bronson from 1969 to 1970. He sang “Wayfarin’ Stranger“, a duet with pilot episode co-star Bonnie Bedelia, and later the theme song for the show, "Long Lonesome Highway", which became a #20 Billboard Hot 100 and #41 Hot Country Songs hit.[5] Albums he recorded under MGM Records (the label of the studio which produced the series) include Closing The Gap (1969), Long Lonesome Highway (1970), and Blue.
He had various records of songs included on these albums. He played in twelve episodes as, first Hoyt Parker, and then Phillip Colby during the second season (1986–1987) of ABC's Dynasty spin-off series The Colbys. He appeared as Irish mob boss Tommy O'Shea in Death Wish V: The Face of Death (1994), French-Canadian drug runner Jean Renault in the ABC television series Twin Peaks, Dr. Banyard in Deceiver (1997), Texas Ranger Earl McGraw in From Dusk till Dawn (1996), and Ambrose Bierce in From Dusk Till Dawn 3: The Hangman's Daughter (2000).[citation needed]
Parks played two roles in the Kill Bill film series, reprising the role of Earl McGraw in the first film and playing Esteban Vihaio in the second film. He most recently reprised the role of Earl McGraw in both segments of the film Grindhouse. His son, James Parks, played the son of Earl McGraw in Kill Bill, From Dusk Till Dawn 2: Texas Blood Money, Death Proof and Planet Terror. Parks played a villain in Kevin Smith's horror films Red State (2011) and Tusk (2014).
Smith later announced on his podcast that Parks had recorded an album during Red State's production, after Smith and producer Jon Gordon noticed his singing talent during filming. The album, titled The Red State Sessions, was released on August 15, 2011 as a download from the film's website.
Death and reaction [ edit ]
Parks died on May 9, 2017, in his Los Angeles home at the age of 77.[6] He requested a full body burial at sea which his wife attended alone. The public memorial service was held at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery.
Upon hearing the news, director Kevin Smith posted on his Instagram account "Michael was, and will likely forever remain, the best actor I've ever known. I wrote both Red State and Tusk for Parks, I loved his acting so much." he also included, "He was, hands-down, the most incredible thespian I ever had the pleasure to watch perform. And Parks brought out the absolute best in me every time he got near my set."[7][8] In a Twitter post director Robert Rodriguez referred to Michael Parks as "a true legend".[9]
Documentary [ edit ]
Kevin Smith is producing a documentary on the life and times of Michael Parks, directed by Michael's former assistant, Josh Roush[10]. Long Lonesome Highway cover's his beginnings as an itinerant farmer where he hopped boxcars at age 12, through being blacklisted in Hollywood, to his career resurgence at the hands of filmmakers such as Quentin Tarantino. [11]
Filmography [ edit ]
Film [ edit ]
Television [ edit ]
Discography [ edit ]
1969 – Closing The Gap (MGM)
(MGM) 1970 – Long Lonesome Highway (MGM)
(MGM) 1970 – Blue (MGM)
(MGM) 1970 – Lost & Found (Verve)
(Verve) 1971 – Best Of Michael Parks (MGM)
(MGM) 1981 – You Don't Know Me (First American)
(First American) 1998 – Coolin' Soup (Listen)
(Listen) 2011 – The Red State Sessions (SModcast)
(SModcast) Singles include Long Lonesome Highway/Mountain High (MGM K 14104); Big "T" Water/Won't You Ride In My Little Red Wagon (MGM K 14363); Tie Me To Your Apron Strings Again (MGM K 14092); Sally/Spend A Little, Save A Little, Give A Little Away (MGM K 14154) (all from 1970).Event Details:
TELEVISION AND THE INTERNET AS EDUCATIONAL TOOLS
Jamie Hyneman knows his stuff. As co-host and executive producer of Mythbusters as well as founder of his own special effects company M5 Industries, he has spent years working as both an entertainer and an engineer—two very different professions. Join us to hear Mr. Hyneman speak about how he worked to build a bridge between entertainment and science.
Date: Tuesday March 15, 2016
Time: 6:00 p.m. (see below for more details about admission)
Location: Anna Head Alumnae Hall
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To secure a seat for more than one person, simply fill out the form once again for each subsequent person with his or her information.
Please visit our website for a complete list of event policies.One of the defenses that John Yoo [pdf] and Jay Bybee [pdf] made in response to the Office of Professional Responsibility [OPR] Report with which I’m sympathetic is the argument that, if they are going to be held accountable, so should all the other Executive Branch lawyers who approved of torture. Jay Bybee even included a pretty little graph of all the other lawyers who approved torture (I’ve excerpted the list at the end of the post).
To support his case that everyone in the Bush Administration signed off on this torture, Bybee included extensive descriptions of the approval top Bushies gave to torture (though he admittedly seems to have forgotten to include Cheney and Addington–maybe that has something to do with the defense fund that got set up around the time this letter got drafted).
There are the meetings during the drafting of the memo, during which Condi and Hadley and Gonzales were briefed on Abu Zubaydah’s torture, including the night before the torture memos were signed:
[Bellinger] hosted the initial meeting with OLC and the CIA on April 16, 2002, and assumed responsibility for briefing NSC Advisor Condoleezza Rice, Deputy NSC Advisor Stephen Hadley, and White House Counsel Alberto Gonzales. Report at 40, 42. He continued to attend meetings during the summer (id at 46,61), including the July 13,2002 meeting, where Yoo provided him with a copy of the Memorandum. Id. at 47. Bellinger also attended an NSC meeting with Rice, Hadley, and [Moseman] (CIA Director Tenet’s Chief of Staff) the day before the memos were due, which included a discussion of the proposed interrogation of Abu Zubaydah. Id at 61
Then there were details concerning the July 29, 2003 meeting, attended by Tenet, Muller, Cheney, Condi, Ashcroft, Gonzales, and Bellinger. Though Ashcroft would contest the description of what he said at this meeting, the OPR Report says (Bybee reveals) that Ashcroft strongly endorsed the program’s legality.
Later, at a meeting [redacted] Ashcroft “forcefully reiterated the view of the Department 0f Justice that the techniques employed by CIA were and remain lawful and do not violate either the anti-torture statute or US obligations under the [CAT].” Report at 107-08. At the same meeting. Ashcroft and Philbin gave a “lengthy explanation of the law and the applicable legal principles” regarding the interrogation program. Id at 109. [2 lines redacted] Ashcroft himself “had reviewed and approved them as lawful under US law.”
Most strikingly, Bybee explains that the National Security Council got together on July 2, 2004 to discuss “interrogating” a detainee (who Bybee says is named Janat Gul though note my doubts here).
Deputy Attorney General James Comey. Comey joined Ashcroft at a NSC Principals Meeting on July 2, 2004 to discuss the possible interrogation of CIA detainee Janat Gul. Report at 123. Ashcroft and Comey conferred with Goldsmith after the meeting, leading to Goldsmith’s letter to Muller approving all ofthe techniques described in the Classified Bybee Memo except for the waterboard. Id (PDF 26-27)
As I said, Bybee seems to be focusing on people like Condi and Ashcroft and Bellinger, to the exclusion of people like Cheney (I’ll come back to that). But he does lay out several high level meetings Bush’s top aides–many of them lawyers–attended and did not object to torture.
But note: I’m getting these references from Bybee’s citations of the OPR Report, not from the OPR Report itself. In the publicly released OPR Report, these meetings appear behind page after page of complete redaction.
Much of this information–particularly discussions of Ashcroft’s approval of torture at the July 29, 2003 meeting–have appeared elsewhere (the CIA IG Report and the SSCI narrative include a discussion of that meeting). But in the OPR Report, the discussion of the July 29, 2003 meeting appears in the huge redacted section that extends from PDF 111 to 116.
So why did CIA or DOJ redact all discussion of these meetings approving torture?
If DOJ has decided this was all sloppy but not legally sanctionable, then why is our government still hiding complicity of the torture gang?
John Ascroft
Alberto Gonzales
Larry Thompson
Jim Comey
Jay Bybee
Daniel Levin
Steven Bradbury
Michael Chertoff
Tim Flanigan
David Addington
Scott Muller
John Bellinger
John Rizzo
John Yoo
Patrick Philbin
(Probably) Jennifer Koester
Adam Ciongoli
Here are the lawyers that appear in Bybee’s pretty little graphic:News : Local Last Updated:
Why No North Bimini Marine Reserve?
By Gail Woon, EARTHCARE
Sep 25, 2015 - 2:26:20 PM
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(Statement) EARTHCARE asks, “With the establishment of 18 new Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) being hailed as an important victory in the ongoing fight to protect the unique ecological heritage of The Bahamas, why then, was one of the 19 proposed MPAs, specifically the North Bimini Marine Protected Area (NBMR), omitted from the designation?”
In January of 2000, North Bimini was listed as the “HIGHEST PRIORITY” site in the entire country for an MPA. North Bimini, along with 4 other sites, were deemed as the first 5 MPA’s to be established, and the goal was to have all 5 of these sites fully protected by 2002.
In January of 2009, a Town Meeting was held at the Bimini All Age School to discuss Bimini’s MPA and the findings of the recently finished Black & Veatch report, which summarized the past and current scope of the Bimini Bay Project (now Resorts World Bimini). During this meeting, Phillip Weech from the BEST Commission announced to the people in attendance that the NBMR had been officially declared. There were over 100 people in attendance, and the meeting was widely publicized in national and international media outlets. The declaration of the NBMR was reported in media outlets ranging from National Geographic to the Washington Post, and many, many others.
During this meeting, it was also clearly stated that a golf course would not be allowed to go forward. In discussing the golf course after the meeting, it was widely referred to as a “dead issue.”
From November, 2012 to the present, dozens & dozens of emails and letters have been sent to Minister Wilchcombe, Minister Dorsett, and Minister V. Alfred Gray concerning this matter, yet none of them have offered any information or answers in return. During this time, the golf course has also reappeared in the marketing for Resorts World Bimini.
The importance of the NBMR is something that has really never been doubted or in question. It not only will serve to replenish and maintain conch, lobster and fish stocks around Bimini and the Northern Bahamas, but it will also serve as the very foundation for Bimini’s entire tourism industry, which revolves around the island’s healthy waters and marine ecosystems.
The rules of the NBMR have already been announced, and will allow for Catch-and-Release Bonefishing by Bimini’s Licensed Guides, and also the harvesting of Land Crabs in and around the East Bimini area. For all other fisheries products, the NBMR will be a “no take” zone. The NBMR will also help maintain the ecological integrity of Bimini’s reefs and surrounding waterways, and protect the habitats therein.
The NBMR is something that is strongly supported on Bimini. Bimini’s local District Council recently sent a letter to the Government specifically stating their desire to fully protect the NBMR. All but one of Bimini hotels and resorts have expressed their support of the NBMR. Unsurprisingly, only Resorts World Bimini has not officially stated their support.
So why was the North Bimini Marine Protected Area the only MPA that was NOT approved for implementation by the Government of the Bahamas? Because RAV Bahamas and the new Resorts World Bimini development want to create a golf course on one of North Bimini’s last remaining mangrove wetlands, despite being explicitly told back in 2009 that this would not be allowed. The current Government refuses to stand up for the stakeholders here on Bimini, and has ignored all requests for information about the NBMR in recent months. Meanwhile, RWB has unleashed additional reckless development projects on the island, which include further dredging of Bimini’s inshore marine ecosystems, as well as extensive damage to the island’s coral reef habitats.
Bimini serves as the only mangrove habitat on the entire western edge of the Great Bahama Bank. It is widely understood and accepted that Bimini’s mangrove nurseries are crucial to the island’s tourism industry and fisheries health. The effects that Bimini Bay/RWB’s past mangrove removal have caused are now well documented, despite the developer’s erroneous claims that their project would not have detrimental environmental effects.
While improvements and additions to Bimini’s tourism industry should always be sought, these additions and improvements should not come at the expense of the existing, proven tourism industry.
The NBMR provides the foundation from which Bimini’s entire tourism industry grows. The area maintains and improves fisheries stocks, which are essential for both locals and in attracting sport fishermen. The NBMR also functions to keep Bimini’s waters and reefs healthy for divers, snorkelers and other tourists. These areas must be maintained and kept beautiful and healthy for both locals and visitors to enjoy.
The NBMR also provides important protection against hurricanes, storms and tsunamis, protecting both the life and the property of the people who live here.
And lastly, the NBMR has demonstrated a PROVEN value in creating and sustaining jobs for locals.
While the Government should have no hesitation or problems with supporting the will of Biminites and the numerous other people and organizations that support the NBMR, lately they seem to only serve the interests of the RWB investors. If RWB came out in support of the NBMR, it is likely that the MPA would be formalized immediately. For the Government or RWB to pretend like the NBMR does not exist is absurd.
EARTHCARE urges all Bahamians and visitors who care about the Bahamas to contact the Bahamian Government and the local and international media to express their support of finalizing the protections for the North Bimini Marine Reserve. Please encourage people to politely urge Resorts World Bimini to express their public support of the North Bimini Marine Reserve, and to work harder towards being respectful guests on the island of Bimini. (Statement) EARTHCARE asks, “With the establishment of 18 new Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) being hailed as an important victory in the ongoing fight to protect the unique ecological heritage of The Bahamas, why then, was one of the 19 proposed MPAs, specifically the North Bimini Marine Protected Area (NBMR), omitted from the designation?”In January of 2000, North Bimini was listed as the “HIGHEST PRIORITY” site in the entire country for an MPA. North Bimini, along with 4 other sites, were deemed as the first 5 MPA’s to be established, and the goal was to have all 5 of these sites fully protected by 2002.In January of 2009, a Town Meeting was held at the Bimini All Age School to discuss Bimini’s MPA and the findings of the recently finished Black & Veatch report, which summarized the past and current scope of the Bimini Bay Project (now Resorts World Bimini). During this meeting, Phillip Weech from the BEST Commission announced to the people in attendance that the NBMR had been officially declared. There were over 100 people in attendance, and the meeting was widely publicized in national and international media outlets. The declaration of the NBMR was reported in media outlets ranging from National Geographic to the Washington Post, and many, many others.During this meeting, it was also clearly stated that a golf course would not be allowed to go forward. In discussing the golf course after the meeting, it was widely referred to as a “dead issue.”From November, 2012 to the present, dozens & dozens of emails and letters have been sent to Minister Wilchcombe, Minister Dorsett, and Minister V. Alfred Gray concerning this matter, yet none of them have offered any information or answers in return. During this time, the golf course has also reappeared in the marketing for Resorts World Bimini.The importance of the NBMR is something that has really never been doubted or in question. It not only will serve to replenish and maintain conch, lobster and fish stocks around Bimini and the Northern Bahamas, but it will also serve as the very foundation for Bimini’s entire tourism industry, which revolves around the island’s healthy waters and marine ecosystems.The rules of the NBMR have already been announced, and will allow for Catch-and-Release Bonefishing by Bimini’s Licensed Guides, and also the harvesting of Land Crabs in and around the East Bimini area. For all other fisheries products, the NBMR will be a “no take” zone. The NBMR will also help maintain the ecological integrity of Bimini’s reefs and surrounding waterways, and protect the habitats therein.The NBMR is something that is strongly supported on Bimini. Bimini’s local District Council recently sent a letter to the Government specifically stating their desire to fully protect the NBMR. All but one of Bimini hotels and resorts have expressed their support of the NBMR. Unsurprisingly, only Resorts World Bimini has not officially stated their support.So why was the North Bimini Marine Protected Area the only MPA that was NOT approved for implementation by the Government of the Bahamas? Because RAV Bahamas and the new Resorts World Bimini development want to create a golf course on one of North Bimini’s last remaining mangrove wetlands, despite being explicitly told back in 2009 that this would not be allowed. The current Government refuses to stand up for the stakeholders here on Bimini, and has ignored all requests for information about the NBMR in recent months. Meanwhile, RWB has unleashed additional reckless development projects on the island, which include further dredging of Bimini’s inshore marine ecosystems, as well as extensive damage to the island’s coral reef habitats.Bimini serves as the only mangrove habitat on the entire western edge of the Great Bahama Bank. It is widely understood and accepted that Bimini’s mangrove nurseries are crucial to the island’s tourism industry and fisheries health. The effects that Bimini Bay/RWB’s past mangrove removal have caused are now well documented, despite the developer’s erroneous claims that their project would not have detrimental environmental effects.While improvements and additions to Bimini’s tourism industry should always be sought, these additions and improvements should not come at the expense of the existing, proven tourism industry.The NBMR provides the foundation from which Bimini’s entire tourism industry grows. The area maintains and improves fisheries stocks, which are essential for both locals and in attracting sport fishermen. The NBMR also functions to keep Bimini’s waters and reefs healthy for divers, snorkelers and other tourists. These areas must be maintained and kept beautiful and healthy for both locals and visitors to enjoy.The NBMR also provides important protection against hurricanes, storms and tsunamis, protecting both the life and the property of the people who live here.And lastly, the NBMR has demonstrated a PROVEN value in creating and sustaining jobs for locals.While the Government should have no hesitation or problems with supporting the will of Biminites and the numerous other people and organizations that support the NBMR, lately they seem to only serve the interests of the RWB investors. If RWB came out in support of the NBMR, it is likely that the MPA would be formalized immediately. For the Government or RWB to pretend like the NBMR does not exist is absurd.EARTHCARE urges all Bahamians and visitors who care about the Bahamas to contact the Bahamian Government and the local and international media to express their support of finalizing the protections for the North Bimini Marine Reserve. Please encourage people to politely urge Resorts World Bimini to express their public support of the North Bimini Marine Reserve, and to work harder towards being respectful guests on the island of Bimini.
© Copyright 2015 by thebahamasweekly.com
Top of PageThis article is over 3 years old
Wayne Simmons had appeared on Fox as a guest analyst on terrorism since 2002. It is alleged he attempted to obtain government security clearances
A Fox News guest terrorism analyst was arrested on Thursday after a grand jury indicted him on charges of falsely claiming to have been a CIA agent for decades, US prosecutors said.
Wayne Simmons, 62, of Annapolis, Maryland, bogusly portrayed himself as an “Outside Paramilitary Special Operations Officer” for the Central Intelligence Agency from 1973 to 2000, the US Attorney’s Office for Virginia’s Eastern District said in a statement.
Fox News' inner struggle with climate misinformation Read more
Simmons allegedly tried to use that claim to get government security clearances and work as a defense contractor. At one point he was deployed overseas as an intelligence adviser to senior military officers, the statement said.
He faces charges of major fraud against the United States, wire fraud and making false statements to the government.
He has appeared on Fox News, a unit of 21st Century Fox Inc, as a guest analyst on terrorism since 2002 and has a wide presence among conservative groups, a profile on Amazon.com said.
Fox News spokeswoman Carly Shanahan said Simmons had been a guest on the network and had not been paid.
The indictment said that Simmons falsely claimed on national security forms that his previous arrests and convictions were related to his CIA work and that he had held a top secret security clearance.
The indictment also alleged that Simmons defrauded a victim out of about $125,000 through a bogus real estate investment.
The Amazon.com profile said he worked in anti-narcotics operations and in 2004 was part of Pentagon program for military and intelligence analysts. He is co-author of the thriller “The Natanz Directive”.
Simmons is a contributor to the conservative publication Human Events, the profile said. He also spoke at a 2013 forum sponsored by the Citizens Committee on Benghazi probing the deaths of four Americans in Libya in 2012.
The CIA said in a statement that it was working closely with the Justice Department on the matter. It referred queries to the US Attorney’s Office.The American Humanist Association filed a motion of contempt on Wednesday against Mississippi’s Rankin County School District for its failure to adhere to a federal judge’s order banning Christian prayers at public school assemblies.
According to the Associated Press, the student who filed the original complaint against the school reported that the school has carried on with public prayers in spite of the ruling, which was handed down in November of 2013.
In an affidavit filed in U.S. District Court in Jackson, the student, a senior at Northwest Rankin High School, said that a countywide honors program on April 17 featured an opening prayer by St. Mark’s United Methodist Church pastor Rev. Rob Gill.
“The prayer was Christian in nature and made a specific reference to the resurrection of Jesus Christ,” said a statement released by the AHA. “Students were asked to stand and then bow their heads for the prayer. Students were also told to wear ‘church attire’ to the event, which was held days before Easter Sunday. The American Humanist Association contends that the public school district’s actions unconstitutionally endorsed religion and coerced students into participating in a religious observance.”
“As a result of the defendants’ actions surrounding the prayer at the awards ceremony, I felt incredibly embarrassed, humiliated and frustrated,” said the student, known as “M.B.” in the affidavit.
AHA maintains that the school district willfully violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which prohibits the establishment of a state |
the Egyptian pilot decided to commit suicide. Up to today, the Egyptians continue to reject the conclusion that one of its pilots decided to commit suicide. The voice recorder (black box) indicated that the pilots did everything possible to save their lives but the plane was out of their control.
Given the reference to satellites, we must presume that these satellites were used to disable the manual controls of the Boeing jet and direct it into the sea. Two years later, four Boeing airplanes fell from the sky on a single day.
The Egyptians have yet another connection to New York where they were involved in a bomb attack against the twin towers of that city. This occurred in 1993. The leader of the Egyptians, a blind Sheikh, was captured and sentenced to life in prison. In 1997, followers of Sheikh brutally massacred many tourists in Egypt, demanding that the Sheikh be released. More recently, before his capture and imprisonment in Egypt, the terrorist Morsi attempted to secure the release of the Sheikh through diplomatic channels.
If the objective of the hijackers was gain the release of the Sheikh, and not to commit suicide, why were there no negotiations for his release? Or, perhaps, the hijackers were deceived into believing that there would be negotiations?
Today, it is not known whether it is still possible to use satellites to transmit signals disabling the manual controls of Boeing aircraft and then to control their flight from a distance as if they were drones. At least one incident suggests that it is still possible; in 2014, a Boeing aircraft in route from Malaysia to China abruptly changed course and mysteriously vanished over the Indian Ocean.
VERIFICATION
Skeptics will no doubt claim that there was no terror in July of 1999 and, therefore, this prophecy has failed. Not true. In July of 1999, an airplane (also departing from the New York area) crashed into the sea not far from where the Egyptian airplane crashed into the sea, likewise killing everyone on board.
It was the plane of John F. Kennedy, Jr., son of the assassinated American president (theme of prophecies VI-11 and VI-37), who may have aspired to run for senator from New York. Like the Egyptian airplane, Kennedy's plane was equipped with advanced autopilot devices. Like the Egyptian pilot, Kennedy cut fuel to the engines in a desperate attempt to slow the descent of a plane hopelessly out of control. Hence, there is indeed reason to suspect that the great king of terror, whereby remote control overrides manual control of airplanes, was first employed in July of 1999, and then again in October of 1999, perhaps as trial runs for something bigger.
Top
The Cabala Prophecies
Alien Literature: 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – 7Ted Nugent is a creep who really belongs in jail somewhere rather than spewing garbage into public discourse. And his latest is really creepy. Really, really creepy. This is the guy who wrote this crap:
Road I cruise is a bitch now
Ya know ya can't turn me round
And if a house gets in my way
Ya know I'll burn it down You ran the night that you left me
You put me in my place
I got you in a stranglehold, baby
That night I crushed your face
Please turn on your irony radar now, and put the setting on "high" as I review the latest Ted Nugent proclamations from On High:
In an October 8 column for conspiracy website WND, Nugent, claiming to speak on behalf of "we the people," also conspiratorially questioned how unaccompanied children are arriving at the U.S. - Mexico border and wrote that the "vast majority" of those in poverty have "every imaginable luxury known to man": Now more than ever, we the people are painfully aware that those subject to the separation of powers have become nothing more than a conspiratorial gang against us.[...] We refuse to believe that all those children showing up at our southern border just happen to make that near impossible journey all on their own.[...] We don't believe that our president is a Christian.[...] We can't believe our government squawks about so many living in so-called poverty when the vast majority of such poor people have cellphones and every imaginable luxury known to man.
Oh, hell no. Forget the fact that this is all bogus nonsense right wing talking points. The idea of Ted Nugent saying "we don't believe that our president is a Christian" like he gives a shit one way or the other is hilarious. Surely no one believes he actually believes that nonsense.
Any Christian who thinks Ted Nugent speaks for them should immediately check their Christian card at the door and become an atheist. Let me just rephrase that statement the way he actually intended for it to read.
We don't believe our president is legitimate, because he is black and scary.
It's really time to make the NRA irrelevant, don't you think?Zombies rush the wall in World War Z.
I went to the Drive-In in Atlanta Friday night, to celebrate a friend’s birthday, a beautiful night under an almost full moon. We watched This is The End and Fast and Furious 6, and two of us stayed for the 2:00 am screening of World War Z. I’m not a zombie fanatic, so other than watching the Walking Dead, I had few expectations beyond the trailers that have been on TV since the Super Bowl. So I was surprised, jarred out of the movie really, when right in the middle of the narrative, Brad Pitt’s character, Gerry Lane, travels to Israel and spends more than 10 minutes in a full-on pro-Israel propaganda piece that was as corny as it was crazy.
The Times of Israel may be only slightly exaggerating when it calls this “the greatest piece of cinematic propaganda for Israel since Otto Preminger’s “Exodus.” Not only is Israel’s fanatical Wall Building proven to be justified, against the hordes of undead invaders, and not only are Jewish victimizations paraded to justify the aggrandizement of Israeli military prowess, but it’s Israel’s supposed humanism, and multicultural inclusiveness, which in the end weakens the fragile post-apocalyptic state and allows the zombies to overrun everything. Its pretty heady stuff.
The film
Spoiler Alert: In order to deconstruct this bizarre interlude into politics at the movies, I will need to reveal most of the plot points, so read on at your own risk. Apparently, WWZ is based on the book of the same name, by Max Brooks, Mel’s son. It took many years to produce, cost about 200 million to make, and has a respectable 67% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, which ensures a wide audience and broad cultural impact for this summer blockbuster. The story centers on an unexplained global zombie pandemic that starts suddenly and engulfs the world rapidly with an onslaught of sprint-inclined zombies that rush toward their prey in huge mindless swarms. What people seem to like about the book is that it engages the global geo-politics of the zombie fall out, but it quickly reverts to neo-conservative assumptions that are played out with far less scope in the film. While the film sticks with the super fast zombies, and the compelling immersion narrative technique, its international scope is greatly curtailed, with Israel the only country besides the US that is featured in any substantive way, beyond very brief forays into Korea, Wales, and at the very end, Canada.
Pitt plays Gerry Lane, a semi-retired UN worker who reluctantly is drawn back into the field to save his family and all of humanity. His zombie-readiness credentials are listed by his agency head as field experience in the conflict zones of Kosovo, Chechnya, and especially Liberia; and with this, the racialized naturalizing of interpersonal human violence begins. After zombies suddenly swarm through New Jersey, Gerry gets his family to the safety of offshore naval vessels and then embarks on a search for patient zero, in hopes of finding a cure. In the book, this would be the outbreak of disease in China, but in the film this is South Korea, which we never really see, beyond a mostly white military unit on a US base besieged by walkers. Gerry immediately loses his South Asian medical investigator to a panic-induced, self inflicted gunshot to the head, runs several harrowing zombie gauntlets, and picks up vital intel from a deranged CIA officer who suggest that answers lie in Israel, which has somehow managed to wall itself off from the plague, and also mysteriously seems to have known in advance that it was coming. Gerry says something about “they’ve been building wall for two millennia,” and then he’s off.
Before the viewer can process whether the film is about to go down some post-9/11 Jewish conspiracy path, Gerry is landing in the Holy Land fortress-state to the site of slowly fluttering Israeli flag close-ups, triumphant marshal music, and confident IDF soldiers speaking in Hebrew, rushing around, smiling in soft filtered light close-ups. It’s the first glimpse of order, military control, and calm since the disaster has started, and its so overtly pro-military that its reminiscent of the armed forces segments in Transformers, looking almost like a commercial shot by the media wing of the armed services. [1] Filmed in Malta, the aerial and long distance wide shots do a passable job of conveying Jerusalem to an unfamiliar audience, and Gerry is soon talking to the Mossad chief, Jurgen Warmbrunn, played by a somewhat Tevya [2]-like caricature that really is redolent of Exodus.
Gerry’s already informed the audience that wall building is natural to Israel, so the reinforcement of ancient and Separation Walls is plausible, and comes as not at all veiled justification of Israel’s current and widely condemned Apartheid Wall. He questions the Mossad chief on how he knew the threat was coming, and gets a lesson in revisionist Zionist history, starting with the legitimate failure to take the threat in 30s Germany seriously, and then the same failure from similar or greater threat in 1973, when “we were almost washed into the sea,” and at the 1978 Olypmics, both of which “we did not see coming.” It’s the classic, and academically disproven myth that Israel was always on the defense in its wars, and also the conflation of Palestinians and Arabs with Nazis, as ever-present existential threats to peace-loving Jews. Then we are treated to a quasi-mystical “10th Man” theorem, in which any time there is too much consensus, a 10th man in the hierarchy must consider the impossible, as a form of protection from this repeated failure to see the inevitable next assault on the Jewish people. This throw-away theory is never returned to in the film, but briefly justifies Israel’s aggressive military posture, and suggests that others in the world must follow suit to survive the coming Armageddon.
In the book, unlike the film, Cuba is portrayed as ascendant during the disaster, due to its supposedly fascist state military control of the society. Worse, South Africa rehabilitates apartheid era tactics and leaders, at the request of Nelson Mandela himself, in an effort to stave off the zombies. It creates survivalist Bantustans for the privileged, and fake safe zones where lesser humans are fed to biters/zombies to buy time for the others to regroup. So the defense-of-apartheid trope is neither accidental nor limited to Israel. While the fate of North Korea is a mystery in the book, in the film we are told it survived by the largest feat of social engineering ever: it knocked the teeth of all 13 million inhabitants out in one day, thereby preventing zombies from biting and spreading their virus after they’ve shifted. Viva totalitarianism.
In Israel, Gerry’s Mossad tour continues, showing a society safely protected by its paranoia and militarism from the outside threat, the only known safe haven as the world crumbles. At a clearing in front of the large barrier wall, near a refugee processing military checkpoint, is a spectacle of pure multicultural fantasy, in which Hassidic and secular Jews, and Palestinians sing and dance in praise of the savior state. I think I caught a Palestinian woman singing a patriotic song in Hebrew, after she grabs the mike in the celebratory frenzy. It’s a very brazen rewrite of the violence and exclusion of Israel’s hundreds of check-points, which are turned completely on their head in the film. Talking over the din of this utopian spectacle, Jurgen explains that they are letting in every human being, in a kind of equalized Right of Return for all, because every living human is one less undead to deal with later. This is the high point of the Zionist propaganda, after which things quickly fall apart. But by now Israel’s aggression and militarism have been fully justified, and it is the only safe harbor in the apocalypse. Its apartheid walls are what save it, and others wishing to survive must copy their example (as the US is doing on its southern border in real life). And we have received heavy-handed doses of Israel’s democratic, multicultural, inclusive nature, all in defiance of any basic facts, human rights reports, or even middle of the road media coverage.
Then it comes unglued. Israel’s supposed openness and multiculturalism are what does it in! Jews and Palestinians singing together in a circle get too loud, and the zombies create zombie pyramids to overrun the walls and invade the sanctuary-state. Chaos ensues and Gerry, with his IDF escort, makes his way to the airport to try to escape alive. It’s such a straight shot at the weakness of inclusion and a (fantasy) post-racial Jewish state, that the Times of Israel, again, says: “Basically, if it weren’t for those damn peaceniks, Israel would have survived. Hey, who the hell wrote this movie, Meir Kahane?”5 And below an accompanying photo of the zombie pile breaching the Security Wall, their caption: “World War Z’s zombie pyramid. Damn peace camp.” Message received.
But as the Times also states, “Okay, so Israel falls to the zombie plague, too. But… at least it lasted longer than everybody else. That has to stand for something, right?” And from here on out, Gerry has acquired an Israeli sidekick, young badass IDF soldier Segen, played by Daniella Kertesz, one of at least three credited Israeli actors in the film. As Jerusalem/Israel falls, Jewish soldiers fight valiantly with guns, grenades and hand-to-hand combat to stem the tide, and Gerry rushes to the airport. On the way, Segen is bitten and Gerry performs a quick amputation of her hand, saving her from becoming undead. They escape together, and travel to the film’s 3rd act, in the WHO offices in Wales. Segen’s now dis-abled body does not prevent her from continuing to fight on the way, but it is also used to symbolize her and the Israeli/Jewish state’s lesser status in the ranks of humanity, coming in second to the fully humanized and whole body of Brad Pitt’s Gerry Lane, whose full, passive, hetero-normative family awaits him in Nova Scotia, and gives him a reason to keep on fighting to save us all.
The final sequences, in the WHO offices in Wales, are much less broad in scope, as Gerry uses his cunning and superior intelligence to figure out that zombies only feed on healthy humans, and avoid those who they sense are sick, weak, or terminal, apparently following a precedent found amongst predators in nature. “Mother” nature is literally called a ruthless bitch by the Harvard doctor earlier in the film, but luckily (super) man [3] will overcome her with reason, so not to worry. And while I suspect my biologist colleagues will tell me this is not a very accurate depiction of predators and nature, it is a zombie film after all, and the pretense to realism and intellectual accuracy is just that, a pretense. But this analytic allows for a bizarre anti-environmentalism to cohabitate with the neo-conservative, macho geopolitics of the global narrative. [4]
So Gerry risks all to acquire the zombie-surrounded pathogen samples to test his hypothesis, purposely infects himself, and then powerfully is able to walk undetected through the undead, thus finding the cure to the global crisis. But remember, his fully able body is not actually sick, its just temporarily infected, before receiving the antidote to whatever typhus or dengue fever he selected for himself, and he will live on in full health after this mission.
World War Z’s racial hierarchy
Gerry’s method of survival is important because it confirms the total racial hierarchy of value established in the film’s narrative structure. While Segen fights valiantly on the plane and in the Welsh research facility, she and the Israeli social body are clearly secondary, tools to achieve a final solution and goal, but little more. Mystical, paranoid Jews developed a survival instinct and a vicious apartheid separation system, which allowed Gerry a space to visit and make observations about the undead menace that only his superior intelligence could bestow on the world. It is the US military, working with the UN, in the body of the selfless white, Aryan, Christian male, Gerry Lane, which occupies the apex of human subjectivity. This narrative is a perfect metaphor for the reality of the Jewish/Christian Zionist political relationship that it is based on. The Times of Israel misses this entirely, of course, as their celebration of the film’s Zionism culminates in a critique of the sub-titling in Turkey, where apparently references to Israel and Jews are replaced with the generic phrase Middle East, much to their displeasure. But in the real world, Christian Zionists mainly in the US and also scattered throughout the settler-colonies of the West, contribute more than 10 times the funding to Israel than the much vaunted Jewish communal support machine does. And it does so in the service of Israel’s Jewish defeat of unnamed Arab armies, to prepare the way for Christian rapture, during which Jews and other infidels will be converted or eliminated to create the (alarmingly mono-cultural or mono-theocratic) Kingdom of Heaven here on Earth, or in the sky somewhere.
In concluding, let’s look at the racial hierarchy of World War Z’s narrative. Gerry is the superman, for sure, who saves us all. Segen, minus her hand, is a worthy sidekick, useful like the Jews in general, in getting to the End of Times, or at least the end of the story. Almost all the others in the film are explicitly lesser in one way or another. Before being rescued by the UN helicopter after New Jersey is overrun, Gerry and his family are taken in by a kind Latino family, whose assimilated son translates their unexpected hospitality. But when Gerry tells them that he has experienced things like this before and learned that “movement is survival,” their lesser racial/rational status prevents them from leaving their home and being saved with Gerry and his family. Only the son, who has converted to the “American” way, and learned English, survives, and gets unofficially adopted by the Lanes. This liberal act of compassion is compelling, but reinforces the necessity of assimilation to the dominant culture to ensure acceptance and survival. The unassimilated parents are left in the dust.
Thierry Umutoni, Gerry’s presumptively African boss at the UN is competent, but unable to do more than recognize and deploy Gerry’s greater intelligence and skills. He also can’t adequately protect Gerry’s family, who are immediately shipped off to the Nova Scotia refugee camp when they think Gerry is dead. Gerry’s wife and kids are important, and worth saving (given their apex whiteness), but still lesser due to gender and age — passive, needing protection, unable to fend for themselves, and in the case of the children, annoyingly and dangerously irrational in the face of the threat of death. It’s a racial hierarchy that is explicitly gendered, with the patriarchal leader unequivocally at the head throughout the film, especially in the predictable Hollywood moment conclusion when the family is reunited.
Thierry assigns Gerry to guide Harvard educated Dr. Andrew Fassbach through the Korean hotzone, in search of patient zero. Fassbach, played by actor Elyes Gabel, is not white, has a British accent, and is presumptively of South Asian or Arab heritage. Gerry instructs him in what to do and expect, but on first sight of zombies as they deplane in the darkness and fog of Korea, he breaks ranks, panics, runs, maladroitly falls, and accidentally shoots himself dead. Potentially useful intelligence wasted on a lesser person, to be sure, who lacked the hetero-manly fortitude to face down the threat, thus confirming his lesser racial status, almost straight out of 19th century colonial tropes of the lesser manhood of colonized men. Korea itself is never seen, beyond the literal shadows at the edge of the US military base there. As to North Korea, all we hear is a deranged whisper of its ultra-fascist response.
In the end we are left with a prototypical kind of liberal multiculturalism that reinforces rather than challenges the hierarchies of modern white supremacy. The rational, Aryan, Christian male is at the very top, with his appended family next in line. Jews are provisionally white, therefore useful in Empire’s need to fend off the hordes of undead walkers and others at the periphery. But ultimately even the mystical Jews are expendable, en route to the final salvation. All the other Others in the narrative are even further behind in the ranks of worthy survivors. While the film definitely provides a bizarrely crude Zionist redemption narrative, and even a Kahane-esque rebuke of liberal Zionist tendencies toward peace and coexistence, the ultimate Subject of value is the Christian Zionist of US Empire, so powerful that it goes unnamed, largely unseen, even though He is always, irrevocably at the center of the story.
Its fun to speculate about what motivates the heightened zombie vogue, what psychological and social angst it reveals. On the one hand, there is the fear of declining Empire, the fear of anarchy and chaos should the bottom fall any further out of our privileged economy. This makes perfect sense, and seems to have a lot of merit. On the other hand, the zombie meme may be less about looming Armageddon, and more about a nagging subconscious awareness that the extreme inequalities of our current world order are in fact already a kind of zombie-scape, in which almost 3 billion people live in such extreme poverty, largely removed from the view of Westerners, malnourished and off the grid, that they are real life living dead in a way, and they have lots of reason to come for us, looking to eat us, or at least consume our ill-gotten wealth. Maybe it’s a little of both.
When WWZ (both the book and the film) strides into Israel, the slippage between zombie and racial-Other comes clearly into view. During an interview about his book, Max Brooks is asked by a caller in Alexandria, VA if he “compare(s) the zombies to today’s fundamentalist Islamists? i.e., unthinking, uncaring, irrational villains who kill for the sake of killing?” He replies: “The lack of rational thought has always scared me when it came to zombies, the idea that there is no middle ground, no room for negotiation. That has always terrified me. Of course that applies to terrorists, but it can also apply to a hurricane, or flu pandemic, or the potential earthquake that I grew up with living in L.A. Any kind of mindless extremism scares me, and we’re living in some pretty extreme times.” Brooks seems moored in the state of our current world, and its (political or force of nature) “zombies,” more than fear of any impending melt-down. While his work is noted for its breadth of global politics, it’s also clear that it lacks structural analysis about the causes of violence and injustice, because the privileged prefer to construct those coming for them as mindless and irrational. Maybe what we need is a narrative from the perspective of the zombie, a subaltern zombie tale in which the myth of irrationality is finally rebuked.
Notes
[1] In this case, it’s the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), and not the US army, marines, navy and airforce shilled for in Transformers. But at least one of the people behind WWZ was also on board for Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, and that’s Ben Seresin Director of Photography, and this may explain some of the similarity of sympathetic flag close-ups and reverential pro-military stylings.
[2] The main character in Fiddler on the Roof.
[3] I mean this more in the Nietzsche superman sense than in the comic book superman sense. Nietzsche’s superman is Man with a capital M, the rational conqueror of nature, physics, and lesser humans that also features centrally, although inverted, in the critical theories of Sylvia Wynter.
[4] Apparently the book is more ambivalent on the environmental front, with this same meta-explanation more or less in place, but balanced to some extent by the despoliation of the Canadian arctic by uninfected humans amassing there due to zombies discomfort with the cold. Somehow readers seem to take this as an admonition that humans are too hard on their environment and need to rethink this.This article is over 2 years old
Treasurer says if Labor won’t support $6bn worth of savings it would be ‘hypocrisy in the extreme’
The treasurer, Scott Morrison, has called on Labor to pass $6.5bn of “zombie measures” it included in its own election costings, and ratcheted up pressure on One Nation and the Nick Xenophon Team to support budget savings.
Morrison also said the government would present the full 10-year $48bn company tax plan to the Senate, indicating an unwillingness to carve out cuts for small business to pass the package in stages.
In an interview with Sky News on Sunday, Morrison said there were $40bn of budget savings and revenue measures before the parliament.
One Nation's Malcolm Roberts denies being'sovereign citizen' and urges change to race law Read more
He said ratings agencies concerned about government debt were not so much concerned with the trajectory set out in the budget but rather measures “not being passed, like in the last parliament”.
Asked about so-called zombie measures blocked in the Senate, Morrison said: “They are alive and they will be before the parliament and they can be voted for.
“There are $6bn worth of savings that the Labor party put into their own forward estimates and the Parliamentary Budget Office confirmed that this week.”
Asked if he expected Labor to support them, Morrison said: “If [Labor] put them in their estimates, they’ve said they support them.
“If they were to walk away from that $6.5bn of things they promised Australian people they would deliver, to do anything less than that would be hypocrisy in the extreme.”
When Labor released its election costings, it quietly abandoned opposition to about $6bn of spending cuts including abolishing the $1.3bn energy supplement, a cut to the research and development tax offset saving just under $1bn and a cut to the Australian Renewable Energy Agency.
Morrison said the Coalition would also seek Labor support for measures including cutting the family tax benefit supplement to fund childcare.
He said the government can’t make budget savings “in isolation, it obviously needs the support of those of the Labor party”.
“If they refuse to step up to their responsibilities, then it will fall to the Greens, it will fall to the other crossbenchers.
“Of course there’s senators Day and Leyonhjelm, who have been consistent supporters of the government’s efforts on budget repair. That puts a pretty significant responsibility on the Xen Team and One Nation.”
Morrison said the government would “of course” bring legislation for all 10 years of its $48bn company tax to parliament but its fate would be “determined by the result in the Senate”.
Asked about the possibility of carving out tax cuts for companies with a turnover of less than $10m, an option favoured by the Greens and other crossbench senators, Morrison said “they are entitled to their views”.
“It’s important we put the plan forward as we put it to the Australian people,” he said. “There’s no walking back from that – there’s no walking back from any of the measures we put to Australian people at this election.”
The new One Nation senator Malcolm Roberts told ABC’s Insiders program on Sunday he won’t decide whether to support the Turnbull government’s company tax cuts until he sees data on its economic impact.
Re-elected Liberal Democrat senator David Leyonhjelm said in the same interview his party was “a low-tax party, a small government party, so we will always support tax reductions”.
“The problem with Australia’s tax regime is we are high and uncompetitive by international standards,” he said.
“Singapore’s company tax is 17%, I think Ireland’s is 15%. It’s no wonder companies try to structure their affairs so they pay less tax in Australia and set up – and put their profits through Ireland and Singapore.”
Rate cut on cards as Reserve Bank highlights Australia's part-time problem Read more
Morrison continued to resist Labor’s call for a royal commission into banks, labelling it “nothing but a populist whinge from Bill Shorten”.
He said Labor had not presented proposed terms of reference for a royal commission because, like a blank whiteboard, the issues changed daily.
“I don’t know what the royal commission is apparently into – and, sadly, neither does Bill Shorten.”
Morrison warned a royal commission could undermine the banking and financial industry’s confidence. “That is a fire you don’t want to start.”
Morrison said compelling banks to explain their decisions about whether to pass on interest rate cuts or not would increase accountability.Visitors to the Folkestone Triennial opening this weekend are invited to climb inside a three-dimensional bamboo lattice built by Dutch artist Gabriel Lester over a harbour railway viaduct (+ slideshow).
Named the Electrified Line, the large bamboo structure was designed by Gabriel Lester to mark the point where the disused railway line leaves the land and extends out over the coastline of the British seaside town.
Related story Pablo Bronstein honours Nicholas Hawksmoor with lighthouse/beach hut hybrid in Folkestone
It is intended to open up a discussion over the potential future of the redundant structure.
Lester, who is based in Amsterdam, has spent the last three years living and working in China. This prompted him to choose bamboo for the framework of the installation, which will remain in place for the two-month duration of the arts festival.
"When I thought about how to somehow create something that makes people aware of this site, I thought it would be best to use a material that is foreign or alien to Folkestone," the artist told Dezeen.
"I thought it would be interesting to bring something foreign, literally, and to have people think about the site – the potential for the future and maybe also what happened in the past," he said.
The base of the structure is built from timber. It comprises a staggered series of steps that double as a seating area, and an elevated platform offering visitors a view out over the harbour.
The bamboo lattice surrounds the platform in a seemingly random arrangement that Lester compares to a musical score.
"There's this element of stacking and arranging things, much like you would to create a music composition or, on the other hand, maybe the way you would arrange flowers or a landscape," he told Dezeen.
"I wanted it to look like a pulse, like a moment of energy," he added. "It's as if an energy has been frozen and then becomes an architectural shape."
The Folkestone Triennial opens to the public tomorrow. It also features a Baroque-inspired lighthouse/beach hut hybrid by Pablo Bronstein and Krijn de Koning's colourful labyrinthine walkway.
Photography is by the artist, apart from where otherwise indicated.
Read on for the full interview with Gabriel Lester:
Amy Frearson: What were the ideas behind the piece?
Gabriel Lester: Well a lot of my work is, to a certain degree, about trying to think about how you use space, how objects or volumes are subject to time, or how we experience them as we view them or walk around or stand inside them. This is almost the way you would construct a narrative. When people speak about narratives they think that usually means that there is a plot, but if you think of a symphony there's no plot, but there is a narrative experience.
The piece in Folkestone in a way combined these interests that I've been playing with for the past 20 years or so, trying to create a work which is always subject to time, to different kinds of stages – being in it, looking from it, or being seen inside it – so it is a kind of image.
With these bamboo poles, it's not just a bunch of walls, it's actually pieced together out of many small pieces. So there's also this element of stacking and arranging things, much like you would to create a music composition or the way you would arrange flowers or a landscape.
Amy Frearson: Why did you choose bamboo?
Gabriel Lester: I've been working and living in China for the past three years. When the director of the Folkestone Triennial asked me to come up with a piece, he asked me to consider a way to make people more aware of an old train track on this site by the harbour, the last little stretch before it crosses where the ferry used to depart.
When I thought how to activate this, and when I thought about how to somehow create something that makes people aware of this site, I thought it would be best to use a material that is foreign or alien to Folkestone. It's very much bricks and plywood and a typical collection of British town materials, so I thought something alien or different would immediately become highlighted.
Amy Frearson: Did you plan the arrangement beforehand, or did you work it out as you went along?
Gabriel Lester: It's pretty much exactly the same as I showed in the renders. It's supposed to be like a voice or music, and I wanted it to look like a pulse, like a moment of energy, as if one pulse controls the sound or an earthquake or a movement. It's as if an energy has been frozen and then becomes an architectural shape, if that makes sense.
Amy Frearson: How have the public reacted to it?
Gabriel Lester: I've been on-site quite a bit. I wanted to be there when we did the final construction, because although it was sketched and planned you still need to be on-site to make it look good.
There was a lot of curiosity and I guess British people are inquisitive to other cultures, so there were many people that approached me asking what it's for, what it's meant to be, and so on and so forth. I thoroughly enjoyed the amount of people that were sincerely curious and interested to find out what it was.
After the structure was finalised, it became this form that allowed people to climb up the stairs and arrive at this observation deck, and then either look to the horizon and see the harbour, or look down the track. When you're there there's this kind of atmosphere. It's not just about arriving at a higher point, it's not just entering a space or entering a kind of architectural shape, but it's also entering a mood. It's the kind of thing that makes people feel a little bit lighter. You see more smiles and people seem to be in a kind of marvelling state of awe.It feels like all weeks in security news are overstuffed lately, and this one's no exception. It started with a bang, or more of a blare, as all of Dallas's dozens of tornado sirens were hacked to sound off at once. And it ended with a boom, as the US dropped the Moab ('Mother of All Bombs,' colloquially), a 22,600 pound bomb, for the first time. And plenty happened in between, too!
The FBI took down a Russian spam king and his massive botnet, so your inbox might have felt a little lighter this week. We talked to one of the best car hackers in the world about how hard it is (very) to secure autonomous taxis. We took a look at the bleak world of content moderation training. And just when you thought the Shadow Brokers were done, they dropped a mess of NSA secrets that show Microsoft vulnerabilities and the hacking of Middle Eastern bank systems.
Things were relatively quiet in Trump world, though not entirely. The FBI reportedly got a FISA warrant against Carter Page, but that doesn't prove much beyond how much potential trouble Carter Page is in. And a conservative watchdog group is suing the EPA for access to messages they may have sent over Signal, but, uh, good luck with that.
And there’s more. Each Saturday we round up the news stories that we didn’t break or cover in depth but that still deserve your attention. As always, click on the headlines to read the full story in each link posted. And stay safe out there.
Ugh, OurMine Hacks a Big Old YouTube Network
OurMine, the hackers who’d have you believe their hearts are made of gold, struck again this week, breaching thousands of YouTube accounts associated with a large media network, in what the group touts as “the biggest hack in YouTube history.” The hackers apparently got a access to the German media network Studio71, which hosts over 1,200 popular channels. This allowed them to change the title and description field in any Studio71-affiliated videos. On many of those videos, the group wrote this message: “#OurMine - Hey, it's OurMine, don't worry we are just testing your security, please contact us for more information." This is so sort their schtick: hacking for a purpose. In OurMine’s case, the group claims it does what it does to educate you about your security. It’s a hard claim to believe, when OurMine has in the past done things like hack into a Sony Music Twitter account to spread the false rumor that Brittany Spears was dead. As YouTube star LiveEachDay, whose adorable videos of his toddler were breached, put it: “It’s honestly not a big hack.”
A never-before-seen attack used “booby-trapped” Microsoft Word documents to infect your machine with malware. This zero-day was first found by security researchers at McAfee, and is the latest of a bazillion reminders that you should not click on attachments in emails if they seem at all sketchy. Microsoft has now patched this attack, but while it was out there in the wild, it was pretty clever. Here’s how it worked: you download what looks like a regular old Word doc, but concealed in that doc code that connects to the attackers. Once connected, it downloads what looks like a Rich Text Format Word doc that’s actually malware, all the while covering its tracks by creating and opening a new Word Doc on your machine. As Ars Technica notes, unlike previous Microsoft Word exploits, this bug infected your machine even if you didn’t turn on macros. It was also pretty powerful against Windows |
ode [Haakon the Good/Haakon Aðalsteinsfóstri, King of Norway 934 – 961] Katrina Attwood, trans., ‘The Saga of Gunnlaug Serpent-tongue.’ in Sagas of the Warrior Poets, edited by Diana Whaley, London: Penguin, 2002. Alison Finlay, The Saga of Bjorn, Champion of the Hitardal People, in Sagas of the Warrior Poets, edited by Diana Whaley, London: Penguin, 2002. Seamus Heaney, ed. and trans., Beowulf (Bilingual Edition), London: Faber & Faber, 2011. Jónas Kristjánsson, Eddas and Sagas, translated by Peter Foote, Reykjavík: Hið íslenska bókmenntafélag, 2007. Bernard Scudder, trans., Egils saga, edited by Svanhildur Óskarsdóttir, London: Penguin, 2002.
If you liked this post, follow this blog and/or read the following blog posts:
Cnut the Great, the Conquest of England, and the Puzzle of London
Danish Invasion, Viking Violence, and Cnut’s Mutilation of Hostages at Sandwich
Sweyn Forkbeard, Olaf Tryggvason, and the Kingship of Norway
Viking Identity & Christianity – The Performed Violence of Olaf Tryggvason
See our bibliography on the Viking World.
AdvertisementsUpdate: Updated with specifications.
One fitness company flying under the mobile circles’ radars is Polar. And there’s good reason: all the products it has been putting out compete more along the lines of Garmin and Fitbit. The big ace it has up its sleeve, though, is its optical heart rate sensors.
The Finnish company figures that it can put that technology to good use with its first Android Wear device, the M600.
The watch starts at the sensor, which is just six LEDs.
Apparently just six LEDs have become pretty reliable aids in scanning heart rate. We’ll have to see how it compares to Xiaomi and Fitbit products, but we do like the fact that Polar has three decades of experience behind its sensors.
Other specs include tetherless music playback with 4GB of internal storage, waterproofing to a degree, all-day activity tracking, integrated GPS and a 1.3-inch display. The watch battery is supposed to last about two days with a phone and 10 hours of continuous training. All of the major fitness features like a running program and customizable training plans are tied to the Polar Flow app for Android and iOS.
Oh yeah, there’s also the 4,000 apps on Android Wear. Just so you know.
Polar plans on having the M600 out for global launch “later this year” for a price of $329.95 or €349.95. The watch case and bands will be available in Charcoal Black and Powder White with a switchable Polar Red band to come afterward.
Component Description Screen size 1.3 inches Screen type LCD Resolution 240 x 240 Pixel desnity 260 ppi SoC MediaTek MT2601 Type Dual-core Cortex-A7 Speed 1.2GHz RAM 512MB Storage 4GB Battery 500mAh OS Android Wear Ingress IPX8 (swimming / 10 meters of water) GPS Yes Bluetooth Bluetooth 4.2 Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n Sensors Accelerometer / ambient light / gyroscope / optical heart rate Dimensions 45 x 36 x 13 mm / 63g
Source: PolarA mother of six has been arrested at her Dublin home on suspicion of being a fugitive drug importer in Italy, where she is wanted to serve a 20-year sentence imposed in her absence.
A mother of six has been arrested at her Dublin home on suspicion of being a fugitive drug importer in Italy, where she is wanted to serve a 20-year sentence imposed in her absence.
Extradition arrest of mother of six wanted to serve 20 years in Italy
Aisha Ahmed (49) was brought before the High Court on foot of a European Arrest Warrant issued by the Italian authorities, who have been looking for the Nigerian native for several years.
It comes just two days after her husband, Yemi Moshood Olatunde, was arrested and brought before the court in similar circumstances.
Both husband and wife claim to have been arrested in cases of mistaken identity. A number of her children were in court to support their mother.
Detective Sergeant Jim Kirwan of the Garda Extradition Unit told the court that he arrested Ms Ahmed yesterday morning at her home at Sundale Parade, Tallaght.
He said that she had given her name as Gloria Aro and her date of birth as being in December 1967. She supplied an Irish passport to that effect.
She denied being known as Aisha Ahmed or by the alias, Linda, and denied using a date of birth in 1965. She also said she had never been to Italy.
However, D Sgt Kirwan had received a photograph of Ms Ahmed from Interpol in Rome and was satisfied he had the right person. He said that she looked at the photo but said that it wasn’t her.
The detective said he gave her a copy of the European Arrest Warrant, which said that she had the role of ‘promoter, leader and organiser’ in an association that imported, sold, distributed and traded ‘remarkable quantities’ of cocaine in Italy between September 1999 and June 2000.
She was convicted in her absence in 2005 and the Court of Naples later sentenced her to 20 years in prison.
The detective said he took her to Tallaght Garda Station, where she was fingerprinted and that he had confirmed by lunchtime that her prints matched those sent by Interpol in Rome.
The Interpol photograph was handed into the court and Mr John Edwards asked Ms Aisha to remove her hat so he could ‘make judgement’.
Detective Garda Frank Doyle of the Garda Fingerprint Bureau testified that he compared the fingerprints sent by Interpol in the name of Aisha Ahmed with the fingerprints taken from the woman now in court.
“Those fingerprints are from the same person,” he said.
Ann Marie Lawlor BL, for the State, asked the court to be satisfied that the person named in the warrant was the person in court and asked for a notional hearing date.
Kieran Kelly BL, representing Ms Ahmed, said that the fingerprints had come from Italy and that his client said she had never been to Italy. He noted that there was an Irish passport in the name she said was hers.
Mr Justice Edwards said that he was satisfied that Mr Kelly’s client was the person named in the European Arrest Warrant. He said there were conceivable reasons why she might have an Irish passport in another name, including that the document could be in her married name.
“I don’t need to know,” he said. “I have fingerprint evidence, one of the most reliable forms of identification.”
He remanded her in custody to The Dochas Centre until Tuesday November 4th.
Addressing her as Ms Ahmed, he told her that she could voluntarily surrender to the Italian State at any time.
Online EditorsLadies and Gentelost, I’m back from vacation, I’ve showered, I’m wearing clean clothes, and I’ve hugged my kids. Okay, granted, I did most of those while I was at GenCon hanging with Ninja Steve & The Admiral, but the vacation started with Pennsic, in Slippery Rock PA, and water pressure wasn’t the highest thing on the priority list. Pennsic is the biggest event on the the annual calendar for the Society for Creative Anachronism, and at the time of writing I believe there were almost 11,000 Scadians living in tents, hitting each other with sticks, learning skills and knowledge quite literally from millenia ago, and generally having a bloody fantastic time. This year I was only able to attend for a few days (unlike the fortnight I spend there last year, with a GenCon side trip in the middle) and my camera didn’t come out as often, but I do have a bunch of pics to share, with you, sooooo… PENNSIC!
Traffic at the border was a thing, despite it being a Sunday night. Shouldn’t all you people be in your homes sleeping of roast dinners or something??
The drive was a constant battle with condensation, inside the car and out. Fog accompanied me for over half of the journey to Slippery Rock.
Troll – where you register for the event – closes at midnight… I rolled in at 11:30PM…
And immediately threatened my campmates with vegemite. Mjoll was smart enough to read the ingredients… Me, I just enjoyed not being bitten by mosquitoes during my time there.
Monday morning, while we were setting up all the things, we had a visit from one of the locals.
Anya and Mjoll entertained my warnings about cane toad toxins and handled our visitor with care.
“Waiter, there’s a fly in my…”
*BLOOP*
“… I’m not sure this is an improvement…”
We built a yurt! Granted, Anya and Mjoll did most of it as the experienced yurters of the team, but I helped!
I’m in a yurt, mother… um… folks who are fond of their maternal units?
Mjoll joins the few, the proud, the Losties!
A stroll down the hill revealed a pirate offering a fizzy beverage… I didn’t take it, the bars seemed to suggest that it might have been a trap.
Even though it was only the Monday of week one, with SOOO many more people not coming until the second week for the massive battles, the sea of canvas was glorious to behold.
Who knew Pennsylvania had its own fleet! One of many nautical structures on-site.
House Hedgehog upped the ante this year by adding flames to their camp sign. Its magnificence of course was near impossible to capture with my humble lens.
One of the joys of Pennsic is meeting neighbours from all over the world. Note the careful placement of tents, so as to enjoy the shade of the treeline. As a larger guy who doesn’t enjoy the hear, I really do feel for those camped on the Serengeti.
House Sable Maul continues to be awesomesauce, and for the simple price of Aussie candies and a few tales, made sure I had libations whenever I needed them. I’m very grateful to have made their acquaintance last year, and to have developed a friendship therein.
Sheetwalls and funky gates are the order of the day for many camps.
Open a window? Why not roll up the whole damn wall!
I found Meuric! We shopped. We bonded. We laughed. It was fun 🙂
The Kings Grill understand the importance of egg, pineapple and beets on a burger.
I love that this is a thing. For many, Pennsic is a two week extended camping holiday away from all the hustle and bustle of modern life. The Little Free Pennsic Library – which has multiple outposts on-site – lets you take a book, leave a book, whatever. Relax in your hammock, let the rest of the world slip away, and read a good book. Or a trashy one. I’m not going to judge.
Man, it’s tough to wake up to this every day…
FRAKEN KRAKEN!!!!!
Pro tip: Much of what happens at Pennsic is done by volunteers. Have YOU volunteered? Do so, in any capacity. Help out. In the meantime, if you’re doing a security shift, spin by the Pink Fuzzy Bunny encampment on your golf cart and enjoy a super tasty brownie on behalf of a household that appreciates you sacrificing some of your time to help make Pennsic better for everyone.
Not everyone sleeps in canvas…
A stroll down by the lake reveals the Ludus
Coopers Lake. I’m glad I camp up in the N-Blocks, but still love visiting down here.
We could totally have a dance party up there… just not near the edges 😉
The Doctor snuck in for a quick visit.
Shoes at Sunset: The Raven Spittle Way.
Anya learns how to do a Tim Tam Slam. I must continue to spread the good word!
My one class this year… a seminar on period pornography. It was surprisingly educational
A stroll through the marketplace revealed some lovely leather journals.
Is that the legendary Creepy Bard???
HERMAGHERD!!! IT IS!!!
You can find pretty much everything you could ever need in the SCA for sale in the marketplace, and may things you don’t need at all… but mainly things you do 😉
The marketplace is enormouse, and frankly, a very pleasant place to stroll around.
A wizard’s staff has a nob on the end.
Mugging for the camera…
House Hedgehog’s First Wednesday party is a delight. The Wheel of Shots is a thing. Musical performances, tales told, good friends and good times.
Across the way, the Gypsy Diner. Let’s talk about this for a moment. Pennsic has a lot of parties. A LOT of parties, that frequently have people up and dancing and carousing and imbibing until the wee hours of the morning. My standard bedtime at Pennsic is around 3AM. The Gypsy Diner runs down in the bog, offer free – FREE – food to revellers at ungodly AM several nights during Pennsic. Food in bellies means folks have the required energy to get home safe (or party a little more). The menus change, but it’s always super tasty, and is an amazing contribution to the Pennsic community. You know how I mentioned volunteering earlier? This is what the Circus of the Damned have been doing to contribute for over 7 years now. I’m grateful.
If you’re a Pennsic attendee, you can help them do what they do right here: https://www.patreon.com/gypsydiner
Franks and beans in a tortilla at 3AM? Bloody amazing.
And of course, the fez had to put in a showing. There are standards to be maintained.
Thursday morning I hit the road to Indianapolis. This is as close to the battlefield as I came during my all-to-brief stay at Pennsic this year. A longer stay next year? We’ll see how it pans out.Israeli innovation has not only been good for Israel, but the lessons learned by the Israeli tech sector are being shared with others. Writing in the Times of Israel, Vijeta Uniyal, an Indian born entrepreneur tells of a recently launched program in which Israelis will teach female Indian entrepreneurs the skills to launch their own companies successfully.
Uniyal outlines the program.
Now an Israeli initiative wants to give Indian women entrepreneurs the tools to break through these glass ceilings and acquire world-class leadership skills. The Bonita Trust, The Israel Asia Center, and Sofaer International MBA at Tel Aviv University have joined hands to offer a scholarship program specially tailored for Indian women entrepreneurs. … According to Rebecca Zeffert, Founder and Executive Director of the Israel-Asia Center, “This (scholarship) is a fantastic opportunity for a young Indian female entrepreneur to develop and receive support for her own Israel-India venture in the ‘Start-Up Nation’, to meet business and government leaders, acquire valuable leadership and business skills, and tap into and build partnerships with one of the world’s leading and most exciting hubs for innovation and technology.”
Uniyal sees the program as another step in the growing economic cooperation between the two countries. Trade between Israel and India, which began when the two nations re-established relations in 1991, has expanded from “$200 million in 2001, to over $6 billion in 2013.”
India is not the only Asian country benefiting from Israel’s hi-tech expertise. In January, Israel hosted a group of young South Korean entrepreneurs and matched them up with Israeli mentors.
[Photo: Israel-Asia Center / YouTube ]A Clifton woman suffered life-threatening injuries when the motorcycle on which she was a passenger crashed last night in Downtown Jersey City, authorities said.
The woman suffered a fractured skull and bleeding on the brain when the motorcycle and a Honda four-door car collided at 9:23 p.m. at Christopher Columbus Drive and Monmouth Street, the accident report said.
The 22-year-old woman is in critical condition at the Jersey City Medical Center-Barnabas Health, a hospital spokeswoman said.
The driver of the motorcycle, a 29-year-old Harrison man, injured his back; while the driver of the Honda declined medical attention, the report said.
The Honda was making a left turn onto Monmouth Street from Columbus Drive and the motorcycle was traveling west on Columbus Drive, police said. The driver of the Honda told police he was making a left turn and never saw the motorcycle coming.
The motorcycle driver became uncooperative when police questioned at the hospital, police said.
Four witnesses at the scene said the motorcycle was speeding, with one person telling police he believed the it was traveling 75 miles per hour on the local road.
Another witness said he saw the motorcycle "fly by him" and then moments later he heard the crash.
The driver of the car who had just gone through the intersection before the crash told police he looked in his rear-view mirror when he heard a motorcycle accelerating behind him and then he saw it crash into the car.
No summonses have been issued and the accident is still under investigation, Jersey City spokeswoman Jennifer Morrill said. The report does not say if either the driver or passenger on the motorcycle were wearing helmets.Researchers from the Kennedy Krieger Institute and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine have collaborated to uncover important new insights into the neurological basis of autism. Their new study, published in the journal Nature Neuroscience, examined patterns of movement as children with autism and typically developing children learned to control a novel tool. The findings suggest that children with autism appear to learn new actions differently than do typically developing children. As compared to their typically developing peers, children with autism relied much more on their own internal sense of body position (proprioception), rather than visual information coming from the external world to learn new patterns of movement. Furthermore, researchers found that the greater the reliance on proprioception, the greater the child's impairment in social skills, motor skills and imitation.
Previous research has shown that children with autism have difficulty with motor skills, which appears to be associated with abnormalities in how the brain learns motor actions. To study the models formed in the brain when children with autism learn a new movement, researchers measured patterns of generalization as 14 children with autism and 13 typically developing children learned to reach using a novel tool. They then examined how well children were able to generalize what they learned in two separate ways - one that detected how much they relied on visual information to guide learning and one that detected how much they relied on proprioceptive information to guide learning.
"These findings can lead to important advances in methods for treating autism. Applying the knowledge gained in the current study, targeted interventions can be developed that enhance visuo-motor associations in children with autism as they learn new skills," said Dr. Stewart H. Mostofsky, study author and a pediatric neurologist in the Department of Developmental Cognitive Neurology at the Kennedy Krieger Institute. "If done early enough, this could help to improve development of motor, social and communicative skills in children with autism. Further, it could also improve their ability to understand social cues because the brain systems critical to forming internal models of behavior that guide our actions are also critical to developing an understanding of the meaning of those actions."
The study findings also provide support for observations from previous studies suggesting that autism may be associated with abnormalities in the wiring of the brain; specifically, with overdevelopment of short range white matter connections between neighboring brain regions and underdevelopment of longer distance connections between distant brain regions. The findings from this study are consistent with this pattern of abnormal connectivity, as the brain regions involved in proprioception are closely linked to motor areas, while visual-motor processing depends on more distant connections.
"These findings not only demonstrate why children with autism have difficulty learning motor skills, but also provide real insight into why these children have difficulty learning to interact with the world around them," said Dr. Reza Shadmehr, senior study author and Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Neuroscience at the John Hopkins University School of Medicine. "If the way their brain is wired is not allowing them to rely as much as typically developing children on external visual cues to guide behavior, they may have difficulty learning how to interact with other people and interpret the nature of other people's actions."
Potential next steps include the use of neuroimaging to investigate whether or not proprioceptive versus visual feedback is actually associated with abnormal patterns of structural and functional connectivity in the brain of children with autism. Additionally, researchers may study if patterns of motor learning can be altered to increase visual connections in specific regions of the brain. Through interventions such as cortical stimulation, biofeedback and behavioral approaches, researchers are looking to investigate if there is an improvement in children with autism's ability to rely on visual input to guide how they learn a range of behavioral skills.
Source:
Megan Lustig
Kennedy Krieger InstituteShare. New console may be announced this month, released this year and allow for video sharing. New console may be announced this month, released this year and allow for video sharing.
Exit Theatre Mode
Following yesterday’s Future of PlayStation tease from Sony, new rumors suggest that the PlayStation 4 will be announced this month, released this year and may even let players share videos and screenshots directly.
Anonymous sources have told both Polygon and The Wall Street Journal that the event will indeed be the announcement of Sony’s next console and that Sony is aiming to release the system before the end of the year. The Wall Street Journal suggests that Sony “is planning to incorporate more social gaming aspects into the new machine” and “is more focused this time on the changes in how users interact with the machine.”
Edge Online, meanwhile, also reports that the next PlayStation will be out before the end of the year in the U.S. and Japan (but early 2014 in Europe) and says it will be more powerful than the next console from Microsoft. The system will allegedly feature a redesigned controller, which fits with rumors of Sony abandoning the DualShock that circulated earlier this month. According to Edge, the system “will ship with a redesigned controller which is the same size as an existing DualShock but features a small touchpad in place of the existing Select, Start and PS buttons. The tech is based on Vita’s rear touchpad, and is similarly responsive in use.”
Exit Theatre Mode
Edge also refers to specific elements of the controller mentioned in a leaked list of specs last week. Specifically, Edge says Sony’s new controller will feature a Share button that will “launch a new feature that will allow screenshots and video to be distributed online.” The system will reportedly “continually record the most recent 15 minutes of onscreen action, which users will then be able to edit and broadcast via the Internet.”
For now, the future of PlayStation is uncertain, but Sony told IGN yesterday "The PlayStation meeting will be about the future of the PlayStation business." Our PlayStation team will attend Sony’s event in New York City later this month, so keep checking back for confirmed news as it’s announced.
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.Jeremy Buckingham at the Bentley Blockade.
The Greens’ NSW mining spokesperson Jeremy Buckingham has launched a blistering attack on Liberal backbencher Scot MacDonald, calling him a ‘gas company stooge’ after the MP moved a motion in parliament yesterday calling on Mr Buckingham to apologise.
Mr MacDonald said Mr Buckingham had ‘misled the community’ when he appeared on a Prime TV news segment with a Woodenbong woman whose insurance coverage, underwritten by Allianz, specifically excluded any CSG exploration on her property.
‘This House notes Jeremy Buckingham MLC misled the community on Prime TV on Friday 9 May 2014,’ the motion read.
‘His imputation that the presence of coal seam gas on or near a property puts at risk insurance coverage has been refuted by Allianz.
‘This House calls on Mr Buckingham MLC to publically [sic] correct his assertion and apologise to the policy holder, Allianz, and the people of New South Wales,’ it ended.
Allianz spokesperson Nicholas Schofield said that while the policy in question would have been voided, the woman could have applied for a commercial insurance policy in place of the standard home insurance plan.
But Mr Buckingham held his ground, telling Echonetdaily last night, ‘I’m not going to be bullied into submission by a proven gas industry stooge’.
‘This is a man who went on a coal seam gas industry junket to Tasmania paid for by Santos, which was referred to ICAC,’ he said.
‘The Greens will continue to shed light on the risks and costs of the coal seam gas industry to communities and the environment,’ he added.
A Greens spokesperson reinforced the comments, saying, ‘while Allianz would cancel her insurance, she could apply for a different type of insurance of a more commercial nature given the greater risk profile associated with CSG. Presumably such a policy would incur significantly higher premiums, so the landholder is financially worse off because of CSG.
‘Jeremy is quite within his right to raise these issues publicly regardless of whether an insurance company tries to spin its way out of the wording on the policy, or regardless of Liberal backbenchers creating mischief with upper-house motions. Jeremy will be urging Mr MacDonald to bring on the motion for debate, as the impacts of CSG on things such as insurance should be discussed by the parliament and broader community,’ he added.OVERCROWDING on morning rush hour trains into Manchester is among the worst in the country, new figures show.
Long-suffering passengers on First TransPennine Express services into Manchester must put up with carriages that are overfilled by seven per cent.
That figure has been rising for the past four years and only passengers travelling into London experience more packed trains.
The data — released by the Department of Transport (DfT) — covers journeys made in autumn last year.
The figures show an average of 21 per cent of customers using First TransPennine Express between 7am and 10am must make do without a seat.
Trains operated by Northern Rail are overfilled by four per cent — and 15 per cent of passengers are forced to stand during the same period.
Cllr David Chadwick, cabinet member for transport at Bolton Council, said: "They're doing their best in a bad situation.
"Neither train company is in a position to invest because these franchises are to be re-let next year for First TransPennine Express and Northern Rail.
"They don't want to spend money without having any concrete financial reassurance.
"I'm not saying it's acceptable for trains to be overcrowded but as far as I'm concerned I'm happy to stand on a crowded train into Manchester rather than pay £10 to £15 to park my car in Manchester all day and lots of other people do that as well."
Thousands signed our 'Let's Get Back on Track' petition last year demanding extra carriages and more value for money for Bolton commuters.
We delivered your demands to 10 Downing Street and Prime Minister David Cameron responded, promising 200 extra seats on rush hour trains.
Cllr Chadwick said the light at the end of the tunnel for Bolton's commuters was the now-delayed electrification of the Manchester to Bolton line which will allow for quicker and longer trains.
First TransPennine Express' customer service director Kathryn O’Brien said: "We accept that peak time services, along with many others, are often extremely busy.
"I commute by train to Manchester every day from Chorley and fully appreciate how crowded the journeys can be.
"The popularity of these services has been steadily increasing since we introduced 10 new electric trains along the Manchester to Scotland via Wigan route last year.
"However, this popularity means that these services are very busy.
"To try to alleviate some of the crowding issues we see, we are constantly reviewing our train plans and strengthening services where we can."
A Northern Rail spokesman said: “We’re running at full capacity in terms of trains — if they’re not carrying passengers they’re in the depots being maintained and we don’t have any more to put out there.
“The big thing we’re doing is electrification and Network Rail is electrifying the line between Manchester and Bolton to join up to Preston.
“Electric trains are bigger, hold more people and move people more quickly and will alleviate a lot of our busiest services.”Media playback is not supported on this device Swansea City: American investors 'connect' with Swansea
An American consortium has completed the purchase of a controlling stake in Premier League club Swansea City.
Jason Levien and Steve Kaplan, experienced in running US sports teams, lead a consortium which has bought a controlling stake of 68% in the Swans.
The new owners, who received Premier League ratification on 1 July, finalised the deal in Swansea following a meeting with chairman Huw Jenkins.
Swansea Supporters Trust retain a 21% shareholding in the club.
The new Swansea majority shareholders broke the news in an open letter to supporters.
They had been due to hold a press conference on Thursday afternoon, but it was delayed due to a dispute between minority shareholders.
Although retaining its stake, the Supporters Trust was 'disappointed' about not being included in any talks.
The Trust feels the new owners have yet to give any indication of "investment into the football club, if any, is proposed", adding that it wants to discuss long-term plans for the club and the negotiation of a new shareholders' agreement.
Swansea's American investors Jason Levein Steve Kaplan General managing owner at Major League Soccer franchise DC United Current role Executive chairman of basketball franchise Memphis Grizzlies The politics and law graduate started a sports law agency Start in business Set up global asset management company in 1995, now with £7.5bn He represented Luol Deng in signing a six-year, $71 million contract with Chicago Bulls in 2008 Did you know? Forbes described him as "the world's biggest distressed-debt investor"
After receiving Premier League approval earlier this month, Levien and Kaplan said they had "minor loose ends to tie up", which appear to have been resolved following Wednesday's meeting.
Jenkins will stay in his role under the terms of the agreement, as will vice-chairman Leigh Dineen.
BBC Wales Sport revealed in April which of Swansea's directors would be selling all - or part - of their shares.
Levien is the managing general partner of Major League Soccer side DC United, while Kaplan is principal of Oaktree Capital investment fund and vice-chairman of NBA franchise Memphis Grizzlies.
They are understood to be keen to buy Swansea's home ground, Liberty Stadium, which is owned by the local council, with a view to increasing its capacity.
Levien and Kaplan had initially been negotiating a deal which would have seen them acquire more than 75% of Swansea's shares, effectively giving the American consortium complete control, including the power to issue more shares.
However, the modified acquisition of 60% will see the trust retain its 21.1% stake and ensure continuity at board level with the retention of Jenkins and Dineen.
Subscribe to the BBC Sport newsletter to get our pick of news, features and video sent to your inbox.Royals 11, Twins 3: Colon failure The Royals knocked Bartolo Colon out of the game in the 2nd inning.
By the 3rd inning, Dick and Bert were discussing cargo pants. That’s about how the trajectory of this game looked early on.
The Twins got on the board first, after a cool Byron Buxton triple and a sac fly by Eddie Rosario.
Bartolo Colon pitched a 1-2-3 first, but unfortunately baseball games have more innings. In the 2nd the Royals batted around: Single, single, lineout, double, single, double, double, lineout, and then Nik Turley was put in. He gave up a walk and another single to plate the 6th Royals run. Bartolo was leaving everything up and Royals weren’t missing it: 1.2 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 0 BB, 0 SO. Royals 6, Twins 1.
In the 5th, the Twins had a chance to get right back in the game. With 1 out, an Ehire Adrianza single loaded the bases for Brian Dozier. He hit into an inning-ending double play.
Give some credit to Dillon Gee, he tossed 3 scoreless innings (4, 5, 6) to keep the deficit at 5.
John Curtiss started the 7th inning, and didn’t have much luck. He got 1 out, and gave up 4 runs, 3 of them on a home run by Brandon Moss. Michael Tonkin finished up that inning, 10-1.
Just for good measure, the Royals scored another run in the 8th to make it 11-1. Does it even matter how?
In the 9th, Kennys Vargas blasted a 2-run homer to right-center (10) to make it 11-3. But, it wasn’t enough as KC earns the series split.
Just one game, folks. Twins return to Target Field to take on the Padres.
Studs:
Kennys Vargas: 2-2, HR, 2B, 2 BB
Ehire Adrianza: 2-4
Dillon Gee: 3 IP, 0 R
Duds:
Bartolo Colon: see above
John Curtiss: 0.1 IP, 4 ER
Brian Dozier: 0-3, 3 LOB
Robot roll call:
Have a great week, everyone. Enjoy some football.boomeyer:
I’ve said this to my non-techie friends countless times. It’s no secret that being able to code makes you a better job applicant, and a better entrepreneur. Hell, one techie taught a homeless man to code and now that man is making his first mobile application.
Learning to code elevates your professional life, and makes you more knowledgeable about the massive changes taking place in the technology sector that are poised to have an immense influence on human life.
(note: yes I realize that 3/5 of those links were Google projects)
But most folks are intimidated by coding. And it does seem intimidating at first. But peel away the obscurity and the difficulty, and you start to learn that coding, at least at its basic level, is a very manageable, learnable skill.
There are a lot of resources out there to teach you. I’ve found a couple to be particularly successful. Here’s my list of resources for learning to code, sorted by difficulty:
Novice
Never written a line of code before? No worries. Just visit one of these fine resources and follow their high-level tutorials. You won’t get into the nitty-gritty, but don’t worry about it for now:
Dash - by General Assembly
CodeAcademy
w3 Tutorials (start at HTML on the left sidebar and work your way down)
Intermediate
Now that you’ve gone through a handful of basic tutorials, it’s time to learn the fundamentals of actual, real-life coding problems. I’ve found these resources to be solid:
Khan Academy
CodeAcademy - Ruby, Python, PHP
Difficult
If you’re here, you’re capable of building things. You know the primitives. You know the logic control statements. You’re ready to start making real stuff take shape. Here are some different types of resources to turn you from someone who knows how to code, into a full-fledged programmer.
Programming problems
Sometimes, the challenges in programming aren’t how to make a language do a task, but just how to do the task in general. Like how to find an item in a very large, sorted list, without checking each element. Here are some resources for those types of problems
Web Applications
If you learned Python, Django is an amazing platform for creating quick-and-easy web applications. I’d highly suggest the tutorial - it’s one of the best I’ve ever used, and you have a web app up and running in less than an hour.
I’ve never used Rails, but it’s a very popular and powerful framework for creating web applications using Ruby. I’d suggest going through their guide to start getting down-and-dirty with Rails development.
If you know PHP, there’s an ocean of good stuff out there for you to learn how to make a full-fledged web application. Frameworks do a lot of work for you, and provide quick and easy guides to get up and running. I’d suggest the following:
Conclusion
If there’s one point I wanted to get across, it’s that it is easier than ever to learn to code. There are resources on every corner of the internet for potential programmers, and the benefits of learning even just the basics are monumental.
If you know of any additional, great resources that aren’t listed here, please feel free to tweet them to me @boomeyer.
Best of luck!My first reddit secret Santa was awesome. It was the first time in a while that I laughed gleefully at opening presents. First, I opened the package to have wadded up pieces of paper explode out at me due to how tightly it was packaged.
Then I saw my Santa wrapped up all my gifts. (even the little ones.) So I did like any other person would do and wait for Christmas, right?
Weeeellllll, no. I went to tearing at them like an elf with an addiction to sugar tearing at a cake.
It started with a beautiful handmade card with a parrot on it. I love parrots!
I evened up getting a Portal 2 sentry. I put it on my computer to safeguard it. (Are you there?)
Then I got an awesome key chain of a 8 bit pink Knight. I'm having a hard time now understanding the reference, but hey its an awesome key chain.
Next I got a doctor who shirt that I actually didn't have! (I have a few)
Last but certainly not least. A doctor who Lego set! This was the highlight in my opinion. I haven't built Legos since I was a child making weird robotic walking spider things that ended up scaring everyone..... Anywho! It was an awesome gift. I plan on toking and spending the next couple of hours building the cyber man upgrade station. (the Legos, not the real thing! Although....)
Mixing doctor who into this gift along with a handmade card made this experience pretty special. Thank you secret Santa!Watching a team practice can often be a bit tedious, but Thursday’s session on Field 1 outside of FC Dallas Stadium was a very spirited, entertaining affair for all those observing. The players were clearly into the session and focused on winning the moment, be it scoring in pk practice or winning one of the mini-games they played. Based on the session as a whole and the lineups during the full field scrimmage, I think it is probable we’ll see two changes versus Chivas USA tomorrow: Michel |
topping 2 million; the song currently sits at #45 on the iTunes Top Singles chart. According to 101 Distribution, an independent music distributor, iTunes pays out $.70 per single download in the United States. That’s a much juicier check for Black and Ark Music Factory; even if the numbers are exaggerated, the intake from “Friday” could top $1 million. What's more, Black is planning to release an acoustic version of the song to disprove speculation that her voice is reliant on AutoTune. Cha-ching! Updated 3/23: The original estimate of 2 million, taken from Black's interview on Good Morning America, seems to have been referring to video views rather than digital downloads. Billboard is reporting the song's sales to be 37,000 in its first week.
According to The Daily Beast, Black plans to donate a portion of her profits to “Japan relief organizations and school arts programs.”
Like it or not, there’s probably more to come from Rebecca Black and Ark Music Factory. As I type, another Ark Music product, Alana Lee, is racking up views by the tens of thousands on her video “Butterflies,” likely basking in the afterglow of Rebecca Black. Fun, fun, fun indeed.School textbooks and state television programs, even if they briefly mention his human rights abuses, celebrate Stalin as a great leader. Mr. Putin has backed a planned monument to the victims of Soviet political repressions in Moscow, but that’s likely pure politics. He wants to play to the masses who are growing enamored of Stalin without alienating those Russians, such as the Moscow intelligentsia, who abhor him. The president has also carefully praised Stalin: “We can criticize the commanders and Stalin all we like, but can anyone say with certainty that a different approach would have enabled us to win?” he once said about World War II.
But Stalin receives more than just cagey rhetorical support. On Feb. 22, the Russian Military History Society — which Mr. Putin founded in 2012, is headed by the minister of culture and receives millions of dollars in state funding each year — paid for a bust of Stalin to be installed at a war museum in the city of Pskov, near the Estonian border. The minister of culture recently supported an exhibition of Socialist Realist paintings by Aleksandr Gerasimov, one of Stalin’s court painters, featuring portraits of the “generalissimo.”
Why is Stalin now gaining popularity? For one, people remember less and less about his purges and prison camps — which in Russia began to be thoroughly investigated and openly discussed only in the 1980s. As the sharp edges of Stalin’s image have gone out of focus, he has become what Ilya Budraitskis, a leftist thinker and activist, described to me as an “empty shell that can be filled with different meanings.”
I saw this firsthand in Penza. The Communists at the Stalin Center longed for his command economy, arguing that the hyperinflation and collapses of the 1990s were far worse than Soviet-era shortages; a right-wing, neo-pagan taxi driver told me that his favorite historical figures are Stalin and Hitler because they were able to “keep order.”
In today’s Russia, corrupt officials steal from the budget, police officers demand bribes and judges are believed to be bought and sold. Longing for the “order” of the past is palpable. The problem is that the fans of order never picture themselves as the ones being repressed, said Sergei Oleynik, head of the Penza branch of the liberal Yabloko Party. “When they talk about the Stalin era, they imagine the holster at the side, but not the barrel to the back of their neck,” he told me.
The Kremlin also plays on Russian nostalgia for superpower status, stressing the glories of the Soviet past — first and foremost, victory in World War II — over the persecutions and famines. When Russia is besieged by enemies, including a government in Ukraine that the state news media has described as a “fascist junta,” the image of Stalin the defender against Nazis wins out over that of Stalin the paranoid tyrant. Can Mr. Putin’s strong hand similarly defend the motherland?
The Putin government is able to capitalize on Stalin’s legacy because Russia has not fully reconciled with the dark side of this heritage. The Moscow city administration opened a gulag museum last year, but most labor camps and mass graves around the country have not been commemorated. Russia’s only preserved gulag camp and museum, Perm 36, was recently taken over by the government, which changed the site’s focus to its contribution to the victory in World War II. Memorial, a nongovernmental organization that works to document Soviet abuses, has called for a ban on Stalin monuments. It’s a worthwhile proposal, but an unlikely one: The Justice Ministry has deemed several branches of Memorial “foreign agents.”
Russia won’t be able to reform its increasingly authoritarian and corrupt government — which rejects “Western” values like human rights and democracy while buying into its capitalist economic model — as long as it refuses to acknowledge the excesses of the most tyrannical government in its past. Victor Erofeyev, a novelist whose father was a translator for Stalin, has said that “when Stalin dies in the soul of the last Russian, then you can say our country has a future.” Unfortunately, Mr. Putin is happy to keep him alive.Turkish President Erdogan says those who tried to overthrow the government fomented the idea that he had staged the coup attempt.
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan (TRT World and Agencies)
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday strongly rejected claims that a recent coup attempt was staged.
"Unfortunately, that is only misinformation. How can you plan such a thing? How can you allow so many civilians to lose their lives? How can human conscience allow that? That is beyond possible," Erdogan said during an exclusive interview with CNN's Becky Anderson.
More than 200 people have died and around 1,500 others were wounded during Friday's failed military coup attempt, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said on Monday.
Erdogan said, "Tayyip Erdogan and his friends, his colleagues would be the first ones to reject that kind of idea. We risk our lives for the people."
He said those who tried to overthrow the government fomented the idea.
"This Fetullah terrorist organisation has now received the biggest hit they ever have."
The attempted takeover is alleged to have been organised by followers of Fetullah Gulen – a US-based cleric in self-exile – who is accused of a long-standing campaign to overthrow the government through supporters within the Turkish state, particularly the military, police and judiciary.
Erdogan said he has raised the issue of Gulen's extradition with US president Barack Obama.
"I had previously made this request to Obama, just orally. But,this week our written formal request will also be conveyed to the US and also to a number of Western countries and African countries. We will be sending those requests formally."
Asked about the possibility that Washington would refuse to extradite Gulen, Erdogan's response suggests a similar stance going forward so long as he is the leader of Turkey.
"First, we have to submit our formal request. We will ask for extradition. If there is no positive response to that formal request, if there is ever anyone criminal in the eyes of the US and if they are going to ask for their extradition, as the president of the country I will not allow that."
US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, whose followers Turkey blames for a failed coup, shown in a still image taken from video speaking to journalists at his home in Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania July 16, 2016. (TRT World and Agencies)
"Regardless of who the US has so far requested for Turkey hand over, Ankara has complied."
Erdogan added that because there is a mutual agreement for extraditing criminals, there should be reciprocity.
"Even if he [Gulen] is a citizen of the US, the US should not keep such a terrorist."
On the Death Penalty
At pro-government rallies in Turkey this weekend following the failed coup, demands were made for the restoration of capital punishment for the coup plotters whose actions caused the loss of 208 lives and injured almost 1,500 others.
Soldiers involved in the coup attempt push each other onboard a bus to escape the mob after surrendering on the Bosphorus Bridge in Istanbul, Turkey July 16, 2016. (TRT World and Agencies)
On this matter, Erdogan said, "This issue now can be taken to the agenda of the parliament and it can be discussed there. We previously abolished it, but we can always go back and re-introduce it."
"There is a clear crime of treason. The request of the Turkish people can never be ignored by our government. But the leaders have to come together and discuss it. If they agree to discuss it, then as the president I will approve any decision that comes out of the parliament."
People take cover near a bridge during the attempted coup in Istanbul, Turkey. (TRT World and Agencies)
Erdogan said he was with his wife, son-in-law and grandchildren on vacation in Marmaris in southwest Turkey when the attempted putsch occurred.
"I was informed that in Istanbul and Ankara and some other places there was some kind of movement that was going on. We decided to move out," he said.
"There is also the operation in Marmaris against me and two of my close bodyguards were martyred, they were killed. If I stayed 10 or 15 minutes longer, I would have been killed or captured."
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan speaks to media in the resort town of Marmaris, Turkey, July 15, 2016. (Reuters)
Erdogan said the coup-plotters had him in their sights from the time he landed at Istanbul's Ataturk Airport.
"F-16 jets began flying above the plane."
Asked if at that moment whether he thought he was no longer the president of Turkey, Erdogan said that was never a consideration.
"I the idea did not cross my mind because I was with my colleagues and we never had that concern, never had troubled thoughts."
On press freedom
Turkey has come under criticism for what some perceive as a crackdown on free press in the country.
Erdogan posed a question to those voicing those claims.
"If some people keep saying that press is not still free in Turkey, then I want to say this. There has been a coup attempt in Turkey. There are people siding with the coup plotters. There are also media outlets that have been against the coup attempt.
"So, my question is that against the media that supported the coup, will the Turkish justice judicial system not take any steps? Of course it will. Why? Because if you are going to suppress the attempt, then those who are siding with the attempt should be taken to the right place, exposed to right type of treatment because otherwise the citizens, the people, would be deceived via misinformation.
"The people itself brought me to this position. If I do not do anything they will hold me accountable when the time comes."
Current situation
Almost 9,000 officials have been suspended in Turkey after the failed coup.
The suspects include governors, civil inspectors and legal advisors.
Dozens of generals accused of plotting the coup were arrested by the court.
Retired Air Force Commander Akin Ozturk as well as 41 generals and admirals were arrested after appearing in an Ankara court.
Over 100 high-ranking Turkish Army officers were also detained earlier as part of an ongoing investigation.
All of them have been charged with treason and are testifying to prosecutors and judges.
Prime suspect behind failed coup attempt, retired Turkish Air Forces Commander Akin Ozturk (centre) along with other arrested suspects. (TRT World and Agencies)
Source: TRT WorldAstronomers have known about Wolf 1061, a nearby cool, dim star, since 1919. But hiding that entire time were three rocky planets, including one that's in the star's habitable zone. The new discovery, spotted at the European Southern Observatory in Chile, will be published in an upcoming Astrophysical Journal Letters.
At just 13.8 light years away, the new planet is the closest within the habitable zone of its star to Earth, and could provide an important test-bed for determining if it has the conditions ripe for life. For instance, astronomers could study the composition of the atmosphere if it passed in front of its star in the right way.
To be sure, Wolf 1061c is a lot different than Earth. It's four times more massive, and moves around its tiny M-dwarf star in just 17.9 days. Planets of similar size are often tidally locked to their parent stars due to the close proximity. Tidal locking is the process by which the same side of an object faces the object it orbits due to the larger mass of the sun or planet it orbits. And at the inner edge of its stars habitable zone, it is likely hotter than our home planet.
Of the three planets discovered, only Wolf 1061d has an orbit close to anything like in our solar system. It's orbit is 67.2 days long, still short of Mercury's 88 days. However, since it is around a cooler star than the sun, it's likely to be too frigid to sustain liquid water or life, lying just outside the habitable zone.
The new planet was found by using the radial velocity technique, which involves monitoring the red shift or blue shift (moving away or toward Earth) of a star to indicate the tug of an unseen planet. It uses the HARPS Spectrograph instrument to enable the detection of small planets, rather than the large, Jupiter-sized worlds typically found by radial velocity.
The University of New South Wales team who discovered the planets put together this demonstration of the system, with the green area marking the habitable zone. It was built in Universe Sandbox 2.Albion have signed centre-back Ben Hall from Motherwell – initially for their development squad.
The 19-year-old from Northern Ireland has agreed a two-year deal and will link up with Simon Rusk's under-21s. The fee is undisclosed.
Hall made 16 Scottish Premiership starts for Mark McGhee’s side last season, scoring one goal, and is being seen by the Seagulls as a first-team prospect.
Rusk said: "Ben is a highly-rated young central defender and was a regular for Motherwell in the second half of last season, playing 19 times for their first team.
"He's a good athlete and footballer but, first and foremost, a good defender. He has had that grounding of playing senior football in the Scottish Premier League with Motherwell.
"He will begin the season with our under-21 squad but his challenge, along with the others, is to push on and progress into our first-team squad."As mobile technology and use has grown at unprecedented rates across the globe, Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ processors have become a major force and a leader in graphics and mobile gaming technology. At this week’s Game Developers Conference (GDC) in San Francisco we’ll be showcasing some of the superior gaming experiences that Snapdragon processors enable, featured in many of the most popular top-tier smartphones and tablets. Some of the highlights at our Snapdragon Booth (#106): Adreno™ 400 series: See the unmatched graphics performance of the new Adreno 420 GPU in the Snapdragon 805 processor. Not just mind-blowing performance, but sophisticated features like dynamic hardware tessellation and displacement mapping are now possible on tablets and smartphone, thanks to the powerful and efficient Adreno 400 series GPU.
Unreal Engine 4: Unreal Engine 4 is Epic’s breakthrough game engine technology designed to power the next generation of games. UE4 pushes the limits of graphics and gaming to an unprecedented level and Snapdragon processors are up to that challenge. You don’t even have to wait to see the latest UE4 demos running on a commercially available device – they’re in action now on the popular Google Nexus 5 smartphone, powered by the Snapdragon 800 processor. You can also view a demo here:Right now, in the state of Rhode Island, if you're caught with less than an ounce of marijuana, and are convicted of marijuana possession, you'll end up with a criminal record that follows you for the rest of your life.
But starting on Monday that will no longer be the case.
The Ocean State will join 15 other states across the nation in decriminalizing less than an ounce of weed.
Instead of being a crime, it will be a civil offense that will earn you a ticket, much like a traffic infraction.
State Rep. John Edwards was one of two bill sponsors.
What this bill will do, is it takes away the entire criminal penalty, and makes it a civil penalty, unless of course you get caught three times in eighteen months and then you probably really deserve to be put in prison, possibly," Edwards said.
Beginning Monday, if you're caught and convicted for possession of less than an ounce of pot, you will no longer end up with a criminal record, instead you'll pay a 150 dollar fine, for the first and second offense.
The fine for a third offense jumps to $500, and the third offense is considered a criminal offense under the new law.
Edwards says pot is still illegal here in Rhode Island.
"It is still illegal, and it's still illegal to possess more than an ounce of pot, and it's still illegal to drive under the influence of pot, that hasn't changed," he said.
Edwards says the passage of the bill will soon provide more "regional equity" where pot is concerned. That's because Rhode island is the last New England state to decriminalize possession of less than an ounce of marijuana.
What they find is that when people have a state that's decriminalize they don't have an increase in usage, it doesn't go up," Edwards said.
"I think that's OK. I don't really see the big deal of it. I know weed smokers, I know it will make them happy. And I think the police department should be focused on more serious matters rather than someone having weed with them," said 19-year-old Kenneth Fordham, of Providence.
Martha Cooper of Providence agreed.
"I think it's pretty fair. I mean, people do it anyway, regardless of whether or not it's legal or not legal. So to just get a ticket, that's fair, and hopefully they learned their lesson the first time around, because police should be more focused on the street, instead of petty stuff like pot," she said.
Edwards said he hears mostly positive feedback on the bill a measure he's been pushing along with a colleague for four years.
"It wasn't something I did alone, there were a lot of other people involved with it. We had student groups that helped us, groups out of Washington, I also worked hand in hand with Senator Josh Miller from Cranston," he said.
Minors who are caught with less than an ounce of weed will experience slightly different repercussions than adults facing the same civil charge.
Police will be required to notify the juvenile's parents, and the child will then mandated to complete a licensed drug program, and community service.With High Stakes Poker Season 7 on the way, we’re busting out the wayback machine for a look at the highlights of the first six seasons, which have provided – without a doubt – some of the most memorable televised poker in history.
Below we’ve got five of the most memorable hands from the last few seasons of the show that feature at least one member of Season 7’s cast.
Top Pair, Easy Game
The $500,000 buy-in cash game at the end of HSP Season 4 featured some of the biggest pots the HSP viewers had ever seen, and one of the biggest involved the Godfather of Poker and a pot that can buy a 5 bedroom, 2 bathroom pad in Hawaii (seriously, Google “$818,100”) which certainly dwarfs those $300 pots you and I win in our local $1/$2 games. After Guy Laliberte (A5h) and Jamie Gold (J7o) limped in, Brunson (A10d) popped it up to $11,200 on the cutoff. Amazingly, the blinds (Sammy Farha with KJo and David Benyamine with K5s) both called, as well as both limpers, putting a $57,100 pot up, 5 ways, with the best hand between the bunch a motley suited ace. The flop was Ac Js 4d, giving Laliberte and Brunson top pair, and after the action was checked to the Texan, he fired a continuation bet of $40,000, which only Laliberte called.
The deuce of diamonds fell on the turn, giving Brunson the nut flush draw and Laliberte a gutshot to the wheel. Laliberte checked, and Brunson came out with a second big barrel, firing $110,000 into the $137,100 pot. After about a 10 second tank, Laliberte came out with a raise to $310,000! With little hesitation, Brunson moved all-in for his last $30,500 on top of that, Laliberte called, and Brunson had a massive advantage (75% to Laliberte’s 11%, with 14% going to chops) with one card to come. After agreeing to run it twice, Brunson held on both cards (Qs, then the 10h) to rake a massive pot with just a pair of aces, marginal kicker on the turn. When asked about why he was quick to stick his money in on the turn, Brunson remarked, “When you don’t make a pair for 8 hours, you go crazy.”
WTFClayAiken!
Phil Galfond makes a living teaching players on his BlueFire Poker coaching site and crushing foes at the highest stakes online. His first excursions on the HSP felt, however, haven’t gone quite the way he’s probably hoped, and he’s found himself in a few bad spots in his 2 appearances on the show. In one hand, David Benyamine had already raised to $4,200 with a pair of tens, when Galfond decided to get a little out of line and three bet to $16,000 with K5o. Unfortunately, he ran into Eli Elezra in the small blind and his kings, and he popped it up to $40,500. Benyamine made a good fold of his tens, and Galfond, with deep stack and position, elected to call the large raise with his king-rag.
The flop was gin for Elezra; K99, giving Eli a boat and Galfond top two. Eli bet $33,000, and Galfond called. The turn was another 9, giving Galfond an inferior boat, and the action went check/check. The river was the queen of spades, putting an unlikely straight flush/flush out there, and Elezra, after a quick tank, came out with a big bet of $110,000 into the $154,600 pot. Galfond said “Pocket queens?” and tanked for a short time before releasing the hand, a disciplined laydown after a very questionable three-bet/call with the king-rag. But that wasn’t the last misstep for Galfond.
The Only Guy Negreanu Can Beat
Galfond may have had a tricky time with Elezra, but his ordeals with Daniel Negreanu were even rougher on his bankroll; and Kid Poker’s not exactly known for running well on HSP, as you’ll see in a future article. There are two major missteps by Galfond, the biggest in a hand where Doyle Brunson opened to $4,500 with A2o, ElkY called in the small blind with A3h, Galfond called in the big blind with 97d, and Negreanu called in the straddle with 107o. The flop was a monster; 10107, two hearts, giving ElkY the nut flush draw, Galfond top two pair, and Negreanu the nut full house. Everyone checked to the turn, which was the six of clubs, giving Galfond a gutshot to go along with his top two pair.
ElkY led out at this point with a $11,000 bet, which was called by Galfond. Negreanu slammed his chips on the table, then raised it to $41,000 after some thought. ElkY made an incredibly disciplined laydown, while Galfond elected to call the additional $30,000. The king of spades hit on the river, which weakened Galfond’s hand down to middle two pair. He checked, and Negreanu bet a hefty $80,200 into the $112,400 pot. After commenting “I thought you were gonna give up on the river…” he finally committed the chips and found out that Negreanu had his favorite hand, and lost a $272,800 pot to Kid Poker. Galfond’s going to be looking to rectify his mistakes from previous appearances; will he be able to improve?
Bad to See Ace Queen
Andrew “good2cu” Robl also had a run in with one of the top high stakes pros in season 6. After Lex Veldhuis straddled to $1,600, Phil Ivey opened it to $7,000 with the K10d, and Robl flatted with AQo. Patrik Antonius then woke up with aces and decided to reraise to $30,400 with his monster hand, probably hoping to get Ivey in a pot and expecting Robl to get out of the hand. Ivey actually insta-folded when the action came back to him, and Antonius probably assumed he had no shot of getting paid off at this point.
But Robl had other ideas. Known as a tight, methodical, thinking player online, he assessed the situation as follows; Ivey had been playing loose and aggressively, and Robl, who had been playing a bit tight and passive, had flatted. Antonius had also been playing aggressively as well, and may have sensed an easy pot to steal, and chose to just attempt to steal the pot with the big raise. After putting everything together, Robl chose to make the advanced play and limp/shove with his AQ for $144,300, which Antonius snapped called. Robl lost both runs of the board and a $299,600 pot. This isn’t the first of those seemingly awesome plays that backfired, however…
No Mercy for Mercier
Jason Mercier has only played in the most recent season of HSP, but he was given quite the initiation into the HSP realm courtesy of one Phil Ivey. During one of the last hands of the night during his session, Gus Hansen raised it to $4,200 with the Q6o, Eli Elezra called on the cutoff with the 95c, and Ivey flatted on the button with two nines. Mercier, in the small blind, had been playing incredibly tight all night and tried to use his image to his advantage by popping it to $22,100 with the A4h. Everyone folded back to Ivey, who elected to call the extra $17,900 with his nines.
The flop (237 rainbow) was as dry as it could get for Ivey’s nines, while giving Mercier a gutshot straight draw to go along with his overcard. He led out for $28.700, and after a brief tank, Ivey came out with a raise to $78,700. Mercier could have given up on the hand there, but sensing his ability to make a play based on his image, he elected to instead ship it all in for a whopping $185,100 total. The line that Mercier had taken in the hand, combined with his table image, would’ve made many players quickly toss those two nines in the muck, fearing overpairs or sets. But Ivey either felt priced in, had a soul read, or (as evidenced by his directing his chips toward Mercier and uttering a small stream of expletives stating that Mercier had to have him beat) just didn’t care period and called, his nines actually a 68% favorite to take the pot.
When the board bricked out, Ivey had won a $425,200 pot, and Mercier’s short stint on HSP had come to a soul crushing close. With Ivey out of the way in this season, and Mercier’s added HSP play on the PokerStars.net Big Game, this is the player to watch out for this year on HSP, in my opinion.
…
What’s all of this mean for this season? There’s some players that have been itching to get some redemption this season, even Brunson (who last season ended his televised cash game winning streak) and many of the foils that thwarted them before won’t be appearing this season. Expect the newcomers and the many amateurs to spice up the action this year on HSP.TOOL frontman Maynard James Keenan's biography will be published in the fall of 2016 via Backbeat Books. The book will be authored by Sarah Jensen, who writes: "It's been a year-long journey of proposals and queries and nibbles and 'nopes,' but my amazing agent, Ann Collette [of Rees Literary Agency in Boston, Massachusetts], never lost faith in the dream.
"The agreement with Backbeat Books is a reality, and the biography of Maynard Keenan is slated for publication next fall.
"Lots of work still to be done, but today's priority: feeling grateful to everybody who's been there for us throughout this project. That means you!"
It's been nine years since TOOL released its last album, 2006's "10,000 Days". The band has toured a number of times since its release but has apparently gotten serious about making a new record in the past year.
Guitarist Adam Jones revealed in July 2014 that lawsuits involving a former friend of the band and an insurance company had been putting a drag on the group both creatively and financially since 2007.
The ex-friend claimed that he was owed money for artwork he had given the group, while the insurance firm — which was supposed to protect the band against such claims — sued the band for "technicalities" regarding the case.by
Cairo.
Tearful eyes, Noses covered with shawls, hands or Napkins.
People running away coughing, and others giving instructions to put Pepsi or Vinegar on the eyes so they calm down.
Is it a tear gas? It must be more than this: it is “tear everything,” says a lady in English to her two friends. A man asked people not to leave, to return to the demonstration. People are running in all directions- with and against the traffic.
This is not Tahrir. It is 500 meters away from the main gate of the Ittihadiya Palace, the presidential palace where two huge demonstrations from Nasr City and Masr el Guidida – two upper middle class areas – convened. The tear gas was thrown so President Morsi could leave the presidential palace, without addressing the Egyptians who came to the palace.
“Why does he only address his community – gama3eto – are we not Egyptians too? Do we not have a right to be addressed or is he only the President of the Muslim Brotherhood,” a man shouted.
The scene here resembled the demonstrations of the March 14 coalition in downtown Beirut. They do not look like the daily demonstrations at Tahrir Square. These clean and wide streets welcome middle aged men and women in sportswear – Nike shoes, Adidas jogging suits. Men with sweaters wrapped around their necks, women in tight jeans on, branded t-shirts, mainly Timberland. Women with fancy jewelry, unveiled with their hair coiffed, mostly died blonde. Some women wrap their veils fashionably behind their neck. Perfume fills the air. There are signs of plastic surgery. Young guys with shirts that say: I Love New York or I Love Paris, UC Berkeley, NYC.
There are a few street vendors. You can count their number on your fingers. One sells tea at a cart attached to a motorbike. Others have pies and sweets on top of old cars. Some had handcarts. The flag seller here sells the Egyptian flag with an English slogan, I Love Egypt. The vendors know the class to whom they sell. These are not permanent stalls, as in Tahrir. They are here today, and tomorrow they’ll be at the park.
Ipads are lifted like the hands in Tahrir, not to make victory signs or to clap but to take pictures of themselves or to record the chants.
“No to the constitution,” is the most common banner, on red or black background. A man walked by with a banner that depicts a cartoon of a working-class Egyptian woman: veiled, overweight, holding a tray with potatoes, with a slogan, “We prepared the constitution for you, Umm Hani [Mother of Hani].” People gather to laugh at it, and to take pictures of it.
A young man walks by with a banner that is inscribed with Morsi’s popular words, “We are all one lap, my family and tribe,” to which he has added, “I offer you foul we Ta3emiyya [popular Egyptian food].” The condescension of the elite saturates their slogans.
“Look, the revolution, you sheep” (shouf, shouf, shouf el Thawra ya Kahrouf), sing the youth who came from Tahrir, who have taken the podium. “Oh my God, I can’t believe I’m saying it,” a lady says in English to her friends. Laughs fill the air. “One hand, one hand” (eid wahda, eid wahda). Loud chants and claps, but this time for the police who were leaving the area. “We are with you, believe us,” says one of the policemen. Others held up victory signs. They had opened the roads that led to the presidential palace once Morsi had left.
Why are you against the Constitution?
“Is it a question to be asked? I’m surprised you are even posing this question,” says Ragia, an entrepreneur. She began to list the reasons why she opposes the constitution: “First, the constituent assembly was not representative of all the parties in Egypt. There were big names like Amr Mousa, Ayman Nour and Gaber Nasar who withdrew from it. Second, most of the articles are elastic. They can be interpreted in so many different ways. Third, there is no respect for women’s rights. It is simply a constitution tailored to them, not to us. What does he want, push all women to be housewives,” her friend cracks up laughing saying:” you will be a great one- housewife.”
Nihal, her friend, who is also an entrepreneur in the import-export field objects to the constitution because “it limits the rights of the journalists and the media in general, and I mostly object to the right the president to sell public lands to foreigners. I, of course, object to the president’s accumulation of power.” Omar, his friend, reiterated, “He wants to sell public land for investors. I’m not sure why. We have so much money in this country. I’m an entrepreneur and I can start resorts on the Red Sea. That’s better than selling the land to the Qataris,” he says.
“I object to the article that allows the marriage of young girls, and also that allows child labor,” says Manal, who works in tourism. Her husband, Amir, who is an engineer, says, “How can he not have a Vice President? Does he want to make it a khilafa – Islamic rule?”
A man walks by. He is on the phone, telling someone to come to the demonstration. “There is nothing here. It is all cool,” he says. “Come and see. It is fun.” Another Lady telling the person on the other side of the phone:” Oh my god, the slogans, the slogans are so nice, come down.”
Some men walk by with a banner. “Where is the tourism in the constitution, Dr. Morsi?” I ask one of them what their grievance is all about. “Morsi will apply the sharia law,” he says. “We do not want to have religious tourism like Saudi Arabia or Iran, unless friends in Saudi Arabia are planning to move the Kaaba to Egypt, so we can have sharia tourism.” His friends laugh. “This is a good idea,” says another. “Or maybe he can move Karbala, or Qom from Iran.” As he was talking, a man with a banner walked by, “Egypt Can’t Be Afghanistan, You Muslim Brotherhood” (Masr mish ha tkhoun Afghanistan ya Ikhwan). The men laughed and said, “and Egypt won’t be Iran.”
Tahrir: A day for unity
In Tahrir, I meet Mahmoud from Shobra, a working-class area. He is a meshwargee, an unemployed person who only runs errands (he is making fun of himself). I ask him what he thinks of the constitution. He gives me an earful. “There is nothing I like in the constitution. Morsi says he wants to apply the sharia. It means that if someone steals he will cut his hands. But there are very poor people who can’t find anything to eat. If they steal to eat because he is not offering anything, what is he going to do? Will he apply the sharia law on them and cut their hands? He did not do anything for the young people. There is no housing. The police are still getting bribes. And there is no justice. It’s still a long queue in front of the bakeries and the bread loaf is for 65 cents. There are people who can’t even afford it, and if they steal. What will the sharia of Morsi says, cut their hands?”
Like Mahmoud from Shoubra, Hajj Abdel Hameed from Mouloufiyye is protesting the constitution because he does not believe the Muslim Brotherhood. “We are peasants and we know them in our village, my daughter, they are not trustworthy, they only love each other,” he said. He opposes the constitution because “peasants like him, who were supporting the country, can’t find anything to eat. Can you imagine, daughter, peasants who feeds people are unable to feed themselves now! The price of fertilizer is 160 Egyptian pounds. Where can we get this to plant our lands? We are leaving it, let his sharia feed him and his Muslim brothers.”
Tahrir is full of energy tonight, more than any other night. The challenge against Morsi grows. “As if we do not exist, and we are not in the streets. As if no revolution took place in the country. Morsi keeps ignoring us, as if telling us to hit our |
authorities can investigate and sue employers, the manual says. Those found liable could be on the hook for 200 per cent of what the employee is owed. And the state will not only go after those individuals listed on official documents, but also corporate shareholders and managers, in addition to owners. That is not the case in Ontario. When the Ministry of Labour receives a complaint from an employee, officials try to figure out who the employer is in a number of ways, including scrutinizing the structure of the business and checking incorporation documents. Often, employers are not technically flesh and blood but numbered companies. Directors of these companies — the actual people — have “limited personal liability,” according to ministry spokesperson Janet Deline. They are not on the hook for everything, such as termination pay. If the employer doesn’t pay up within a month or two after the ministry makes an order, it becomes a matter for Ministry of Finance, which can attempt to seize funds and garnish bank accounts — if any exist — or put a lien on property if the company or director owns any. Far down the road, a court could bring a motion for contempt and a deadbeat employer could be threatened with jail — but that would be an “extraordinary and exceptional result,” according to Toby Young, legal director at The Human Rights Legal Support Centre, which helps victims collect money awarded by the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario. “(Employers) should be paying voluntarily but a lot of people don’t,” he said. “It happens quite frequently. It is the system.” Michele Henry can be reached at 416-312-5605 or mhenry@thestar.ca. Kenyon Wallace can be reached at 416-869-4734 or kwallace@thestar.ca. Data analysis by Andy Bailey More on thestar.com: Former worker who ‘poured a year’ into shuttered Rock Lobster still waiting for pay Monk Kitchen chef alleges he’s owed more than $100K in lawsuit Former cook spends five years to get her pay — and she’s still owed moneySenate Minority Leader Richard Saslaw seethed after reading a Rolling Stone article detailing an alleged gang rape at a University of Virginia fraternity.
"I can’t remember when I’ve been angrier as an adult, reading that," Saslaw, said during a Nov. 24 meeting with the Falls Church City Council to discuss priorities for the General Assembly session the will begin in January. Saslaw, D-Fairfax, said he will introduce a bill that would require that college officials who are told of a sexual assault to notify law enforcement within 24 hours.
"What parent in their right mind would send a daughter to U.Va. when she’s got – are you ready for this? – a 20 percent chance, a 20 percent chance of being sexually assaulted?" Saslaw said in the clip posted by Blue Virginia, a liberal blog.
Saslaw spoke more than a week before Rolling Stone backed off the story. The magazine’s editor said last week there were discrepancies in the accuser’s version of events and that the magazine’s trust in her "had been misplaced."
Nonetheless, Saslaw’s statement that 20 percent of female students at U.Va are sexually assaulted at UVa warrants examination. The senator, whose daughter graduated from U.Va., told us the figure came from the Rolling Stone article, which says "one in five women is sexually assaulted in college though only about 12 percent report it to police."
But the article didn’t say those are the figures are for U.Va. specifically, and for good reason. Let’s take a deeper look:
Where does the statistic come from?
The Rolling Stone article didn’t cite a source for the one-in-five statistic. But it likely originates from a widely cited study on college sexual assaults conducted in December 2007 by the U.S. Justice Department’s National Institute of Justice. Researchers surveyed 5,446 undergraduate women at two unnamed large public universities -- one in the Midwest and one in the South.
The research gained a new wave of attention this year amid a White House push to raise awareness about rape and sexual assault. During an April 29 speech, Vice President Joe Biden said one in five college women are sexually assaulted during their college years. Biden’s office told our colleagues at PolitiFact National that the statement was based on the Justice Department’s findings.
The study defined sexual assault as unwanted touching, intercourse, oral sex, anal sex or sexual penetration with an object or finger. Researchers wrote in a Journal of American College Health article in 2009 that 19.8 percent of women surveyed during their senior year had experienced a sexual assault since entering college.
But there are some major caveats about the figure. Researchers noted the results were limited to the two unidentified colleges surveyed and may not generalize to the experiences of all college women. They also said the survey had a "modest" 42 percent response rate to their Web-based survey, which the researchers noted is lower than other methods, such as face-to-face interviews. They hoped, however, that anonymity would provide more candid answers and better data.
James Fox, a professor of criminology, law and public policy at Northeastern University, told PolitiFact National in May that the "one-in-five statistic shouldn’t just be taken with a grain of salt, but the entire shaker." Fox said the issue of sexual assaults on campuses shouldn’t be diminished but faulted the White House for citing national estimates that are "shaky at best."
Despite the issues with its methodology, the Department of Justice reached similar conclusions to several other studies on sexual assaults on campuses.
In a survey this spring at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 17 percent of the school’s undergraduate women said they experienced a sexual assault -- broadly defined by researchers as "unwanted sexual behaviors involving threats or incapacitation, unwanted sexual touching or kissing, oral sex, sexual penetration or attempted sexual penetration or attempted oral sex."
But the researchers found the undergraduates answered the question differently when asked if they had been "sexually assaulted or raped" and were allowed to apply their own definitions to the terms. Under those conditions, 11 percent of the women answered "yes."
Since it was a voluntary, non-random survey, the school cautioned it would be wrong to "use these numbers to generalize about the prevalence of unwanted sexual behavior in the lives of all MIT students."
In early 1997, the Department of Justice randomly surveyed 4,446 college women and found that 15.5 percent said they had been "sexually victimized" during that school year -- a term that included threats and actions ranging from unwanted touching to rape. The study said that during the course of an undergraduate career, which often extends five years, "the percentage of completed or attempted rape among women in higher educational institutions might climb to between one-fifth and one-quarter."
Research that tries to quantify sexual assaults is complicated by a couple of factors. First of all, it is often an unreported crime. The results of the incidence of sexual assault can differ depending on how the crime is defined. The National Institute of Justice notes on its website that "researchers have been unable to determine the precise incidence of sexual assault on American campuses because the incidence found depends on how the questions are worded and the context of the survey."
Despite such limitations, the institute adds that "several studies indicate that a substantial proportion of female students -- between 18 and 20 percent -- experience rape or some other form of sexual assault during their college years."
Does the national figure apply to U.Va.?
Although the 20 percent is a national number, Saslaw said it applies to U.Va. The senator noted that Rolling Stone reported that U.Va is among 12 universities that has been singled out for an proactive federal compliance review of its procedures handling students’ complaints of sexual assaults.
That would "kind of lead you to believe it’s definitely one-in-five there (at U.Va.)," Saslaw told us. "They’re not reviewing all of the colleges across America."
But there’s no way to know whether the one-in-five figure actually does apply to U.Va. We asked the university whether it has figures for the percentage of women students who have been raped, but did not receive a direct response.
"The national statistics on sexual assaults and sexual misconduct on college campuses are alarming and disturbing for everyone, " U.Va. spokesman Anthony P. de Bruyn told us in an email. "UVA is taking aggressive action to address these important issues."
U.Va. President Teresa Sullivan, during a Dec. 1 speech, said the university will conduct a survey this spring to determine "how commonly" its students experience sexual assaults.
We reached out to David Lisak, a forensic consultant and researcher on sex crimes, about the level of sexual assault at U.Va. and whether the 20 percent national figure that Saslaw cites applies to the college.
"Whether these rates of sexual assault apply specifically to UVa is of course an empirical question," Lisak told us in an email. "However, there are by now numerous studies of sexual assault on college campuses, and they are quite consistent in their findings. So one would have to provide some real evidence to argue that the situation at UVa is markedly different than what has been found in national studies."
Our ruling
Saslaw says a female student attending U.Va. has a 20 percent chance of being sexually assaulted.
Saslaw bases his claim on a Rolling Stone article about an alleged gang rape at UVa that said nationally, "one in five women is sexually assaulted in college."
Rolling Stone didn’t cite a source, but the statistic is commonly used and is often based on a 2007 federal survey of women at two unnamed colleges. A few other studies have come up with comparable results.
The key fact here is that none of the studies, as far as we know, examined U.Va. The university says it plans to start surveying its students next year to quantify incidences of sexual misconduct.
Saslaw applies the 20 percent figure to U.Va. without any hard information and his comment suggests that the statistic is unique to the university.
We’re not downplaying the issue of sexual assaults at U.Va., a problem that’s been repeatedly acknowledged by Teresa Sullivan, president of the university. But there’s a burden on Saslaw to prove his claim and he comes up short.
We rate his statement Mostly False.It seems unlikely now that the leaders of the main political parties will engage in combat in Irish on TG4 before we get that chance to cast our ballots. This is in some contrast to the last general election when Micheál Martin, Enda Kenny and Eamon Gilmore had it out together with great verve on the same station.
It may seem a minor inconvenience that we shall not have this leaders’ debate in Irish but, while the lack of any debate is partly a lack of discourse, it is also a comment on each party’s commitment to one of the two official languages of the country.
It might seem that this season’s failure is a big departure from other times. But it is unlikely that other taoisigh or abhair taoisigh would have done any better. It was a big comedown when in the last presidential election only Michael D Higgins was able to hold forth with any fluency against the other candidates in the debate on TG4.
As far as I can make out from my spies and from my memory, both Charlie Haughey and Garret FitzGerald were no more than gabblingly, flabbily fluent; Bertie Ahern hadn’t a clue (some would argue in both languages); Albert Reynolds hadn’t a country and western note; John Bruton wouldn’t have attempted a word even if he knew one; Ruairí Quinn astonishingly thought that Irish was never spoken in Dublin; and who knows anything else about anybody?
Totally lost
Enda Kenny was fortunate to grow up in a time when it was normal that people who attained a certain degree of education also learned Irish. I suspect that if he was much younger he would be more stuttering in the language than he is now.
He was also lucky in training to be a teacher at a time which required that some modicum of knowledge of something or other, or even anything at all, was important. On the other hand he has presided over the destruction of knowledge-based teacher education in favour of tricky-dicky methodological banality which means that no young fella like him will ever learn Irish, or anything else, as he did.
In a similar fashion Micheál Martin was lucky to attend a school in which Irish was a serious subject.
A few words
I am presuming that Joan Burton and Gerry Adams could talk a bit about their pastimes, or what they did, or didn’t do in their past times. Their Irish is commendable, but it is not good enough to go for the jugular, which is what political debate is about.
Desiring an Ireland for all (Éire do chách – oops, who said this?), one which is inclusive and broad-ranging and catholic and universal and liberal, it would be good that all party leaders spoke good Irish; good enough to engage with anyone who wished to contend with them in the language.
But if this was not possible, it would also help if they supported a public and educational policy in which more than the cúpla focal was necessary, and where thought in the language informed thought in the public sphere.
The recent dumbing-down of the language to the ritual 10 minutes of what is your name, and who is your brother, and what do you eat for breakfast as 40 per cent of the Leaving Cert will shortly be seen as a disaster.
But then we are almost quite exceptional in our steadfast monolingualism.
There are few Scandinavian or German or senior Polish politicians who could not discuss the fantasies of fiscal policy, or even the League of Ireland (if they knew anything about it) in English or in some other language if they so chose.
Alan Titley is professor of modern Irish at University College CorkGerman finance minister Wolfgang Schaeuble has said discussions on revising the treaty to secure the eurozone's architecture will begin after the May EU elections.
"After the EU elections the debate about treaty change will be back on the table. The federal government will plead for institutional improvements, at least in the eurozone. The monetary union needs a joint finance- and economic policy, with corresponding institutions," Schaeuble said in an interview with Handelsblatt published on Thursday (27 March).
He repeated his call for a eurozone parliament and a permanent chief of the Eurogroup, the informal gathering of eurozone finance ministers.
Schaeuble made similar comments in a speech in the Belgian city of Bruges the same day and in a joint op-ed with his British counterpart, George Osborne, published in the Financial Times.
The British government is seeking support for its own reformist agenda, which revolves around Prime Minister David Cameron's attempt to renegotiate the terms of UK's membership of the EU, culminating in a referendum on whether the country should remain in the Union.
Schaeuble subscribed to the idea that further eurozone integration should not become a disadvantage for the countries outside the euro.
“So future EU reform and treaty change must include reform of the governance framework to put euro area integration on a sound legal basis and guarantee fairness for those EU countries inside the single market but outside the single currency,” the two ministers wrote.
The Conservative government in Britain, traditionally close to business and banking interests, is concerned that the nascent banking union in the eurozone and further regulation of the financial system will impact London's financial powerhouse.
Speaking at Bruges' College of Europe, Schaeuble sought to allay these fears, saying that "as long as the UK will not join the eurozone, maybe we can find a two-speed solution,” FT reports.
But in a self-promotion video posted on YouTube, Schaeuble also said that "freedom needs rules and boundaries."
"I also fell to the temptation of deregulation, deregulation, deregulation. And in the end, financial markets destroyed themselves. And who had to rescue them? The stupid politicians, who suddenly were good enough for that. That's why we are applying the lessons learnt and create rules. They don't like it, but it has to be," the German finance minister said.These images are referred to in the article below. After the 0-0 draw with QPR, many question have been raised by Chelsea fans concerni...
http://www.chelseadaft.org/2012/09/chelseas-4-2-3-1-formation-does-frank_8422.html
These images are referred to in the article below.
After the 0-0 draw with QPR, many question have been raised by Chelsea fans concerning the personnel in our starting line up. Robbie has strangely been playing players in their wrong positions. The most notable examples of this are Ryan Bertrand a left back on the left wing, Ramires a central midfielder on the right wing and Frank Lampard an attacking midfielder in defensive midfield. This is a very strange decision in light of the fact that the club spent nearly £80m in the summer on players who can play in the 3 attacking midfield positions. Now there is absolutely no doubting RDM's ability as a motivator, he is top class at what he does, however his team selections leave a lot to be desired.
Our main problem is retaining possession and moving the ball quickly, we need to find a solution to this problem and this is what i have come up with.
The image on the left (above) is my proposed starting line up against Juventus. In my opinion this team would best compliment both Chelsea’s players and their system in the most balanced way possible. It has a mixture of experience, youth, pace, steel and flair. The image on the left (above) is my proposed starting line up against Juventus. In my opinion this team would best compliment both Chelsea’s players and their system in the most balanced way possible. It has a mixture of experience, youth, pace, steel and flair.
I have attempted to "put round pegs into round holes" with this team selection (not the most revolutionary of concepts by any stretch of the imagination, yet undeniably effective). There are only suggested 3 changes, but i honestly believe that this will significantly improve our performance on the pitch.
Azpilicueta is a natural right back and brings balance to the back four.
Ramires is, contrary to popular belief, a central midfielder. The Brazilian has great pace, stamina and is solid defensively, I say why not give him a fair chance next to Mikel in the pivot?
Moses proved his worth when he came on against QPR in that wide right position, he always looks to drive at the full back, take him on and make things happen, I believe he deserves his first start for the Blues.
In any formation, there is always an extremely important part of the system that needs to be functioning perfectly in order for the team to be at its best. It always used to be our striker, in days past we would hit Drogba and it would stick, then we would progress from there. We now have Torres and have switched to a 4-2-3-1 passing system from deep.
The vital cog of the 4-2-3-1 formation is the two central defensive midfielders. These players are of supreme importance to the success of the system. The image on the right (above) is a diagram of what the formation looks like when we are in complete control of the ball.
The full backs push up
The centre backs are near the halfway line
The central defensive midfielders are 10-15 yards in the oppositions half
The 2 wide attacking players are near the corners of the box
The central attacking midfielder is roaming freely trying finding space throughout the centre.
The red lines are the passing options for the central defensive midfielders, as you can see they are at the heart of everything and have every player in blue within their passing range. In order to play this position effectively, both of them MUST remain behind the ball. When we have possession, they are there to set the tempo of the game and recycle the ball to keep the game ticking over at a fast pace. They need to be making fast and sharp 1 or 2 touch passes, less is definitely more here.
The attacking players cannot function properly unless they get the ball quickly, the quicker they receive the ball, the more space they have to work their magic. The defensive midfielders should never be making runs in advance of the ball and should be moving horizontally across the pitch simply creating angles in order to give and receive passes. It is imperative that these two players are always available to receive a pass and recycle the possession.
This is where the Frank Lampard discussion comes in. When Frank plays in the defensive midfield position he is constantly making runs in advance of the ball, he ends up sitting in between the striker and the central attacking midfielder in search for goals and his double figure tally. He simply doesn’t have the discipline for this role. This causes 3 main problems for the team;
1. There is one less option in the centre of the park for us to keep the possession, instead of always being available and helping the team keep the ball, he is actually a hindrance to the team because he turns the formation into an extremely unbalanced 4-1-3-1-1. He leaves Mikel on his own which significantly reduces passing options from the middle as he will only have angles on for half of the passes (either to the right or to the left).
2. His advanced runs close off all the space that our free role player has to work with because he will bring a marker with him. That is 2 more players in the small intricate space that Mata/Hazard have to operate in. This essentially nullifies our attack.
3. This leads to the play being broken up and the opposition going on the counter attack. Lampard is now so far forward that there is a gaping hole through the middle which Mikel has to attempt to fill and we get exploited. Re-watch the Atletico Madrid game (painful I know) and you will see exactly what I mean. Ivanovic also wasn’t fast enough to get back to defend the counter attack, although that is another story.
Do you disagree? If so give reasons and get the discussion going!
Does Lampard still have a key part to play?
What changes if any would you make to the starting line-up?
Thanks for reading, let me know what you think!
There is a comment section below, don’t be afraid to use it first time visitors!It is hard to believe it has been a whole year since the last time I made maple syrup. (You can click here to read last years post) So much has happened since then but it also seems like the time is just flying by.
I’ve learned a lot about making maple syrup since last year and tried my hand at doing things a little different.
Tapping The Maple Trees
This year Jonny took over a majority of the maple syrup making. I came home from work one day to find the trees on our lawn were all tapped. A little disappointed that I wasn’t there for the tapping I was also really relieved that I was spared the cold, uncomfortable process.
I don’t know how the winter was where you are but here in Niagara, winter lasted forever! Last year we tapped the tress mid-February. This year we tapped at the beginning of March and it was still far too early. The trees were too cold. not only did they not run but it split the wood causing sap to leak later in the season when it started to run. Lesson 1 learned.
When the sap finally started running at the end of March I had almost given up on maple syrup for the year. I decided “forget it, I’ll just get bees!”. But that’s another story altogether!
Eventually the trees started to trickle. Slowly but surely we collected about 20L of sap (enough for about a 1/2L of syrup).
Boiling Down The Sap Into Maple Syrup
Jonny started up the fire in the backyard and setup our new tripod to hold the pot and got everything up and boiling. It was very exciting boiling over an open fire. Last year we had boiled it over the stove in the kitchen. This is a great way to increase the humidity in your household VERY quickly! This is a great opportunity to clean your kitchen walls and cupboards.
So along goes the sap boiling down (and sometimes over). But as the evening wore on we started checking the sap a little less often. At one point I could smell beautiful maple syrup wafting in the window. I shouldn’t be able to smell that. Jonny looked out to see the pot glowing red. He ran out to the pot to find it had boiled dry. Hmmm, Lesson 2: wood heat is unpredictable.
So we debated for a couple days and ultimately decided to boil down the rest on the stove like we did last year. Two days of boiling away in a very humid house. Luckily the weather had FINALLY warmed up and we were able to open some windows.
A Quick Vid Of Our Maple Syrup Boiling
Why Make Homemade Maple Syrup?
Sometimes people ask why we would go through so much work for such a small amount of maple syrup. In fact, people ask that about all sorts of things we do.
It’s fun. It’s rewarding. It is really nice to know where our food comes from. And it helps you to appreciate the work that goes into everything you consume.
Now that I have spent the time to make my own syrup, I use less and appreciate it more. There was a time when I would cover my plate with it, soak up what I could with my pancakes and the rest would get washed away. But now I appreciate it more. I use only what I need. And my hips appreciate this! 🙂
Out the taps come. Away the buckets go. Stored away safely until the spring of next year when we do it again!
Have you boiled down your own maple syrup? Do you have any tips for me for next year?South DaCola Podcast Episode 008 – Greg Jamison and Halloween
Host Scott L. Ehrisman and nameless co-host.
Special Guest Greg Jamison 2018 Candidate for Sioux Falls Mayor
https://www.facebook.com/jamisonformayor/
https://www.jamisonformayor.com/
Produced by Robert Mehling
Theme Music “Rainy Day” by Brian Masek & Friends
Tags and Topics
Scott Ehrisman, Dana Ferguson, Robert Mehling, Sioux Falls, Denny Sanford PREMIER Center, Greg Jamison, State Legislature, Sales Tax Revenue, Property Taxes, City Government, Secret Contracts, Government Transparency, Marty Jackley, Event Center Siding, Crime, Downtown Parking, City Council, Home Rule Charter, Halloween, Scary Movies, The Shining, Scream, The Exorcist, IT, Psycho, Alfred Hitchcock, Stanley Kubrick, Wes Craven, I Know What You Did Last Summer, Jacob’s Ladder, Room 237, Shelley Duvall, Blarney Stone, Touch of Europe, Children of the Corn, Sioux Falls Ghost Joggers, Arachnophobia, BeetlejuiceIn August, the WA government put the Kwinana Bulk Terminal, the Utah Point bulk facility in Port Hedland and the Perth Market Authority up for sale. Mining stocks could rally as the anticipated US Federal Reserve rate hike hits. Credit:Rob Homer In this year's state budget the WA government dropped plans to sell the Kwinana Bulk Terminal. Instead it now plans to sell off Fremantle ports. Then last month, the Barnett government said it was planning to sell off the Old Cottesloe Cable Station, the Claremont Police Station, three disused school site, plus more than 20 vacant lots. The WA government says selling off of state-owned assets will help balance the books, after the state's debt ballooned, following plunging iron ore prices and WA losing its share of GST.
But the state has just come off the back of a "once-in-a-lifetime mining boom", which according to political experts should have secured the state's economic future for years to come. Yet in September 2013, WA was stripped of its AAA credit rating by global ratings agency Standard & Poor's, which lowered its rating to AA+. Then it April this year, WA's AA+ credit rating was placed on a negative watch by Standard & Poor's due to falling iron ore prices. So how did the Barnett government squander such a golden opportunity to secure WA's financial future? Professor Alan Duncan, Director of the Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre, said the Barnett government's public spending and investment decisions over the course of the mining boom should have been more cautionary in saving for a "rainy day".
"The combination of falling revenues, sticky public spending, growing net debt and significant projected future budget deficits mean the sale of public assets is the only short-term solution to improve the budget position," he said. "The drop in iron ore price has been exceptional, and I'm not sure could have been foreseen. The question is the degree to which WA has become so reliant on royalties revenues to balance the state budget, and in making its expenditure decisions." Professor Duncan said the seeds for WA's current economic malaise were sown in the mid-2000s. "With significant recurrent spending commitments - principally public sector pay awards - and capital spending that continued to rise to meet the resources-fuelled growth in state revenues,' he said. "This at a time when paying down government debt more aggressively and building a contingency to protect against future economic uncertainties was always an option.
"It could be claimed that this argument is supported with the benefit of hindsight, but the debate in WA parliament at that time was documented pretty clearly." Professor Duncan said the problem with the state of WA's economy now is it's going to be harder to "unwind".
"Recurrent government spending needs to adjust now that revenues are falling so sharply, but it can't reasonably happen at the same pace without significant public sector job cuts and a reduction in public services," he said. "Hence the pressure to concede to the sale of assets. Spending decisions over the course of the resources boom bear a large part of the responsibility for painting the government into its current corner." Ian Cook, Senior lecturer in politics at Murdoch University, said he couldn't recall a state government selling off assets so quickly. "So it is unprecedented in terms of the scale and speed of what's being done," he said. "It's coming across as a little desperate; so it is looking like it is this government that has created the problems. The problems have been around for a long time. The mining boom helped hide them."
Martin Drum, senior lecturer in politics and international relations at Fremantle's University of Notre said the asset sale would provide a "large sugar hit" for the economy, but it would come at the expense of long-term revenue. "The sale of Fremantle port is a pretty good example of this," he said. "The amount it might fetch is impressive, but the state will lose the future revenue it would otherwise charge users. "Arguably such a sale is fiscally wise if the revenue is used to pay off debt, thus saving on interest repayments over the years, or if it is invested in key economic infrastructure which generates revenue in other ways." Dr Drum said there was no doubt the state's coffer's should be in a better state but he didn't think the current Liberal government could be entirely to blame for the state's current economic woes. "Part of the problem is the high recurrent expenditure in recent years. Comparatively speaking we spend a lot on delivering our services and facilities," he said. "Whether this is because of the vast distances in WA or because we're not as efficient as other states is debatable."
Dr Cook said people shouldn't be "surprised" the state's kitty wasn't healthier following the mining boom. "The game of creating ongoing pseudo-surpluses for a particular budget, despite an actual increase in debt, has been a long-running joke for me," he said. "Once the mining boom stopped the reality was going to set in. I'm surprised that anyone is surprised." Dr Cook said the Barnett government was trying to appease rating agency Standard & Poor's and also get the books back in order before the next election. "It is mostly, for me, about a government struggling to please the ratings agencies," he said. "Standard and Poor's seems to be the more punishing and the government won't want them to go below AA+. They've just got to hold the AA+ coming into the next election."WATCH=> Diamond And Silk GO OFF On Michelle Obama For Saying People Are Losing Hope (VIDEO)
Guest post by Aleister at American Lookout:
Diamond and Silk are not happy with Michelle Obama. In their newest video, they go off on the First Lady for suggesting the American people are losing hope because Obama will n longer be president.
The video kicks off this way:
Diamond: “Hey y’all. OK, so we just got through watching this show with Oprah Winfrey interviewing Michelle Obama. And she said some things that didn’t sit right with me. That sort of got my skin crawling. Silk, tell this girl what she said. Silk: She said, now we’re feeling what not having hope feels like. Diamond: You know what, Michelle? You’re right. Because under your husband for the past eight years, we now feel and we now know what having no hope feels like. You’re right. Cause we was hoping that he would go and change the justice system where it’s equal and fair for all. We was hoping he would take care of our veterans but he didn’t give a damn about that.
And they’re just getting started!
.@DiamondandSilk watched Oprah's interview with Michelle Obama. A few things did not sit well with the ladies until she talked about HOPE… pic.twitter.com/hQoqJB2Nte — Diamond and Silk® (@DiamondandSilk) December 20, 2016
Keep up the great work ladies!
We love you!Even as the Supreme Court’s Constitution bench hears key arguments on whether the right to privacy is a fundamental right, the ministry of electronics and information technology (MeitY) has appointed an expert group headed by former Supreme Court judge B.N. Srikrishna to draft a data protection legislation.
Data protection and privacy are related issues and the case being heard by the Supreme Court has significantly dwelt on the former. The case was prompted by several other cases on the universality, applicability and legality of Aadhaar, the unique ID number issued by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI).
The number has become the linchpin of several government programmes and is also being widely used to identify individuals. The government also sees it becoming the back-bone of electronic transactions.
The key challenge against it in the court, leading up to the current hearing by the Constitution bench, concerns the absence of privacy and data protection laws.
The ministry’s appointment of the 10-member committee headed by a former judge is clearly aimed at addressing this gap; the official memo was issued on 31 July.
The members of the committee include department of telecommunications secretary Aruna Sundararajan, UIDAI chief Ajay Bhushan Pandey, national cybersecurity coordinator Gulshan Rai, who is part of the Prime Minister’s Office, Indian Institute of Technology Bhilai director Rajat Moona, Indian Institute of Management Indore director Rishikesha Krishnan and Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy’s Arghya Sengupta.
The decision was communicated by UIDAI to the Supreme Court on Tuesday.
“This move by the government seems to be a bid to shift focus from the larger ongoing issue of the right to privacy towards data protection in the country. The data protection laws as of today mainly focus on corporate structures and don’t have much to do when it comes to applicability to government entities," said a security expert who did not want to be named.
The same person argued that the composition of the committee is such that it is likely to defend Aadhaar and its security framework rather than change and challenge it.
So far, more than 1.16 billion Aadhaar cards have been generated.
MeitY, in consultation with other members, will have to collect information and provide it to the expert committee within eight weeks.
A nine-judge Constitution bench headed by the Chief Justice was set up on 18 July to rule on the question of whether the right to privacy constituted a fundamental right.
The limited question had cropped up in the context of legal challenges to the 12-digit identification number, which has now become the bedrock of government welfare programmes, the tax administration network and online financial transactions.
Tushar Mehta, additional solicitor general, appearing for UIDAI, told the court that the right to privacy was a valuable common right that was duly protected under statutes and did not need to be elevated to the status of a fundamental right.
“It is a right that cannot be defined and is too subjective. What may be the notion of privacy for one person may differ from that of another," Mehta said.
On this, justice D.Y Chandrachud asked what would happen if tomorrow Parliament decided that Aadhaar was not needed. “Then do we go back to pre-2016 situation?" he asked.
In his intervention, justice Rohinton F. Nariman, cited the possibility of the court recognizing the right to privacy as a fundamental right and balancing it against the interests of Aadhaar.
Once the privacy question is settled by the nine-judge Constitution bench, the remaining issues related to Aadhaar will be heard by a smaller bench.Broadband Surveyed in Muskegon, MI
One of the first steps in improving broadband access, adoption, and use in any area is obtaining accurate data. What is Internet service like in the area? What are Internet speeds and costs like? Is there interest in expanding the network or adding more Internet Service Providers (ISPs)? In many areas that Connect Michigan works, a residential survey is used to take the temperature of the broadband climate. Muskegon County, Michigan, and all of its 27 municipalities is one of Michigan’s newest areas to take a hard look at broadband, and participation has already exceeded expectations.
Connect Michigan, in partnership with Muskegon County Economic Development (MCED) and local municipalities, provided an online survey for Muskegon County residents and distributed a paper survey in the mail as well.
“Our goal was to get 600 responses,” said MCED Coordinator Jonathan Wilson. “As of last week, we had 900.”
Online responses and paper surveys are still coming in from every corner of Muskegon County. This includes areas with strong broadband coverage, like the county’s namesake city, Muskegon, and far-flung areas like Blue Lake Township, which is located in Manistee National Forest.
The collected data will show what areas are not connected, what areas would like to be connected, and where there is room for more competition.
“We’re really hoping, first and foremost, to increase adoption rates,” said Wilson. “We’re also hoping to increase speeds so we can attract more innovative businesses and bring in more investment to our community.”
Increasing adoption rates shows that areas have adequate demand, which will encourage ISPs to extend their network.
Once the residential survey is completed, further research will be conducted in specific areas, including businesses, government units, higher education, K-12 education, agriculture, and others. Like the residential survey, the surveys for |
that time at its height?
“Yes, lord,” sings the chorus of delighted disciple Mounties in reply.
But then:
You might see that very same woman when she’s eighty or a hundred years old: aged, roof-rafter crooked, bent-over, supported by a cane, palsied, miserable, broken-toothed, gray-haired, bald, wrinkled, her body all blotchy. What do you think: Has her earlier beauty & charm vanished, and the drawback appeared?
“Yes, lord,” sings the chorus of disappointed disciple Mounties monks in reply.
You might see that very same woman sick, in pain, & seriously ill, lying soiled with her own urine & excrement. What do you think: Has her earlier beauty & charm vanished, and the drawback appeared?
“Yeeeehs, lord,” sings the chorus of disgusted disciples, looking at each other apprehensively, wondering where Dudley is going with this.
You might see her as a corpse cast away in a charnel ground, picked at by crows, vultures, & hawks, by dogs, & hyenas… a skeleton smeared with flesh & blood, connected with tendons… bones scattered in all directions — here a hand bone, there a foot bone, here a shin bone, there a thigh bone, here a hip bone, there a breast bone… What do you think: Has her earlier beauty & charm vanished, and the drawback appeared?
“Uh… yes… lord??” some sing falteringly, and they all sidle off the stage.
I’ve dropped most of the horror from the original. It just goes on and on and on. I found it sickening—and I say that as someone who likes this sort of thing. (I even write some myself.) But that’s what it’s supposed to do: inspire revulsion.
Dudley doesn’t ever explain what the rotting woman has to do with anything. He just concludes that abandoning desire “is the escape.” I think what he’s trying to say is that all pleasures (even sex with a hot fifteen-year-old) are utterly worthless, because they don’t last forever.
Any normal person would reply “that’s stupid—temporary pleasures are better than none.” (“Why I am not a Buddhist” is a sensible, clear, and respectful critique along those lines.) However, throughout Sutrayana, there’s the idea that permanence is the only genuinely desirable state. Sutrayana’s promise is the eternal bliss of nirvana. Tantra, on the other hand, accepts change, values temporary pleasures, and rejects nirvana.
Act III: Jhana.
Act III amounts to “jhana sucks too,” which is dull, so let’s quit while we’re ahead. Phew.
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Like this: Like Loading... RelatedSoul Music is the 16th Discworld novel, and was first published in May 1994. It was two years since I read my first Terry Pratchett novel and at that point I’d read everything published and Soul Music became my first hardback novel purchase (to be followed by almost all Terry Pratchett novels since…) I was nearing the end of my first year at university: a plump, weird, and mostly friendless eighteen year old whose only wall decoration in a drab room on the third floor of the smallest halls of residence was a copy of The Streets of Ankh-Morpork…
Perhaps knowing I was on the autistic spectrum might have helped me through the teenage years, but instead I had books. Reading (the town) in the mid 1990s was a great place for a fantasy fan, with a host of book signings. But the first signing I remember going to was for Soul Music. I was lucky enough to meet Sir Terry a few times at book signings (too many years ago) and although it was for mere minutes and I was too shy to say much, he was the sort of person who actually remembered people at later signings.
The list of books I submit to review for the Farewell Terry Pratchett Blog Tour (organised by Viv from Serendipity Reviews) was Wyrd Sisters, Mort, Reaper Man, or Soul Music. In retrospect, given its importance in my life, I should have put Soul Music first but fortunately all the others were taken. Wyrd Sisters was the book that started my love of Discworld, from reading the first page in the library, and the Death books were always my favourite.
I didn’t feel I could write about Soul Music without reading Mort and Reaper Man first, so I’ve just re-read all three in preparation, reminding myself of Terry Pratchett’s genius with words and humour. Over the years, the Discworld developed and grew, and even in reading books four, eleven, and sixteen, I could notice the books maturing. Although I can see that Soul Music could be described as lacking compared to later Discworld novels but whether for nostalgia or the huge number of pop culture and rock’n’roll references (or DEATH) this is still one of my favourites.
Soul Music follows the story of Imp Y Celyn (“Buddy”) from Llamedos (read it backwards) as he leaves his rural life and seeks his fortune in Ankh-Morpork. It includes familiar characters like Death and Albert, the Wizards, the Watch, CMOT Dibbler, the Patrician, and introduces Susan Death, the Canting Crew, and an embryonic Hex.
Soul Music is the story of rock’n’roll seeping where it doesn’t quite belong, while Death takes a short holiday to try to forget everything (including joining the Klatchian Foreign Legion and drinking the contents of The Mended Drum.) Susan Sto Helit, technically Death’s granddaughter (see Mort), gets roped into the family business by the Death of Rats (interpreted by a raven named Quoth, who doesn’t do “the N word”) and Cut-Me-Own-Throat Dibbler gets rich, very briefly.
It’s funny. It has an animated series with a soundtrack that gives a potted history of rock’n’roll in eight songs. The signing tour included t-shirts with the dates on the back. If you’ve not read any Discworld, it might not be the best place to start (I recommend Mort or Wyrd Sisters), but can still be enjoyed without any prior knowledge of recurring characters or Discworld politics.
As this post is ridiculously late, I will stop rambling for now. Luckily for us all, his written legacy will ensure Terry Pratchett will never fade away…
The Farewell Terry Pratchett Blog Tour 2015
9th April – Introduction at Serendipity Reviews
10th April – How Thief Of Time Changed My Life at Hapfairy
11th April – I Shall Wear Midnight at Serendipity Reviews
12th April – Guards! Guards! at Dark Readers
13th April – Reaper Man at Pewter Wolf
14th April – The Colour of Magic at So Many Books, So Little Time
15th April – Top Ten Discworld Characters at YA Yeah Yeah
16th April – The Wee Free Men at Della Says
17th April – Good Omens at Sister Spooky
18th April – Pyramids at Empire of Books
19th April – Cover Love (vlog) at Dark Readers
20th April – Equal Rites at Readaraptor
21st April – Nation at Tales of Yesterday
22nd April – Raising Steam at Thoughts from the Hearthfire
23rd April – Pratchett Adaptations at An Armchair by the Sea
24th April – Music With Rocks In at Child-Led Chaos (You Are Here)
25th April – Going Postal at Kirstyes
26th April – Truckers at Fluttering Butterflies
27th April – The Late Great Terry Pratchett (vlog) at Sable Caught
28th April – Memories of Mort at Making It Up
29th April – Wyrd Sisters at Tamsyn Murray
30th April – The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents at Green Mum
1st May – Terry Pratchett Farewell Tour at Teen Librarian
2nd May – Hogfather at Bookish Treasures
3rd May – Pratchett Inspired Pictures at Making It Up
4th May – Wintersmith at The Fleeting Dream
5th May – Truckers at Feeling FictionalOh the (rare, but occasionally exceptional) joys of Twitter. Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX)–the ranking member on the House Energy & Commerce Committee–says (tweets?) “I seemed [sic] to have baffled the Energy Sec with basic question – Where does oil come from?”
He’s referring to Nobel prize winning Energy Secretary Steve Chu, and this exchange.
I’m gonna go way out on a limb here and suggest that–just perhaps!–Barton has misread Chu’s initial response to the question. And also that he doesn’t seem to understand geology as well as the former Stanford physicist who now runs the Department of Energy. But I could be wrong.
Late update: My colleague Eric Kleefeld chimes in to suggest that Barton did stump Chu. In fact, Chu was stumped that this guy Barton (a Congressman) had actually asked that question.Image caption Tougher US border enforcement has kept away some illegal migrants
The rate of Mexican immigration to the US has stalled or maybe even gone into reverse, an analysis shows, ending a four-decade-long trend.
A Pew Hispanic Center study shows immigration began to slow five years ago and may have reversed by 2010.
Economic factors, increased border control, and lower Mexican birth rates were all cited as factors.
More than 12 million migrants entered the US from Mexico since 1970, more than half legally, the report says.
"Looking back over the entire span of US history, no country has ever seen as many of its people immigrate to this country as Mexico has in the past four decades," the report's authors note.
However, figures clearly show major changes to the long-term trend over the years 2005-2010.
A decade earlier, from 1995-2000, some 2.9 million Mexicans arrived in the US, with just 670,000 people leaving the country for Mexico - a net influx to the US of more than 2.2 million people.
Between 2005-2010, though, just 1.37 million arrived from Mexico - and 1.39 million left to cross the southern border.
"While it is not possible to say so with certainty, the trend lines within this latest five-year period suggest that return flow to Mexico probably exceeded the inflow from Mexico during the past year or two."
Deportation
The downward trend includes a sharp reduction in the number of illegal Mexican migrants living in the US, the report says.
The numbers of unauthorised Mexicans living in the US fell from nearly seven million in 2007 to 6.1 million in 2011, according to estimates based on US census data.
During those years the numbers of legal Mexican migrants in the US rose slightly, increasing by 200,000 to 5.8 million.
The data tallies with previous figures released by the US government that showed the Obama administration deporting record numbers of illegal immigrants for three successive years from 2009.
According to data in the Pew report, a "significant minority" of the 1.3 million people - between 5% and 35% - who left the US for Mexico did not leave the country voluntarily.
The issue of immigration is a sensitive one in a presidential election year.
New immigration laws in several states, including Alabama and Arizona, have placed a heavy focus on efforts to crack down on illegal immigration by requiring individuals to present valid US documents.
Backers of the new laws say the requirement to present documents encourages people without the legal right to be in the US to leave the country of their own accord.
That process of attrition was referred to as "self-deportation" during this year's Republican primary season.
Arizona's law is being challenged in the US Supreme Court on Wednesday.
Presumptive Republican nominee Mitt Romney polls badly among Latino voters, while President Barack Obama generally retains broad support despite his stern deportation policy.Another ‘tolerant Liberal’ goes off-script. Thank you, to all the crazy, racist, sexist Libtards for showing the world who you REALLY are.
The Mayor of Warren, Michigan, Jim Fouts (D), has found himself in hot water over some audio recordings.
Fouts vehemently denies that the tapes are authentic, but one has already cost him his weekly radio show on 910AM Radio Superstation. He alleges that a political opponent has fabricated the tapes to slander him.
Listen to the audio that cost him his radio job.
Trending: WTF? The Weedkiller ROUNDUP Has Been Detected In These BEER & WINE Brands
He was allagedly making ‘repulsive remarks’ about the disabled:
After the release of the audio that cost him his radio gig, more tapes surfaced.
And these were (shockingly) much worse.
In the audio, Fouts compares an African American mother and daughter to chimpanzees, uses the ‘N’ word flippantly and calls older women ‘mean, hateful, dried-up old c-nts’.
Listen to the ‘chimpanzee’ remarks:
Listen to him use the ‘N’ word:
Listen to his comments on women:
Listen to more of his comments on women:
But, remember kiddies!
#LoveTrumpsHate
Speaking of love… Mayor Fouts doesn’t want to date ‘old hags’.
With his rugged good looks, he must be a real ladies man.
C’mon ladies! I bet you just can’t handle all that sexy! Those bedroom eyes are almost looking in the same direction!
Here is the ‘unofficial’ ClashDaily reaction:
We can’t even soften the I-just-vomited-in-my-mouth gif with, ‘At least he’s got a great personality and a sense of humor.’
Because — if the allegations are true — No, he doesn’t.
We don’t seem to be dealing with a reverse Dorian Gray.
It would appear that in the case of Jim Fouts, the ‘inside’ matches the ‘outside’.
A former employee of Mayor Fouts isn’t surprised at the allegations at all.
An ex-aide to the mayor of Detroit’s largest suburb has said it’s no surprise that his former employer has been accused of making racist remarks on tape. Joe DiSano, a white man who worked for Warren mayor Jim Fouts from 2003-2013, says his then-boss would frequently ‘casually’ make racist remarks in front of him. ‘At one of the last meetings I ever had with him, he actually stood at the front of the conference room table and danced around like he was monkey,’ DiSano told The Detroit Free Press. ‘And that was in reference to voters in Detroit.’
Read more: Daily Mail
Is Mayor Fouts about to become ‘former’ Mayor Fouts?Even if the old-timers in Berkeley and Palo Alto resist the notion, they know the truth: The Big Game is not nearly as big as it once was, and its once lofty position on the Bay Area sports landscape continues to shrink with no signs of recovery.
What has happened to diminish the Big Game? Short answer: Way too many negative trends that have been going on way too long.
The games themselves have been largely one-sided and predictable for a generation now. The schools, the Pacific-12 Conference and television networks continue to do too much screwing around with the game’s date and time of kickoff.
Finally, many of the game’s most notable traditions are dead or fading, and so are some of its most noteworthy figures. To wit, the rivalry lost “Mr. Stanford,” the colorful ambassador and storyteller Bob Murphy, just before this season started. Murphy, who died in August at age 86, had more choice Cal zingers than anybody and circulated them all at various annual luncheons. He was a Big Game fixture, and the event could use some of Murph’s Golden Bear roasting right about now.
And Joe Kapp, the larger-than-life Cal icon, is 79 and receding from public view as he battles Alzheimer’s disease. His presence is so sorely missed, too. If nothing else, the Big Game needs a good, old-fashioned Kapp kick in the butt.
The popularity of certain events runs in cycles, but there’s no question the Big Game is in a down cycle, and a pretty deep one at that. Will it ever climb out? You have to examine the most glaring issues and draw your own conclusions. Of course, we could just blame the nut-bags in the Stanford Band, but for once, it doesn’t appear to be their fault.
Here’s a more thorough checklist:
Competitive imbalance >> As Big Games go, Saturday’s 120th renewal seems a decent match. At least there are stakes for both teams. With a victory, Stanford still has a shot at the Pac-12 championship game. Cal can become bowl eligible in coach Justin Wilcox’s first season, a development few thought possible at season’s outset.
Then again, the Cardinal is favored by more than two touchdowns to win its eighth straight Big Game, which would set a record for consecutive victories. Moreover, the last five Stanford beat-downs of Cal have been by double digits to the cumulative score of 202-86.
Worse yet, the rivalry has been one-sided one way or the other since the mid-1990s. Stanford won seven straight from 1995 to 2001. Then Jeff Tedford arrived at Cal and the Bears won seven of the next eight. Now we’re on this eight-game game stretch started by Jim Harbaugh in his final season in 2010 and sustained by David Shaw ever since.
The last decent game? Eight years ago in 2009, when Michael Mohamed intercepted an Andrew Luck pass at the Cal 3 with 1:36 to go to preserve a 34-28 Cal upset over a 14th-ranked Cardinal team. And the last truly wild Big Game affair? That starred a guy named McCaffrey — not Christian but Ed, his dad — in Stanford’s 27-25 last-second “Revenge of the Play” upset in 1990. Long time ago. Too long. Today’s Cal and Stanford students weren’t even born.
Scheduling >> The game no longer is the regular-season finale on a late November Saturday afternoon. Stanford hasn’t played Cal as the last game of its regular season since 2008, and that year, the Bears closed their season against Washington. So much for the epic season-ending showdown between rival schools.
It used to be you could count on Cal and Stanford meeting for the last game of every season. That alone made the Big Game special. It almost always started between noon and 1 p.m., too — time to tailgate in the morning and celebrate victory with a nice dinner afterward.
Those days are gone. Cal will play its final regular season game next week against UCLA for the second year in a row. Stanford will be hosting Notre Dame in what has become the school’s real Big Game — more prestigious, more competitive and more compelling.
The Big Joke, of course, came in 2012, when the Big Game was slotted for Oct. 20, just the seventh game of the year. That seemed to signify that the conference and the TV networks could do just about anything they damn well pleased with this once-prestigious events. And they pretty much have.
In recent years, or since the conference has been at the mercy of broadcast partners ESPN and FOX, it’s been about varying start times, often on short notice. Saturday’s game will kick off at 5 p.m. Last year it was 2:30. The year before that, 7:30. The year before that 1 p.m.
More competition for audience >> Before 2012, the Warriors cast no shadow on anybody in October, or any other month.They had been to the playoffs only once in 18 years. Nobody was talking about them. Now they’re two-time NBA champions. Everyone is in their shadow.
It didn’t help that the baseball Giants went deep into the postseason in 2010, 2012 and 2014, and the A’s at least got there a couple of times, thus luring more eyes away from Strawberry Canyon and Stanford Stadium. The 49ers, although on hard times now, went to three straight NFC title games and a Super Bowl when Harbaugh moved just down the freeway from Stanford to Santa Clara.
There’s just not as much buzz about college football as there once was in the Bay, and that’s surprising as stellar as Stanford has continued to be under Shaw. It gets very little attention on sports talk radio, and in the social media world, it’s a veritable ghost town. If there no chatter, no buildup to the Big Game, then how do you have a real Big Game?
The general demise of tradition >> There used to be a bona fide Big Game WEEK. There would be a Monday press conference luncheon featuring both coaches, a handful of key players and a horde of media. Then there was the annual midweek Guardsmen Luncheon at the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco, in which high-powered alums from both schools gathered for a joint celebration of the Big Game that generated big bucks for charity.
Somehow, despite it being for such a worthy cause, even that has withered away. The 2015 Guardsmen event, the 66th annual, was the last held at the Fairmont. It moved to the Julia Morgan Ballroom in 2016, and this year, it simply didn’t come off at all. Sad. Cal has blamed Stanford’s lack of active participation for sucking the spirit out the event, and apparently, now the life.
Other long-standing traditions are now committed to history. Of course, the monolithic old Stanford Stadium, which at one time routinely sold out its 90,000 capacity for the Big Game, also met the wrecking ball in 2005. Its more modern and comfortable replacement, which holds a shade over 50,000, still has tickets available for Saturday’s game.
That development, by itself, says it all. The Big Game has, in too many ways, become a big shame. What might save it? How about a competitive, exciting game for starters? You have to begin the big comeback somewhere.A budget airline passenger was left "shocked" after spotting a can of Stella Artois in the cockpit of the plane that’d just flown hundreds of people back from Spain.
The Jet2 aircraft had landed at Birmingham Airport when passenger Steve Lewis noticed the can of lager, which appeared unopened.
The 59-year-old and his husband Steven, 51, both watched in disbelief as the can remained in the cockpit for around 20 minutes.
Mr Lewis said: “After we had landed at around 1.20pm, we were waiting on board for 20 minutes to get off, that's when I noticed the can.
Holidaymaker Steve Lewis on the flight from Alicante Credit: Mercury Press
“The plane had landed and the seatbelt light came on. I stood up to get my suitcase and as I did the cockpit door opened and I noticed the can.
“I turned to my partner Steven, who didn't believe me at first, but then he noticed you could clearly see the Stella branding.
“I was so shocked, I couldn't understand why there was alcohol in the cockpit.”
Mr Lewis, who lives in, Brackley in Northamptonshire, was returning from a one-night stay in Benidorm, where he had been celebrating Pride.
The GP’s reception manager said he was taken aback to see alcohol in the cockpit.
He said “I was so shocked, I couldn't understand why there was alcohol in the cockpit. It was there for the whole time we were waiting so it wasn't like the stewards had placed it down while they were busy and went back to move it.
The can of Stella Artois in the cockpit Credit: Mercury Press
“It even had a napkin underneath it which is how they serve drinks to passengers, so I'm a bit sceptical to whether it was there because someone had left it. It concerns me that alcohol is even allowed in the cockpit, if it was open or not.”
He added: “Airlines are really strict about how much passengers drink and our flight out to Alicante on the 7 September was an alcohol free one as it was early in the morning, surely they should follow the same guidelines for staff.”
Jet2 has confirmed there was an unopened can of lager in the cockpit but said it had been handed to staff by a customer.
A spokesperson said: “Upon further investigation of the photograph, we can confirm that it is an unopened can which had been handed to a member of our cabin crew by a customer when they were leaving the aircraft.
“This unopened can was then put down in the cockpit by the member of cabin crew, so that she could continue helping customers as they disembarked.”TORONTO – In case Tyler Bozak wasn’t already feeling old enough inside the Toronto Maple Leafs dressing room these days, linemate Mitch Marner recently referred to him as a “dad figure.”
Talk about time moving fast in the NHL.
At least the moniker somewhat fits in Bozak’s case, both because of the mentorship role he’s tried to assume on a young team and the fact he’s now settled in to life as a father.
His son, Kanon, turned one earlier this month and the Leafs centre has gained a new perspective since his arrival.
“I think I’ve had to grow up a lot quicker than I thought I was going to have to,” Bozak said Monday in an interview. “You can say you’re always ready to be a dad or a parent, but it’s not real until it actually happens. So it’s been a big change, but it’s been absolutely unbelievable.
“[His birth] was the best moment of my life, obviously, and the last year with him has been the most fun I’ve ever had.”
The cameras recently captured a loving moment between the two – with Kanon intently watching warmup in his mother’s arms at rinkside, and Tyler giving his son a big smile from the other side of the glass.
Bozak was sure to save the video and is trying to savour those moments. Kanon loves being down by the ice prior to the game but doesn’t usually last at Air Canada Centre beyond the first period before his bedtime arrives.
“It’s fun to see him in the corner there,” said Bozak. “It makes you realize that there’s more to life than just hockey. You’ve got your son there smiling at you, and just watching, and it makes you feel pretty good.”
After surviving one of the most tumultuous stretches in Leafs history, there is a lot for the 30-year-old to feel good about. He’s currently playing on the team’s most productive line with Marner and James van Riemsdyk and has earned coach Mike Babcock’s trust as an effective faceoff man.
Whenever the Leafs need to win a big draw, the odds are fairly high that Bozak’s number will be called.
During games, he can usually be seen sitting next to Marner on the bench. Often, they’re going over positioning or game strategy. Occasionally, like during a win over Florida last week, he’ll jokingly remind the rookie not to start singing when the play stops – lest he want to create another stir on social media.
“We’ve had a lot of fun with each other,” said Marner. “He’s kind of like a dad figure to me. I always joke around with him like that, and he’s been a great help on and off the ice. Leading me, and kind of teaching me how to be a pro.”
It’s a job that Bozak is now qualified for.
He’s the longest-tenured player with the organization – having dressed for 453 games since signing with the Leafs as a college free agent in 2009 – and one of four men that Babcock has designated to wear an “A” this season.
Over the years, he’s experienced some of the best and worst that come with playing in this city. The team’s seven-game playoff series with Boston in 2013 remains a personal highlight.
Seeing three coaches and two general managers fired – not to mention dozes of teammates, including former roommate/close friend Phil Kessel, shipped out of town – hasn’t always been easy. There have also been periods where his own future in Toronto seemed uncertain.
“I’ve been told [my time is ending] a few times – mainly by the media and fans and stuff,” said Bozak. “But I never really thought about it too much. It’s something that you just go out there and play your game and whatever happens on that side of the game happens. It’s a business.
“I mean I’ve seen so many people come and go that you never know if it’s your time.”
To emerge on the other side of that, and see so much hope and enthusiasm sprouting around him, is gratifying. He is one of the few players in the dressing room with the perspective necessary to fully appreciate how unique this season has been so far in Toronto.
Bozak is also on pace to crack the 50-point barrier for the first time in his NHL career – a reminder that the contributions from him and fellow veterans Nazem Kadri and van Riemsdyk are being overlooked because of the exciting crop of rookies.
Yes, life is pretty good.
And on the occasional day where things don’t go quite as well at the rink as he would like, Bozak only needs to go home and see Kanon to put it behind him.
“He’s walking now, running around, so it’s only getting better,” he said. “It’s exciting times. I’m just real excited to start communicating with him and stuff like that, but it’s been a great experience so far.”The demo version is available for OS X and Windows, and is limited to 15 minutes.
Transform your chords in new ways. The other half of Cthulhu is a unique pattern-based arpeggiator, allowing incoming notes or chords to be manipulated in various rhythmic ways. The 8 tabs of the stepsequencer allow you to completely reshape the incoming MIDI notes, even a single note fed into the arp can become a unique and rhythmic riff! Even if you have other arpeggio software plug-ins, Cthulhu's arp is unique and powerful with advanced features such as chord-arpeggio mode, ties, duration / velocity sequencing, intelligent transpose, harmony, and more! Every tab of the sequencer can operate on its own length, allowing for evolving polymetric arpeggios. From simple to complex, from chaotic to creating precise arpeggio you imagine in your head!
One Note Becomes Many. Cthulhu is firstly a chord memorizer and player, allowing you to experiment with creating and reworking chord progressions with single-note presses. Included are over 150 factory chord presets allowing for a near-unlimited amount of possible musical-sounding chord progressions. Import MIDI or'record' chords straight in, Cthulhu is able to analyze the chords you play and allow for various sorting options (Circle of 5ths, Chromatic, low note, etc) allowing for easy access over your chords!
VST, AudioUnit, or AAX compatible host.
AAX requires PT 10.3.5 or later - RTAS not supported via third party wrapper.
Reason 9.5 is not supported (they do not support MIDI out).
Logic Users: It is recommended to be using Logic X and the MIDI FX version of Cthulhu (installs automatically).Microsoft today announced its content aggregation and presentation application Sway has hit general availability. That means the digital storytelling tool is launching out of preview for consumers and releasing to all eligible Office 365 for business and education customers worldwide. Microsoft is also introducing a Sway app for Windows 10 and revamping Docs.com for sharing not only Sway files, but all Office documents.
Sway launched as a preview in October 2014, becoming the first new app to join the Office product family in years. The premise is simple: Let users create presentations for the Web using text, pictures, and videos, regardless of what device they’re using (phones, tablets, laptops, PCs, and so on).
In fact, Sway’s whole pitch is that you don’t need to know much about design. You provide the ideas and raw content, and Sway’s intelligent design engine creates a polished layout that helps everything flow together “in a way that enhances your story.”
Think of it like PowerPoint with less control over what goes where. We asked David Alexander, who heads the Office technical product marketing team, if he sees a conflict between the two Office apps. “No, we don’t see Sway replacing PowerPoint,” Alexander told VentureBeat.
Presentations are just one of the most obvious Sway use cases. During the preview, Microsoft has seen users create newsletters, training manuals, brochures, vacation recaps, blogs, and even full-blown websites.
Since the preview first arrived, hundreds of thousands of Sways have been created and shared. Microsoft has been taking feedback for the past 10 months and has made a slew of improvements.
Until now though, there was no desktop app. Sway for Windows 10 takes Sway on the Web and adds capabilities specific to PCs and tablets. You can use all of Sway’s integrated content sources and its built-in design engine, but you can also snap photos right into Sway using your computer’s built-in camera, view content offline, and use multiple accounts at once.
Docs.com
Since day one, you could share your Sways directly to Sway.com. But preview users asked for a site that let them share all sorts of files with friends, fans, and the broader Internet. That’s how Docs.com was born.
Microsoft’s docs.com domain was previously used by Docs for Facebook, which as its name implies allowed users to share documents via Facebook. The project was a prototype launched by Microsoft Fuse Labs in 2010. That service has been temporarily moved to fb.docs.com, though Alexander told VentureBeat that “it’s going away.”
Sharing from Sway to Docs.com is straightforward: Tap or click the Share button, and choose to publish directly to the newly relaunched Docs.com. Along with adding support for Sway, Docs.com also supports Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, PowerPoint presentations, Office Mix files, PDFs, and web links.
Docs.com lets you organize your Sways and other Office content into collections. Alexander told us that Docs.com is using Office Online to render all the content, meaning it is shown exactly how it was created: Your documents are not being scaled down to just images.
Microsoft is really hoping Docs.com will become a hub for sharing documents: The service shows you how many views you’re getting and lets anyone post comments on your uploads. You can even create profile pages using just Sway.
Any Sway, document, collection, or profile can be discovered by search engines. In other words, Docs.com not only lets you upload and share content, it also handles all the SEO treatment (Google and Bing) for you.
Availability and requirements
To use Sway, consumers only need a Microsoft account. Just like during the preview, the Office application is free.
Office 365 customers who are part of Microsoft’s First Release program got access to Sway in March. Now business and education customers can use Sway as long as they have an Office 365 plan that includes Office Online, Office 365 Business, or Office 365 ProPlus — the application is being offered to businesses, schools, and other organizations at no extra cost.
Sway on the web works on Microsoft Edge (Windows 10 required), Internet Explorer 10 and up, Firefox 17 and up, Chrome 23 and up, as well as Safari 6 and up. Viewing a Sway on the Web works at any screen resolution, while creating and editing Sways requires a screen width of 600 pixels or higher.
The new Sway app for Windows, which is available in 213 markets, requires Windows 10. That means it is currently only available on PCs and tablets running Microsoft’s latest desktop operating system. You can download Sway for Windows 10 now from the Windows Store.
The Sway team is planning to bring Sway to Windows Phone. The company is targeting a release “in the coming months,” and it will likely require Windows 10 Mobile.
Sway for iPad and iPhone requires iOS 8 or higher, iPad 2 or newer, and iPhone 4s or newer for viewing as well as creating and editing Sways. You can download Sway for iOS now from Apple’s App Store.
The most obvious platform that is missing at launch is Google’s mobile operating system. “We are also working on a native app for Android, so that Sway apps are available on all major platforms and devices consistent with the Office strategy, but we do not have a timeline to share,” a Microsoft spokesperson told VentureBeat.
In short, think of Sway as Microsoft’s PowerPoint built for the online era. While Microsoft doesn’t see PowerPoint going away anytime soon, it’s betting on Sway as the future’s platform for presentations.Image caption Many Iranians have been struggling with higher prices for food and other essentials
"I don't know who I will vote for but I cannot sit idly by," says Arastoo, a 37-year-old shopkeeper in the ancient bazaar in Kashan, some 225km (140 miles) south of Iran's capital, Tehran.
Ahead of the presidential election on 14 June, people here are closely following the campaigns of the eight candidates.
"I am watching them all to see who presents a better economic plan, not better economic slogans," says Arastoo.
"I am fed up with politicians' empty promises."
A small crowd gathers around us, listening to our conversation. Some think I am a representative for one of the candidates.
"We cannot make ends meet," a middle-aged man chips in.
Image caption Seyed Ali is grateful for President Ahmadinejad's policy of paying a subsidy to all Iranians
Another agrees: "With prices going up every day, how can we feed our children? Politicians are all tarred with the same brush - I do not vote for any of them."
But his comment causes a young man to exclaim "Then shut up!" and he tries to edge closer to me.
"Allah says do your best and I will do the rest. Casting your vote is a religious duty, not just a political action," the young man says.
"We have to vote, otherwise God will never help us change the situation for the better, and might punish us."
'No compromise'
After walking through a narrow maze of shops selling all sorts of trinkets, I reach a traditional teashop surrounded by carpet sellers and antique stalls. The hot, humid air smells of mint and rosewater.
Even if people starve to death, they will not give up the revolution's ideals Rahelah, Student
Ebrahim Safaiee, a wealthy carpet dealer who also runs a weaving workshop employing a dozen women, says he helps a lot of poor people who come to his |
spent pursuing “worldly” things is wasted and there would be plenty of time to learn in Paradise. But I didn’t want to serve tables the rest of my life. Education meant a lot more to me than they wanted it to.
Then there was the isolation from my father. He was Disfellowshipped by the Church six years ago. Even though he was excommunicated, I never stopped talking to him. (Unlike the God I was taught to worship, I had unconditional love for him.) But for years, that made me feel really guilty. I felt bad for loving my father! Members of the Church told me that by isolating him, he would be motivated to come back… but that’s not a chance I wanted to take. I knew he wasn’t going to return to the faith and I wasn’t ready to cut all ties with him. Plus, if he had given up his chance to go to Paradise, I wanted to make sure my limited time on Earth was spent with him.
The final straw came during in 9th grade when one of my friends and I went to the beach. I had been texting a boy from another JW congregation and sent him a picture of us on the beach… which meant we were in bikinis. Unfortunately, his mother went through his phone and came across our “horrible” photo. It led to Church elders coming over to my house to counsel me.
They told me I was guilty of making him masturbate. They even made me admit I got him to do it. That was never my intention, obviously, but having that conversation with Church leaders may be the most embarrassing moment of my life. I don’t think my face has ever turned so red. They made me feel dirty for enjoying my time at the beach and chatting with a friend — my other picked up on that, too, and couldn’t believe I was in trouble with the congregation for the crime of wearing a bathing suit.
After that, I was done. I no longer wanted to identify as a Jehovah’s Witness.
I’m actually not Disfellowshipped yet. But I know it’s coming because of my speech (I’m sure this post won’t help, either). Saying anything against the religion is considered apostasy and I know I’ll have to deal with the aftermath of my speaking out sooner or later. I just hope it doesn’t happen before my graduation next week.
I love my family and want them to be there when I cross the stage — but if religion gets in the way, that may not happen. I want them to be proud of my one last time before they cut me out of their lives. They will take this speech very personally and feel that I am speaking out against them and the other members of this religion. To be clear, I don’t hate Jehovah’s Witnesses. My frustration is with the Organization. They’ve destroyed families and have many secrets. While most members, including the ones in my family, are kind people who believe they’re simply doing God’s Will, I think they’re victims, just as I was. Maybe they’ll realize that one day. Until that happens, though, I know my family members will excommunicate me in order to “save” themselves (and, in their eyes, me).
I don’t know how anyone can prepare for that. It’s not something I’m looking forward to. It’s going to hurt. Bad.
I’m not an atheist, by the way, but I’m not exactly a believer either. My views on that are still developing. For now, I think there’s something else out there even if I’m not sure that affects me.
Either way, I’m pretty sure that Higher Power, whatever it is, doesn’t give a damn about whether or not I’m wearing a swimsuit.
That brings me to what happened in my public speaking class.
My teacher, Mr. Hansen, told us to write a persuasive speech. He pointed out that speeches are much more persuasive when you’re using something you value to drive your ideas. It made me think about what I value in life and what my class needed to know about.
My faith has been a part of me my entire life. When my relatives found out my mother belonged to some ex-Jehovah’s Witnesses support groups, they stopped speaking to her. So that idea of love being conditional seemed very relevant to me. I told my mom that’s what I wanted to talk about in class and she loved it. She even told her support groups about it, and some of the other members volunteered to share their stories (which my mom could attest to) with me for my speech.
I warned Mr. Hansen that I might go over time during my presentation, but I really didn’t want to cut anything out. I didn’t want to jeopardize the message or the stories those ex-JWs had shared with me.
The only reason I recorded the speech was so I could share it with my mother and the women I interviewed. I figured only a few people would see it so I just asked one of my classmates to record it on my phone. When I was done, the class was quiet and one girl told me it was beautiful. I felt like the message had come through.
My mother and her friends were also moved by the speech and wanted to share it with some friends, so I made a YouTube account and uploaded the video.
That’s why I was shocked that more than 1,000 people had seen it within a few hours. I don’t even know how to comprehend the fact that it’s now at 350,000 views. I can’t believe people actually care about what I have to say, but I’m glad the speech resonated with them.
In case you’re wondering, I don’t know what grade I got on my speech. But if it’s not an “A,” I might show Mr. Hansen the YouTube numbers…
I’ve been shocked by the response for a couple of reasons. One is that people are sending messages at all. I didn’t expect that. The other is that they’re overwhelmingly more positive and supportive than negative. I know how cruel the Internet can be (especially to young women) but thousands of people have told me they’re proud of me and support my cause. I’m amazed and still in disbelief… given that it’s only been a couple of days since a close friend of mine told me I’m all over Reddit.
I didn’t even know what Reddit was, but she told me, “Brie, that’s where things go viral.”
My mother is very proud of me. When she saw how big this got, she asked me if I would have posted the video knowing it would explode like this. I told I would have. If I’m going to be Disfellowshipped eventually, might as well speak my mind and try to make a difference. I’m also a little nervous, though, because I fear my relatives will find out… and the result will be messy.
Until that happens, I’m glad I did this.
…
Brie will be attending Carroll University this fall to pursue a degree in physician assistant studies.Public darkroom users hone craft in digital era ART Photographers focus on craft at S.F.'s public darkroom, one of few left
Rental equipment at the Harvey Milk Photo Center, which is one of the oldest public darkrooms in the country, on Thursday, June 7th, 2012 in San Francisco, Calif. Rental equipment at the Harvey Milk Photo Center, which is one of the oldest public darkrooms in the country, on Thursday, June 7th, 2012 in San Francisco, Calif. Photo: Jill Schneider, The Chronicle Photo: Jill Schneider, The Chronicle Image 1 of / 9 Caption Close Public darkroom users hone craft in digital era 1 / 9 Back to Gallery
Although photo darkrooms may be going the way of the typewriter and the videotape, there are still a few holdouts, like the Harvey Milk Photo Center near San Francisco's Duboce Park - the oldest, and largest, public darkroom west of the Mississippi.
Director Dave Christensen knows of a few other public darkrooms, one in New York and one in Boston. But they are dying, and fast.
"Every week I find photo orphans left outside our front door when I show up in the morning," he said. "Enlargers, old trays, film spools."
The idea of a city-run photo lab started in 1941, when city parks employee Fred Levy took over a tiny lab at the former Ethan Allen School at Seventh and Bryant streets and named it the San Francisco Photography Center. Many USO volunteers started coming to Levy's darkroom to print during their downtime.
Levy, who was given the title supervising director of photography for the Recreation and Park Department, moved the center six times, once after a fire destroyed the building, until eventually settling into its current, 8,000-square-foot location at Scott Street and Duboce Avenue in the 1950s.
Today users pay an annual $280 membership fee, half that for seniors.
More than 1,500 members come to the center to develop prints in the dark at 44 workstations. Christensen added five digital workstations just 18 months ago, for those who want to print their work electronically.
"I want to encourage cross-pollination," Christensen said. "We have people who print in the darkroom and then scan it into Photoshop."
Resurgence in tradition
But still, the majority of members like to use the chemicals.
"I'm definitely seeing a resurgence in the traditional method, especially from younger people who have never known anything but digital," said teacher Roxanne Worthington, who teaches a course about creativity and developing a photographic style.
Reynaldo Cayetano Jr., 25, prefers hands-on photo developing.
On a recent evening, he was looking through his latest black-and-white images of street kids in London, Tijuana and the Philippines for an upcoming show.
"I like analog better because it feels like a discipline," said Cayetano, who first began shooting four years ago.
"Digital is great because it's so accessible, but because it's so accessible, I think it discourages further learning. I want to keep studying so one day I can be like that guy."
That guy is Mitsu Yoshikawa, a regular whose 4-by-5-inch, black-and-white images of wind patterns in sand decorate the Harvey Milk Photo Center. The retired microfilm processor for Xerox has a thriving photography business producing emotionally evocative images found in nature.
What looks like a bear paw print on Ocean Beach, with three stones placed where the claws would be, is really a pattern created when strong winds blew the sand through the spaces between the three rocks.
"I had to use an F9 to get depth of field," Yoshikawa said.
Hosting photo exhibitions
Professionals work alongside first-timers and kids at the Harvey Milk Photo Center.
Teacher Chris Gould helped repair a 1930s-era Agfa box camera on a wooden stand that Christensen found in a closet. He uses it to take sepia-toned and vintage-Hollywood-style photos of his summer camp students. The younger children learn how to make pinhole cameras out of Quaker Oats boxes.
Christensen started holding photo exhibitions at the photo center when he became director last year, and one of the most popular was a collection of work taken by San Francisco police and firefighters. "Visions Beyond the Badge" drew 650 people to the opening reception this year and highlighted the creative side to off-duty public servants.
"It was so popular, we're going to do it again, only bigger," Christensen said. "And there's talk of making a book."
Harvey Milk Photo CenterDarkroom: 4-9 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturdays. 50 Scott St., S.F. (415) 554-9522. harveymilkphotocenter.org.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine placed the onus for his strained relationship with Kevin Youkilis on the former Boston infielder Sunday morning.
"I think the comment I made early, he made a big issue out of, and I don't think he ever wanted to get over it," Valentine said in response to a question about Youkilis, who will return to Fenway Park on Monday as a member of the Chicago White Sox, the team to which he was traded June 24.
Valentine was alluding to a comment he made to WHDH-TV's Joe Amorosino on April 15.
"I don't think he's as physically or emotionally into the game as he has been in the past for some reason," Valentine told Amorosino.
Youkilis responded angrily the next day, meeting with both Valentine and Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington.
"I'm more confused than anything, because I think everyone knows I go out and play the game as hard as I can," Youkilis said at the time.
But it was obvious the relationship never healed.
Asked Sunday if it was strained, Valentine said, "I have no idea. It was whatever he wanted it to be."
Youkilis, told of Valentine's comments before Chicago's game in Kansas City on Sunday, chose not to address them.
"I got nothing about any of that stuff," he said before a game against the Kansas City Royals. "I'm over all the Boston thing of this year. There is a lot of great past history, but the focus is on the White Sox."In recent days there have been reports of horrific incidents in the city of Gaziantep in southeast Turkey, where more than 200,000 Syrians are living. Extreme right-wing groups are hunting Syrians in city streets. When caught, their prey are badly beaten up. The police have stepped up security measures especially in city neighborhoods where such incidents tend to happen most. Gaziantep Mayor Fatma Sahin and civil society representatives have been calling for calm and reason. Most observers say the protests are prompted by increasing rents and unemployment after the arrival of Syrians.
Gaziantep, an industrial city in the southeast that is the hub of most Turkish exports to the Middle East, has been a magnet for thousands of Syrians who fled the war in Syria. Gaziantep always had close family and business contacts with Syria, especially with Aleppo.
According to official records, about 200,000 (but unofficially 300,000) Syrians live in Gaziantep. Rents doubled, then tripled. In the city fringes where minimum wage earners usually live, rents used to be around 150 Turkish lira (about $70) a month. Today they are around 400 Turkish lira (about $185).
None of this justifies the fascist assaults on Syrians in the city. But signs of brewing troubles started about two month ago when social media calls were issued to protest Syrians in the city. Many protest attempts were curtailed by the police before developing into mass public rallies.
The latest escalation began when Turkish citizen Hidir Calar, who lived in the Unaldi neighborhood of the city, asked his Syrian tenant to move out. Calar was stabbed and killed by his tenant, along with other people. The initial tension was controlled by the intervention of police using pepper gas and water cannons. But the next day around noon, protests erupted again, and people saying they didn’t want Syrians in the Unaldi neighborhood assaulted two Syrians they caught on the street. There were attempts to destroy some of the workplaces owned by Syrians.
The tension spread to other neighborhoods in the evening when groups of people armed with sticks, knives and machetes marched, shouting anti-Syrian slogans. The number of protesters grew as more people joined along the way. They attacked Syrians they encountered in the streets and those living in the parks; 13 Syrians were injured, four of them by stabbing, and evacuated to city hospitals. Groups which were forcefully dispersed by the police regrouped in other streets and continued with their protest marches. They inflicted major damage on cars with Syrian license plates they saw along the way. Some Syrian vehicles were set on fire but they were put out by compassionate local residents. Police detained 17 people accused of provoking the protesters and deployed armored police units in the most tense streets.
The next morning the city tried to clear the traces of violence by removing the damaged vehicles. Local residents did not want to talk to reporters while the Syrians who were living in the parks were seen moving away.
The police stepped up their presence not only in the tense areas, but also in other locations where Syrians live in large numbers and in the city center, including the parks where homeless Syrians spend the night.
Security forces discreetly removed from their homes Syrian families they felt were targeted by the protesters and resettled them at hostels and guest houses of official organizations, with plans to send them on to tent and container camps in the vicinity.
Meanwhile four out of six suspects involved in the killing of Hidir Calar were being questioned by the police, who were searching for the two others still missing.
Mayor Sahin called on citizens to be calm and to use common sense. She said what was going on was a passing incident and accused some people of provoking the same residents who had opened their arms to Syrians for three years. Sahin said, “People took refuge in our city to protect their lives and their families after the civil war in Syria. It wasn’t their choice but an existential necessity. They took refuge with their neighbors they saw as a safe port. Being neighbors is a sacred relationship according to our beliefs. We are making massive efforts to enable them to live on their own land in peace. We want our Syrian brethren to have a place where they can live in Syria. What is happening is exceptional and we are trying to overcome it with minimum damages and problems. As it happened in the last two days, sometimes unpleasant incidents occur. It is not acceptable and reasonable to cast the blame on the local society as a whole or on Syrians as a group whenever something unpleasant happens. Of course, we are saddened by the incident between the landlord and his tenant. We are doing our best to prevent such incidents. It is not in our traditions to be prejudiced against anyone who asks our help, who seeks refuge with us and make their life even worse.”
Sahin said some of the Syrians in Gaziantep will be transferred to the a new 25,000-person capacity camp at Islahiye. She said if necessary a second camp will be prepared.The tangled, creepy, improbable story of the cult and its charismatic leader proves too much for this higgledy-piggledy documentary
The formation of Melbourne-based cult The Family and the behaviour of its charismatic leader – a yoga teacher who claimed, as you do, to be Jesus Christ reincarnated – is a terrific story, full of incredulous events and hair-raising details.
Teaching a hodge-podge of eastern mysticism and Christianity, Anne Hamilton-Byrne was the group’s self-appointed head honcho, who sat on a literal throne and fed her home-schooled young followers LSD.
Throughout the 60s and 70s Hamilton-Byre adopted children she raised (and claimed to be her own), dressing them in identical clothes and cutting their peroxide-dyed hair in the same bob cut. Looking at photographs of them evokes memories of Village of the Damned, or the twins from The Shining (“come play with us forever and ever and ever …”).
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Anne Hamilton-Byrne, leader of Melbourne-based cult The Family. Photograph: Melbourne International film festival
A falling out between the leader and one of her “daughters”, Sarah, spelt the beginning of the end: police raided The Family’s property in Eildon in the late 80s and legal proceedings followed. In the field of stranger-than-fiction Australian tales, this one is certainly on the podium.
A terrific story indeed. But sadly, not the one presented in film-maker Rosie Jones’s ambitious attempt to make sense of it; a structurally higgledy-piggledy documentary that is less an expose than a tantalising suggestion of the history lesson that might have been.
The tendency for film-makers to shoot first and “pick it up in the edit” is a particularly tempting one in documentary. Here it seems to have overwhelmed the film-maker; there’s a feeling The Family was ordered retrospectively and the task was monumental.
Jones’s research is commendable (perhaps an upcoming book tie-in will provide a more accommodating format) and the film includes access to several of the now grown-up children.
But the riddle of what compelled Hamilton-Byrne’s followers to behave in ways they would otherwise find morally reprehensible remains largely out of reach. So too for more elementary questions. What did a standard day at the club cult-house look like? What did the adults get up to when they weren’t drugging the kids?
The Family drops most of its information about Hamilton-Byrne towards the end (her life is unquestionably interesting, journeying from an impoverished background to an insanely – in more than a single sense – privileged one) but that content might have worked better front-loaded. The film would have immeasurably benefited from a clearer, more palatable structure, a path to guide audiences through this tangled, creepy, improbable yarn.
At one point a new interview appears, credited as a current member of the sect. The viewer’s response is likely to be What’s that? Say again? This thing still exists?
But the film-maker greets the revelation with no sense of surprise, a frustrating approach, presumably predicated on an assumption audiences more or less know this story. Most of us don’t. A great one remains – evidently, like the cult itself – lurking somewhere, waiting to be told.The actual capacity of Brisbane's Wivenhoe Dam for flood storage is significantly less than claimed by the Queensland government -- and about 20 per cent below the dam's capacity when it was built to reduce the serious flooding of Australia's third largest city.
The compromise in flood storage is one of the reasons the dam operator, SEQWater, shed massive volumes of water at the worst possible time on January 11, resulting in most of the devastating flooding in Brisbane, The Weekend Australian can reveal.
The dam's capacity to store floodwater was significantly compromised four years ago when engineering works occurred.
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But the reduction has not been previously communicated to the general public by the Queensland government or SEQWater, which asserts that the flood storage capacity has not changed in the 25 years since the dam's opening.
Engineers and other experts, who are studying the dam's key role in the Brisbane flood, told The Weekend Australian the official claims that the dam's storage compartment still has a total capacity of 1.45 million megalitres are demonstrably false.
The capacity for flood mitigation was cut by at least 250,000 megalitres to about 1.2 million ML as a result of a dam upgrade four years ago that was one of the cheapest options to meet new safety rules.
The reduction is equivalent to almost half the volume of Sydney Harbour.
A commission of inquiry headed by Supreme Court justice Cate Holmes, whose terms of reference include investigating the role of Wivenhoe Dam in Brisbane's devastating flood, will receive submissions from engineers and other experts who have identified what they describe as serious shortcomings in public policy and operational management for the dam.
The Weekend Australian has sought briefings and data from Natural Resources Minister Stephen Robertson and from SEQWater -- which has refused to release information since stating it performed well in last month's flood and reduced the inundation in Brisbane.
The cheaper upgrade went ahead in 2006 after the dam's operators were warned that the dam would over-top with catastrophic results in a probable maximum precipitation event, measured by the Bureau of Meteorology as likely once in several thousand years on average.
As a result of the upgrade, which was tens of millions of dollars cheaper than raising the dam's wall, the dam was compliant for an event with an average return of about 5000 years. However, the upgrade removed a large part of its vital storage capacity to manage more frequent rainfall events such as those last month.
The upgrade included building three so-called "fuse plugs", which were designed to automatically collapse and release a large volume of water to quickly lower the level of the lake at Wivenhoe Dam during extreme rainfall.
The trigger-point of 75.7m for the first fuse plug is 1.3m below the 77m level at which the dam's capacity was calculated when built to be 1,450,000ML.
About 250,000ML of capacity was removed from the storage compartment withe the upgrade. In addition to the loss of 250,000ML of capacity between the trigger point of 75.7m and 77m, many tens of thousands of megalitres more potential capacity is removed by SEQWater's priority to keep the level at least 70cm below the trigger point.
Mr Robertson did not respond to detailed questions yesterday, instead issuing the following statement: "I am advised by my department that the fuse plugs are designed to protect the structural integrity of the dam.
"The dam's ability to manage extreme flood events was increased during the upgrade program which included the fuse plug installation. Therefore the reality is, the flood mitigation benefit of the dam has not been altered. The flood management of Wivenhoe Dam is now subject to investigations of the independent commission of inquiry."Previous Next
Helen handed off Nora to Lacey and Lillian’s care. She stretched, testing each and every one of her joints from fingertip to shoulder, shoulder to neck, then testing each muscle and segment all the way down her spine to her legs, legs to toes.
She felt a brief moment of bliss in the sensation of being. The stretch was akin to giving herself a hug. There were no sensations quite as fulfilling and thrilling as when she wrapped herself around someone and felt them fighting her, straining and stretching inside her grasp. Stretching was like straining and stretching against herself, fighting and testing herself. Every pop and cartilage-against-cartilage realignment of a joint went hand-in-hand with a rush of feel-good hormones.
It was like getting a hundred teeny tiny bites of tart.
The thought made her realize she was hungry in a way that had nothing to do with food.
Languid, smiling easily, feeling as relaxed as she ever had, she looked at Mary. Hard Mary, rigid, eager in a very different way. Mary was standing by the door, which was ajar, peering through the gap to the street outside. The muscles in Mary’s arms and legs were tensed, and she was ready to move or attack at a moment’s notice, if someone’s head outside turned the wrong way, or if she saw an opportunity.
Helen approached Mary and, being careful to avoid the blade Mary held and to keep from impeding Mary’s view, slid one arm behind Mary’s neck and the other behind the small of Mary’s back, and embraced her.
She felt the prick of Mary’s blade against the side of her neck.
Just as carefully as she had embraced Mary, she backed off. She leaned in close to give Mary a peck on the cheek.
“You’re riled up,” Mary said. She hadn’t taken her eyes off of the gap between the door and the doorframe.
“It’s contagious,” Helen said. “I’ve been antsy for months now, and being around you and Lillian could calm me down. Being around Ashton could calm me down a lot. But Ashton isn’t here, and neither of you are calm. Mary is tense and I can smell how uncalm Lillian is-”
“Ahem,” Lillian said.
“-and I can hear her breathing as if she was breathing right in my ear, and it makes me restless and it makes me want to embrace someone.”
“I’m ready to act, but I’m calm,” Mary lied. “As calm as anyone is while being tracked by a small army.”
Helen smiled. “Uh huh.”
She felt the blade move fractionally.
“The adjusted drug regimen from Ibbot might be responsible for your mood,” Lillian said. “If I could pare it down any without him catching on during your next appointment, I would. Maybe you could tell him the truth? That you’re lying to him about your emotional states. If he keeps adjusting in response to falsehoods, something bad could happen.”
“I’m not lying to him,” Helen said.
“He’s lying to himself. Yeah. You know what I mean, Helen.”
Helen smiled softly. “The day I tell him he’s wrong is the day he’ll decide I’m not worth the trouble.”
“Okay,” Lillian said. She sighed, looking at Nora and Lacey.
They had already had the ‘none of this gets repeated to the Academy’ conversation a few times. At least with the details regarding Helen, Lillian felt confident letting Lacey overhear. Lacey had no love for Ibbot.
Lillian spoke, “Do your best, and please don’t kill Sylvester, Helen.”
Helen didn’t let the smile falter. “I’ll try not to.”
“Thank you.”
Lillian’s breathing wasn’t as hard or intense as it had been, earlier. The mention of Sylvester normally quickened it and drew her focus, but Helen was very aware of the fact that the subject of Sylvester dying had stopped all that. Sobering and concerning to Lillian. It mattered.
An imaginative part of Helen’s brain conjured up the notion that if something did happen to Sylvester, then Lillian might stop breathing altogether. Lillian liked him a lot, even now. It would break her heart.
Helen would have to try very hard, to not break Sylvester too much and break Lillian’s heart in the process.
“Lara wants to talk,” Nora said.
“Hold on,” Lillian said. “We’re not sure if Sylvester is listening in. Let’s wait until-”
“He’s not listening in. He’s over there. Or he was,” Nora said.
Mary turned her eyes away from the crack in the door. Lacey moved away from Nora to better see Nora’s face, her expression serious.
“Okay, honey,” Lillian said.
Helen could see the change in Lillian’s body language, she could hear the shift in breathing, and she imagined she could hear the increased speed of Lillian’s heartbeat. Her own heartbeats increased in response.
All of this was so enjoyable and so terrifying at the same time, like the thrill of standing on a ledge.
“Abby: Duncan’s asleep. But Quinton is okay. The rest of us are okay too.”
“Give Quinton a hug for me,” Helen said.
“Abby: Okay.”
“Let’s keep it serious,” Lillian said, quiet. Then, louder, she said, “Sy was there?”
“Ashton: Duncan got gassed. Sylvester wanted to talk. He talked with Duncan, then with me, then with Emmett. Emmett told Sylvester he was willing to negotiate, using what you told him to say. Then Sylvester disappeared.”
“Oh, okay, wow,” Lillian said. “Too many things to ask and respond to. Is Duncan okay? Do I need to treat him? Do I need to treat any of you?”
“Ashton: Sylvester said he would wake up with a bad headache. I don’t think we need you.”
“Alright,” Lillian said.
“Ashton: We wondered if we should tell you right away. We didn’t want to distract you when you’re in trouble, and Lara said you weren’t out of trouble.”
Mary spoke, her voice low, so she wouldn’t be heard by anyone outside, “We’re not, but it was right to fill us in. When in doubt, more information is best.”
“Ashton: I remember you saying that to Duncan. But the reason we decided to share was because we asked a woman and she said some things about the people chasing you. It sounds like the people Sylvester provoked and was fighting with, the really dangerous people, they work for the Devil. He’s the leader of the biggest gang and it sounds like he’s still out there, unless Sylvester got him and the ordinary people don’t know yet.”
“Then we have a target,” Mary said.
“A distraction, not a target,” Lillian said. “But we can discuss that. Anything else, Ashton?”
“Ashton: No. Except it sounds like the children who didn’t leave the city or hide in the houses of people they know might be at a place called the yard. We were going to go in the morning.”
“Good. Sleep. Take care of Duncan. Get him to drink lots when he’s awake. We’ll touch bases and ask questions when everything is wrapped up. But it’ll be redundant and unfair if we discuss the Sylvester situation before Duncan is conscious.”
“Ashton: Okay.”
“Okay,” Lillian said.
There was a brief pause. No further messages from the others.
“The false Lambs accomplished what we wanted,” Lillian said. “He’s showed himself and revealed his hand, a little.”
“But we’re tied up here,” Mary said, moving the door to peer through the gap.
“You know him better than I do,” Lacey said. “Why did Sylvester run? Why not take the offer and talk to Emmett?”
Helen, Mary, and Lillian all started speaking at the same time, each with their own interpretation.
Lacey held up a hand, indicating for them to be quiet, then pointed at Helen.
“He’s introducing himself,” Helen said. “He wants to greet the little ones, show off, let them know who he really is. He already started, leaving Quinton and the other animals for them. But if he ends up staying and asking about what Emmett knows, then their first impression of him is about that as much as it is about anything else.”
“Disagree?” Lacey asked Mary and Lillian.
“Not wholly,” Mary said, while Lillian shook her head.
“You both look like you want to say something. Mary?” Lacey asked.
“It’s part of it. He exposes himself to danger, the longer he’s there. He wants to act, leave an impact, and move on. And we can’t forget that he has schemes in play. We’re inside an organism of his making. He has to tend to it, keep it fed, keep everything in alignment. He’s probably running everywhere, trying to keep an eye on the Devil, on us, on the new Lambs, and on everyone that’s working for him.”
“Good,” Lacey said. “Lillian. Your thoughts.”
“It ties into what Helen said. He’s trying to prove something. Not just to the false Lambs, but to us. He wants to show that he’s okay, that he’s strong. He can’t negotiate with Emmett until he knows what Emmett wants and he he’s in a position of power. So he’s backing off. We put him on the back foot. It’s a good thing. Hopefully it’s a thing we can leverage later.”
“Predicated on dealing with the Devil. Even knowing he’s a distraction,” Mary said.
Lillian sighed.
“Do you disagree?” Mary asked.
“No. Can you and Helen handle it? Or at least get us started?”
Mary glanced at Helen.
“I want to kill,” Helen said. “I’m antsy.”
“We can handle it,” Mary said. “The group that was following us backtracked a few minutes ago, there are a few stragglers. If we deal with the stragglers, we can follow the others. Maybe back to the Devil.”
“I don’t think we should go after the Devil just yet, unless it’s to gather information,” Lillian said. “That was a lot of people he had running after us there. We don’t know what kind of resources he has.”
“We’ll move as a group,” Mary suggested. “You’re Sy’s most likely target, besides Duncan. You stay close.”
Lillian nodded.
Helen hugged her arms, felt the joints stretch as she used her own strength to the point that she was almost damaging herself. She felt the faint, tart-tasty rush at the sensation.
Too many parts of her brain were hungry for that sensation, and squeezing herself and stretching herself weren’t enough to sate that hunger.
“I’ll get set up first,” Lillian said. She undid the clasps on the container she’d brought with her. “Just in case.”
Helen fought back the eagerness by squeezing herself harder. She’d been on the boundary of damaging herself, and now she crossed those bounds, squeezing enough that skin would bruise and muscle would be damaged. She would be sore all night.
But it was important to keep the mask in place.
☙
It was just her and Mary. Helen felt that this was when Mary was most Mary and Helen was most Helen.
She was good at watching faces. She was good at seeing how people moved. Mary was a puppet guided by the hand of an expert puppeteer, one that had made her graceful and forceful in her movements, dangerous and stern to behold, held aloft by strings of razor wire.
It was with this keen eye for movement and expression that she saw a flicker of fear on Mary’s face. Not because Mary had seen a daunting enemy. No, Mary had looked back to see if Helen was keeping up, which was sometimes a problem. Helen had let the mask of smiles and cheer drop away. With no obvious targets to go after, she felt like a dog that had had its bone snatched away a few times before she could seize it. Teased, frustrated, overeager now.
As Mary had looked back, she had seen the naked hunger on Helen’s face, and Helen, in turn, had seen Mary pick up her pace and move a little further away.
“Soon,” Mary said.
Soon.
She didn’t like running. She wasn’t good at it. The ones who had gotten ahead of them had ended up too far ahead. Too hard to trace, and there weren’t enough other leads to follow. They hadn’t been able to follow them back to the Devil. Perhaps if Ashton and the other false Lambs hadn’t reached out, they might have left sooner. But Helen was glad that Ashton had called.
Mary’s hand went up, gesturing.
Helen took the direction, scaling the side of a building. Hooks at her wrists and the base of her toes helped provide the leverage. She hugged the wall, stretching to reach higher, and reduce the number of times she had to lift her own body weight up to the next point.
The roof had a heavy overhang, and she had to reach back and up to make contact with it. She gripped the underside of a board that pointed down to the ground, hard enough that her fingers bit into the wood, then let herself swing away from the wall. She folded herself up and over the edge, then hugged the roof as she moved up and across it.
This… this was okay.
She looked back, and she saw Lillian, Lacey, and Nora trailing behind. The group settled into a position just around the corner. Lillian signaled to Helen, and Helen signaled back.
In the other direction, there were people. Three men, a stitched, and a woman in a lab coat that was holding the leash of a medium-sized warbeast. It looked canine or feline, sleek and built |
are his gateway all-ins, as he's been able to catch quite a few opponents completely off guard.Overall this is a match between two similar players – both fairly average in macro games, and both having a knack for getting easy wins with all-ins on the right maps. It's all going to depend on who gets the build order advantages in which games, but I'll go with the more experienced Finale to come with a better game plan.– 1 BbyongRejoice, for the King hadst returned! After a spell of demotivation and general inactivity following his elimination from Code A and IEM Singapore, the eleven time Code A player YuGiOh got himself together in time for the preliminaries to qualify for his 12th tournament. YuGiOh admitted he hasn't brought his form back up to his peak level where he even made appearances in Code S, but it's still nice to see such a regular fixture of Code A back in action.Unfortunately for YuGiOh, he's been handed a very difficult draw in his return to his kingdom. Liquid's HerO might have fallen on a poor patch of form lately, dropping out of Code S and being 'just' 10 – 7 in Proleague, but he's still one of the toughest first opponents YuGiOh could have asked for. Forget their career achievements – just the fact that HerO has been practicing full kilt this entire time while YuGiOh has only recently returned to serious play is enough to make things look very grim for the ROOT Zerg.The one thing going for YuGiOh is that he beat all Protoss opponents to get through his Code A qualifier bracket, showing that he was able to recover a lot of his form in a short amount of time. If he's continued to recover at that pace, then HerO could be in for a surprisingly tough fight.– 1 YuGiOhIt's no doubt that BaBy/TY has been overhyped lately, but that's just the story of his career in general. All the way back to the Brood War days, TY has had the tendency to show a few incredible games that make him look like a title contender, followed by failure to live up to his considerable promise. Personally, I thought his awesome series against Flash in the Korean Air OSL of 2010 was his coming of age moment, but I've been left hanging for three years. In SC2, his scintillating Code A win over Symbol got plenty of people excited, but since then he's basically been a dud, with a 6 – 9 record in Proleague and quick elimination from Code S.Yet, he still manages to retain a lot of name value for some reason, which means this is a great opportunity for Avenge. He could be the one who redeems the ex-ZeNEX roster, who have looked pretty much like a throw-in in the Startale-Life acquisition. With a strong run through the prelims that included wins over Bravo and a different T8 Terran in Cure, Avenge definitely looks capable of taking down TY and causing the upset.– 1 TYYonghwa continues to be one of the most confounding players in the world, making it through a tough IPL6 Qualifier to secure a spot to Las Vegas just a month after embarrassingly going 0 – 5 in the Up/Down matches. It's not like it's booth nerves holding him back, as we've seen him crush in the GSTL and lower rounds of Code A. Yonghwa is just incredibly inconsistent, and that's all we can really say.One figures he should be favored against Reality, a player who hasn't been anything to write home about yet in the Proleague. But given Yonghwa's track record, is there really any telling what could happen? If I were a betting man, I'd stay the hell away from this match.– 1 Reality, but really, who can tell with Yonghwa?It's pretty indicative of Jaedong's shaky PvZ form that a match against the largely unremarkable Lure seems like a danger. TLPD shows a 12 – 19 record for Jaedong in the match-up, albeit with a somewhat improved record of 3 – 3 in the most recent months. We've had a chance to see some of the strong ZvP ability EG team members have been raving about in his games, but a lot of the time Jaedong has started strong only to somehow find a way to let the game slip through his fingers. Jaedong should win this match, but you can't help but feel a little bit uneasy.– 0 LureAfter HuK's painful 1 – 4 elimination from Code S, it doesn't look good for him now as he goes up against Samsung's Shine. Shine did happen to have a terrible December with a 0 – 6 record in Proleague, but since then he's started to show the skills that caused Samsung to continuously send him out in the first place. He's on a three game win streak in the Proleague, and he defeated MMA 2 – 0 to qualify for Code A.HuK does have a puncher's chance just because he plays a bizarre PvZ style revolving around weird two base pressures and all-ins that pretty much no one else in the world uses. Back in Code S, Sniper somehow dropped a map to HuK despite knowing about his style and playing with it in mind, due to some poor judgments against an 8-gate all-in he rarely faces. However, if there was ever a chance that Shine would get caught off guard, the fact that Sniper lost such a high profile match has probably eliminated it.– 0 HuKWhile the other names on the roster might be bigger, this could be the most high level match of the night. YoDa, a Code S regular in recent seasons, has been an excellent player in inconsistent spurts. His opponent, Tear, is one of the last Code B Bonjwas to finally make his Code A debut. He's shown he can hang with the best Code S players in FXO's GSTL runs, and elitist hipster fans have been touting his abilities for a long time.While YoDa could definitely win if he plays to his best, I've gotta side with the elitist hipster faction here. Their past darlings, such as Creator, Life, TaeJa, etc have all turned out to be excellent players. While Tear doesn't carry the same kind of hype that trio once did, he's still a player who has huge potential.– 1 YoDaIt's also just pretty striking to see men sitting around talking openly about their feelings. I feel like that vulnerability is kind of rare.
Yeah that's the big thing of like, Oh, dudes never talk about it — and I mean, I think they do. It's just [usually] one-on-one with your best friend. It's not soft to talk. It's alright to talk about this stuff and hopefully that'll get out there. There's some people mocking on Twitter that are like, "Now I'm listening to 4:44 and I'm a changed man," but there's something to making it ok to talk about this stuff.
Was there anyone you interviewed that really surprised you in either how forthcoming they were or what they're responses were?
It wasn't surprising to me because I've had the conversation with him personally, but Will Smith is more interesting a guy that you could ever capture in a movie or TV show. He seems so naturally upbeat and happy and positive, but that guy uses his money and his fame [to] like — he'll read an article about a therapist and be like, "I want this person to live with me." You know what I mean? Like, he just does cool shit with his money, he's like going inside, and again I've had the conversation with him off-camera, but it was more about him saying it on-camera. It's a matter of what clips end up being used, but I talked to him for an hour and half and it was riveting. Then Jay obviously. Even that first clip where he's like, "Oh, I felt once I met my dad, I'd be free to love," and it's like wait what did you just say JAY-Z?
Did you have any apprehensions about approaching the interview subjects about songs like "The Story of O.J."?
Because I'm white? No. Ya know, it's funny, I showed [Dave] Chappelle a couple cuts and I was like, "Do you think it's weird? I feel like no other white person has ever asked these guys these questions." It's like no white person ever goes, "Hey, how does it feel?" I mean when you're doing an interview with Jay or any of these guys, you're there to promote something so that's one type of interview they do, and the other type of interview they do is like talk shows, which no one is ever gonna go, "Hey how's racism feel?"
Chappelle was of the mind that it's actually cooler that they were saying it to a white person, [like] it makes it more charged. It's not like [I'm saying that] they'll be more heard or something, but [for example] one of the questions was "What do you wish white people knew about what it is like to be black?" Like straight up, what do you wish they knew.
But for better or worse, I'm comfortable talking about race and I also think, because of my pedigree, those guys assume that I won't botch it. They can be forthcoming with me and I''m empathetic [about it]. I mean they're more apt to give me an answer, based on pedigree and empathy than they might be to Chris Matthews. I don't fucking know why I said Chris Matthews but whatever.
I wanted to ask about the cast of characters — did they film any segments with women at all?
No, that was the kind of the point — having it just be men talking about emotions. Because there is a stigma about being emotionless. There's that joke in 3 Mics, it's like, "The only way black dudes are sad in public is if they do it with a saxophone." It's like here you go — here are the leaders being emotional in public. I think it's also a thing where it just felt like that was the move.
This album was completed very shortly before its release — how did that impact your filming?
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Well, the hard part was like, I heard the record six weeks ago or maybe two months ago at this point, but I only listened to it once with him. But it's hard to listen to something when I'm a big fan of his and never met him so, like, I'm adjusting to just meeting him and then I'm adjusting to listening. Like, it takes four or five listens to even get what every lyric is so I straight-up did not even catch the "mom's a lesbian" thing. I would've asked people questions about it or around it. So there was some that I missed that I wish I would've been able to hear again, but that's probably the biggest thing that's effected my filming, but yeah for the most part it was a very brief. it was basically like I saw a woman flash me and then they were just like, "Alright now describe them." And I was like, "Wait what, I saw them for like a second, I don't fucking know."The opening price of $24 puts the company's market capitalization at about $33 billion, about the size of Marriot and Target. Twitter's market cap is about 11 billion, while Facebook's is about $395 billion.
The young ephemeral photo messaging company posted a $515 million loss last year. At least a few Wall Street analysts reacted skeptically to the offering, issuing "sell" ratings on the stock.
Nonetheless, investors have bet on its quickly growing revenue and visionary leader, 26-year-old co-founder CEO Evan Spiegel. Spiegel arrived at the stock exchange on Thursday morning to ring the opening bell, with supermodel fiancee Miranda Kerr in tow, documenting with pictures on the app.
The Venice, California-based company, which serves augmented reality and cinematic advertisements to its young adult audience, could be a bellwether as other start-up giants, such as Airbnb and Uber, mull a public offering. The IPO was 12 times oversubscribed, sources said.
Snap enters the public market a day after the three major U.S. stock indexes posted their best session of the year. About $5 billion changed hands in Snap stock – that's roughly on par with what Twitter saw on its first day. However, that's much less than the $23 billion that changed hands in Facebook and the $25 billion that changed hands in Alibaba on their first day of trading.
Here's how the company stacks up so far to other big techIPOs, according to CNBC analysis of data from FactSet and Renaissance:
Facebook went public on May 18, 2012, priced at $38 per share. It gained only 0.61 percent in its debut closing at $38.23.
-Deal Size: Almost $16 billion
, priced at $38 per share. It gained only 0.61 percent in its debut closing at $38.23. -Deal Size: Almost $16 billion Twitter went public on Nov. 7, 2013, priced at $26 per share. It gained 72.69 percent in its debut closing at $44.90.
-Deal Size $1.82 billion (shares used to calculate do not contain the overallotment)
priced at $26 per share. It gained 72.69 percent in its debut closing at $44.90. -Deal Size $1.82 billion (shares used to calculate do not contain the overallotment) Alibaba went public on Sept. 19, 2014, and priced at $68 per share. It gained 38.07 percent in its debut closing at $93.89.
-Deal Size $21.77 billion (not including overallotment or green shoe)
and priced at $68 per share. It gained 38.07 percent in its debut closing at $93.89. -Deal Size $21.77 billion (not including overallotment or green shoe) LinkedIn went public on May 19, 2011, and priced at $45 per share. It doubled in its debut, gaining 109.44 percent to close at $94.25.
-Deal size $352.8 million
— CNBC's Leslie Picker, David Faber, Robert Hum Fred Imbert and Gina Francolla contributed to this report.
WATCH: Here's who got even richer from Snapchat's big IPOCongress wants security officials to explain how they determined that a small gyrocopter piloted by a Florida postal carrier was not a threat
Capitol-bound gyrocopter pilot'should have been blown out of the air'
Congressional lawmakers want security officials to explain how they determined that a small gyrocopter piloted by a Florida postal carrier didn’t pose a threat to the nation’s capital when it flew through restricted airspace.
“Multiple weapons” were aimed at the gyrocopter, but officials decided not to bring it down in part for fear of harming tourists and others on the National Mall, lawmakers said. The incident exposed a gap in efforts to ensure the security of the White House, the Capitol and other critical buildings in Washington.
“It all ended safe. There was no loss of life. It’s their judgment call to make,” said Jason Chaffetz, a Utah Republican and chairman of the House oversight committee.
The panel plans to hold a hearing on 29 April with representatives of six agencies charged with protecting Washington and its airspace: the Secret Service, US Capitol police, Congress’s Sergeant at Arms, the Federal Aviation Administration, North American Aerospace Defense Command, or Norad, and the US park police. Three of the agencies – the FAA, Norad and the Park Police – were no-shows at a closed-door briefing on Wednesday with panel members, irking the lawmakers.
“They’ve got a lot of explaining to do” about why they did not attend the briefing, Chaffetz said.
Pilot Doug Hughes, 61, is “lucky to be alive” and “should have been blown out of the air”, Chaffetz told reporters after the briefing.
Chaffetz said security agencies tracked Hughes as he approached the Capitol after taking off from Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. A combination of “lack of communication and some human error” by Capitol police and other officials allowed Hughes to steer his tiny aircraft across 30 miles of restricted airspace to within a few hundred feet of the Capitol before landing on the West Lawn, Chaffetz said.
The Utah Republican said he was deeply concerned at what he described as a near-miss in “a no-fail mission” for security agencies.
Congressman Elijah Cummings of Maryland, the committee’s top Democrat, called the incident a “wake-up call” to all law enforcement agencies involved. Capitol police, the secret service and other agencies need “to look very carefully at what happened here, dissect it, figure it out and use this to make things better,” he said.
Cummings and Chaffetz said they were outraged that members of Congress were not alerted to the potential security threat even as parts of the Capitol complex were placed under lockdown. “That’s inexcusable,” Chaffetz said.
Lawmakers were told during the briefing that “incursions” into the restricted air space around Washington occur nearly every day and are usually “dealt with in a smooth and professional manner”, Chaffetz said, in stark contrast to the gyrocopter incident.
Hughes’s stunt was aimed at drawing attention to campaign finance reform. He was charged with two federal crimes, violating restricted airspace and operating an unregistered aircraft, crimes that carry penalties of up to four years in prison and fines. His next court appearance is on 8 May.Carefully dribble glue gun glue into both ends of the wand (one at a time, waiting till each end is set). For the bigger of the two ends, you can pack the end with a little rolled up tissue pushed down a bit with a pencil so that you don't have to use too much glue. For the bigger end you will probably need to have two goes. If you are careful you can achieve a rounded end, as the glue is setting make sure that you rotate the wand to stop it slumping to one side or dripping over the edge. The same goes for the little end, although if you have wound the wand tightly enough, you will not need to fill this twice.
NOTE if you want your wand to be stiff and very robust, then instead of using the tighter rolled up paper core, you can fill it with epoxy resin. Epoxy resin is that sort of glue that you use by mixing up two parts. It can be very runny when mixed up, so you will need to plug the smaller end. After plugging the little end, but before plugging the big end, fill the wand with quick setting, two part epoxy resin. Use the 5 minute setting version rather than the really fast 90 second version and carefully dribble the glue down the inside of the wand, making sure not to get it on the outside. Don't worry If you do get a little bit on the outside though, just wipe it off carefully and quickly, you'll be painting over that later.by
Collective absorption into a rotting system may appear volitional, therefore consensus, but in fact represents structural fascism, an historically evolving societal formation and framework of power in which all reference to peace, justice, economic and cultural democratization has been weakened if not eliminated from consciousness through a pounding, reinforced assertion and affirmation of CAPITALISM. Structural because seemingly self-evident and painless, while in reality the process of what amounts to ideological acculturation takes on a universal suffocative effect through every available means of manipulation/compulsion, from a patriotism generated by and associated with war to everyday symbols of national pride drumming home the theme of exceptionalism. The American, much as Steig’s famous New Yorker cartoon of the individual trapped in his/her psychoanalytical cubicle muttering “People are no damn good,” is boxed-in to a narrow epistemological space of adherence to total passivity, conformity, loyalty. Force is not ruled out to achieve political-ideological acquiescence in America, for much as in the way Marx describes the stage of primitive accumulation in Das Capital, the enclosure movement in seventeenth-century England (a superb example of structural repression), America has had its analogous situation of primitive accumulation in the bloody suppression of the labor movement, say, 1877-1938, from the railway strikes of the first bloody era, to the sit-down strikes of the New Deal, with countless local skirmishes in between: a formative context of state militias, government troops, and Pinkertons pressing down on working people to ensure unions (when permitted) would be safe (the Nazi parallel, soldiers-in-industry) and radicalism would be declared unacceptable and un-American.
Here we are, the close of 2015, after more than two centuries of the unquestioned ascendancy of capitalism, to all intents, an exclusively capitalist polity, the principal institutions of the social order, particularly government and the military, functioning solely on its behalf, to the point in which capitalism itself disappears within, and is identified as, the society’s way of life. Hardness is the preparatory stage to softness, America as the macrocosm of Skinner’s box conditioning the behavior of rats. We are rats dressed in the finery of a free people, dedicated however to stripping those of whom we disapprove of their finery (i.e., dignity as human beings) so as to become rats and no more—a de-legitimation of all things contrary to US demands, values, and expectations. Only some are coming to recognize that what we do to others establishes the precedent for doing the same to ourselves, chickens coming home to roost, as in the determined effort to cheapen labor while strengthening the economic-social bonds of upper groups to act in concert as a cohesive ruling group for the perversion of democracy and the negation of the social welfare.
It is all so simple and straightforward, a normalization of repression as translated somehow, via consumerism, sport, popular culture, into freedom, notwithstanding the narrow boundaries for its expression. Consider the presidential debates currently underway, in which the only thing distinguishing the parties is tone, not substance, a matter-of-fact acceptance of imperialism as America’s right, and refusal to stare into the abyss of America’s moral emptiness when it comes to employment, a living wage, medical benefits, the state of quality education for every child and opportunities to expand from there, all sacrificed to presumed exigencies of the Garrison State, a massive military budget destroying the vitals of civilized society. Militarization, too, is normalized as the nation’s condition of existence, militarism the proudly proclaimed yet at the same time hidden motivating spirit because couched in the rhetoric of survival, righteousness, duty to God and country (a neatly-tied bundle of Exceptionalism). Barrington Moore’s Harvard lectures on political sociology referenced what he termed “narcotization,” the appeal of bread-and-circuses to keep the populace tractable, an idea not unlike Herbert Marcuse’s, stated in, I believe, the epilogue to Reason and Revolution, the absorption of society’s negativity, perhaps an Hegelian way of saying, all systems go in curtailing/destroying opposition to the System.
Soft Fascism, quotation marks removed because we have become reconciled to our condition of self-repression, even to the point of praising it Panglossian-fashion as the best of all possible worlds. How comforting to know that we can stare eyeball-to-eyeball with Putin and Xi in light of our immense nuclear arsenal, and if the Conflagration comes, so be it, we have always been right from the start! The morality of profound immorality, the reliance on force to achieve the Nirvana of ultimate peace—as in the collective death wish of a failed social order, returning us to my starting point: collective absorption into a rotting system. Look at those who represent “America’s finest” in the political arena, jackals of despair who mouth platitudes of strength. Last night’s Democratic debate (Dec. 18), the supposed opposition to all that Republicans hold dear, reflected instead a not-so-pale carbon copy of the latter’s agenda, focused on terrorism as the magic bullet to hold up in order to frighten the American people, to subdue and quell all resistance to continued intervention abroad, similarly, alternative ways of thinking, governing, living, at home. Ironically, this psychological-ideological message hammered home incessantly is becoming increasingly unnecessary, the Pavlovian response having already been validated.
A Clinton-Trump presidential election in 2016 would represent rock-bottom in the confirmation of America’s desire for continued unilateral global supremacy, a venture by both candidates to the precipice of total war for the sake of national honor (i.e., advanced-capitalist development). The US is largely responsible for the manufacture of terrorism through successive interventions in the Muslim world, only then to use terrorism as an ideological crutch for mounting universal political-economic expansion. The ultimate referent here is American capitalism, on which we can be sure Trump looks with favor, and, in the Democratic debate, we find Clinton using phony rhetoric to mask her own strong commitment to capitalism; for when asked, “Should corporate America love Hillary Clinton?”, she replied, “I want to be the president for the struggling, the striving and the successful”—can’t be done, when the successful are responsible for conditions creating the struggling. Hillary, above class, above party, desperately wanting to be loved by everyone as the formula for class reconciliation, the status quo, and the rule of upper groups. A close relation to Wall Street, clearly on a par with that of Trump, which despite his wealth may view him as unstable and unpredictable, provides her with the bridge for the execution of an aggressive military-foreign policy: little to choose between the two front-running candidates.
The politicization of terrorism by both parties brings McCarthyism up-to-date as 21st Century Americanism. We know ourselves by whom we hate, and who hates us. Ethnocentrism and xenophobia have perhaps never been so prevalent and popular in the American psyche than now, Muslims today in the minds of Americans becoming the equivalent of Jews in the minds of Germans in the 1930s—the demiurge of extermination lying just below the surface of political discourse. From Cruz’s remarks on carpet-bombing to the remainder of the candidates of both parties, we see haste in showing who is fairest (i.e., toughest) of them all in fighting terrorism, a muscular appeal to the public quavering in fear. Patrick Healy, in his New York Times article, “Bernie Sanders Falls Behind in a Race Centered on Security,” (Dec. 19), does not exaggerate in writing, “Americans are more anxious about terrorism than income inequality. They want the government to target the Islamic State more than Wall Street executives and health insurers. All of this plays to Mrs. Clinton’s strengths—not only as a hawkish former secretary of state but also as a savvy politician who follows the public mood.” I briefly alluded to America’s race to the bottom, fear of terrorism greasing the wheels, and one can expect the other candidates, as in the Democratic debate and the Republic roster, to follow suit in a race to catch up or sprint to a glorious finish. The curtain descends on false consciousness, America’s corporate-financial elite smiling in the wings.This recipe works best in a food processor, but if you're old school, go ahead and chop to your hearts content. First thing you should do is take the flax meal and mix with water, you want to give it some time to combine to an egg-like, gelatinous consistency. In the meantime, load up the food processor with the remainder of the ingredients, once the flax has combined, add that into the mix.
Pulse the food processor to start, and then process until the ingredients are finely chopped and uniform. At this point, the mixture should be wet enough to form into balls of falafel - I usually use a tbsp measuring spoon as my form for the falafel. Once all your falafel are formed, get some oil up to frying temp and drop these puppies in, 3-5 minutes per side should get the outside nice and crispy, but keep an eye out so they don't burn. Remove from oil and let them set-up and drain on some paper towel.
Boom! There you have it, keto falafel. High in protein, omegas, and best of all low-carb. My go-to way to serve these is over a bed of lettuce, garnished with tomato and cucumbers, and a generous drizzle of tahini. Enjoy!Rwanda looks set to gain control over its own web domain, ".rw" (ccTLD) after a seven-year long process of transferring it from Belgium.
Rwanda Information Communication Technology Association (RICTA) is set to manage the government's web domain after using formal procedures to apply for its repatriation.
RICTA is a non-profit making organisation representing the Rwanda Internet community. It comprises of various ICT institutions and individuals.
It was formed in 2005 with the objective of managing the country code top level domain, and act as well as a discussion forum for issues pertaining to the Rwandan Internet community.
The domain is currently managed in Belgium by Frederic Gregoire a Belgian entrepreneur under his Swiss-based company NIC Congo - Interpoint.
Gregoire has held registration rights for the web domain since 1995 after registering it through the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), the organisation charged with coordinating the internet's domain names.
However last week, ICANN Board of Directors passed a resolution supporting the redelegation of.rw domain back to Rwanda.
The process of obtaining control of.rw began in 2005 when the government approached ICANN to discuss the transfer of the domain name into the country's control. ICANN recommended that private institutions should manage domain names.
Geoffrey Kayonga, Chief Executive Officer of RICTA, said it's a big step in the redelegation process and a number of stakeholders have been involved, including the Rwanda Development Board that provided the hosting and office space and Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Agency that provided the budget support through Universal Access Fund.
"We look forward to having it soon so that we can be able to maximize the use of our national identity on the internet domain," he said.
In an interview with The New Times, Jean Philbert Nsengimana, Minister of ICT and Youth said: "The person who acquired our country's top level domain is actually not going to do this on a friendly basis, it's the resolution of ICAAN board which is going to oblige him to redelegate the domain back to Rwanda.
Nsengimana stated that the government went through formal procedures to bring it back to Rwanda.
Once repatriated, Rwanda will be among the last countries in the world to gain control over their own web domains.How do you improve the economy? If you ask some Republican members of Congress, the best way is to throw 1.3 million people into deeper poverty, starting this week.
For some time, right-wing think tanks and conservative politicians have held on to a number of arguments that they believe prove it's a good idea to let unemployment benefits lapse for 1.3 million people. None of those arguments holds up under the least bit of scrutiny. America's economy would be far better off if Congress extended unemployment benefits.
To look at their points, one by one, is to understand that the Republican opposition to extending unemployment benefits is dishonest. It also stands to alienate many Republican voters, particularly in the south, where poverty is widespread.
GOP myth #1: Cutting unemployment benefits forces the unemployed to get off their couches and bootstrap themselves into good jobs
That argument may be true in a good economy, but it's false in a rocky one, where there aren't many jobs to go around. The scale of the US unemployment problem is far past the reach of bootstrapping. The US has over 10 million people unemployed, 4 million of them for more than 6 months (what we call the "long-term unemployed"). There are nearly another million people discouraged at being unable to find work, and 8 million others in low-wage, temporary jobs because they can't find full-time work. In short, it is the worst employment market since the recession of the late 1970s and early 1980s. In addition, families, thin on cash, aren't helping each other as much, leaving the unemployed without a private fallback from family and friends.
The truth is, "bootstrapping" is not open to everyone. It is determined by class, education (which is often a function of class) and race. Pew Research found that those who "bootstrap" successfully already come from a place of privilege: they are mostly white, college-educated, and in dual-earner families. This is an economy where even a college degree is worth less than it used to be. There are twice as many college graduates working for minimum wage jobs now than 5 years ago. And roughly one out of every eight recent college graduates are unemployed (pdf), according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
GOP myth #2: Extending unemployment benefits will be a drag on the economy
The implication here is that cutting benefits will boost the economy and force people to get jobs. It's a nice fantasy, but it doesn't work out that way. North Carolina tried cutting off benefits six months ago when the state found itself strapped for cash. The result? It wasn't that more people found jobs. Instead, 95,000 people dropped out of the workforce. Net result: an increase in unemployed workers slammed the state's workforce to its lowest level in 37 years, worsening the state's already deep economic inequality.
GOP myth #3: Unemployment benefits should be extended only after the government can cut other programs to "afford" it
Many Republicans, including House Speaker John Boehner, claim aid to the unemployed should only be extended if the government cuts other programs in order to pay for the additional aid to the jobless. There are three major problems with this.
The first is that, despite the stubbornly held idea in some Tea Party circles, budget deficits have little to no influence on economic growth, stock market returns, the value of the dollar, or even on who gets elected to public office (pdf). The idea that deficits are dangerous to the economy in any pressing way has very little, if any, plausible intellectual backing. This idea should get a lot more pushback and challenge, but since Congress itself is barely competent on financial issues, it does not. In fact, it has been far more damaging to the economy to cut deficits right now. Pursuing austerity has led to the loss of government jobs, as Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke has said repeatedly.
The second problem is that the government can already "afford" unemployment insurance. Unemployment insurance is already largely paid for by employers, and the government tops it off. Because unemployment insurance is seen as an immediate need, previous Congresses have not held it hostage for budget negotiations. As White House adviser Gene Sperling pointed out, extensions of unemployment insurance – even during the five extensions in the Republican Bush years – usually occur with no cuts in other parts of the budget.
The third problem is that Congress has not proven any competence at creating a budget in a timely or effective way. It took Congress over four years of pointless mudwrestling, smack talk and endless economic wreckage to agree on a single budget – just last month – and even that budget is incomplete. It's a pipe dream to believe that anyone in Congress has the appetite or competence to go another round like that to find appropriate cuts to match unemployment benefits. In addition, the lives of 1.3 million people should not be reduced to a political chip played by lawmakers who are, frankly, not very good at this particular variety of fiscal poker.
GOP myth #4: Jobless aid is only a handout that does nothing to solve the underlying economic trouble
This argument holds no water, either. Unemployment is not a handout – unemployment insurance is paid for by employers, and accounted for in the system. It is true that extending unemployment does nothing to fix the economic recovery, but then, that is not the purpose of unemployment benefits. Boosting the recovery is the job of Congress to some extent, and they have done nothing since 2009 to pass legislation that increases jobs or handles job-promoting national issues, like infrastructure.
Overall, the congressional debate this week about unemployment benefits has no reason to exist. There is no reason not to extend benefits, and every reason to prevent over a million Americans from losing what little cushion they have. If the government has any responsibility to its people, it's not to force them into poverty when they have no other financial options.The coming age of cars that drive themselves will have all kinds of unintended repercussions, not the least of which is a drastic drop in ticket revenues collected from lead-footed drivers. But if you refuse to hand over the wheel to an algorithm, determined to go as fast as you like, and keep your cash from Johnny Law, you're gonna want a radar detector.
Radar detectors have been around for decades, but as cops think up new ways to catch us breaking the law, the gadgets must evolve. Gone are the days when it was enough to have K band and X band. Today's detectors have GPS, Bluetooth, and digital signal processing, which increases the speed at which it finds radar signals. But nowadays tickets don't just come from cops hiding alongside highways, they come from overhead, in the form of red light cameras and aircraft.
The 360 Max, the latest from longtime radar detector company Escort, takes everything a bit further. The biggest advance tackles the most annoying thing about radar detectors: They put out a lot of false positives. That's because cops aren't the only ones with radars. How do you think the automatic doors at your local Walgreens know you're there?
That's why Escort added what it calls "AutoLearn." Each time it picks up a signal, it logs its frequency and location. If it sees the same one twice, it assumes it's coming not from a ticket-spewing cop, but from something non-threatening. If it sees that signal again, it won't bother you—meaning you have that many fewer beeps and flashing lights to ignore on your commute.
But what about increasingly common red light cameras? The Max 360 doesn't actually spot them, but it knows they're there all the same, tapping into a database Escort has built with data from unspecified third parties. As you approach a camera-armed intersection, the unit gives you a voice warning, just in case you were thinking about pushing a yellow light.
And those pesky planes? There's no easy answer, says Tim Coomer, Escort's VP of product. You'd need a massive antenna to pick up an aircraft thousands of feet overhead, but Escort's data includes known air patrol areas. That's not any more helpful than posted signs warning you about those patrols, but hey, more data never hurts. "It's all about awareness |
published in 1860. In fact, when he stopped writing in June 1858, he had not that much further to do to complete the book to the draft stage. Judging by the Origin, he had but four topics left to cover. He had to complete geographic distribution, write de novo chapters on palaeontology and on the related topics he grouped together under classification, morphology, embryology, and rudimentary organs, and he had to write the concluding chapter. In other words, 70% of the topics were already done, and while distribution and palaeontology could well have become double chapters, as they are in the Origin, the remaining topics contained no conceptual difficulties to compare with those, such as divergence and instinct that he had already resolved, at least to his own satisfaction. Given the rate that Darwin was working, publication sometime in 1859-1861 was definitely in sight.
But in June 1858, as he noted in his diary, his writing was ‘interrupted’, as is well known, by the arrival of Alfred Russel Wallace’s paper espousing not only evolution, but evolution by an agency that Darwin in his shock saw—accurately or not—as closely akin to natural selection. By July Darwin had regrouped and began writing what he called an abstract of the big book. This new version of the species book would have no footnotes or bibliography, have far less detail, and would be far more readable than Natural Selection. Some nine months later, in March 1859, the abstract was completed and was published on 24 November 1859 as On the Origin of Species, or the preservation of favoured races in the struggle for life. While Darwin carefully preserved many thousands of manuscript pages leading up to the draft of the Origin, and continued to add notes to the Origin portfolios into the 1870s, he seems to have placed little value on preserving the draft itself, and all that survive seem to be mainly those few sheets whose blank sides were used by his children, particularly his son Francis, for drawing paper and those retrieved from the trash basket by others of Darwin’s children, particularly his daughter Henrietta. In total, 45 manuscript pages of the draft, 7 slips with lettered inserts to various pages and 1 fair copy page have been found. Of the 45 full sheets, 26 sheets are part of the Charles Darwin Papers in Cambridge. Most of the latter were distributed as souvenirs by Leonard Darwin acting in consort with his sister Henrietta either to other members of the family or to various scientists and scientific institutions. Leonard in particular gave sheets to fellow supporters of the eugenics movement in Britain and the United States. Ultimately many of the distributed sheets were sold on the open market to collectors and major libraries. Thus the small surviving trove of Origin sheets is the one and only element of the Creation of the Origin collection that isn’t wholly held by Cambridge University Library and Down House.
Part II Darwin’s Evidence — the second half and final instalment of Charles Darwin’s Evolution Manuscripts, will be released in June 2015 and constitutes the full, extant documentary record of notes and drafts for the extensive empirical research programme that Darwin undertook in preparing his eight post-Origin books on plants and humans. Darwin used the many experiments and observations he conducted, and the mass of information he compiled from his reading, to establish a well-worked evidentiary framework to support the central theoretical claim of the Origin, namely: that selection has worked in nature to produce evolutionary adaptations. For humans his most focussed empirical study led to Expression of Emotions, which appeared in 1872 and was a compliment to the Descent of Man (1871), which is based on a large compilation of information extracted from the scientific literature. For plants Darwin observed, dissected, and experimented on a wide variety of adaptive phenomena, namely: orchid fertilisation strategies (Orchids 1862, 1877), complex outbreeding mechanisms such as heterostyly and dichogamy (Cross and Self Fertilisation, 1876 and Forms of Flowers 1877), and a series of physiological books (Insectivorous Plants, 1875) and various forms of movement, such as climbing and phototropism (Climbing Plants, 1865, 1875 and Power of Movement 1880).Newfoundlanders and Labradorians kept up their reputation for making the best of a bad situation Monday night, when a group of them turned a delayed flight into an impromptu singalong.
Passengers had just found out their WestJet flight from Toronto to St. John's was going to be delayed for just over 30 minutes.
So, Sheldon Thornhill thought it would be a good time to break out his accordion, and fellow musician Sean Sullivan opened his guitar case to ramp up the fun.
Add a group of enthusiastic singers who knew the words to some classic songs, and all the ingredients for a Newfoundland kitchen party were there.
"My buddy with the accordian, Sheldon... I'm a bit shyer than he is," said Sullivan. "Anytime we're gathered around airports like that, he's often taking out his accordian just out of the blue and start playing for people."
A few dozen people joined in singing a handful of songs such as Grey Foggy Day, Sweet Forget Me Not, and Music and Friends.
Even the youngsters got involved, with 10-year-old Liam Corrigan standing front-and-centre to sing Capelin Time by The Dunne Family.
"We knew he was a good singer so he came over and did a couple of solos on his own so that made the occasion all that much sweeter, you know," Sullivan told the St. John's Morning Show.
"He sang for me and Sheldon up in Trepassey when he was only six years old... I knew he was a decent singer and I didn't realize how good he's after improving."
The WestJet captain was singing along, Sullivan said, adding that most people seemed to appreciate the entertainment after hours of travel.
Videos go viral
Michelle Sacrey Philpott recorded several of the songs and posted them on Facebook, and by the time her flight landed in St. John's, they had been viewed hundreds of thousands of times.
"Everyone was talking about the videos when we got off the flight because so many people seen it, it was quite funny," she said.
Check out the videos below:On his fifth day on the job as Donald Trump’s new chief of staff, John Kelly gathered about 200 White House aides for a meeting where he spelled out in blunt terms the way things are going to work in the West Wing he now oversees.
The retired Marine Corps four-star general said he didn’t care whether they had been part of the Trump campaign or had joined the administration from Capitol Hill or another corner of the political world, according to people who attended the meeting. They all work for the president now, he told them, and they had to act as one team.
Echoing the Marines’ credo of “God, Country, Corps,” Kelly said he expects all of them to put country first, the president second, and their own needs and priorities last. He stressed work ethic. And he sharply warned them against leaking, an obsession of Trump’s. Even if it may seem innocuous to pass along some bit of classified information to someone without a clearance, he said, it’s a crime.
READ MORE:WASHINGTON, DC, January 10, 2015 (ENS) – A new type of solar pavement that can generate electricity and send it to the power grid is being developed by the U.S. company Solar Roadways, with funding from the federal government say Michael Trentacoste and Robert Johns of the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Trentacoste is associate administrator of the Federal Highway Administration’s Office of Research, Development, and Technology. Johns is director of Volpe, the National Transportation Systems Center.
Solar Roadways, Inc., based in Sandpoint, Idaho, created the new pavement in response to a 2009 solicitation from the Federal Highway Administration that asked companies to develop a new pavement that could generate power and transfer it to the grid.
To receive initial funding from the DOT, the pavement had to use recycled material, withstand traffic loads, and be durable enough to avoid costly replacement cycles.
In response to this solicitation, Solar Roadways began proof-of-concept work on self-sustaining pavement, made from hexagon-shaped solar panels.
If successful, this pavement could eliminate the current practice of replacing asphalt, and ultimately transform the nation’s roadways into an intelligent pavement system, say Trentacoste and Johns.
The Solar Roadway panels feature LED lights that can paint the road lines with light from beneath the pavement, lighting up the road for safer night time driving.
Since Solar Roadways’ proof-of-concept results were promising, the Federal Highway Administration awarded a Phase II contract in 2011 to develop and test a prototype for a pavement made of solar panels.
After testing multiple glass samples in various shapes for traction, load, impact resistance, and transmissivity, Solar Roadways discovered that the optimal solar panel could be made from low-iron glass with a transparent surface. The resulting system surpasses the limitations of today’s asphalt pavement by providing four-color LED lighting and heating features that melt snow from the road.
“Everyone was encouraged by the results of the initial prototype pavement testing, and we recently awarded Solar Roadways a follow-on Phase IIB contract to continue developing and testing this exciting innovation,” write Trentacoste and Johns on the DOT website.
The co-inventors and co-founders of Solar Roadway, Julie and Scott Brusaw, say their pavement has special benefits for drivers of electric vehicles.
“Since the Solar Roadway creates and carries clean renewable electricity, EVs can be recharged at any conveniently located rest stop, or at any business that incorporates Solar Road Panels in their parking lots (restaurants for instance). Owners can plug their cars in and recharge while they’re eating or shopping,” they say. “Engineers are even investigating ways to use mutual induction to charge EVs while they are driving down the Solar Roadway!”
Scott is an electrical engineer with over 20 years of industry experience. Julie is a counseling psychologist. They met as small children. Scott says he envisioned “electric roads” in early childhood. He has one drawing left from that time – a version of an electric road before most people had ever even heard of solar power.
One of the problems Solar Roadways must still resolve is the manufacturing process for the composite solar panels. Today each of the solar cells is manufactured by hand, and they are very costly to produce.
With embedded heating elements, the solar pavement can melt snow on the road or keep water from freezing, so Trentacoste and Johns suggest that even if the cost for comprehensive highway implementations is too high, the innovation could still be useful in smaller areas such as parking lots, sidewalks, driveways, and bike lanes.
In addition to DOT funding, Solar Roadways has also raised US$2.2 million through its own crowdfunding efforts. They used the funding contributed by the public to hire employees for the company while DOT funds are used to conduct further testing, make product and process refinements.
They received donations from 165 countries, which the Brusaws say is “a clear indication that the world is ready for the paradigm shift Solar Roadways will become.”
Trentacoste and Johns write, “With the increasingly important worldwide goal for sustainable pavement solutions, DOT has received a lot of positive feedback about this project, and enthusiasm for Solar Roadways’ work is pretty high.”
Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 2016. All rights reserved.KUSA - The home stadium for the Denver Broncos is called Sports Authority Field at Mile High.
Despite the sporting goods retailer's reported financial troubles, Sports Authority Field at Mile High the Broncos' stadium shall remain.
"Sports Authority has been an excellent partner with our organization for the past 10 years,'' Patrick Smyth, the Broncos' vice president of public relations, said. "During this period, they have made every payment as part of our sponsorship and naming rights agreement. There have been no changes to our long-standing relationship with Sports Authority.''
Sports Authority replaced Invesco, an investment management company, as the Broncos' stadium naming rights partner beginning with the 2011 season. Sports Authority pays an average $6 million a year, with 50 percent going to the Broncos and the other 50 percent going to the Metropolitan Football Stadium District, which uses its funds on capital improvements to the facility.
The naming rights arrangement runs through July 2021.
There is now concern as to whether Sports Authority will last that long. The company has been laying off employees and reportedly is about to close 140 of its 450 stores across the country, including several in the Denver area, like the Sports Castle on Broadway.
(© 2016 KUSA)
Copyright 2016 KUSAIt has been my view since the Donbas war broke out last year that the least-worst outcome for all parties would be a stable frozen conflict with an agreed upon zone of separation monitored by the OSCE and patrolled by an armed international peacekeeping force – an arrangement that I referred to in earlier posts as the “Transnistria on the Donbas” solution.
More recently, I have been skeptical that the ceasefire and separation of forces provisions in Minsk II would come fully into effect because I didn’t think the Kremlin viewed a stable frozen conflict as in its geopolitical interest. Instead, I expected Moscow to seek to keep the conflict unstable, with at least low level fighting at various points along the line of contact in an effort to maintain pressure on Kyiv, and more importantly to sow divisions within Europe and between Europe and the United States.
I still think this “unstable frozen conflict” scenario is the least unlikely outcome. But I have changed my mind in at least one respect, which is that I think the likelihood of a stable frozen conflict emerging in eastern Ukraine has increased since the fall of Debaltseve.
My reasoning, which I will elaborate on in a longer post later this week, is as follows.
The intensity of fighting has been diminishing. The line of contact has become more coherent and defensible. Neither side appears capable of taking considerable additional territory unless Moscow dramatically increases the scale and nature of its military involvement. The Kremlin appears to have concluded, correctly in my view, that an escalation of the war would do nothing to solve what it sees as its key security problem, which is NATO’s growing military presence near its borders. On the contrary, it would almost certainly make that problem much worse. I also suspect that the Kremlin has concluded, again correctly, that a major escalation of the fighting would lead to increased Western military assistance, including provision of lethal weapons, to Ukraine, and that would in turn risk a full blown war between Russian and Ukraine and even a direct military clash with NATO. This may have led the Kremlin to conclude in turn that it will be more effective at promoting Western disunity if it allows a lasting ceasefire to take effect while seeking to undermine Ukrainian political stability using more subtle methods. Finally, the most likely way for a stable frozen conflict to emerge in eastern Ukraine is not some kind of Minsk III agreement establishing a buffer zone patrolled by an international peacekeeping force. Rather, the more likely path is by means of military facts on the ground – that is, by virtue of both sides building up defensive positions along the line of contact, thereby establishing a de facto controlled border. The OSCE would continue to monitor the line and report on ceasefire violations and force dispositions, but there would be no armed peacekeepers and very little separation between the combatants. This, I should note, is more or less what we have had in Nagorno-Karabakh (albeit in very different terrain). With luck, violence would continue to diminish, and at some point a full ceasefire might take effect, but there will always be a risk that the ceasefire will break down (as in Nagorno-Karabakh today) – which is to say, this “Karabakh on the Donbas” outcome will be less stable than a “Transnistria on the Donbas” one.Back in December, Bryan Price opined in these pages that young pitchers should throw more, not less. The Cincinnati Reds manager was referring to the minor leagues — youthful amateurs are a different story — which is essentially finishing school for up-and-coming hurlers. In Price’s view, “throwing is the only way for them to learn the craft.” For that reason, they should “carry a heavier workload.”
Price uttered those words at a winter-meetings media session, which limited his ability to elaborate on, and clarify, certain salient opinions. With that in mind, I recently followed up with the former pitching coach to give him that opportunity. Injuries and causation was the first subject he addressed.
“I don’t see anything in our baseball community — our pitching community — that suggests protecting these kids by decreasing their workload leads to a lessening of the number of injuries that require surgery,” said Price. “We have yet to put a finger on how we’re going to cure, and completely avoid, the Tommy John issues, the ulnar collateral ligament issues. Perhaps it’s training methods, and kids playing year round now, as opposed to playing seasonal sports. That would be my guess, but I don’t know that as a fact.
“What I do know is that, in the last 7-10 years, the amount of innings being pitched, and the amount of pitches being thrown per game, has decreased, yet we haven’t seen a decrease in the amount of injuries in professional baseball. So I don’t think putting these kids in bubbles and limiting them is necessarily the right answer. How do you develop pitchers if they’re not allowed to throw the baseball?”
In the December interview, Price said he wouldn’t mind seeing pitchers in the Cincinnati system throwing twice between starts. He expounded on that in our more recent conversation.
“When I was [a minor-league pitching coach] with Seattle, we adopted a new throwing program,” recalled Price. “That was in 1991. Our starters threw twice between bullpens, from the beginning of the season until about the middle of July. What we did is temper the effort level to about 60-70%. The first bullpen would be somewhere in the neighborhood of 30-35 pitches and was mostly fastball-changeup. The next day, the same starter would throw a second bullpen of 15 to 20 pitches, and work on a breaking ball, or on a quick delivery from the stretch.
“What it did was give a pitching coach two days between starts to work with, and evaluate, the pitcher without asking him to throw one 30-pitch bullpen where he was fully taxing his arm. What we found is that our pitchers increased their strike percentage, improved their overall command, improved their ability to throw a changeup, and improved their times to the plate. We had some very productive years in Seattle with our pitching — not unscathed by injury, but without being crippled by it either.”
The Reds are currently going a more traditional route with their between-starts bullpens. According to director of player development Jeff Graupe, Cincinnati minor leaguers “generally throw one side session of 30-40 pitches, and possibly one flat ground.” The sides are catered to each individual pitcher, with fatigue, performance, and workload factored in.
Along with mechanics, training regimens and velocity are part of the injury-risk equation. Price proffered that while you can’t strengthen ligaments and tendons, you can strengthen the muscle groups around them. As he put it, “The real question is, ‘What’s in the best interest of the pitcher as far as gaining strength and maintaining, or increasing, flexibility?’ I think that’s been the challenge. Every time you have a series of injuries in an organization, you look around to see if everything you’re doing is the right way to do it.”
As for the radar-gun readings being produced by bigger, stronger pitchers, Price might prefer high octane, but he didn’t sound overly enamored with it.
“I’ve never seen so many hard throwers in the game,” said Price. “But that doesn’t mean velocity [correlates] to success. “Right now, we have 35 pitchers in big-league camp, and we might have half-a-dozen guys that can touch 97, 98, 99, maybe 100 mph. And they’re not our five or six most successful pitchers.”
That said, does increased velocity make pitchers more susceptible to injury?
“That’s a tough question,” said Price. “I just know what I’ve seen with my eyes, and I continue to see kids getting hurt under the best of circumstances. The Washington Nationals couldn’t have been more protective of Stephen Strasburg than the were, and he suffered an injury to his ulnar collateral ligament. He’s one example of many, of teams bending over backwards to try to ensure that a pitcher doesn’t get hurt, and he got hurt anyway. It keeps happening, and I don’t have an answer as to why. I don’t think anyone does.”Chances are, so are you.
Photo by PETER MUHLY/AFP/Getty Images
Anna North at BuzzFeed reports on newly released Planned Parenthood data showing that many people are uncomfortable with the labels “pro-choice” and “pro-life,” research that Planned Parenthood says has convinced them to stop using these kinds of labels altogether. What’s irritating about this decision is that, in Planned Parenthood’s focus groups, people who are, in fact, pro-choice run away from the term:
“I’m neither pro-choice nor pro-life,” said one woman in a focus group commissioned by Planned Parenthood. “I’m pro-whatever-the-situation is.” Said another, “there should be three: pro-life, pro-choice and something in the middle that helps people understand circumstances […] It’s not just back or white, there’s grey.”
The correct term for people who want abortion to be decided on a case-by-case basis is pro-choice, unless, of course, these focus-group participants imagine a panel to which each woman has to make her case in order to determine if she’s a good enough girl to avoid punishment by forced childbirth. (Sadly, such panels did exist in the era before Roe v. Wade and subjected women to the humiliation of having to beg for abortions to a commission of men who strongly believed they knew best what a woman needed.) But if the women mean, as I suspect they do, that they are not pro-abortion but rather pro- a woman being able to make her decision based on her circumstances, that is the very definition of pro-choice. (Many, many women who for years have labeled themselves as pro-choice are, at the same time, in favor of creating circumstances that will decrease the number of abortions. I don’t know anyone who actually cheers when an abortion is completed.)
I wish that instead of using this information to abandon the term pro-choice, Planned Parenthood would try to get focus-group participants to clarify how their vague feelings should translate into policy, though the inefficacy of that strategy is reason enough to avoid it.
The reason that pollsters routinely get such weird and conflicting answers about abortion rights (for instance, Gallup’s polling shows that significant numbers of people who identify as “pro-life” want abortion to be legal) is because abortion rights are our culture’s shorthand for attitudes about sexuality and women’s roles, which Americans are ever conflicted about. Women are expected to be sexy and sexually skilled, but there’s still a lot of negativity aimed at women who are perceived as liking sex too much. Women long to be independent and strong, yet there’s still a fear that you’re a bad woman if you don’t subsume your identity into marriage and child-rearing. When you mention abortion to people, it brings up an overload of fears and desires and expectations around sex and gender roles, and in that mish-mash, getting clear thinking about health care policy is hard to do. That’s why women who are clearly pro-choice shy away from the term. It has little to do with its denotation—which is that some believe that the choice of when to give birth rests with a woman and her doctor and not the state—and everything do with the connotations that have been attached to it.
I can see why Planned Parenthood might want to shed the term in order to get these conflicted people to realize they are on Planned Parenthood’s side. But I’m afraid that the desire to go label-free is doomed to fail. I’m not going to start writing pieces where I describe pro-choice organizations as pro-whatever-the-situation-is organizations or help-people-understand-the-circumstances organizations. Labels are simply part of language, and shorthand rhetoric is part of the political debate. As long as abortion is a contested issue, there’s no opting out of that.
The only real choice you have is to label yourself or let others do it for you, and of those two options, smart folks will pick the former every time. Pro-choice has its drawbacks, but at least it’s accurate.Extra security guarded the door at the day-long online harassment summit on Saturday at Austin’s SXSW tech festival.
It’s for a good reason: threats of violence often accompany those who speak about the online hate mob Gamergate and its impact on women and minorities in the video game community. Those threats led the SXSW organizer Hugh Forrest, citing “ threats of on-site violence ”, to shut down the Gamergate discussion session. After public outcry, organizers relaunched it as a full-day program.
It’s a huge topic. Forty percent of internet users have experienced online harassment, according to Pew’s Maeve Duggan, and it’s most pronounced among young people with 65% of those 18-29 years old saying they have experienced harassment. Facebook is the number one place where it’s happening, according Andrea Weckerle, the founder of CiviliNation, which researches online harassment.
Weckerle added one statistic she found especially important: 12.9% of people say they’ve been physically threatened online. “Online is offline,” Weckerle said.
Joanne St Lewis, a law professor at the University of Ottawa, argued that American companies allow harassment that Canada would like to crack down on: “The conversation around online harassment is really a conversation about how you build your democracy.”
St Lewis said the only time she had felt similar levels of tension was when she was during work in South Africa under apartheid.
Trolls have become a larger public concern because they’ve become more aggressive over the years, said trolling expert and Northeastern assistant professor Joseph Reagle. They also have more access points now to reach victims through, as more of our lives play out online.
“I used to say don’t feed the trolls. That’s been out there for a long time,” Reagle said. “I would argue it’s no longer sufficient. The trolls in the 90s are not the same trolls we have today.”
He described the findings from a recent study on trolls: “Measures of sadism, psychopathy, and Machiavellianism positively correlate with trolling,” he said.
Even enjoying writing comments anywhere online means you’re more likely to be a troll. “Some people are very much taken with commenting online,” he said. “And there’s a strong relationship between online commenting frequency and trolling enjoyment.”
Susan Benesch, director of the Dangerous Speech Project, said much of this harassment comes down to a new sense of “disinhibition”. “Some people will say things online without really thinking about the consequences,” Benesch said. “When they are held to account, they come to their senses.”
Gamergate is a loose collection of people who believe that “social justice warriors” are trying to politicize video games by trying to make them more diverse. The movement grew into an amorphous and persistent mob with a coordinated campaign of harassment that targeted prominent women and minorities in the technology world.
While Gamergate may seem like a niche issue relevant only to those playing computer games, it has had enormous repercussions, especially today, as hate speech enters the mainstream alongside the rise of Donald Trump. It raises questions about how people stay safe online, who trolls are in the first place., and how social media companies crack down on online vitriol and threats while hewing to values of free speech.
The harassment summit’s lineup mixed well-known members of the gaming community with mainstream women’s rights advocates and large tech companies whose platforms are often used for harassment. Former Texas state senator Wendy Davis will speak, as will Massachusetts congresswoman Katherine Clark. Large tech companies are throwing their weight in: Facebook’s head of global product policy, Monika Bicker, and Juniper Downs, senior counsel at Google, are both heading panels. Longtime Gamergate targets Brianna Wu and Randi Harper will speak about their experiences.
Even the creation of the summit was mired in controversy and trolling.The protein palmitoylation cycle has been shown to be important for protein signaling and synaptic plasticity. Data from our lab showed a change in the palmitoylation status of certain proteins with age. A greater percentage of the NMDA receptor subunits GluN2A and GluN2B, along with Fyn and PSD95 proteins, were palmitoylated in the old mice. The higher level of protein palmitoylation was also associated with poorer learning scores. Xanthohumol is a prenylated flavonoid that has been shown to increase beta-oxidation in the livers of rodents, decreasing circulating free fatty acids in the serum. What is not known is whether the application of xanthohumol could influence the palmitoylation status of proteins. In this study, young and old mice were fed a diet supplemented with xanthohumol for 8 weeks. Spatial memory was assessed with the Morris water maze and protein palmitoylation quantified. The young xanthohumol-treated mice showed a significant improvement in cognitive flexibility. However, this appeared to be associated with the young control mice, on a defined, phytoestrogen-deficient diet, performing as poorly as the old mice and xanthohumol reversing this effect. The old mice receiving xanthohumol did not significantly improve their learning scores. Xanthohumol treatment was unable to affect the palmitoylation of NMDA receptor subunits and associated proteins assessed in this study. This evidence suggests that xanthohumol may play a role in improving cognitive flexability in young animals, but it appears to be ineffective in adjusting the palmitoylation status of neuronal proteins in aged individuals.WE’RE so addicted to our smartphones, we often fail to appreciate the moment.
But this man was even more oblivious than most, missing a once-in-a-lifetime close encounter with a humpback whale because he was glued to the screen.
Photographer Eric Smith captured the magnificent sight of the whale and her calf surfacing right beside the oblivious texter at Redondo Beach, California.
The beautiful creatures were only a metre from the private sailboat where the man was sat on the deck.
But he failed to even look up.
Smith posted the image to Instagram with the caption: “A sign of the times. Hey dude! Stop texting. There’s an enormous humpback whale two feet from your boat!”
He said he had about five photos of whales breaching with the boat in the background, but the man was staring at his phone in every single one. Smith was about 15 metres away when he saw the boat move into the spot where he had just seen the whales spouting.
Smith told US broadcaster ABC News: “He could have been texting his mom in the hospital for all I know, but I thought it sucked that he missed such a wonderful moment happening just two feet in front of him.
“We’re all guilty being buried in our phones, even me. You think life is better on your phone, but we’re missing what’s happening around us.”What used to be dismissed by many as “junk DNA” has now become vitally important, as accelerating genomic data points to the importance of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) — a genome’s messages that do not specifically code for proteins — in development and disease.
But our progress in understanding these molecules has been slow because of the lack of technologies that allow for systematic mapping of their functions.
Now, professor Benjamin Blencowe’s team at the University of Toronto’s Donnelly Centre has developed a method called “LIGR-seq” that enables scientists to explore in depth what ncRNAs do in human cells.
The study, described in Molecular Cell, was published on May 19, along with two other papers, in Molecular Cell and Cell, respectively, from Yue Wan’s group at the Genome Institute of Singapore and Howard Chang’s group at Stanford University in California, who developed similar methods to study RNAs in different organisms.
So what exactly do ncRNAs do?
Of the 3 billion letters in the human genome, only two per cent make up the protein-coding genes. The genes are copied, or transcribed, into messenger RNA (mRNA) molecules, which provide templates for building proteins that do most of the work in the cell. Much of the remaining 98 per cent of the genome was initially considered by some as lacking in functional importance. However, large swaths of the non-coding genome — between half and three quarters of it — are also copied into RNA.
So then what might the resulting ncRNAs do? That depends on whom you ask. Some researchers believe that most ncRNAs have no function, that they are just a by-product of the genome’s powerful transcription machinery that makes mRNA. However, it is emerging that many ncRNAs do have important roles in gene regulation — some ncRNAs act as carriages for shuttling the mRNAs around the cell, or provide a scaffold for other proteins and RNAs to attach to and do their jobs.
But the majority of available data has trickled in piecemeal or through serendipitous discovery. And with emerging evidence that ncRNAs could drive disease progression, such as cancer metastasis, there was a great need for a technology that would allow a systematic functional analysis of ncRNAs.
“Up until now, with existing methods, you had to know what you are looking for because they all require you to have some information about the RNA of interest. The power of our method is that you don’t need to preselect your candidates; you can see what’s occurring globally in cells, and use that information to look at interesting things we have not seen before and how they are affecting biology,” says Eesha Sharma, a PhD candidate in Blencowe’s group who, along with postdoctoral fellow Tim Sterne-Weiler, co-developed the method.
A new ncRNA identification tool
The new ‘‘LIGation of interacting RNA and high-throughput sequencing’’ (LIGR-seq) tool captures interactions between different RNA molecules. When two RNA molecules have matching sequences — strings of letters copied from the DNA blueprint — they will stick together like Velcro. With LIGR-seq, the paired RNA structures are removed from cells and analyzed by state-of-the-art sequencing methods to precisely identify the RNAs that are stuck together.
“Most researchers in the life sciences agree that there’s an urgent need to understand what ncRNAs do. This technology will open the door to developing a new understanding of ncRNA function,” says Blencowe, who is also a professor in the Department of Molecular Genetics.
Not having to rely on pre-existing knowledge will boost the discovery of RNA pairs that have never been seen before. Scientists can also, for the first time, look at RNA interactions as they occur in living cells, in all their complexity, unlike in the juices of mashed up cells that they had to rely on before. This is a bit like moving on to explore marine biology from collecting shells on the beach to scuba-diving among the coral reefs, where the scope for discovery is so much bigger.
Actually, ncRNAs come in multiple flavors: there’s rRNA, tRNA, snRNA, snoRNA, piRNA, miRNA, and lncRNA, to name a few, where prefixes reflect the RNA’s place in the cell or some aspect of its function. But the truth is that no one really knows the extent to which these ncRNAs control what goes on in the cell, or how they do this.
Discoveries
Nonetheless, the new technology developed by Blencowe’s group has been able to pick up new interactions involving all classes of RNAs and has already revealed some unexpected findings.
The team discovered new roles for small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs), which normally guide chemical modifications of other ncRNAs. It turns out that some snoRNAs can also regulate stability of a set of protein-coding mRNAs. In this way, snoRNAs can also directly influence which proteins are made, as well as their abundance, adding a new level of control in cell biology.
And this is only the tip of the iceberg; the researchers plan to further develop and apply their technology to investigate the ncRNAs in different settings.
“We would like to understand how ncRNAs function during development. We are particularly interested in their role in the formation of neurons. But we will also use our method to discover and map changes in RNA-RNA interactions in the context of human diseases,” says Blencowe.
Abstract of Global Mapping of Human RNA-RNA Interactions
The majority of the human genome is transcribed into non-coding (nc)RNAs that lack known biological functions or else are only partially characterized. Numerous characterized ncRNAs function via base pairing with target RNA sequences to direct their biological activities, which include critical roles in RNA processing, modification, turnover, and translation. To define roles for ncRNAs, we have developed a method enabling the global-scale mapping of RNA-RNA duplexes crosslinked in vivo, “LIGation of interacting RNA followed by high-throughput sequencing” (LIGR-seq). Applying this method in human cells reveals a remarkable landscape of RNA-RNA interactions involving all major classes of ncRNA and mRNA. LIGR-seq data reveal unexpected interactions between small nucleolar (sno)RNAs and mRNAs, including those involving the orphan C/D box snoRNA, SNORD83B, that control steady-state levels of its target mRNAs. LIGR-seq thus represents a powerful approach for illuminating the functions of the myriad of uncharacterized RNAs that act via base-pairing interactions.The racy comic continues her strong year with a movie role for Fox that dwarfs her base 'Trainwreck' paycheck.
A version of this story first appeared in the Oct. 30 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe.
If a hit movie, an Emmy, a huge book deal and a friendship with Jennifer Lawrence aren't enough to prove Amy Schumer has arrived, consider her new film deal: Sources say Schumer, 34, has scored between $4 million and $5 million to star in a Fox mother-daughter comedy to be directed by Jonathan Levine (50/50). It's a giant leap from the $300,000 the then-obscure comic got in August 2013 to star in Trainwreck (she likely earned more in backend and bonuses when the film grossed $138.3 million worldwide this summer).
Schumer and sister Kimberly Caramele also are executive producing the Fox and Chernin comedy as well as polishing Katie Dippold's original script.
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at least for two months. Based on time you worked for the company notice period and severance pay apply as follows:
- up to one year, the notice period is one month and there is no severance pay
- 1 to 2 years, notice period is two months and there is no severance pay
- 2 to 5 years notice period is two months and severance pay is one month’s salary
- 5 to 10 years, notice period is three months and severance two salaries
- 10 to 20 years, notice period is three months and severance three salaries
- more than 20 years, notice period is three months and severance four salaries
In the contract, the company can increase severance and notice period. It is hard to fire an employee for other reasons, such as violating work discipline. In such case, employers and employees usually try to reach an agreement on resignation.
Q: What should I do if I want to quit my job?
You submit a written notice. There is a notice period of one month if you worked for the company for up to one year, or two months if you worked for over a year.
Q: I have a work permit and temporary residence valid for another few months. Can I change my employer and keep the temporary residence? Or do I need to go through the whole work permit process again?
You can change your employer while your temporary residence for the purpose of employment is still valid. However, there is a procedure which must be followed: your new employer is obliged to report a vacancy at the locally competent Labour Office. Within 30 working days you must submit your new employment contract to your respective Foreigner’s Police department. Within a few days, if the Labour Office agrees, the police will issue a document which is called “Additional Information on Employment” (“Dodatočné údaje o zamestnaní“). Afterwards, you can start working with the new employer.
Q: Also, is it a requirement that my new employer also pays my tax and health insurance?
Your new employer, like any other employer in Slovakia, is obliged to pay tax advance payments and health insurance payments.
Q: Can I simply not come to work?
In your work contract you might be obliged to pay one month’s salary back to the employer. If nothing like that is stated in your contract, there is not much an employer can do if an employee doesn’t show up for work and it is impossible to contact them. For the employer, this is a long and complicated process.
Q: What do I get from the state when unemployed?
Every day when you are not employed and not registered with the labour office you must register with the health insurance and pay your insurance alone. This applies also when you have just a day or two between jobs (even if these are a Saturday or a Sunday). If you register with the labour office as unemployed, the state pays your health and social contributions.
Q: What happens when I go on maternal leave?
You are entitled to 34 weeks of maternal leave. Single mothers get 37 weeks of maternal leave (43 weeks for multiple births). The social insurer will investigate whether the mother lives alone or not (in which case the regular 34 weeks apply). After the maternal leave you can stay on parental leave until your child reaches three years of age. You get the monthly parental allowance of €213.2 from the state.
Your employer must keep your position during maternal leave, and after the three years you must get an adequate job position back.
Q: Where should I look when I’m looking for a job?
Most job offers can be found on the online job portals, among them Profesia.sk that also has an English version. There are also job agencies which offer a variety of jobs. Some employers advertise jobs through labour offices.
26. Feb 2016 at 6:20 | Compiled by Spectator staffLast week the Canadian Press had an article about the Trudeau government absolving Canadian Forces members of liability for expenses they have received over the years. Instead the Department of National Defence is repaying more than $147 million in unauthorized expenses incurred by members of the military over nearly a dozen years, the news service reported.
Here is the rest of the Canadian Press article:
The department acknowledged five years ago it had made a mistake when it allowed soldiers and civilian staff to claim some travel expenses and benefits that fell outside of federal guidelines.
The practice went on between April 1999 and January 2011, but was then halted following an independent analysis.
At the time, the military said the mistake involved “tens of millions of dollars” over five years and that it would try to get the federal Treasury Board to cover the expenses, which included the cost of sending family members of fallen Canadian soldiers to visit Kandahar during the war in Afghanistan.
Other expenses included reimbursing travel fees for troops deployed in different parts of Canada, bonuses for overseas postings and allowances for soldiers assigned away from families.
Treasury Board spokesman Jean-Luc Ferland said that the decision to have DND repay these funds was made under the previous Conservative government in 2013 and payments immediately began to flow.
“What was left to do for this Government was to absolve of liability all CAF members who may have erroneously received benefits by no fault of their own, but rather because of a misinterpretation of rules at National Defense,” he said in an email.
“Since discovering those errors, DND and the CAF have amended their rules to prevent this from happening again.”
No one in the department, or the Liberal government, could explain why the amount wasn’t simply written off the federal books.
Jordan Owens, a spokeswoman for Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan, said she wasn’t able to comment on what went on before the Liberals took over. But she said the department felt the need to assume responsibility for the error.
“Our request to Treasury Board was that DND will pay back these debts, over the course of several years,” she said.
“Partisan politics aside, I don’t think anyone thinks (Canadian Armed Forces) members should be liable for money they believed they were receiving in good faith.”
Defence Watch found the document outlining what was owed and the order from the government absolving individuals from having to repay the money. Here it is:
Certain Unauthorized Payments in Respect of Travel Expenses and Other Expenses, Allowances and Benefits (Canadian Forces) Remission Order
P.C. 2016-231 April 15, 2016
His Excellency the Governor General in Council, considering that the collection of debts for certain unauthorized payments in respect of travel expenses and other expenses, allowances and benefits is unreasonable and unjust, on the recommendation of the Minister of National Defence and the Treasury Board, pursuant to subsection 23(2.1) of the Financial Administration Act, makes the annexed Certain Unauthorized Payments in Respect of Travel Expenses and Other Expenses, Allowances and Benefits (Canadian Forces) Remission Order.
Certain Unauthorized Payments in Respect of Travel Expenses and Other Expenses, Allowances and Benefits (Canadian Forces) Remission Order
Remission
1 Subject to section 2, remission is granted, in a total amount of $147,487,513 including interest, to any beneficiary of unauthorized payments in respect of
(a) separation expenses paid during the period beginning on September 1, 2001 and ending on January 31, 2011 (i) to an officer or non-commissioned member who was a member of the reserve force on Class “B” Reserve Service and who would have been entitled to separation expenses under instruction 209.997 of theCompensation and Benefits Instructions for the Canadian Forceshad they been a member of the reserve force on Class “C” Reserve Service during the relevant period, in respect of any category of separation expense, up to the amounts that were authorized at that time under that instruction or fixed at that time under the authority of the Chief of the Defence Staff, (ii) to an officer or non-commissioned member, in respect of lodging, to the extent that the expenses exceeded amounts authorized at that time by instruction 209.997, up to the amounts that were fixed at that time under the authority of the Chief of the Defence Staff, (iii) to an officer or non-commissioned member returning from temporary duty or attached posting, in respect of interim lodging and meal costs, up to the amounts that were fixed at that time under the authority of the Chief of the Defence Staff, (iv) to an officer or non-commissioned member, in respect of lease liability costs, furniture rental, and one-time connection fees for cable, Internet, cellular telephones and land-line telephones, up to the amounts that were fixed at that time under the authority of the Chief of the Defence Staff, and (v) to an officer or non-commissioned member who married another officer or non-commissioned member at a time when the two were not posted to the same location;
separation expenses paid during the period beginning on September 1, 2001 and ending on January 31, 2011 (b) travel expenses for next of kin of an ill, injured, deceased or released officer or non-commissioned member paid from the Canadian Forces Contingency Fund during the period beginning on April 1, 2007 and ending on January 31, 2011;
travel expenses for next of kin of an ill, injured, deceased or released officer or non-commissioned member paid from the Canadian Forces Contingency Fund during the period beginning on April 1, 2007 and ending on January 31, 2011; (c) transportation on leave expenses of an officer or non-commissioned member that were purported to be authorized under instruction 209.50 of the Compensation and Benefits Instructions for the Canadian Forces, up to the amounts that were fixed at that time under the authority of the Chief of the Defence Staff, paid during the period beginning on February 1, 2007 and ending on January 31, 2011;
transportation on leave expenses of an officer or non-commissioned member that were purported to be authorized under instruction 209.50 of the Compensation and Benefits Instructions for the Canadian Forces, up to the amounts that were fixed at that time under the authority of the Chief of the Defence Staff, paid during the period beginning on February 1, 2007 and ending on January 31, 2011; (d) expenses for the storage of a private motor vehicle of an officer or non-commissioned member while they were absent on duty, up to the amounts that were fixed at that time under the authority of the Chief of the Defence Staff, paid during the period beginning on April 1, 2006 and ending on January 31, 2011;
expenses for the storage of a private motor vehicle of an officer or non-commissioned member while they were absent on duty, up to the amounts that were fixed at that time under the authority of the Chief of the Defence Staff, paid during the period beginning on April 1, 2006 and ending on January 31, 2011; (e) travel expenses of a person holding an honorary appointment under article 3.06 of the Queen’s Regulations and Orders for the Canadian Forces, paid during the period beginning on January 1, 2005 and ending on January 31, 2011;
travel expenses of a person holding an honorary appointment under article 3.06 of the Queen’s Regulations and Orders for the Canadian Forces, paid during the period beginning on January 1, 2005 and ending on January 31, 2011; (f) expenses for the maintenance and safeguarding of a vacant residence of an officer or non-commissioned member while absent on duty, up to the amounts that were fixed at that time under the authority of the Chief of the Defence Staff, paid during the period beginning on September 1, 2001 and ending on January 31, 2011;
expenses for the maintenance and safeguarding of a vacant residence of an officer or non-commissioned member while absent on duty, up to the amounts that were fixed at that time under the authority of the Chief of the Defence Staff, paid during the period beginning on September 1, 2001 and ending on January 31, 2011; (g) temporary duty travel expenses and allowances of an officer or non-commissioned member, while on an attachment, up to the amounts that were fixed at that time under the authority of the Chief of the Defence Staff, paid during the period beginning on July 1, 2006 and ending on January 31, 2011;
temporary duty travel expenses and allowances of an officer or non-commissioned member, while on an attachment, up to the amounts that were fixed at that time under the authority of the Chief of the Defence Staff, paid during the period beginning on July 1, 2006 and ending on January 31, 2011; (h) financial assistance for an ill, injured or released officer or non-commissioned member, or their family members, or for the family members of a deceased officer or non-commissioned member, paid during the period beginning on April 1, 1999 and ending on January 31, 2011;
financial assistance for an ill, injured or released officer or non-commissioned member, or their family members, or for the family members of a deceased officer or non-commissioned member, paid during the period beginning on April 1, 1999 and ending on January 31, 2011; (i) compassionate travel assistance for an officer or non-commissioned member that was purported to be authorized under instruction 209.51 of the Compensation and Benefits Instructions for the Canadian Forces, paid during the period beginning on April 1, 2006 and ending on January 31, 2011;
compassionate travel assistance for an officer or non-commissioned member that was purported to be authorized under instruction 209.51 of the Compensation and Benefits Instructions for the Canadian Forces, paid during the period beginning on April 1, 2006 and ending on January 31, 2011; (j) recruitment allowances for an officer or non-commissioned member, or for an applicant to the Canadian Forces, that were purported to be authorized under instruction 205.525 of the Compensation and Benefits Instructions for the Canadian Forces, paid during the period beginning on May 1, 2002 and ending on October 31, 2005; and
recruitment allowances for an officer or non-commissioned member, or for an applicant to the Canadian Forces, that were purported to be authorized under instruction 205.525 of the Compensation and Benefits Instructions for the Canadian Forces, paid during the period beginning on May 1, 2002 and ending on October 31, 2005; and (k) vacation travel allowances paid during the period beginning on January 1, 2004 and ending on April 30, 2010, to Brian Donohue in the amount of $20,317, to Maria Groenewege in the amount of $16,732 and to Kathreen Siberry in the amount of $9,562.
2 Amounts that have been recovered are not remitted.
3 (1) Remission is granted to any accounting officer for the unrecovered amount of any unauthorized payments referred to in section 1, including payable interest, for which the officer is responsible.
(2) In this section, accounting officer means any current or former accounting officer, as defined in article 1.02 of the Queen’s Regulations and Orders for the Canadian Forces, or any other person who has performed the functions of such an officer.
EXPLANATORY NOTE
(This note is not part of the Order.)
This Order remits debts incurred from unauthorized payments made in respect of certain travel or other expenses, allowances or benefits, resulting from a misinterpretation of the National Defence Act or regulations or instructions made under that Act, during the period beginning on April 1, 1999, and ending on January 31, 2011.
By government policy, the nature and scope of compensation and benefits sought for members of the Canadian Forces are guided in large part by the negotiated agreements reached by the National Joint Council for members of the Public Service.
The strategic military human resource compensation and benefits plan is designed to ensure an adequate compensation and benefits package in order to facilitate essential recruitment levels and to maintain retention of highly trained military personnel. The unauthorized payments of travel and other benefits were paid in a manner consistent with the overall aims and goals of the strategic military human resource compensation and benefits plan pursued by the Canadian Forces and supported by the Treasury Board Secretariat. A re-examination of the legal authorities exercised to pursue this strategic plan for the subject period has led to changes in regulations and instructions, as well as internal verification measures to ensure regulatory compliance.
The recovery of the unauthorized payments of travel and other benefits would impose an onerous administrative burden upon the Canadian Forces and significantly interfere with its efficiency. Collection efforts are considered to be cost prohibitive and economically unsound in most cases. The repayment of the amounts that beneficiaries received in compensation for actual and reasonable expenses would cause an extreme hardship and corresponding financial setback for many of these beneficiaries which include deceased, former and current members of the Canadian Forces, as well as their next of kin. Any attempts to pursue individual collection efforts would lead inevitably to the perception of a significant disparity of treatment amongst active service members, cause an adverse impact on the morale of the service and potentially affect the operational effectiveness of the Canadian Forces. As a consequence, recovery is considered to be both unreasonable and unjust.Detroit Red Wings coach Mike Babcock, whose contract expires at the end of June, said Friday in an interview with Darren Dreger of TSN that he expects to reveal his next job within the next week.
"The decision date is going to be moved up," Babcock told Dreger in an interview conducted at the IIHF World Championship in Prague, Czech Republic. "I'll bet you by [May] 20, I'm going to know what I'm doing."
Detroit general manager Ken Holland, also in the TSN interview, had said he was hoping to have Babcock's answer by May 25. The Red Wings on May 8 granted Babcock permission to speak with other NHL teams.
Holland said he offered Babcock a contract extension last summer.
"We're going to have a good coach behind the bench next year," he said. "I hope it's [Mike]."
Babcock has coached the Red Wings for 10 seasons, winning the Stanley Cup in 2008 and losing the Cup Final in 2009. This season, the Red Wings finished third in the Atlantic Division and lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning in a seven-game Eastern Conference First Round series.
"There's not a better job, there's a different job, so you have to be careful," Babcock said, adding that he's had a lot to consider making his decision.
"The Red Wings are an Original Six franchise. That's a special, special thing," Babcock told TSN. "I think about the opportunity to win. I think about my family, my time in Detroit.
"Is change important to invigorate me? I think about lots of things. I've done enough thinking. It's time to make a decision here pretty quick. I'm a big-picture guy, but I'm an immediate-gratification guy too, because I like winning."
Babcock reportedly has met with the Buffalo Sabres and Toronto Maple Leafs. The New Jersey Devils, Philadelphia Flyers and San Jose Sharks also are looking for a coach. The Edmonton Oilers have not committed to coach Todd Nelson and are interviewing candidates, including former Sharks coach Todd McLellan.
Holland has not revealed which teams requested permission to meet with Babcock.
"I have offers," Babcock said. "More than one."
He said he didn't expect money to be an issue.
"The Ilitch family (who owns the Red Wings) has always been very fair with Mike Babcock," he said. "Anywhere you go, you'll be paid.
"I do want to be paid. That's not going to be an issue in Detroit."
Holland said there is a compensation letter teams must sign in order to talk to Babcock; any team that hires Babcock would have to give Detroit a third-round pick in the NHL Draft within the next three years.
"A third-round pick for a head coach is pretty reasonable," Holland said.Of course you do. You love games enough to visit a site that’s known for writing about this exact kind of esoteric nonsense. In fact, you probably noticed how much the 360 and PS3 cases have changedin just the past year. So without further yammering let’s get into a big ol’ list of game boxes through the ages.
There are several potential starting points for this article, but for the sake of hitting the widest possible nostalgia group, let’s go with the Atari 2600. Unlike today, where boxes are rigidly uniform, the Wild West days of the 2600 led to nearly every company adopting its own style of box and cartridge. Imagine looking at a store shelf and trying to figure out which of these games plays on your system. Madness!
Above: Pac-Man and Haunted House exemplify early 2600 boxes, with the name and modes featured prominently
Above: Later, the style switched to silver boxes with huge art
Above: This silver variation worked its way in even later, with smaller art and tons of wasted space
Above: M Network released games with this dizzying design, plus its cartridges were unlike other 2600 games
Above: Imagic is supposedly gaming’s second third-party developer ever (the first being Activision), and it released 2600 games in shiny, reflective boxes
Above: Speaking of Activision, it made sure every game featured the company logo and its signature color wave
Above: “Adult” publisher Mystique placed its art on a grid, along with a warning to protect children from the cripplingly awful gameplay hidden inside
Believe it or not, this merely scratches the surface of 2600 packaging. Like we said, almost every company had its own presentation (and oftentimes its own unique cartridges), so that means there are roughly as many box types as there are ‘70s game companies. As we move forward, you’ll see this “every man for himself” attitude fade away – which would you prefer?
The next major touchstone would be the NES, which followed in the 2600’s chaos-riddled footsteps and allowed each company to print boxes as they saw fit. Even Nintendo failed to keep a consistent style throughout the system’s life, though it did begin with an iconic first run of games that all looked the same.
Above: The NES launch games mostly stuck to this specific formula – a game sprite in action, with diagonal game name and a “Series” designation in the corner
Above: When Nintendo introduced passwords with Metroid and Kid Icarus, it kept the sprite/diagonal look but changed the box to silver
Above: Which was kind of confusing once Konami shipped all its games in silver boxes as well
Above: Capcom began life on the NES with a weird floating grid, always behind a piece of character art
Above: Later, Capcom dropped the grid and put everything in a violet border
Above: Tecmo slapped a big red rectangle and logo on the bottom of its big hits, namely Ninja Gaiden and Tecmo Bowl
Above: Tengen (in between lawsuits) released games with a gold half-border
Above: As the years wore on, Nintendo adopted a fairly standard-ish red bar across the top of its games. Still, not every game used this approach
Above: Nintendo re-released classic games from the early days (maybe the first instance of “Greatest Hits” packaging), each stamped with “The Original” on the box
Above: For the most part though, companies could do whatever they wanted. Each game required a Seal of Approval, but even that could dance around the box
With such relative freedom, publishers could design very striking, very unique boxes that leapt out from the retail shelf. However, this wouldn’t be the case for much longer, as once Sega and Nintendo started going head to head, the need for a unified presentation was made quite clear.
Next up – Sega’s many attempts to find a consistent styleGround Pounders is a hex-based, turn-based strategy wargame. Inspired by classic strategy games like Panzer General, and steeped in the lore of the Sword of the Stars universe, Ground Pounders offers a new generation of gamers an updated taste of turn-based strategic warfare. Best of all, you can play it cross platform between desktop machine and mobile devices.
Ground Pounders lets players control an army from one of three factions. Each army is comprised of dozens of different unit types. You will lead your ground pounders across a variety of worlds, increase their experience levels and abilities over the course of three campaigns, and use them to unlock special action cards that can add special effects to single-player games, or to up the stakes in your cross-platform multi-player battles.
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Coweta County, GA — American police have once against demonstrated that their agenda is not to protect and serve, but to dominate and control by any means necessary. On November 20th, sheriff deputies in Coweta County, Georgia were summoned to help subdue a man having a psychotic breakdown and ended up tasing him to death.
Thirty-two-year-old Chase Sherman, together with his fiancée, Patti Galloway and his parents, Kevin and Mary Ann Sherman, were returning from a vacation. During a layover at the Hartsfield-Jackson airport in Atlanta, Chase started having hallucinations and acting agitated. According to his father, he “got nervous … about planes crashing, and he just didn’t feel comfortable on a plane. … He thought nobody recognized him. I said, ‘Chase, we’re fine. We’re going to get a car and drive home.’ He didn’t know where he was at.” So they rented a car to drive the rest of the way to their home in Florida.
Chase’s fiancée told his parents that he may have smoked “Spice”—also known as “synthetic marijuana”—before they had left on the five-day trip, which may have been the cause of the episode.
Chase’s father described what happened next:
“We got him in the car and we took off on I-85. Chase’s fiancée was driving and Chase was lying in the back with me. He had his head on my lap. He acted like he didn’t know where we were going. And then he jumped up and started a disturbance in the car.”
They pulled over, and Chase’s mother dialed 9-1-1, but the father told her to hang up, thinking things were under control. After driving again for a few more minutes, Chase “got more violent,” and they pulled over again and his mother again called 9-1-1.
“We were fighting, screaming, trying to calm him down. It was pretty horrendous in the car,” his father said. “His fiancée jumped back to try to calm him down and she actually got bit. My wife told me just to hit him or something to try to get her arm loose. He let loose of the arm and the officers showed up.”
When the three deputies arrived, “they reached across me trying to get the handcuffs on him. I got out of the car and they told me to go back by the ambulance.” Still in the vehicle, Chase’s mother says she heard one deputy tell Chase, “We’re going to shoot you.” She said, “Don’t shoot him, don’t shoot him,” his father added. The deputy reportedly responded by saying, “I have to protect myself.” Deputies then instructed everyone else to exit the vehicle. During the ensuing struggle, Chase was tased repeatedly. “More officers kept coming and we think they kept tasing him,” Chase’s father said. “They were treating him like a rabid dog.”
During the struggle, the police kept EMTs back, saying the situation was not safe. Chase’s parents maintain that the deputies were never in danger, that their son was not armed, and that if the deputies felt threatened they could have just stepped away and closed the vehicle doors. Instead, the father says, the officers “just went nuts.”
“He was seat-belted in; he couldn’t get out. And they couldn’t just let him be and let him calm down,” the father said, adding, “They treated my son like a piece of meat.”
Eventually, Chase’s fiancée and parents watched as deputies grabbed Chase’s arms and pulled him from the vehicle.
“They dragged him out of the car like a dead dog. His head hit the ground. He was done. There was no movement, no nothing. We were screaming, ‘They killed him.’”
The deputies wouldn’t let the family go to him; then kept the parents and fiancée in a patrol car, keeping them for a time to be interviewed before allowing them to go to the hospital where Chase was being taken. Finally, at the Piedmont Newnan Hospital, when they said who they were there to see, they were led to a room by a security guard. “He said, ‘I’m sorry for your loss,’” according to Chase’s father. Mary Ann, Chase’s mother, said that when she was talking to a deputy, “I can’t remember what I asked him. All he answered was: ‘We had to protect ourselves.’”
The incident is being investigated, and while we may not know exactly what happened unless the footage from the bodycams worn by the deputies is publicly released, it is hard to imagine why multiple armed police officers could not subdue an unarmed man, who was already handcuffed and trapped in a vehicle without killing him.
According to his father, Chase “was a very strong kid, but laying down in the seat belt … come on. With three guys on you? Come on. And to keep pushing the taser in you? Come on.”
While we may not yet have the footage of this killing, we do know that this is one more case of an unarmed man ending up dead, with cops saying they feared for their safety. If only they showed a similar concern for the safety of those of us who don’t wear badges and uniforms, maybe less innocent citizens would end up dead at the hands of crazed and cowardly killer cops.
This is the second case in just a short time frame of cops killing a man during a mental breakdown with tasers.
Multiple videos were released in November of 46-year-old Linwood “Ray” Lambert, who was killed by tasers. In a just a few minutes, three cops would hit Lambert with their tasers a total 20 times, according to the device reports issued by Taser International.
For a total of 87 seconds, Lambert had 50,000 volts running through his body — a level capable of inflicting serious injury or death, according to federal guidelines.
As was the case with Chase Sherman, one hour after the police showed up, Lambert was pronounced dead.Around midday on Saturday, 50 or so dedicated Blackpool fans will board a bus that will take them to Blackburn. They will be decked out with flags and banners, all in the club’s distinctive bright orange.
It is a short journey — 25 miles or so, about an hour’s drive — and a big game. Both clubs are enduring difficult seasons: Blackburn Rovers are 23rd of 24 teams in the Championship, flirting with relegation to the third tier; Blackpool, a Premier League team only six years ago, is now in the middle of the pack in League Two, the bottom rung of English soccer’s league system.
Victory offers respite: a place in the fifth round of the F.A. Cup, a chance to rub shoulders with the game’s modern giants, to escape the humdrum reality of the everyday. Saturday should be a day to start a romance.
When those fans step off their bus, though, onto the tight, terraced street that flanks Ewood Park, they will do so thinking only about divorce. They will walk to the gates of the stadium, and they will stop. They will be joined by a couple of hundred more Blackpool fans, and perhaps a couple of thousand Blackburn supporters. They will not cheer on their teams. Instead, they will support their clubs by standing outside, united in defiance.The Sharks and Broncos have both confirmed their final 17 ahead of their Round 1 NRL Telstra Premiership clash at Southern Cross Group Stadium on Thursday.
Cronulla are unchanged, with Tony Williams and Kurt Capewell off the extended bench.
Brisbane will also line up 1-17, with Kodi Nikorima and David Mead dropping out of the 19-man squad updated 24 hours prior to kick-off.
Match Draw Widget
[2017] Telstra Premiership - Round 1: Sharks vs Broncos
Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks
1 Gerard Beale
2 Sosaia Feki
3 Jack Bird
4 Ricky Leutele
5 Edrick Lee
6 James Maloney
7 Chad Townsend
8 Andrew Fifita
9 Jayden Brailey
10 Matt Prior
11 Luke Lewis
12 Wade Graham
13 Paul Gallen (c)
Interchange
14 Jayson Bukuya
15 Chris Heighington
16 Sam Tagataese
17 Fa'amanu Brown
Coach: Shane Flanagan
Brisbane Broncos
1 Darius Boyd (c)
2 Corey Oates
3 James Roberts
4 Tautau Moga
5 Jordan Kahu
6 Anthony Milford
7 Ben Hunt
8 Korbin Sims
9 Andrew McCullough
10 Adam Blair
11 Sam Thaiday
12 Matt Gillett
13 Josh McGuire
Interchange
14 Alex Glenn
15 Tevita Pangai Jnr
16 Herman Ese'ese
17 Jai Arrow
Coach: Wayne BennettOKLAHOMA CITY – Japan defeated the United States 2-1 on Sunday to win the World Cup of Softball XII championship.
Former University of Alabama star Haylie McCleney went 1-for-4 with a first-inning single for the U.S. She started in center field and batted in the leadoff position. McCleney went 4-for-4 and drove in four runs on Saturday night in a victory over Puerto Rico. She batted.500 against international competition for the tournament.
Valerie Arioto scored the lone run for the U.S. in the third, reaching on an error and coming home on Aubree Monroe’s RBI single.
Japan plated two runs in the third inning. Jessica Moore took the loss, allowing two runs on three hits in three innings. Yukiko Ueno was the winner in relief, holding the U.S. to one hit in 3 2/3 innings with six strikeouts.
The U.S. team will play a doubleheader at Rhoads Stadium in Tuscaloosa on Thursday, July 20, against a team of all-stars that will include current Crimson Tide players Alexis Osorio, Reagan Dykes, Bailey Hemphill and Caroline Hardy.
Alabama was also represented on the U.S. Junior team that played in the World Cup. Outfielder Elissa Brown, who finished her freshman season at UA in May, batted over.400. She was joined on the roster by Alabama commits Kaylee Tow and Alexis Kilfoyl.Upcoming tvN action drama “The K2” has released a new batch of video teasers that reveal the tense relationship between the characters played by the main cast YoonA, Ji Chang Wook, and Song Yoon Ah.
It looks like both women have some sort of tie to Ji Chang Wook, as he is seen taking orders from both of them.
In one teaser, YoonA tells Ji Chang Wook over the phone, “Don’t die. That’s an order.”
In another teaser, Song Yoon Ah gives her set of orders to Ji Chang Wook over the phone, saying, “Don’t move without my command.”
In the third teaser, Ji Chang Wook presses a gun against Song Yoon Ah’s head. YoonA is looking on and screams, “Shoot! Shoot! Kill her! Kill her!” The video ends with Ji Chang Wook narrating, “There was someone else who wanted you to die.”
Oh, and there’s this video that serves the sole purpose of showing off Ji Chang Wook’s abs. We’re not kidding.
“The K2” will air its first episode on Friday September 23 at 8 p.m. KST. Are you excited for this drama?The pitter patter of little hooves can be heard at the Giraffe Exhibit at Memphis Zoo.
Around 7:30 a.m. on Wednesday, January 16, Marilyn, a 19-year-old Reticulated Giraffe, gave birth to Maliki, a baby girl weighing 115 pounds. This is the fourth calf for Marilyn, and the sixth sired by Kenya.
Maliki meets her her father, Kenya.
Photo credits: Laura Doty / Memphis Zoo
"Marilyn is a great, experienced mother," says Matt Thompson, Director of Animal Programs. "We're always excited about the birth of a healthy baby, but I'm especially pleased because Maliki inherited her mother's beautiful coloring. She has her mother's dark face, which is something the other calves haven't had."
Baby Maliki and Marilyn have already been out on exhibit. They will be spending short amounts of time on exhibit between 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., however, due to cold temperatures, the Zoo's animal staff will continue to rotate them on and off exhibit.
Reticulated Giraffes give birth standing, and are one of the few animals born with horns on their heads. This is to protect them from a 6-foot fall to the ground at birth.
See more family photos after the fold!The 40-year-old woman from the town of Sonnino has been charged with "mistreatment of the family" due to what her husband describes as “poor management of the household chores”.
The charge could result in a jail sentence of up to six years.
In his statement, the husband, who is seven years his wife's senior, claimed he had been "insulted" for over two years by his wife's negligence.
According to Il Fatto Quotidiano, he said that on occasion his wife has kicked him out of their bedroom and that he has been “forced to live in conditions with poor hygiene”.
The husband also said that the food he bought ended up in the bin as his wife rarely cooked.
The trial has been fixed for October 12th this year.Legendary Hollywood actress and socialite Zsa Zsa Gabor has died at the age of 99 from a heart attack.
The beloved Hungarian-American actress Zsa Zsa Gabor has died. She was 99.
Gabor passed away on Sunday afternoon, her publicist told CBS Los Angeles.
According to The Sun, she passed away after suffering a heart attack.
REUTERS/HO Hungarian-born actress and socialite Zsa Zsa Gabor is shown in this undated publicity photo. Gabor was a fixture on Hollywood's social scene for decades.
Gabor was hospitalised in February, two days after her 99th birthday, after suffering breathing difficulties. She was diagnosed with a lung infection, but recovered.
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go at least two years without any executions.
Georgia suspended executions after an issue with a drug it was going to use and has not announced plans to resume lethal injections. Tennessee canceled its scheduled executions through early next year to let a court consider challenges from inmates. And three states have called off executions until the U.S. Supreme Court announces its decision in a lethal injection case.
The federal government, meanwhile, has the death penalty, but it has a moratorium in place while it reviews its death penalty policy. The government also has no lethal injection drugs, which are much harder to get these days. And more than a quarter of a century after the federal death penalty statute was reinstated, the government has carried out three executions, the last in 2003.
Lethal injection remains the primary method of execution in the United States, but as the drug shortage has persisted, some states have scrambled to figure out how to keep carrying out executions. Three states hoping to preserve capital punishment have changed their laws over the past year: Tennessee made the electric chair its backup method, Utah did the same thing for firing squads and Oklahoma said that nitrogen gas would be its second option.
Even as other states have struggled to obtain lethal injection drugs, Ricketts said before the death-penalty repeal bill passed the legislature that the state purchased the drugs needed to carry out an execution. The state corrections department has one drug already, and the other two drugs will arrive “in the near future,” according to Ricketts’s office.
RELATED:
Meet the state Supreme Court justice who stepped down to protest the death penalty
This post has been updated.At the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community’s annual convention (July 2017) in Canada, Dr. Faheem Younis gave a speech entitled Drugs & Alcohol: Physical, Spiritual & Societal Deterioration. I enjoyed the speech and its message. I wanted to share it with many people whom I suspect, haven’t questioned our incumbent culture on these issues, just as many religious people haven’t truly reflected upon their inherited beliefs.
In this speech, Dr. Younis does use some religious references and idioms. This is understandable. He is a devoutly religious man, speaking at a religious convention. Don’t let that trigger you. Allow yourself to hear his message and to let the unmistakeable sincerity in his person speak to you, with your defenses down and your mind open.
This speech uses the analogy of a city of hope, a city of despair, and a bridge that connects the two. I believe the analogies are sound.
I myself, have recently released a treatise on my beliefs. Yes, I critique Islam/Ahmadiyyat there on theological grounds, but I also point out that we can learn and obtain value from some religious teachings. If religions are man made, then we still have to admit that they can contain some man-made wisdom—even if the motivations were different than ours today. Let’s not throw the baby out with the bathwater. Let us cherry pick what is useful, and incorporate such into newer foundations for successful living.
In my treatise, I reveal my own conservative position on alcohol. As an ex-Muslim, I do not drink alcohol. I never have. I reflected on the merits of alcohol before I was of legal age to drink. Having already begun to seriously question religion, alcohol was however, not even a temptation. Ever.
People would ask me, “You don’t drink. Is that for religious reasons?”
I would respond, “No. While I used to be very religious and am now questioning Islam, alcohol never made sense to me. I don’t have any doubts about that position.”. In fact, I am still grateful that growing up in a Muslim household, the concept of not drinking alcohol was in my orbit. For some, the decision to abstain from alcohol just isn’t in the zeitgeist. And I believe that’s unfortunate.
More than any other time in history, we live in an age of trains, planes and automobiles. These are force multipliers for alcohol; and not in the good sense of the phrase.
As a teenager and to this day, my rationale is very much in line with what Dr. Faheem Younis relays in his heartfelt speech. This is why I am sharing his speech with my (albeit small) audience today.
To be sure, I don’t lecture my friends or colleagues when they order a drink at dinner. Everyone is entitled to their choices. I want people to realize however, that even in ex-religious communities, there is diversity of thought.
I know of other ex-Muslim activists admired by many, that have relayed to me that they also do not drink. Some have tried it, but chose to drop it soon after.
What I hope to do is raise awareness that just because you reject the truth-claims of a religion, it doesn’t mean that you should throw off all of the structures and constraints that were useful. Sometimes, constraints can be liberating.
Not keeping potato chips anywhere in your house can help you achieve your diet goals. The paradox of choice can be debilitating. From an evolutionary perspective, our minds do not always have control over our emotions. Where everyone chooses to strike this balance is something that I acknowledge, is an individual choice. I want that choice to say no to alcohol to be in our cultural zeitgeist. It need not be confined to the domain of the religious.
The video shared of Dr. Younis’ speech gives you an insight into some of my thinking. We may no longer believe in the same theology, but having heard Dr. Younis speak and having read his writings, I can only describe my connection to him as a bond of brotherhood and love.
Regarding drugs, I believe the word ‘drug’ is quite broad. I personally haven’t tried any in my life. Not even weed. In fact, I was an anti-smoking champion ever since I was a child, politely but firmly asking “uncles” who would light up in my house to please take it outside.
Yet, I do believe that there is a potential value in psychedelic trips of the kind people plan out for once or twice in a lifetime, where there is an emphasis on set and setting.
Many of these psychedelic experiences date back to religious rituals in non-Abrahamic religions. Psychedelics like Ayahuasca are not pleasant to take, and yet, they can have value.
As Ariel Levy writes in her 2016 article for the New Yorker:
Ayahuasca, like kale, is no joy ride. The majority of users vomit—or, as they prefer to say, “purge.” And that’s the easy part. “Ayahuasca takes you to the swampland of your soul,” my friend Tony, a photographer in his late fifties, told me.
Perhaps we may find similar experiences possible with even safer methods, such as the God Helmet. I do also feel that medicinal uses in alleviating pain are valid reasons to study and incorporate certain drugs.
As Dr. Younis relates in his speech, there is technical merit to suggest that marijuana is safer than alcohol. This is not to diminish the gravity of marijuana in non-medicinal settings; it is to underscore the gravity and risks of alcohol.
To my fellow non-theists, please don’t take this post as an attempt to judge you or to lecture you. As you’ve successfully challenged religion, I want you to now also revisit some different sacred cows.
If nothing else, I hope to gain some respect for my personal choices without people assuming that I’m just “shy” or “not adventurous” or haven’t “fully left Islam yet”, etc.
I won’t ask you to believe in the Qur’an, so please don’t insist that I have a drink or smoke a joint to make you happy. My philosophy for living may not be codified into a system or have a name, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t hold to these values with conviction.
Thank you for reading and for watching.I've always looked at my role in politics as that of "historian". In fact, the subtitle of my blog "Mugsy's Rap Sheet" is "Recording History for Those Who Seek to Rewrite it." Republicans have more than a bad habit of rewriting and white-washing history. Heck, the man Republicans have elevated to near sainthood... St. Ronnie... bears no resemblance to the man we knew as "Ronald Reagan" (I refer you to the book "Tear Down This Myth" for a detailed comparison.) And you'd THINK that since the invention of videotape, these numbnuts would stop thinking they can just make wild claims about The Bush Legacy without somebody calling them on it.
Back during the 2008 Presidential campaign, I couldn't help but notice how frequently & easily the Republican candidates (including Mitt Romney) would rewrite the history of how we ended up going to war with Iraq in order to paint Bush as less culpable. One of the most disturbing arguments was that we were FORCED to invade Iraq after "Saddam refused to allow the weapons inspectors back in", which I KNEW was a load of... eh, rubbish (this is a family site). So I dug through the BBC News archives and pieced together the following video. It's five years old now, but today on the eve of the third and final Presidential Debate, this time on foreign policy, with a Republican candidate whom has (as Rachel Maddow reminded us Friday) SEVENTEEN of his TWENTY-FOUR Foreign Policy Advisors comming from the Bush Administration, I thought that maybe now was the perfect time to look back for a moment to remember history as it actually happened, and think long & hard about possibly returning these people to the White House just four short years later:
Bush Kicked Out the Weapons Inspectors, Not Saddam
(source video is nearly a decade old now, so please excuse the quality.)
[oldembed src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KvDe7Z-ykDo" width="420" height="315" resize="1" fid="21"]
Remember all the people that tried to tell us that George W. Bush was already planning the invasion of Iraq almost from the day he took office (with their eyes set on all that lovely oil)? President Bush's defenders (I call them "apologists", which riles them terribly because they don't think they have anything to apologize for) are quick to try and discredit those who dared say such things, but if you won't take those people's word for it, how about the word of George W. Bush?
Forget "9/11 changed everything", Bush was on the Iraq/WMD warpath from DAY ONE of his Presidential campaign.
[oldembed src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/se2mlKTHdUk" width="420" height="315" resize="1" fid="21"]
And here we are once again, four short years later, flirting with the idea of electing another Republican president that appears to be hot for war in the Middle East, only this time, instead of Iraq, it's Syria and Iran. We've seen this movie before folks, and we already know how it ends.
Support Crooks and Liars:http://www.lewrockwell.com/2014/03/lew-rockwell/what-libertarianism-is-and-isnt/
The explosive growth in the number of converts to libertarianism since Ron Paul first ran for president is one of the most exciting developments of my lifetime. But I’d like to issue a note of caution.
There are several ways a young libertarian can distinguish himself. He can be an effective communicator of libertarian ideas as a writer or speaker. He can employ his unique talents — as an artist, animator, interviewer, or whatever — to convey the libertarian message in new and compelling ways. He can become a specialist in some area of scholarly inquiry relevant to libertarianism. Or he can add to the edifice of libertarian thought by solving a longstanding problem, critically reexamining an old question, or applying libertarian theory to new areas as technology develops and civilization evolves.
I can think of people who fit all these descriptions. What distinguishes them all is that they worked very hard to establish their well-deserved niche within the community of libertarian thinkers.
By contrast, people might establish niches for themselves by devising their own peculiar version of libertarianism, and claiming that their discovery alone is the real thing. Not only is this method easier than the ones I described above, but it also allows the creator the pleasure of rendering sanctimonious judgment on those benighted souls who cling to plain old libertarianism, with no labels, no caveats, and no apologies.
Might we gain the sympathy of the left by parroting their language of egalitarianism and loudly proclaiming our allegiance to the moral strictures of the state? It is not absolutely impossible, I suppose. But I consider it far more likely that the left will be amused at such transparent attempts at ingratiation, and go on viewing libertarians with the same contempt as before.
Of course, it’s wonderful to collaborate on important issues with people who have different perspectives from ours. I should not be understood as opposing that. You would be hard pressed to find a more eclectic libertarian website than LRC. Mr. Libertarian himself, Murray N. Rothbard, was happy to talk with and learn from anyone he could, as his wide-ranging library, owned by the Mises Institute, amply attests.
But if we expect to trick people into becoming libertarians, we will fail. And if we think libertarian flirtation with egalitarianism is a good idea, we have already failed.
Yes, we do believe in unfashionable things like the abolition of antidiscrimination law. If we didn’t, we would not be libertarians. Bound up in the principle of freedom of association is every defining libertarian principle: self-ownership, the meaning of property titles, and nonaggression.
It’s easy to defend the rights of people who are popular and whose views are in fashion. It is much more difficult – thankless, even – to defend the rights of those whom society despises. Libertarians need not endorse or actually be such people – I know of no one proposing such a thing – but if we do not defend their rights we are frauds.
Some of what we believe may be hard for people to accept when they first hear it. But in the long run, they are more likely to be persuaded by a consistent and principled libertarian than by one who is obviously trying to curry favor with them.
Consider the example of Ron Paul. He gave straightforward libertarian answers to whatever questions he was asked during his presidential campaigns. As we all should, he got a sense of his audience and explained those ideas in ways they were most likely to understand and appreciate. But he never backed down. Was he opposed to antidiscrimination law? Yes. Did he dissent from the received version of the Civil War, from which the regime derives much of its legitimacy? Yes. And so on down the line of unfashionable answers to the thought-controllers’ questions.
The result? The single greatest increase in youth interest in libertarianism in its entire history.
Ron always conducts himself as a gentleman, of course, and his kindly demeanor, coupled with his pure and unrehearsed remarks, certainly added to his appeal. But people were drawn to him because unlike his focus-grouped opponents, he told them the truth, and without shame or apology.
Libertarianism is concerned with the use of violence in society. That is all. It is not anything else. It is not feminism. It is not egalitarianism (except in a functional sense: everyone equally lacks the authority to aggress against anyone else). It has nothing to say about aesthetics. It has nothing to say about religion or race or nationality or sexual orientation. It has nothing to do with left-wing campaigns against “white privilege,” unless that privilege is state-supplied.
Let me repeat: the only “privilege” that matters to a libertarian qua libertarian is the kind that comes from the barrel of the state’s gun. Disagree with this statement if you like, but in that case you will have to substitute some word other than libertarian to describe your philosophy.
Libertarians are of course free to concern themselves with issues like feminism and egalitarianism. But their interest in those issues has nothing to do with, and is not required by or a necessary feature of, their libertarianism. Accordingly, they may not impose these preferences on other libertarians, or portray themselves as fuller, more consistent, or more complete libertarians. We have seen enough of our words twisted and appropriated by others. We do not mean to let them have libertarian.
As Rothbard put it:
There are libertarians who are indeed hedonists and devotees of alternative lifestyles, and that there are also libertarians who are firm adherents of “bourgeois” conventional or religious morality. There are libertarian libertines and there are libertarians who cleave firmly to the disciplines of natural or religious law. There are other libertarians who have no moral theory at all apart from the imperative of non-violation of rights. That is because libertarianism per se has no general or personal moral theory. Libertarianism does not offer a way of life; it offers liberty, so that each person is free to adopt and act upon his own values and moral principles. Libertarians agree with Lord Acton that “liberty is the highest political end” – not necessarily the highest end on everyone’s personal scale of values.
Libertarians are unsuited to the thought-control business. It’s difficult enough trying to persuade people to adopt views dramatically opposed to what they have been taught throughout their lives. If we can persuade them of the nonaggression principle, we should be delighted. There is no need to complicate things by arbitrarily imposing a slate of regime-approved opinions on top of the core teaching of our philosophy.
Libertarianism is a beautiful and elegant edifice of thought and practice. It begins with and logically builds upon the principle of self-ownership. In the society it calls for, no one may initiate physical force against anyone else. What this says about the libertarian’s view of moral enormities ranging from slavery to war should be obvious, but the libertarian commitment to freedom extends well beyond the clear and obvious scourges of mankind.
Our position is not merely that the state is a moral evil, but that human liberty is a tremendous moral good. Human beings ought to interact with each other on the basis of reason – their distinguishing characteristic – rather than with hangmen and guns. And when they do so, the results, by a welcome happenstance, are rising living standards, an explosion in creativity and technological advance, and peace. Even in the world’s partially capitalist societies, hundreds of millions if not billions of people have been liberated from the miserable, soul-crushing conditions of hand-to-mouth existence in exchange for far more meaningful and fulfilling lives.
Libertarianism, in other words, in its pure and undiluted form, is intellectually rigorous, morally consistent, and altogether exciting and thrilling. It need not and should not be fused with any extraneous ideology. This can lead only to confusion, and to watering down the central moral claims, and the overall appeal, of the message of liberty.Night of Bells Event 2015
Come on in by the fire and listen to the tale of the Night of Bells.
You must be cold! Come in, come in and enjoy the fire by the hearth. The weather is changing and the night hangs high. I can see you’re very weary from your travels from the Arena. Say, have you heard of the Night of Bells? Well, let me regale you with a tale of Pappy Jasper!
One night a year in the dead of winter, Pappy Jasper, the Snow Yeti, travels through the freezing night on his broken-down sleigh, pulled by a giant moose named Zeke. Folklore has it that Zeke the Moose is attracted by the sound of bells, so people will gather to eat, laugh, and randomly ring bells to try and lure Zeke to their home so Pappy Jasper will give them presents.
As the cold night air fills with the sounds of bells, there is a fleeting sense of optimism that maybe this will be the final year of conflict. Alas, come morning, this sense of hope vanishes, as does Pappy Jasper and his sleigh, for another year.
Don’t believe in Pappy Jasper aye? We’ll I believe I have a journal clipping for you from Lord Bernard P. Dunthorpe.
***************************
“As the feeble winter sun becomes swallowed by the bitter night, the denizens of Entrath find various ways to shield themselves from the hostile chill. When I was a wee lad, our family and a multitude of others were warmed by our anticipation of one of the most celebratory of annual occasions. I speak, of course, of the Night of Bells.
I still remember huddling under enormous blankets by the blissfully sweltering hearth with my brothers and sisters as midnight’s implacable breath tried and failed to batter down the walls of our keep. It was the one night a year when my father transformed himself from the stuffy Lord of Dunthorpe into a raconteur worthy of the most prestigious stages of the Royal Sylvan Company.
Father would tell us of Pappy Jasper, the Snow Yeti, and his travels through the winter’s freezing sleet on his broken-down sleigh, pulled by a giant moose named Zeke. We children already knew the stories, but we were nevertheless enraptured by Father’s telling.
Zeke the Moose is attracted by the sound of bells, so folks from Quash Ridge to Monsagi gather in warm places to eat, laugh, and randomly ring bells to try and lure Zeke to their home. Those lucky enough to catch Zeke’s attention would be given presents by Pappy Jasper, which often included such treats as goat jerky, beard combs, roostasaur kabobs, old stained overalls, and something Jasper calls “crunchy onions” that, to anyone’s knowledge, are neither crunchy, nor contain any onions.
Of course, as Father would tell us, what Pappy Jasper’s visit actually represented was not the questionable gifts he gave, but the generosity and sense of hope they engendered. As the icy air filled with the echoes of bells, there was often a fleeting sense of optimism that, just maybe, as the winter days began to conquer the nights on the long slog towards spring, that this would be the final year of conflict.
As father’s stories and the Night of Bells came to an end, and the morning’s unrelenting chill approached, the hearth’s fire would dim and its warmth would vanish. As would Pappy, Zeke, and their sleigh, for another year.”
– From the journal of Lord Bernard P. Dunthorpe
***************************
Night of Bells Celebration
The Night of Bells Celebration starts Monday, December 21, at 10am Pacific (Worldclock) and ends on Monday, January 4 at 10AM Pacific (Worldclock).
For this wintery holiday celebration, we have two cards and a Night of Bells sleeve to warm your heart! All these cards and the sleeve are exclusive to Night of Bells 2015. The sleeve you will receive upon your first log-in during the event period. The Lithe Lyricist AA card is a participation prize that you get for merely jumping into a tournament and celebrating the holidays!
Uncle Sparklestaff is a great new PvE card to add to your collection and he comes with his robe and staff. You can win Uncle Sparklestaff by defeating Tiers 2 & 4. You will also get a random piece of equipment for defeating those tiers. If you complete an entire arena run, you will have a set of four Uncle Sparklestaff cards and 2 pieces of equipment chosen at random.
2-2-1 Flashback Tournaments Party
We had an amazing turnout for our 1-1-1 Tournaments last month. We learned a lot from our tools and looked into resolving any issues that arose and we wanted to run another party during the holidays! We’re going to have these Throwback Draft and Sealed Gauntlet tournament run along-side the Night of Bells event, meaning you will get the Lithe Lyricist participation AA card and it will also reward a IQ Qualifier ticket as well (based on your wins)! As a side note, if you’re in a flashback gauntlet and the event ends before you finish your run, you will be rewarded based on your standing. If you are in the gauntlet, you can finish the game in you’re in but cannot progress further, you will be rewarded your prizes based on your standing but will need to relog to see your rewards. Please be mindful when starting a tournament towards the end of the event, if you do not feel you can finish a gauntlet, then you should not launch one. UPDATE: Flashback tournaments will run until Tuesday, January 5th at 10AM PST (Worldclock)
Night of Bells FAQ
Q: How do I get the sleeve?
A: The Sleeve is auto-granted into your account and you will receive an in-game mail to confirm. If you do not see the sleeve when you log in, try re-logging and it should appear! Please remember that you need to log in during the event period, you do not have to enter any tournaments nor start any arena runs.
Q: How do I get the Lithe Lyricist AA?
A: The Lithe Lyricist AA card is a participation reward that you will get at the end of the tournament. Please note that the Head to Head queue will not reward this as a participation reward.
Q: How do I get the PvE Reward card?
A: You will get two (2) of the PvE reward card each time you defeat the tier 2 and tier 4 bosses respectively. If you only complete tier 2 but not tier 3 or 4 you will still get two (2) Uncle Sparklestaff cards and one (1) piece of equipment (chosen at random).
Q: How do I get the PvE equipment pieces?
A: Each time you defeat Tier 2 or Tier 4 boss of the Arena you will receive one (1) of either Uncle Sparklestaff’s Robe or Uncle Sparklestaff’s Sparkle Staff. (Yes, they pay me to type this stuff up).
2-2-1 Flashback Draft Party FAQ
Q: Will the Flashback tournaments give the Lithe Lyricist AA participation reward?
A: Yes, you will win the participation reward for the Night of Bells at the end/completion of the tournament.
Q: Will I get a Qualifier Ticket from the Flashback Tournaments?
A: Yes! It depends on your ranking at the end of the tournament! For draft, you need to get first place. For the gauntlet, you will need 5 wins.
Q: What will happen if I am in a Flashback Gauntlet when the party ends?
A: If you are in a game when the party ends, you will be allowed to finish that game. You will then be rewarded prizes based on your standing. After, you will need to relog to see your rewards. If you are not in the gauntlet, you will be rewarded prizes based on your current standing. If you are not in game, you will be rewarded the prizes, based on your standing when the party ends, and you can use the rewards when you log in again.
Q: Which champions can we use in the Flashback Tournaments?
A: Only Set 1 and Set 2 Champions are available for these Flashback Tournaments.
Discuss this article in the forums!Ferrari have set tongues wagging throughout the F1 paddock in pre-season testing. Not only does their new car look to be the most complete and innovative package produced by the Scuderia in quite some time, it is also proving to be very reliable and very quick. So what makes the SF70H special?
From the front of the car (above), we can see how much higher the sidepod openings are compared to those on last year’s SF16-H, allowing airflow to enter with minimal disruption from the front suspension elements - a problem which other teams, notably Mercedes and Toro Rosso, have dealt with via the very different approach of raising their suspension. Also clear from the picture is just how aggressive Ferrari have been with the undercut of the sidepod. In fact the whole philosophy of Ferrari’s sidepod design has been the subject of much discussion. The 2017 regulations require the leading edge of the sidepod to be angled at 75 degrees to the car’s centreline, in order to provide a more pleasing, arrow-like aesthetic - complementing the similarly backswept front wing. Designers, however, would prefer a 90-degree angle for optimum efficiency.
© Sutton Images
Onlookers have questioned whether Ferrari have found a loophole here. As can be seen in the image above, they have moved the leading edge of the sidepod back, retaining a 90-degree angle, but ahead of it is a complex bodywork assembly. That hoop-like assembly is attached to, and thus still part of, the sidepod, and has the required 75-degree angle. It not only features a number of complex elements designed to optimise airflow to the sidepod inlet, it also means the main body of the sidepod can be smaller.A Recipe for Pagination in Django
By Sean Reifschneider Date March 19, 2008
Introduction
Pagination Tag Snippet
The pagination class in Django is fairly low-level. While youuse it to implement pagination in Django, you probably don't need to do that. This article puts together a number of components to easily do pagination in Django.
Over at djangosnippets there is a snippet for a "paginator" tag. This is a good start, but it isn't very smart about handling pagination links with direct links to the first and last page, an ellipsis, and links around the current page. If you want to have pagination links like this, you will need to use my modified version:
3 pages around the current page.
But no ellipsis if we are towards the beginning or end, or if the ellipsis would only cover for one page. And hide next/previous if at the beginning or end.
So, either get the snippet from the above link at djangosnippets, or use my modified version (required for these examples to fully work)
Save this into the file "templatetags/paginator.py" in the top level of your application directory. You can determine where this would be by looking at the value of "INSTALLED_APPS" in your "settings.py" file, for example I had:
INSTALLED_APPS = ( 'django.contrib.auth', 'django.contrib.contenttypes', 'django.contrib.sessions', 'django.contrib.sites', 'photoblog.photos', )
Which meant I needed to write this to "photoblog/photos/templatetags/paginator.py".
If you don't already have a "templatetags" directory, create it with:
mkdir templatetags touch templatetags/__init__.py
Hooking Pagination Into Your View
The "__init__.py" file needs to be there so that the directory can be imported as a module.
Next you will need to make it so that pagination works in your view. In my case, I'm using a custom query, but otherwise I can use the "object_list" generic view, so my "index" view looks like:
from django.views.generic.list_detail import object_list def index(request, format): from django.db.models import Q photo_list = Photos.objects.filter( Q(album = None) | Q(isalbumleader = True) ).order_by('-uploadedon') return object_list(request, template_name = 'index.html', queryset = photo_list, paginate_by = 25)
Your Site-Wide Paginator Template
This tag relies on a site-wide template for what the pagination renders to. This is handy if you have pagination on many different pages, they will all have the same style. So, in your "templates" directory you will need a file called "paginator.html", here is an example of mine:
<div class="pager"> {% if has_previous %} <span class="page"> <a href="?page={{ previous }}">< Prev</a> </span> {% endif %} {% if show_first %} <span class="page"><a href="?page=1">1</a></span> <span class="ellipsis">...</span> {% endif %} {% for linkpage in page_numbers %} {% ifequal linkpage page %} <span class="current">{{ page }}</span> {% else %} <span class="page"><a href="?page={{ linkpage }}" >{{ linkpage }}</a></span> {% endifequal %} {% endfor %} {% if show_last %} <span class="ellipsis">...</span> <span class="page"><a href="?page=last">{{ pages }}</a></span> {% endif %} {% if has_next %} <span class="page"><a href="?page={{ next }}">Next ></a></span> {% endif %} </div>
Call Paginator Tag From Template
This can basically be used un-modified.
The last item to do is to put the paginator tag into your template (in my case, this is the "templates/index.html" file. It should look something like this:
{% if is_paginated %}{% load paginator %}{% paginator 3 %}{% endif %}
The "3" is the number of surrounding pages around the current page to show.
In your template, the object_list generic view presents the list of items for the page as "object_list". So a minimal full page would be something like:
{% if is_paginated %}{% load paginator %}{% paginator 3 %}{% endif %} {% if object_list %} <ul>{% for photo in object_list %} <li />{{ photo.name }} {% endfor %}</ul> {% endif %} {% if is_paginated %}{% load paginator %}{% paginator 3 %}{% endif %}
Sample CSS
This example includes pagers both above and below the paged data, and a simple list of the photo names.
The CSS I'm using to style the above is:
<style type="text/css">.pager { padding-top: 20px; padding-left: 40px; }.pager.page a { border: 3px solid #bbbbbb; margin-left: 1px; margin-right: 1px; padding-left: 4px; padding-right: 4px; text-decoration: none; color: #000000; }.pager.current { border: 3px solid #444444; margin-left: 2px; margin-right: 2px; padding-left: 2px; } </style>
Final Notes
The number of objects per page is specified in the view in the call to object_list(), via the "paginate_by" argument. You will need to plug your own query into the view.
Shameless Plug
A few final things to remember:
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tummy.com has smart people who can bring a diverse set of knowledge to augment your Linux system administration and managed hosting needs. See the menu on the upper left of this page for more information about our services.Malaysia Name Jalur Gemilang ("Stripes of Glory") Use National flag Proportion 1:2 Adopted 26 May 1950 (original 11-point star and 11 stripes)
16 September 1963 (current 14-point star and 14 stripes) Design Fourteen horizontal stripes alternating red and white; in the canton, a yellow crescent and 14-point star on a blue field Designed by Mohamed Hamzah[N 1]
The flag of Malaysia, also known as the Malay: Jalur Gemilang ("Stripes of Glory"),[1] is composed of a field of 14 alternating red and white stripes along the fly and a blue canton bearing a crescent and a 14-point star known as the Bintang Persekutuan (Federal Star). The 14 stripes, of equal width, represent the equal status in the federation of the 13 member states and the federal territories, while the 14 points of the star represent the unity between these entities.[2] The crescent represents Islam, the country's state religion; the blue canton symbolises the unity of the Malaysian people; the yellow of the star and crescent is the royal colour of the Malay rulers.[3]
In blazon, the Malaysian flag is described as: "A banner Gules, seven bars Argent; the canton Azure charged with decrescent and mullet of fourteen points Or". This means "a red flag with seven horizontal white stripes; the upper-left (hoist) quarter is blue with a yellow waning crescent (i.e. horns pointing to sinister) and a yellow 14-pointed star".
History
Flag ratio: 1:2. The Flag of Malaya in use from 1950 to 1963.
The flag of Malaysia, which was first raised on 16 September 1963, originated from the flag of the Federation of Malaya. Prior to the creation of the national flag, each state in Malaya had its own flag, many of which are unchanged in design to this day.
Selection
When the Federation of Malaya replaced the short lived Malayan Union, the federation government through the Federal Legislative Council called for a design contest for a new flag. Three flags were forwarded to the public. The first flag had 11 white stars with two Malay kris (daggers) in the middle against a blue backdrop. The second flag consisted of "concentric circle of 11 stars around crossed keris on a blue field". The third design had 11 alternate blue and white stripes and a yellow crescent and a five-pointed star on a red background in the top left hand corner". The third design was chosen as the winner - after some adjustments by switching the canton and stripe colours[4] - through a public poll held by The Malay Mail.[5] Since the Malayan state was fighting the communists during the Malayan Emergency, the five-pointed star had an ironic resemblance to the communists' symbols. Therefore, the star was modified to accommodate six more points.
The first proposed flag of Malaya.
The second proposed flag of Malaya.
The third proposed flag of Malaya, after changes to canton and stripe colours.
The Malayan flag was approved by King George VI on 19 May 1950 and was first raised in front of the Sultan of Selangor's residence on 26 May 1950.[6] On 31 August 1957, it was raised upon independence at Merdeka Square in place of the British Union Flag.
Original symbolism
As the flag was finalized for official use, the significance of the design were given as follows:[7]
red, white and blue - represents Malaysia as a country belonging in the Commonwealth.
crescent and star - represents Islam as the official religion for the Federation, as yellow symbolizes sovereignty of the Malay Rulers and their roles as leader of the faith in the constituent states. The eleven-pointed star itself symbolizes the "unity and co-operation" of said member states.
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ammunition. One of the P-51Bs flown by Lt. Robert J. Goebel of the 308th Squadron, 31st Fighter Group, broke away and headed straight for Hartmann while he hung in his paracute. Goebel was making a camera pass to record the bailout and banked away from him only at the last moment, waving at Hartmann as he went by.
On 17 August, Hartmann became the top scoring fighter ace, surpassing fellow JG 52 pilot Gerhard Barkhorn, with his 274th victory.[Note 3] On 23 August, Hartmann claimed eight victories in three combat missions, an ace-in-a-day achievement, bringing his score to 290 victories. He passed the 300-mark on 24 August 1944, a day on which he shot down 11 aircraft in two combat missions, representing his greatest ever victories-per-day ratio (a double-ace-in-a-day) and bringing the number of aerial victories to an unprecedented 301.
Hartmann became one of only 27 German soldiers in World War II to receive the Diamonds to his Knight's Cross. Hartmann was summoned to the Führerhauptquartier Wolfsschanze, Adolf Hitler's military headquarters near Rastenburg, to receive the coveted award from Hitler personally. Hartmann was asked to surrender his side arm — a security measure heightened by the aftermath of the failed assassination attempt on 20 July 1944. According to one account, Hartmann refused and threatened to decline the Diamonds if he were not trusted to carry his pistol. During Hartmann's meeting with Hitler, Hartmann discussed at length the shortcomings of fighter pilot training. Allegedly, Hitler admitted to Hartmann that he believed that, "militarily, the war is lost," and that he wished the Luftwaffe had "more like him and Rudel."
The Diamonds to the Knight's Cross also earned Hartmann a 10-day leave. On his way to his vacation, he was ordered by General der Jagdflieger Adolf Galland to attend a meeting in Berlin-Gatow. Galland wanted to transfer Hartmann to the Messerschmitt Me 262 test program but at Hartmann's request that the transfer was cancelled on the grounds of his professed attachment to JG 52.[63] Hartmann argued to Göring that he best served the war effort on the Eastern Front. On 10 September, Hartmann married his long-time teenage love, Ursula "Usch" Paetsch. Witnesses to the wedding included his friends Gerhard Barkhorn and Wilhelm Batz.
Last combat missions [ edit ]
From 1–14 February 1945, Hartmann briefly led I. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 53 as acting Gruppenkommandeur until he was replaced by Helmut Lipfert. In March 1945, Hartmann, his score now standing at 336 aerial victories, was asked a second time by General Adolf Galland to join the Me 262 units forming to fly the new jet fighter.
Hartmann attended the jet conversion program led by Heinrich Bär. Galland also intended Hartmann to fly with Jagdverband 44. Hartmann declined the offer, preferring to remain with JG 52. Some sources report that Hartmann's decision to stay with his unit was due to a request via telegram made by Oberstleutnant Hermann Graf.
Now Gruppenkommandeur of I./JG 52, Erich Hartmann claimed his 350th aerial victory on 17 April, in the vicinity of Chrudim. The last wartime photograph of Hartmann known was taken in connection with this victory. Hartmann's last aerial victory occurred over Brno, Czechoslovakia, on 8 May, the last day of the war in Europe. Early that morning, he was ordered to fly a reconnaissance mission and report the position of Soviet forces. Hartmann took off with his wingman at 08:30 and spotted the first Soviet units just 40 kilometres (25 miles) away. Passing over the area, Hartmann saw a Yak-9, ambushed it from his vantage point at 12,000 ft (3,700 m) and shot it down.
When he landed, Hartmann learned that the Soviet forces were within artillery range of the airfield, so JG 52 destroyed Karaya One, 24 other Bf 109s, and large quantities of ammunition. Hartmann and Hermann Graf were ordered to fly to the British sector to avoid capture by Soviet forces while the remainder of JG 52 was ordered to surrender to the approaching Soviets. As Gruppenkommandeur of I./JG 52, Hartmann chose to surrender his unit to members of the US 90th Infantry Division.
Prisoner of war [ edit ]
After his capture, the U.S. Army handed Hartmann, his pilots, and ground crew over to the Soviet Union on 14 May, where he was imprisoned in accordance with the Yalta Agreements, which stated that airmen and soldiers fighting Soviet forces had to surrender directly to them. Hartmann and his unit were led by the Americans to a large open-air compound to await the transfer.
In Hartmann's account, the Soviets attempted to convince him to cooperate with them. He was asked to spy on fellow officers, but refused and was given ten days' solitary confinement in a four-by-nine-by-six-foot chamber. He slept on a concrete floor and was given only bread and water. On another occasion, according to Hartmann, the Soviets threatened to kidnap and murder his wife (the death of his son was kept from Hartmann). During similar interrogations about his knowledge of the Me 262, Hartmann was struck by a Soviet officer using a cane, prompting Hartmann to hit the assailant with a chair, knocking him out. Expecting to be shot, he was transferred back to the small bunker.
Hartmann, not ashamed of his war service, opted to go on a hunger strike and starve rather than fold to "Soviet will", as he called it. The Soviets allowed the hunger strike to go on for four days before force-feeding him. More subtle efforts by the Soviet authorities to convert Hartmann to communism also failed. He was offered a post in the East German Air Force, which he refused:
If, after I am home in the West, you make me a normal contract offer, a business deal such as people sign every day all over the world, and I like your offer, then I will come back and work with you in accordance with the contract. But if you try to put me to work under coercion of any kind, then I will resist to my dying gasp.
War crimes charges [ edit ]
During his captivity Hartmann was first arrested on 24 December 1949, and three days later, he was sentenced to 20 years in prison. The sentence was carried out by the Ministry of Internal Affairs in the district Ivanovo. The preliminary criminal investigation was carried out only formally. For no reason, he was condemned for atrocities against Soviet citizens, the attack on military objects and the destruction of Soviet aircraft and thus having significantly damaged the Soviet economy. Hartmann protested multiple times against this judgement. In June 1951, he was tried a second as an alleged member of an anti-Soviet group. Preceding over this case was a Military tribunal in the military district of Rostov-on-Don which sentenced him to 25 years in prison.
After continuous failed attempts by the Soviets to break him, Hartmann was charged with war crimes, specifically the "deliberate shooting of 780 Soviet civilians" in the village of Briansk, attacking a "bread factory" on 23 May 1943, and destroying 345 "expensive" Soviet aircraft. He refused to confess to these charges and conducted his own defence, which, according to Hartmann, the presiding judge denounced as a "waste of time".
Sentenced to 25 years of hard labour, he refused to work. He was eventually put into solitary confinement, which enraged his fellow prisoners. They began a revolt, overpowered the guards, and temporarily freed him. He made a complaint to the Kommandant's office, asking for a representative from Moscow and an international inspection, as well as a tribunal, to acquit him of his unlawful conviction. This was refused, and he was transferred to a camp in Novocherkassk, where he spent five more months in solitary confinement. Eventually he was granted a tribunal, but it upheld his original sentence. He was subsequently sent to another camp, this time at Diaterka in the Ural Mountains. In late 1955 Hartmann was released, part of the last Heimkehrer.
In January 1997, more than three years after his death, Hartmann was rehabilitated by the Chief Military Prosecutor in Moscow of the Russian Federation and relieved of all charges against him. The government agency stated that Hartmann had been wrongly convicted.
Post-war years [ edit ]
During his long imprisonment, Hartmann's son, Erich-Peter, was born in 1945 and died as a three-year-old in 1948, without his father ever having seen him. Hartmann later had a daughter, Ursula Isabel, born on 23 February 1957.
When Hartmann returned to West Germany, he reentered military service in the Bundeswehr and became an officer in the West German Air Force, where he commanded West Germany's first all-jet unit from 6 June 1959 to 29 May 1962, Jagdgeschwader 71 "Richthofen". This unit was equipped initially with Canadair Sabres and later with Lockheed F-104 Starfighters.
Hartmann also made several trips to the United States, where he was trained on U.S. Air Force equipment. In 1957 Harrmann began training with American instructors. The German pilots were trained at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona. The Republic F-84 Thunderjet fighter course lasted 60 days and consisted of 33 hours of flight time in the Lockheed T-33 and 47 hours in the Republic F-84F Thunderstreak. Hartmann and the former Luftwaffe pilots needed only familiarisation training.
Hartmann considered the F-104 a fundamentally flawed and unsafe aircraft and strongly opposed its adoption by the air force. Already in 1957, Hartmann had recommended to Kammhuber to first buy and evaluate a few new and unfamiliar aircraft before committing the air force to a new aircraft type. Although events subsequently validated his low opinion of the aircraft (269 crashes and 116 German pilots killed on the F-104 in non-combat missions, along with allegations of bribes culminating in the Lockheed scandal), Hartmann's outspoken criticism proved unpopular with his superiors. Hartmann was forced into early retirement in 1970.
After his military retirement, from 1971–74, Hartmann worked as a flight instructor in Hangelar, near Bonn, and also flew in fly-ins with other wartime pilots.
Hartmann died on 20 September 1993, at the age of 71 in Weil im Schönbuch.
In 2016, Hartmann's former unit, JG 71, honoured him by applying his tulip colour scheme to their current aircraft.
In popular culture [ edit ]
A German Air Force Eurofighter Typhoon displaying the Hartmann "black tulip" color scheme.
Hartmann was the subject of a biography by the American authors Trevor J. Constable and Raymond F. Toliver, under the title The Blond Knight of Germany. Originally released in the United States in 1970, it was published in Germany the next year, as Holt Hartmann vom Himmel! ("Shoot Hartmann down!").
The Blond Knight was a commercial success and enjoyed a wide readership among both the American and the German public. The book has been criticised as ahistorical and misleading in recent American and German historiography. Ronald Smelser and Edward J. Davies, in their work The Myth of the Eastern Front, describe it as one of the key works that promoted the myth of the "clean Wehrmacht".
The historian Jens Wehner notes that the German-language version of the book was immensely popular in Germany, but contained serious flaws in its presentation of historical realities. These included uncritical borrowing from the Nazi propaganda elements of the Fliegerasse ("aces") and stereotypes about the Soviet Union. According to Wehner, the latter could be traced to the prevailing attitudes during the Cold War. Further, the political and social consequences of World War II were completely ignored.
Summary of career [ edit ]
Aerial victory claims [ edit ]
Matthews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces – Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 352 aerial victory claims, plus two further unconfirmed claims. This number includes two claims over United States Army Air Forces flown P-51 Mustangs, and 350 Soviet Air Forces piloted aircraft on the Eastern Front.
Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 44793". The Luftwaffe grid map (Jägermeldenetz) covered all of Europe, western Russia and North Africa and was composed of rectangles measuring 15 minutes of latitude by 30 minutes of longitude, an area of about 360 square miles (930 km2). These sectors were then subdivided into 36 smaller units to give a location area 3 × 4 km in size.
Chronicle of aerial victories This and the ♠ (Ace of spades) indicates those aerial victories which made Hartmann an "ace-in-a-day", a term which designates a fighter pilot who has shot down five or more airplanes in a single day.
This and the – (dash) indicates unconfirmed aerial victory claims for which Hartmann did not receive credit.
This and the? (question mark) indicates information discrepancies listed by Prien, Stemmer, Rodeike, Bock, Matthews and Foreman.
This and the! (exclamation mark) indicates that according to Matthews and Foreman the aircraft in question was claimed as a Lavochkin La-5. Claim Date Time Type Location Claim Date Time Type Location – 7. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 52 – 1 5 November 1942 12:05 Il-2 PQ 44793 45♠ 1 August 1943 17:05 LaGG-3 PQ 35 Ost 53491 2 27 January 1943 11:30 MiG-1 PQ 15102 46♠ 1 August 1943 19:21 LaGG-3 PQ 35 Ost 53131
vicinity of Shanlykino 3 9 February 1943 10:20 LaGG-3 PQ 34 Ost 86722
northeast of Tikhovskiy 47♠ 1 August 1943 19:40 LaGG-3 PQ 35 Ost 54584 4 10 February 1943 06:15 Boston PQ 34 Ost 86671
northeast of Ivanovskaja 48 3 August 1943 11:17 LaGG-3 PQ 35 Ost 61334
10 km (6.2 mi) north of Tomarovka 5 24 March 1943 13:00 U-2 PQ 34 Ost 86712
vicinity of Slavyansk-na-Kubani 49 3 August 1943 11:22 LaGG-3 PQ 35 Ost 61412
15 km (9.3 mi) north of Belgorod 6 27 March 1943 11:50 I-16 PQ 34 Ost 85171, east of Krymsk
vicinity of Usun 50 3 August 1943 11:45 LaGG-3 PQ 35 Ost 61192, northwest of Belgorod
10 km (6.2 mi) east of Krasny-Liman 7 15 April 1943 15:33 P-39 PQ 34 Ost 85192, east of Krymsk
north Mertschanskaja 51 3 August 1943 18:05 LaGG-3! PQ 35 Ost 61193
10 km (6.2 mi) east of Krasny-Liman 8 26 April 1943 11:35 R-5 PQ 34 Ost 86722
northeast of Tikhovskiy 52♠ 4 August 1943 10:19 LaGG-3! PQ 35 Ost 61391
10 km (6.2 mi) southwest of Belgorod 9 28 April 1943 09:30 LaGG-3 PQ 34 Ost 85122
Sswobodnyj 53♠ 4 August 1943 10:30 LaGG-3! PQ 35 Ost 61331
10 km (6.2 mi) north of Tomarovka 10 30 April 1943 16:00 LaGG-3 PQ 34 Ost 85712
north of Mertschanskaja 54♠ 4 August 1943 10:50 LaGG-3! PQ 35 Ost 61334
10 km (6.2 mi) north of Tomarovka 11 30 April 1943 16:20 LaGG-3 PQ 34 Ost 85752
east of Sorin 55♠ 4 August 1943 13:43 LaGG-3 PQ 35 Ost 61343
25 km (16 mi) west of Tomarovka 12 7 May 1943 08:05 LaGG-3 PQ 34 Ost 75262
south of Krymsk 56♠ 4 August 1943 15:40 LaGG-3! PQ 35 Ost 51462
25 km (16 mi) northeast of Graiworon 13 7 May 1943 16:43 LaGG-3 PQ 34 Ost 85171, southwest of Abinsk
vicinity of Usun 57♠ 5 August 1943 09:00 LaGG-3 PQ 35 Ost 61351
15 km (9.3 mi) west of Tomarovka 14 11 May 1943 05:45 LaGG-3 PQ 34 Ost 75234
vicinity of Krymsk 58♠ 5 August 1943 11:50 LaGG-3 PQ 35 Ost 61323
10 km (6.2 mi) south of Krasny-Liman 15 11 May 1943 05:55 LaGG-3 PQ 34 Ost 85144
vicinity of Abinsk 59♠ 5 August 1943 12:00 LaGG-3 PQ 35 Ost 61314
15 km (9.3 mi) southwest of Krasny-Liman 16 15 May 1943 12:10 U-2 PQ 34 Ost 86544
west of Krasnoarmeysky 60♠ 5 August 1943 17:04 LaGG-3! PQ 35 Ost 61333
10 km (6.2 mi) north of Tomarovka 17 23 May 1943 05:45 LaGG-3 PQ 34 Ost 85253
east of Severskaya 61♠ 5 August 1943 17:24 LaGG-3! PQ 35 Ost 61441
10 km (6.2 mi) north of Belgorod 18 5 July 1943 03:40 Il-2 m.H.[Note 4] PQ 35 Ost 61663
10 km (6.2 mi) north of Vovchansk 62 6 August 1943 16:08 LaGG-3 PQ 35 Ost 61393
10 km (6.2 mi) southwest of Belgorod 19 5 July 1943 07:10 LaGG-3 PQ 35 Ost 61151
10 km (6.2 mi) north of Krasny-Liman 63 7 August 1943 08:30 LaGG-3 PQ 35 Ost 61391
10 km (6.2 mi) southwest of Belgorod 20 5 July 1943 14:00 IL-2 m.H.[Note 4] PQ 35 Ost 61333
10 km (6.2 mi) north Tomarovka 64 7 August 1943 08:35 LaGG-3 PQ 35 Ost 61384
vicinity of Orlowka 21 5 July 1943 18:15 LaGG-3 PQ 35 Ost 61124
Bogatoje 65 7 August 1943 11:55 Pe-2 PQ 35 Ost 61561
20 km (12 mi) south-southwest of Belgorod 22♠ 7 July 1943 03:50 Il-2 m.H.[Note 4] PQ 35 Ost 61183
Krasny-Liman 66 7 August 1943 12:00 LaGG-3 PQ 35 Ost 61551
20 km (12 mi) northeast of Zolochev 23♠ 7 July 1943 03:52 Il-2 m.H.[Note 4] PQ 35 Ost 61154
10 km (6.2 mi) north of Krasny-Liman 67 7 August 1943 12:20 Pe-2 PQ 35 Ost 61373
25 km (16 mi) west-southwest of Tomarovka 24♠ 7 July 1943 06:05 Il-2 m.H.[Note 4] PQ 35 Ost 61331
10 km (6.2 mi) north of Tomarovka 68 8 August 1943 07:15 LaGG-3 PQ 35 Ost 61572
10 km (6.2 mi) east of Zolochev 25♠ 7 July 1943 06:10 LaGG-3! PQ 35 Ost 61182
vicinity of Krasny-Liman 69 8 August 1943 09:53 LaGG-3 PQ 35 Ost 61632
15 km (9.3 mi) north of Vovchansk 26♠ 7 July 1943 17:15 LaGG-3! PQ 35 Ost 61214
southwest of Prokhorovka 70 8 August 1943 10:15?[Note 5] LaGG-3 PQ 35 Ost 61612
15 km (9.3 mi) south of Belgorod 27♠ 7 July 1943 17:20 LaGG-3! PQ 35 Ost 62872
10 km (6.2 mi) northwest of Prokhorovka 71 8 August 1943 12:54 LaGG-3 PQ 35 Ost 60253
30 km (19 mi) east-southeast of Kharkov 28♠ 7 July 1943 17:30 LaGG-3! PQ 35 Ost 62792
15 km (9.3 mi) northwest of Prokhorovka 72 9 August 1943 06:14 La-5 PQ 35 Ost 61821
15 km (9.3 mi) southwest of Vovchansk 29 8 July 1943 09:05 LaGG-3! PQ 35 Ost 61223
10 km (6.2 mi) east of Prokhorovka 73 9 August 1943 09:30 LaGG-3 PQ 35 Ost 61581
20 km (12 mi) east of Zolochev 30 8 July 1943 09:10 LaGG-3! PQ 35 Ost 61221
10 km (6.2 mi) south of Prokhorovka 74 9 August 1943 16:30 LaGG-3 PQ 35 Ost 61561
20 km (12 mi) south-southwest of Belgorod 31 8 July 1943 18:05 LaGG-3! PQ 35 Ost 62872
10 km (6.2 mi) north of Prokhorovka 75 9 August 1943 16:40 LaGG-3 PQ 35 Ost 61814
25 km (16 mi) west-southwest of Vovchansk 32 8 July 1943 18:25 LaGG-3! PQ 35 Ost 61134
10 km (6.2 mi) northwest of Prokhorovka 76 12 August 1943 08:55 LaGG-3! PQ 35 Ost 61772
15 km (9.3 mi) northwest of Kharkov 33 9 July 1943 07:25 IL-2 m.H.[Note 4] PQ 35 Ost 61272 77 15 August 1943 09:14 Pe-2 PQ 35 Ost 60214
25 km (16 mi) east of Kharkov 34 9 July 1943 09:10 LaGG-3 PQ 35 Ost 62871, Wesselij
10 km (6.2 mi) north of Prokhorovka 78 15 August 1943 18:10 LaGG-3 PQ 35 Ost 70762
15 km (9.3 mi) southeast of Izium 35 9 July 1943 09:20 LaGG-3 PQ 35 Ost 62844
20 km (12 mi) north of Prokhorovka 79 17 August 1943 05:20 LaGG-3! PQ 35 Ost 70841
20 km (12 mi) northwest of Krasny-Liman 36 10 July 1943 07:05 LaGG-3! PQ 35 Ost 62872
10 km (6.2 mi) north of Prokhorovka 80 17 August 1943 12:30 P-39 PQ 35 Ost 70791, Tichocki
20 km (12 mi) southeast of Izium 37 11 July 1943 16:55 LaGG-3! PQ 35 Ost 62883
20 km (12 mi) northeast of Prokhorovka 81 17 August 1943 13:05 P-39?[Note 6] PQ 35 Ost 70842, Korowin-Jar
20 km (12 mi) northwest of Krasny-Liman 38 15 July 1943 17:20 LaGG-3! PQ 35 Ost 54562
southwest of Bolkhov 82 17 August 1943 17:40 P-39 PQ 35 Ost 70871
15 km (9.3 mi) northwest of Krasny-Liman 39 16 July 1943 14:15 LaGG-3! PQ 35 Ost 54661
west of Bolkhov 83 18 August 1943 10:00 LaGG-3! PQ 35 Ost 60193
20 km (12 mi) southeast of Kharkov 40 17 July 1943 19:25 LaGG-3! PQ 35 Ost 54497
west of Zubkovo 84 18 August 1943 12:45 LaGG-3! PQ 35 Ost 61792
15 km (9.3 mi) northeast of Kharkov — 21 July 1943 — La-5 east of Oryol 85 18 August 1943 12:55 LaGG-3! PQ 35 Ost 60134
10 km (6.2 mi) east of Kharkov — 21 July 1943 — La-5 east of Oryol 86 19 August 1943 10:35 LaGG-3! PQ 34 Ost 88263
10 km (6.2 mi) east of Marinowka 41 31 July 1943 10:00 LaGG-3! PQ 35 Ost 54623 87 19 August 1943 10:50 LaGG-3! PQ 34 Ost 98132
15 km (9.3 mi) south of Rovenki 42 31 July 1943 16:55 LaGG-3! PQ 35 Ost 64541
vicinity of Telchje 88 19 August 1943 16:25 P-39 PQ 34 Ost 88281
5 km (3.1 mi) southwest of Jalisawehino 43♠ 1 August 1943 11:40 LaGG-3 PQ 35 Ost 64523 89 20 August 1943 06:07 Il-2 PQ 34 Ost 88263
east Marinowka 44♠ 1 August 1943 14:40 LaGG-3 PQ 35 Ost 54663
west of Bolkhov 90 20 August 1943 06:08 Il-2 PQ 34 Ost 88263
10 km (6.2 mi) east Marinowka – 9. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 52 – 91 15 September 1943 12:20 Yak-9?[Note 7] PQ 34 Ost 68314
5 km (3.1 mi) north of Polohy 198♠ 26 February 1944 11:58 P-39 20 km (12 mi) south-southwest of Kirovograd 92 18 September 1943 07:35 LaGG-3! PQ 34 Ost 69563
40 km (25 mi) east-northeast of Pavlohrad 199♠ 26 February 1944 12:03 P-39 vicinity of Alexandrovka 93 18 September 1943 10:35 LaGG-3 PQ 34 Ost 68391
15 km (9.3 mi) northeast of Polohy 200♠ 26 February 1944 14:40 P-39 vicinity of Alexandrovka 94 18 September 1943 13:50 LaGG-3! PQ 34 Ost 68392
15 km (9.3 mi) west-northwest of Polohy 201♠ 26 February 1944 14:45 P-39 10 km (6.2 mi) east of Alexandrovka 95 18 September 1943 13:55 LaGG-3! PQ 34 Ost 68332
25 km (16 mi) southwest of Pokrovskoye 202♠ 26 February 1944 14:50 P-39 10 km (6.2 mi) west of Alexandrovka 96 19 September 1943 14:40 LaGG-3! PQ 34 Ost 58614
25 km (16 mi) south-southwest of Bolshoy Tokmak 203 23 April 1944 15:45 La-5 over the Black Sea, 20 km (12 mi) west of Sevastopol 97 19 September 1943 15:10 LaGG-3! PQ 34 Ost 56599
20 km (12 mi) west of Bolshoy Tokmak 204 24 April 1944 11:55 LaGG 10 km (6.2 mi) south of Sevastopol 98 20 September 1943 13:30 LaGG-3 PQ 34 Ost 59394
30 km (19 mi) southeast of Dnepropetrovsk 205 24 April 1944 12:15 P-39 10 km (6.2 mi) south of Sevastopol 99 20 September 1943 13:40 LaGG-3! PQ 34 Ost 59474
20 km (12 mi) west of Pavlohrad 206 26 April 1944 14:15 P-39 10 km (6.2 mi) south of Sevastopol 100 20 September 1943 15:35 P-39 PQ 34 Ost 58682
5 km (3.1 mi) north of Bolshoy Tokmak 207 26 April 1944 14:20 P-39 15 km (9.3 mi) southeast of Sevastopol 101 20 September 1943 15:50 LaGG-3! PQ 34 Ost 58334
15 km (9.3 mi) southeast of Zaporizhia 208 3 May 1944 15:45 La-5 20 km (12 mi) north-northeast of Sevastopol 102 25 September 1943 07:55 LaGG-3! PQ 34 Ost 58532
vicinity of Vasylivka 209 4 May 1944 16:10 LaGG over the Black Sea, 45 km (28 mi) south-southwest of Sevastopol 103 25 September 1943 12:43 LaGG-3 PQ 34 Ost 58831
15 km (9.3 mi) east of Bolshoy Tokmak 210 4 May 1944 17:35 LaGG 20 km (12 mi) northeast of Sevastopol 104 25 September 1943 16:35 LaGG-3! PQ 34 Ost 58611
25 km (16 mi) south-southwest of Bolshoy Tokmak 211 4 May 1944 17:50 LaGG over the Black Sea, 20 km (12 mi) south of Saky 105 26 September 1943 06:55 LaGG-3! PQ 34 Ost 58631
15 km (9.3 mi) west-northwest of Bolshoy Tokmak 212♠ 5 May 1944 08:20 La-7 20 km (12 mi) north/northeast of Sevastopol 106 26 September 1943 07:05 P-39 PQ 34 Ost 58554
southeast of Vasylivka 213♠ 5 May 1944 10:45 La-5 over the Black Sea, 10 km (6.2 mi) south of Sevastopol 107 26 September 1943 09:55 P-39 PQ 34 Ost 58592
20 km (12 mi) west of Bolshoy Tokmak 214♠ 5 May 1944 10:48 La-5 over the Black Sea, 10 km (6.2 mi) south of Sevastopol 108 27 September 1943 11:15 LaGG-3! PQ 34 Ost 58611
25 km (16 mi) south-southwest of Bolshoy Tokmak 215♠ 5 May 1944 10:54 LaGG over the Black Sea, 20 km (12 mi) south-southwest of Sevastopol 109 27 September 1943 11:25 LaGG-3! PQ 34 Ost 58643
15 km (9.3 mi) northwest of Bolshoy Tokmak 216♠ 5 May 1944 14:05 La-7 20 km (12 mi) north-northeast of Sevastopol 110 28 September 1943 16:30 La-5! PQ 34 Ost 58641
15 km (9.3 mi) northwest of Bolshoy Tokmak 217♠ 5 May 1944 14:15 La-7 20 km (12 mi) northeast of Sevastopol 111 29 September 1943 06:50 LaGG-3! PQ 34 Ost 58644
15 km (9.3 mi) northwest of Bolshoy Tokmak 218 6 May 1944 10:45 LaGG Sevastopol 112 29 September 1943 08:55 P-39 PQ 34 Ost 58682
5 km (3.1 mi) north of Bolshoy Tokmak 219 7 May 1944 09:22 P-39 over the Black Sea, 25 km (16 mi) south of Sevastopol 113 30 September 1943 06:55 LaGG-3! PQ 34 Ost 58681
5 km (3.1 mi) north of Bolshoy Tokmak 220 7 May 1944 09:30 P-39 over the Black Sea, 25 km (16 mi) south of Sevastopol 114 30 September 1943 14:30 P-39 PQ 34 Ost 58732
20 km (12 mi) west of Bolshoy Tokmak 221 7 May 1944 09:40 P-39 15 km (9.3 mi) southeast of Sevastopol 115 30 September 1943 16:40 P-39 PQ 34 Ost 58583
20 km (12 mi) northwest of Bilozirka 222 8 May 1944 09:25 LaGG over the Black Sea, 10 km (6.2 mi) south of Sevastopol 116 1 October 1943 12:20 LaGG-3! PQ 34 Ost 58641
15 km (9.3 mi) northwest of Bolshoy Tokmak 223 8 May 1944 13:45 LaGG over the Black Sea, 10 km (6.2 mi) west of Sevastopol 117 1 October 1943 12:30 LaGG-3! PQ 34 Ost 58762
20 km (12 mi) north-northeast of Fedorivka 224 20 May 1944 12:24 LaGG 5 km (3.1 mi) south of Grigoriopol 118 2 October 1943 08:40 LaGG-3! PQ 34 Ost 58833
15 km (9.3 mi) east of Bolshoy Tokmak 225 20 May 1944 18:35 La-5 10 km (6.2 mi) southeast of Grigoriopol 119 2 October 1943 08:50 Pe-2 PQ 34 Ost 58762
20 km (12 mi) north-northeast of Fedorivka 226 29 May 1944 15:35 P-39 10 km (6.2 mi) west of Iași 120 2 |
Okoli acknowledged the crowd’s applause with a clap and trotted back to the Cincinnati bench.
“I always knew the goals were going to come some way or another,” he said. “When you get two goals, you always want to get the third. But it’s important to get the three points, too.”Recently, a 35-year-old woman sued a Boston-area hospital for performing a tubal ligation, thus sterilizing her, after the birth of her 9th child. Tessa Savicki states that she requested an IUD, a reversible form of birth control. Because two of her children are on welfare and she is unemployed, Tessa’s case has sparked passionate reactions and brings to mind the case of Carrie Buck.
The similarities are numerous. A poor woman sterilized against her wishes, judged by others to be unfit (just read the public comments on the news sites featuring Tessa’s story), and having children out of wedlock. There is even a slight physical resemblance. Expert testimony during the Buck vs Bell case in 1927 argued that members of the Buck family “belong to the shiftless, ignorant, and worthless class of anti-social whites.” The Supreme Court concurred “that Carrie Buck is the probable potential parent of socially inadequate offspring, likewise afflicted, that she may be sexually sterilized without detriment to her general health and that her welfare and that of society will be promoted by her sterilization.” Whether Tessa’s doctors were thinking the same thing or just made a mistake, they sent the same message.
It’s hard to believe that 83 years separate these stories. Read more about Carrie Buck on the Eugenics Archive site.What's a Ghostbusters movie without Bill Murray? Not a Ghostbusters I want to see, that's for sure. Bill Murray, who's great friends with Dan Aykroyd, has repeatedly said that the script just isn't there for Ghostbusters 3. As someone who's said repeatedly that he wasn't even happy with how Ghostbusters 2 turned out, there's no way he'll ever do a Ghostbusters 3 unless it has an amazing script. From his June 2012 interview on David Letterman, you could tell that he knows how much people want this movie to happen, and I think he wants to do it, but only if the script is really funny.
Well it looks like Dan Aykroyd has heard Bill Murray loud and clear. After rumors that Murray's character of Peter Venkman either would be killed off and become a ghost, or they would recast or not have Venkman, it looks like a new team of writers will be tackling the Ghostbusters 3 script. Gone are Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky — who wrote for The Office, Year One, and Bad Teacher. Those two movies didn't come anywhere close to living up to expectations.
At a recent event, Dan Aykroyd said this regarding Ghostbusters 3:
We've got a new writing staff working on it now. It's got to be perfect. That's the whole thing. There's no point in doing it unless it's perfect. So that's what we're up to now.
Pretty much sounds like what Murray has been saying this whole time. Aykroyd didn't give details about who the new writing team consists of or whether the whole script need rewriting, but at least they're still trying to make this happen — and hopefully with Murray as Venkman.
[Source: Collider]
You can follow Movies and Culture Editor Lance Liebl on Twitter @Lance_GZImage copyright AFP
US and EU officials have decided against a ban on laptops and tablets in cabin baggage on flights from Europe.
But after a four-hour meeting in Brussels to discuss the threats to aviation security, officials said other measures were still being considered.
US officials had previously said they were looking into extending to Europe a ban on electronics on flights from eight mostly Muslim countries.
The measure was introduced over fears a bomb could be concealed in a device.
The meeting was requested by EU officials after recent reports suggested US authorities had new information regarding laptop parts being turned into explosives.
Details of a specific threat have not been made public.
An EU source described the briefing as vitally important.
The authorities had been assured by their US colleagues that the meeting signalled the start of an era of better communication on security issues under President Donald Trump.
The US restrictions, introduced in March, apply to devices "larger than a smartphone" from the cabins of flights from Turkey, Morocco, Jordan, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.
The UK issued a similar ban on flights from six countries.
Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption David Crowder of BRE Global Limited demonstrates the dangers of faulty batteries
Steve Landells, a safety expert at the British Airline Pilots Association, said there was a greater risk of lithium battery fires if larger devices were kept in an aircraft's hold.
"Given the risk of fire from these devices when they are damaged or they short circuit, an incident in the cabin would be spotted earlier and this would enable the crew to react quickly before any fire becomes uncontainable," he said.
"If these devices are kept in the hold, the risk is that if a fire occurs the results can be catastrophic; indeed, there have been two crashes where lithium batteries have been cited in the accident reports."Search MusicalCriticism.com
American soprano Danielle De Niese's trajectory to stardom is the stuff of any singer's dreams. Blessed with exotic good looks - the result of mixed Sri Lankan and Dutch heritage – and a natural ability as actor and dancer to complement her voice, she is little short of a one-woman Gesamtkunstwerk.
A Met debut whilst still in her teens saw her share the stage as Barbarina in Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro with Bryn Terfel, Cecilia Bartoli and Renée Fleming, conducted by James Levine and directed by Jonathan Miller.
This was followed by further performances at the Met and Europe before her breakthrough appearance for audiences in the UK, Glyndebourne's 2005 staging of Handel's Giulio Cesare. Her all-singing, all-dancing Cleopatra helped make David McVicar's outrageously entertaining production one of the festival's biggest hits of recent years. With the first album of a contract with Decca under her belt, and a second – of Mozart – due out this year, she returns to Glyndebourne for a revival of Handel's masterpiece this summer, not just as a star attraction, but also as the newly-engaged fiancée of Gus Christie, the festival's executive chairman.
It's an impressive CV for a singer still in her twenties and she adds to it this month with her Royal Opera debut, singing Galatea in the second part of a double bill of Purcell's Dido and Aeneas and Handel's Acis and Galatea, directed by the Royal Ballet's in-house choreographer, Wayne McGregor. The production marks a rare collaboration between the Royal Ballet and the Royal Opera, in which, I suggest, the famously versatile De Niese must be in her element.
'For me movement is a part of an interpretation. Because I've had some dance training, I am not particularly frightened of the thought of it; but it always has to be in the right context to really work, it can't just be done for the sake of it. So in this particular production Wayne has a whole team of dancers that are representing us as characters. I will do a bit of dancing in it, but it will be just at the very end.
'Galatea is always in movement, she's always in motion, and there's an element of body language that's crucial to her being. She's this person who's in between being mortal and immortal, she has both qualities. She's very at one with nature and at the same time she has this feeling that she's not of this world, that she's not of earthly things yet she's earthly. So that's really fun to play, because there's something spiritual about her, she's very organic and rooted.'
De Niese is obviously enjoying working with McGregor, whom she describes as 'a wonderful human being'. She goes on to explain that 'he's a bit like nature, he's very calm and easy-going and exciting all at the same time. He's a great worker, he's patient, he's very peaceful and he's very human.' De Niese's enthusiasm is infectious and she illustrates her points with elaborate and elegant hand gestures. It comes as no surprise that, similarly to the famous Glyndebourne Giulio Cesare, she enjoys being part of the process of building a production. 'Some directors will have mapped out the whole show, others will take everything out of what they have in the space, who they have working for them and what comes to them in the moment. Here we have a bit of both. For example, Wayne will come back the day after a rehearsal with some new ideas and, having let a scene sit and simmer for a while, puts them on the table; we sit and develop them, let them grow, evolve and change. It's a process that allows things to fly a bit; we see what happens, and then harness it and fine tune it.'
She hopes that this atmosphere of creativity will spill into the actual performances. 'Even in choreography, which is designed by definition, one can still breathe and move within the structure. Handel's like that too, it's freedom within this form. You have form in Baroque music that's more structured than your Romantic music: aria, aria, aria; recitative, recitative, recitative; da capo, da capo, da capo. Yet within that you have all this freedom to stop, to pause, to breathe, to think, to recreate ornaments to reinvent them. It's nice, it's good for the piece. And I think it really lends itself to that sort of creative combination of movement, thought, song and text.'
Has she managed to catch a glimpse of the Dido and Aeneas which forms the first half of the double bill?
'I haven't seen a single thing of Dido, we've been rehearsing at different times so I'm sure it must be quite crazy for the production team! My dear, dear friend Sarah Connolly is singing Dido so I can't wait to see it.' Connolly and De Niese are reunited, too, for the Glyndebourne Giulio Cesare revival. 'We're going to be shuttling back and forth,' she explains, 'performing Dido and Galatea here and then rehearsing Giulio Cesare and Cleopatra at Glyndebourne.'
Giulio Cesare is being revived by David McVicar himself, along with the original production's choreographer, Andrew George. With such a creative team, it would seem unlikely that audiences will be treated to a straightforward re-run of the 2005 show, now immortalised on DVD.
'They have a structure,' De Niese tells me, 'but they don't make it like an old template. They really re-work things and breathe life into it as if it was a new piece, and I love that about them. I remember doing it for the third time in Chicago and it was like a different production. David really stressed to the returning members: "Don't go on auto-pilot and don't do what you did last time. We don't want to think about that, we want to think about now and what this piece means now!" They're also really dear friends,' she smiles. 'I love it when I get on with directors. Once you form that bond, then it goes deeper than being merely professional.'
As well as Cleopatra, De Niese has sung the title role in Monteverdi's Coronation of Poppea in the UK, at last year's Glyndeborne Festival. Galatea, I suggest, is a very different creature from those two. 'My job is to play different characters. A lot of people who have seen me as Cleopatra and Poppea – which are the two main things I've done here in the UK – they assume that is either (a) my personality, or (b) that that's all I can do. They then ask how I will face the challenges of playing another role. But, I've played Rodelinda, I've played Semele, I've done L'enfant et les sortilèges where I played a boy, so I like the idea of pushing myself and the idea of not being boxed in. This is especially the case dramatically, because the story and the nitty-gritty is like your meat to chomp on when you work on a piece. For me it's always really important to make sure I have a nice, complex, interesting character and that I work different muscles.
'It was great because when I did Rodelinda – and I wish I could do it again – I loved the challenge of playing a young mother. It was so different from my other characters. I can even remember my manager coming to me and saying "I didn't know whether I could believe you as a young mother." But it worked; it was amazing. He was so impressed, and that was a huge thing for me: to go into the skin of someone that I couldn't relate to – because I don't have children – and channel different maternal instincts through my mother, through my relationship with her. For me that's a huge element of this job, or rather this career, this art. You have to cultivate yourself and you have to challenge yourself. So for me, yes, Galatea is like a different arrow that I'm pulling out' – she gestures to an imaginary quiver behind her back – 'I think that's good.'
She is thrilled, it seems, by the transformation that her costumes will effect in her, too. 'I'm wearing a blonde wig as Galatea – a really, really big blonde wig. I'll look so starkly different. I'm wearing flats, too. I'm very much a person of earth, of nature. She's a wild spirit and she has a femininity to her, a grace that's young, that's innocent, beautiful and pure, and real; it's very real - this wig is crazy! It's all piled up like this,' she enthuses as fluid, dancerly gestures create an imaginary coiffure in the space above her head. Putting her character in context, she continues: 'There's quite a modern edge to this piece. We're not going for friendly woods and rustic nymphs and everybody frolicking, we're going for a very realistic, modern yet timeless and slightly edgy look to the production. I think it's going to be great!'
The conversation moves on to De Niese's burgeoning career as a recording artist. Her first disc for Decca, Handel Arias, was released in 2008, going on to top the iTunes classical chart and cementing her already formidable reputation as an exponent of that composer's works. Her second disc, due out on Decca later this year, returns to her first love: Mozart.
'Mozart to me is the second step in my recording career, but the first step in my musical life. So this is like coming back to the beginning for me. I made my debut in Amsterdam with Cleopatra in 2001 and that's what started the Baroque train. This Early music has been wonderful thing for me to sing: it's healthy for the voice and I've learnt so much; I will always want to sing those roles. So with coming back to Mozart, it's like the ying and yang. It's not like I'm graduating to Mozart, I'm just changing to the other side of what my voice does.
'The Mozart album, just like the Handel, has been painstakingly difficult to programme, because there were so many wonderful things I wanted to do and just not enough sides to incorporate everything. I'm really proud of the programme, though, and it's an interesting selection. I didn't really realise, but a lot have people have told me that it's not your average, run-of-the-mill Mozart programme, that there are really not so many "famous" pieces on it. For example, I picked one aria called "O temerario Arbace": it's a concert aria, K.79, and he wrote it when he was ten! It knocks your socks off. It's so mature.
'I tend to have connections too with the things I do on these discs, so I'm including the alternate Susanna aria "Al desio di chi t'adora", which is what I sang in all my auditions for the Met's Young Artists programme. I'm singing Despina, I'm singing Ilia's entire opening scene [from Idomeneo]: I knew that if I ever did a Mozart disc I would have to include that. And I love Ilia, I can't wait to perform it. There's Lucio Silla, "Laudate Dominum" from the Vesprae solennes and another huge concert aria, "Bella mia fiamma" [K.528].'
The disc also reunites De Niese with Bryn Terfel, who was singing Figaro when she made her Met debut as Barbarina a decade ago. 'I feel so honoured,' she exclaims. 'He asked me once to do a tour of Canada with him and I can remember being absolutely distraught when the Met wouldn't let me go because I was still on the Young Artists programme. So now, finally, back we are to do this duet which was such fun.'
Providing accompaniment is the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment under conductor Sir Charles Mackerras, whose name she intones quietly with a mixture of awe and affection. 'He is, to me, one of the guiding lights in terms of Mozart over the years. He's really defined Mozart in a very special, authoritative way. Whereas in the Handel I did a lot of my own ornaments, for this Mozart I left myself in Sir Charles' hands completely, in terms of the proportion of ornamentation one should include. So the ornaments are very minimal but very beautiful. I think it's exactly right for the music and for the personality and the tone that I wanted to achieve with each aria. So that was a real thrill. I love him!'
As her enthusiasm brims over again, she worries: 'You're going to walk out of here thinking "My God, she just loves everybody!"' Despite her success, however, she emphasises how lucky she is to work with fellow artists who share and nurture her passion. As such, the recording of her Mozart album sounds like a highlight of her career to date.
'It was a really big moment for me, because my voice is growing right now and when I was doing that disc I was also going through a huge growth-spurt. Apart from anything else, it's a very emotional experience to go and sing all that Mozart. I was in seventh heaven, I was so happy. I came out of the recording feeling like I'd climbed Mount Everest, I just felt very good about it. Everyone was just so enthusiastic and the orchestra was so happy, and it was a great experience. No-one was on autopilot, we went in and had a great time and everyone put genuine effort into the making of it.'
Although never absent from her repertoire, Mozart is beginning to feature more and more in her schedule. 'I'm singing Susanna at the Met this coming season, 2009-10, and then again at the Chicago Lyric, Despina at the Met again in a couple of years time. I love, I mean really lurve, Mozart,' she drawls, investing the word the with almost inappropriate passion. 'It's what life is about. I don't think I have any Mozart scheduled here. I'm doing other things, though.' I press for more but she she studiously avoids specifics: 'Well, quite a few things… my next step vocally is adding Donizetti into this mix of Mozart and Handel. But carefully. So I'm adding things like Adina in L'elisir d'amore and Norina in Don Pasquale.'
It's clear that De Niese is planning her repertory carefully. I ask, however, if there are any roles she has a particular desire to sing in the future.
'Every time someone asks me, a voice in my head tells me "Don't say it!" But I can't help but want to respond honestly and the role I know I want to do and let it envelope me is Massenet's Manon. I love that role. I sang Poussette at the Met, and that's when the bug bit me. She's so complex, and it must be very difficult to manage all the facets of her character well. It's not just a vocal challenge, then, but a dramatic challenge, too, and I'd have to see if I can do both. I've had offers to do it, because people have read about it in the press. I've said no, because I want to know I'm ready and then schedule it, rather than project that I'll be ready in five years.'
She laughs when she recounts that she was offered Aida at the beginning of her twenties, 'because I looked the part'. But does she see herself venturing further into the bigger Italian repertoire? 'Well, I've done Nanetta in Falstaff, which is a beautiful thing and the lyricism of Verdi really suits me. I've also done Lauretta in Gianni Schicchi, so I feel like I understand the style. At some point I will look at the other roles, but for now I wouldn't sing more than Musetta [in La bohème] and Lauretta or Nanetta. At some point, maybe in ten years, maybe sooner; it depends on how the voice grows.
'People in the business who know me, they know better than to make unrealistic offers regarding repertoire, because they know I don't want to be a flash in the pan, they know how in love I've been with singing since I was I child. I started so young because I wanted to and because I loved it. They know that, and they know that I have a good team of people around me, keeping an eye out for me and making sure that crazy operas don't even land on my desk. So most of the houses I work for won't put Aida in front of me these days, because they also want to support me and do what's right for my voice. Still, you can't imagine how many people say "Oh, you should do Carmen". I'd love to do Carmen one day but, the problem is I'm not a mezzo!'
De Niese's optimism extends to a positive view of the world of classical music and its prospects during the recession. 'Classical music is still doing really well; people want to go and see it. These opera broadcasts at the movies are doing really well and getting opera out to more people, so it's a matter of getting young dynamic people out there.' Does she see herself as a shot in the arm for the classical musical world, as she's often portrayed, and an ambassador for the youth of the world? 'I see myself as a natural flag-bearer for classical music to the youth because I have done out-reach since I was twelve years old. I started so young so I feel an obligation to do it. It's not a chore, though, it's something that comes so naturally to me. That's why I started at a young age, because I knew going out there and singing for my peers would really change their impressions of what it's like to be a classical singer. And once the stereotype is broken or the misconceived ideas are changed then one can be really open.
'It's not about preaching to people to get them to convert to classical music. I think it's really important to respect all kinds of music and I have profound respect and appreciation for a lot of other types of music that are not classical. When I set out to talk to kids, I don't tell them they have to love classical music and they've got to love what I do. It's just about opening their minds to the possibility that there are things in classical music that they can relate to, that they can appreciate. You don't need a degree to love classical music, it's not something that one must have a sophisticated musical taste to appreciate. Granted, having a sophisticated musical experience can give you deeper levels of understanding about the music, but the most important thing to understand is how it moves you. You need nothing for that except your own heart, your own ears and eyes, and your body and mind to be open to it.'
By Hugo Shirley
Dido and Aeneas / Acis and Galatea opens at the Royal Opera House on 31 March.
BBC 4 TV will broadcast Acis and Galatea on Friday 15 May and Dido and Aeneas on Friday 22 May; BBC radio 3 will broadcast Dido and Aeneas and Acis and Galatea on Saturday 20 June
Giulio Cesare opens at Glyndebourne on 22 May.
Photos © Lorenzo Aguis/Decca
Join the debate: if you have any comments on this or any of our articles, visit our forumWhen the Los Angeles Dodgers made a trade this past week with the Atlanta Braves, it came as a bit of a surprise that the team designated one of the players acquired for assignment once the deal was complete.
Left-hander Eric Stults was one of four players heading to the Dodgers in exchange for Juan Uribe and Chris Withrow, but the team immediately designated him for assignment. Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said the team would like to keep him if he cleared waivers. On Monday morning, that became a reality and Stults is still in the organization.
According to Chris Cotillo of MLB Daily Dish, the 35-year-old will join one of the Dodgers minor-league affiliates:
Source: Eric Stults staying with #Dodgers organization by accepting outright assignment to AA Tulsa. LA gets depth they wanted in trade. — Chris Cotillo (@ChrisCotillo) June 1, 2015
With the Braves in 2015, Stults was 1-5 with a 5.85 ERA in nine games (eight starts) before being traded. He signed with the team in February after spending the last three seasons with the San Diego Padres. This is Stults’ second stint with the Dodgers after being drafted by them in 2002 and spending four years in Los Angeles from 2006-2009.
Stults becomes the latest depth piece in the never-ending search for pitching depth by Friedman and general manager Farhan Zaidi. The left-hander could build up some innings at Double-A before possibly moving up to Triple-A and if needed, the big leagues. The Dodgers have a five-man rotation as of now after Mike Bolsinger and Carlos Frias earned their roles; however, the team has already lost two starters for the year and Stults could very well find himself on the mound for the Dodgers.
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Alberto Callaspo Accepts Trade To DodgersA historic medical breakthrough in Canada this month gives doctors an effective new way to treat diseases of the brain, including cancer, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s.
A persistent obstacle to treating brain disorders and tumors has been the difficulty in delivering drugs to that location.
There is a natural barrier wrapped around the tiny blood vessels in the brain meant to keep toxins out. The problem is, this “blood-brain barrier” also prevents drugs in the blood stream from leaving capillaries and getting into the brain—until now.
RELATED: Science Just Saved A Baby–Beat Cancer With Untested, Last Try
Doctors in Toronto became the first to penetrate the blood-brain barrier. They used ultrasound waves and vibrating microbubbles which allowed life-saving drugs to pass through. Their new process allowed them to treat a woman’s terminal brain cancer.
“It will revolutionize the way we treat brain disease completely,” Dr. Kullervo Hynynen, Director of Physical Sciences at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center, told CTV News in the video above. “It will give hope to patients who have no hope.”
Bonny Hall, had a tumor called a glioma, which is extremely difficult to treat surgically because it spreads out in a web within a large network of blood vessels. Patients don’t often survive because the complex surgery can rarely remove all the cancer. Chemotherapy isn’t very effective either, since only about 25% of chemo drugs reach the tumor due to the blood-brain barrier.
CHECK OUT: Stage 4 Brain Tumor Survivor: 12 Years Cancer-Free and Running Marathons
Researchers first injected Hall with cancer medications, then inserted tiny microbubbles into her bloodstream. They used ultrasound to cause the bubbles to vibrate in targeted parts of capillaries around her brain. The vibrating bubbles gently tore open tiny leaks in the capillaries, allowing the cancer medications to leak out of them and into brain tissue.
The damage is very temporary, with the capillaries healing and the blood-brain barrier restored within 12 hours after the procedure.
RELATED: Malaria Protein Accidentally Found to Be Cancer-Killing Weapon
Breaching this barrier opens a new frontier for all doctors, not just those at Sunnybrook, who will test nine more patients before publishing their results.
Share This Breakthrough and Give the World Some Hope…Social anxiety disorder is the most common anxiety disorder, preventing millions from living the life they want for fear of being judged or embarrassed in front of others. (iStockPhoto)
When he was younger, Angelo Andreatos, now 48, was so self-conscious about his peers' opinion of him that he skipped out on social events if he had a pimple. After college, the aspiring actor put his Broadway dreams on hold when his fear of commuting from New Jersey to Manhattan, surrounded by people on the train each day, outweighed his desire to see his name in lights. By middle age, Andreatos stopped leaving his house for extended periods – sometimes a year or two at a time. He couldn't answer the phone because the mere thought of making conversation with a stranger – a takeout delivery person, a sales representative – terrified him.
Andreatos knew he wasn't just shy or antisocial. He had a problem. So in 2014, Andreatos – who had previously seen a therapist for depression and related conditions – returned to therapy and was diagnosed with social anxiety disorder.
According to experts, social anxiety disorder is the most common anxiety disorder, as well as one of most prevalent psychiatric disorders in America. Just like Andreatos, millions of people are so paralyzed by the fear of being judged or embarrassed in front of others that they're unable to lead the life they want.
Some cases of social anxiety – like Andreatos' – are extreme; these individuals can't hold down a job, maintain friendships, use public restrooms or walk down a supermarket aisle. In particularly dire circumstances, they can't leave home. Yet others are less severe, says Dr. Beth Salcedo, medical director of the Ross Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders in the District of Columbia. These people might appear to function normally – complete school, transition into a successful career and attend social gatherings. However, their social anxiety disorder still impacts them, albeit in a more insidious way. They might be unable to, say, raise their hand during a lecture or speak up in a work meeting. As a result, they're thwarted from achieving their fullest potential – hence why some therapists have dubbed social anxiety "the disorder of missed chances."
"I see a lot of people who've stepped short academically or professionally," Salcedo says. "People who say things like, 'I really wanted to go get my MBA, but there was no way I was going to do all that group work. So I decided to become a data entry person for the IRS because I don't have to interact with anybody.'"
As humans, we all want to be liked. We all want to fit in. So where, exactly, does ordinary, run-of-the mill shyness or fear of humiliation end and social anxiety begin?
"It's all on a continuum," says Jennifer Shannon, co-founder of the Santa Rosa Center for Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy in California and author of "The Shyness and Social Anxiety Workbook for Teens." "I think of social anxiety disorder, or any anxiety disorder, as a 'disorder' when it starts interfering with the person's functioning – when it's interfering with the goals they have in their life."
Plus, people who are merely shy are able to let down their barriers as they become more familiar with a situation or group, says Dr. Richard Heimberg, director of Temple University's Adult Anxiety Clinic. People with social anxiety? Not exactly.
Typically, those with social anxiety disorder engage in escapist or avoidant behavior, Heimberg says. Sometimes they purposely avoid places or events where they know they'd be forced to interact with people; they skip conversations with small talk because they're worried about awkward silences or being judged. Or they drink too much because they find alcohol makes them feel less uncomfortable around others. One patient, Heimberg says, almost didn't attend his own wedding because he was so nervous about walking down the aisle in front of a crowd of people. These actions are spurred by exaggerated thoughts and beliefs about how someone is viewed by others. What if I accidentally offend someone? What if I make a bad joke? If I'm not interesting, will people no longer like me? They're all watching me. They're laughing at me.
"They believe they need to be socially perfect, and then if they're not, they feel this exaggerated sense of threat that they're going to get kicked out of the tribe," Shannon says. "People who don't have social anxiety disorder... just kind of jump into conversations. They don't worry too much" about being boring or awkward, or making a social faux pas. And research supports the notion that people with social anxiety disorder rate their own behavior more poorly than others observing them, Heimberg says. They're not as socially inept as they imagine they are – but their social anxiety tells them otherwise.
Most of the time, it's not externally obvious that someone is struggling with such thoughts. In fact, many people with social anxiety appear fine in social interactions, Heimberg says. But there are, occasionally, physical clues that reveal the person's anxiety. For instance, Andreatos used to sweat profusely during social interactions and occasionally has anxiety attacks. Others with social anxiety might avoid eye contact – they're afraid they'll be met with a harsh or mocking gaze – or tremble, blush or speak in a quaking voice. And in addition to anxious thoughts, people with social anxiety disorder might also experience a quickened heart rate, dry mouth or nausea in social settings.
In addition to missing out on life events, avoidant behavior spurred by social anxiety disorder reinforces negative thought patterns, Shannon says. "You'll think, 'It's good I didn't speak up at the meeting, because people didn't see how stupid I am,'" she says. "[Or], 'I'm glad I ended that conversation early because the other person now doesn't know how boring I am.'"
Those who struggle with social anxiety are often told to be "less self-conscious" or to "care less about what other people think." Often, children are told they'll outgrow it. But it's a little more complicated than that, Salcedo says.
Social anxiety disorder can manifest at a young age – say, elementary or middle school – but sometimes it presents even earlier. It often occurs during adolescence. And some individuals, like Andreatos, recall having it their entire life.
Researchers think social anxiety is partially genetic; people with the disorder, including Andreatos, often note that it runs in their families. Environmental factors, such as childhood bullying and social stressors, or parents who also have anxiety and/or exhibit avoidant behaviors, can also contribute to development.
You don't "outgrow" social anxiety or snap out of it; you'll likely need therapy, a medication like a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor or a combination of the two to alleviate your symptoms. Heimberg notes that an average of 15 to 20 years typically lapses between the onset of social anxiety disorder and seeing a professional.
Since social anxiety can worsen with time – and eventually lead to substance abuse problems or depression – early intervention is important, experts say. "The data are getting stronger and stronger that things like childhood bullying [and] cyberbullying... really do have an effect" on the development of social anxiety disorder, Heimberg says. "So monitoring some of those kinds of things, and developing prevention programs at the school and community level, are really important."
Even if early intervention isn't possible, individuals of all ages can benefit from cognitive behavioral therapy, Salcedo says – the go-to therapy most professionals use for anxiety disorders. In a typical session of cognitive behavioral therapy, therapists help patients with anxiety challenge their distorted thoughts – for example, "If I walk into a room, everyone's staring at me and thinking bad things" – and replace it with a more rational one. And by exposing themselves to stressors that cause anxiety – say, visiting the dry cleaner and complaining about a missed stain on a shirt, thus drawing unwanted attention to themselves – they can learn coping tools to deal with their symptoms.
Andreatos recently started cognitive-behavioral therapy. He's now leaving the house, and he's trying to pick up the phone when it rings. Eventually, he'll make it to a mall. He's slowly but certainly making progress against his social anxiety, he says. "I'm trying to get better."AnswerID: 614640
Fellow ReadersThankyou Stephen for your postings. It was great to attend and meet fellow EO members.As others have said the weather gods had their bit of fun with attendees - still that's the Outback. And those pesky little prickles (note to self - sock savers next time).For me the event was a culmination of the contribution of my grandfather who worked on the line construction as a ganger and my own various experiences over a 40 yr period. It was poignant to take in the location and consider the wonderful nation building work that took place and the scale of that, without the benefits of mechanization travel and communications we take for granted today. And too boot it was done in the middle of WW1.Special thanks to all who contributed to make the occasion happen without the benefit of any direct government funding, ARTC for the monuments, Dick Smith and Arkaroola along with the Australian Rail Museum and many other in-named contributes in both finance and time. Special thanks to the "Dunny Man" for the unique experience of odor free Portaloos - it shows it is possible.The lack of Politicians had an upside in that it allowed an ambience and unfettered enjoyment of the moment to prevail by those who really appreciated the unique opportunity without having press crews and politicians take the limelight. Perhaps there was a lot of washer cutting in the halls of power with pending constitutional matters and the sheer difficulty of actually getting to outback Australia - |
by candid and informed weighing of the competing interests, within the confines of the judicial process.
In Yates v. United States (1957), the Supreme Court limited the Smith Act prosecutions to "advocacy of action" rather than "advocacy in the realm of ideas". Advocacy of abstract doctrine remained protected while speech explicitly inciting the forcible overthrow of the government was punishable under the Smith Act.[79]
During the Vietnam War, the Court's position on public criticism of the government changed drastically. Though the Court upheld a law prohibiting the forgery, mutilation, or destruction of draft cards in United States v. O'Brien (1968),[81] fearing that burning draft cards would interfere with the "smooth and efficient functioning" of the draft system,[82][83] the next year, the court handed down its decision in Brandenburg v. Ohio (1969),[84] expressly overruling Whitney v. California. Brandenburg discarded the "clear and present danger" test introduced in Schenck and further eroded Dennis.[86] Now the Supreme Court referred to the right to speak openly of violent action and revolution in broad terms:
[Our] decisions have fashioned the principle that the constitutional guarantees of free speech and free press do not allow a State to forbid or proscribe advocacy of the use of force or law violation except where such advocacy is directed to inciting or producing imminent lawless action and is likely to incite or cause such action.[88]
In Cohen v. California (1971),[89] the Court voted 5–4 to reverse the conviction of a man wearing a jacket reading "Fuck the Draft" in the corridors of a Los Angeles County courthouse. Justice John Marshall Harlan II wrote in the majority opinion that Cohen's jacket fell in the category of protected political speech despite the use of an expletive: "one man's vulgarity is another man's lyric."
Political speech
Anonymous speech
In Talley v. California (1960),[91] the Court struck down a Los Angeles city ordinance that made it a crime to distribute anonymous pamphlets. Justice Hugo Black wrote in the majority opinion: "There can be no doubt that such an identification requirement would tend to restrict freedom to distribute information and thereby freedom of expression.... Anonymous pamphlets, leaflets, brochures and even books have played an important role in the progress of mankind."[92] In McIntyre v. Ohio Elections Commission (1995),[93] the Court struck down an Ohio statute that made it a crime to distribute anonymous campaign literature.[94] However, in Meese v. Keene (1987),[95] the Court upheld the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938, under which several Canadian films were defined as "political propaganda", requiring their sponsors to be identified.[96]
Campaign finance
In Buckley v. Valeo (1976),[97] the Supreme Court reviewed the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 and related laws, which restricted the monetary contributions that may be made to political campaigns and expenditure by candidates. The Court affirmed the constitutionality of limits on campaign contributions, stating that they "serve[d] the basic governmental interest in safeguarding the integrity of the electoral process without directly impinging upon the rights of individual citizens and candidates to engage in political debate and discussion."[98] However, the Court overturned the spending limits, which it found imposed "substantial restraints on the quantity of political speech."[99]
The court again scrutinized campaign finance regulation in McConnell v. Federal Election Commission (2003).[101] The case centered on the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 (BCRA), a federal law that imposed new restrictions on campaign financing. The Supreme Court upheld provisions which barred the raising of soft money by national parties and the use of soft money by private organizations to fund certain advertisements related to elections. However, the Court struck down the "choice of expenditure" rule, which required that parties could either make coordinated expenditures for all its candidates, or permit candidates to spend independently, but not both, which the Court agreed "placed an unconstitutional burden on the parties' right to make unlimited independent expenditures."[102] The Court also ruled that the provision preventing minors from making political contributions was unconstitutional, relying on Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District.
In Federal Election Commission v. Wisconsin Right to Life, Inc. (2007),[103] the Court sustained an "as applied" challenge to BCRA, holding that issue ads may not be banned from the months preceding a primary or general election. In Davis v. Federal Election Commission (2008),[104] the Supreme Court declared the "Millionaire's Amendment" provisions of the BCRA to be unconstitutional. The Court held that easing BCRA restrictions for an opponent of a self-financing candidate spending at least $350,000 of his or her own money violated the freedom of speech of the self-financing candidate.[105]
In Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010),[106] the Court ruled that the BCRA's federal restrictions on electoral advocacy by corporations or unions were unconstitutional for violating the Free Speech Clause of the First Amendment. The Court overruled Austin v. Michigan Chamber of Commerce (1990),[107] which had upheld a state law that prohibited corporations from using treasury funds to support or oppose candidates in elections did not violate the First or Fourteenth Amendments. The Court also overruled the portion of McConnell that upheld such restrictions under the BCRA.[108] In other words, the ruling was considered to hold that "political spending is a form of protected speech under the First Amendment".[109]
In McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission (2014),[110] the Court ruled that federal aggregate limits on how much a person can donate to candidates, political parties, and political action committees, combined respectively in a two-year period known as an "election cycle," violated the Free Speech Clause of the First Amendment.[111]
Flag desecration
The divisive issue of flag desecration as a form of protest first came before the Supreme Court in Street v. New York (1969).[112] In response to hearing an erroneous report of the murder of civil rights activist James Meredith, Sidney Street burned a 48-star U.S. flag. Street was arrested and charged with a New York state law making it a crime "publicly [to] mutilate, deface, defile, or defy, trample upon, or cast contempt upon either by words or act [any flag of the United States]."[113] In a 5–4 decision, the Court, relying on Stromberg v. California (1931),[114] found that because the provision of the New York law criminalizing "words" against the flag was unconstitutional, and the trial did not sufficiently demonstrate that he was convicted solely under the provisions not yet deemed unconstitutional, the conviction was unconstitutional. The Court, however, "resist[ed] the pulls to decide the constitutional issues involved in this case on a broader basis" and left the constitutionality of flag-burning unaddressed.[115]
The ambiguity with regard to flag-burning statutes was eliminated in Texas v. Johnson (1989).[117] In that case, Gregory Lee Johnson burned an American flag at a demonstration during the 1984 Republican National Convention in Dallas, Texas. Charged with violating a Texas law prohibiting the vandalizing of venerated objects, Johnson was convicted, sentenced to one year in prison, and fined $2,000. The Supreme Court reversed his conviction in a 5–4 vote. Justice William J. Brennan, Jr. wrote in the decision that "if there is a bedrock principle underlying the First Amendment, it is that government may not prohibit the expression of an idea simply because society finds the idea offensive or disagreeable."[118] Congress then passed a federal law barring flag burning, but the Supreme Court struck it down as well in United States v. Eichman (1990).[119] A Flag Desecration Amendment to the U.S. Constitution has been proposed repeatedly in Congress since 1989, and in 2006 failed to pass the Senate by a single vote.[121]
Falsifying military awards
While the unauthorized wear or sale of the Medal of Honor has been a punishable offense under federal law since the early 20th century,[122][123] the Stolen Valor Act criminalized the act of not only wearing, but also verbally claiming entitlement to military awards that a person did not in fact earn.[124] In United States v. Alvarez (2012), the Supreme Court struck down the Act, ruling that the First Amendment bars the government from punishing people for making false claims regarding military service or honors where the false claim was not "made to effect a fraud or secure moneys or other valuable considerations." The decision was a 6–3 ruling, but the six justices in the majority could not agree on a single rationale for it.[125]
Compelled speech
The Supreme Court has determined that the First Amendment also protects citizens from being compelled to say or pay for certain speech.
In West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette (1943), the Court ruled that school children could not be punished for refusing either to say the pledge of allegiance or salute the American flag.
In National Institute of Family and Life Advocates v. Becerra (2018), the Court ruled that a California law that required crisis pregnancy centers to post notices informing patients that they can obtain free or low-cost abortions and include the number of the state agency that can connect the women with abortion providers violated those centers' right to free speech.[126]
In Janus v. AFSCME (2018), the Court ruled that requiring a public sector employee to pay dues to a union to which he is not a member violated the First Amendment. According to the Court, “the First Amendment does not permit the government to compel a person to pay for another party’s speech just because the government thinks that the speech furthers the interests of the person who does not want to pay.”[127]
Commercial speech
Commercial speech is speech done on behalf of a company or individual for the purpose of making a profit. Unlike political speech, the Supreme Court does not afford commercial speech full protection under the First Amendment. To effectively distinguish commercial speech from other types of speech for purposes of litigation, the Court uses a list of four indicia:[128]
The contents do "no more than propose a commercial transaction". The contents may be characterized as advertisements. The contents reference a specific product. The disseminator is economically motivated to distribute the speech.
Alone, each indicium does not compel the conclusion that an instance of speech is commercial; however, "[t]he combination of all these characteristics... provides strong support for... the conclusion that the [speech is] properly characterized as commercial speech."[129]
In Valentine v. Chrestensen (1942),[130] the Court upheld a New York City ordinance forbidding the "distribution in the streets of commercial and business advertising matter."[131] Writing for a unanimous court, Justice Owen Roberts explained:
This court has unequivocally held that streets are proper places for the exercise of the freedom of communicating information and disseminating opinion and that, though the states and municipalities may appropriately regulate the privilege in the public interest, they may not unduly burden or proscribe its employment in their public thoroughfares. We are equally clear that the Constitution imposes no such restraint on government as respects purely commercial advertising.[132]
In Virginia State Pharmacy Board v. Virginia Citizens Consumer Council (1976),[133] the Court overruled Valentine and ruled that commercial speech was entitled to First Amendment protection:
What is at issue is whether a State may completely suppress the dissemination of concededly truthful information about entirely lawful activity, fearful of that information's effect upon its disseminators and its recipients.... [W]e conclude that the answer to this one is in the negative.[134]
In Ohralik v. Ohio State Bar Association (1978),[135] the Court ruled that commercial speech was not protected by the First Amendment as much as other types of speech:
We have not discarded the "common-sense" distinction between speech proposing a commercial transaction, which occurs in an area traditionally subject to government regulation, and other varieties of speech. To require a parity of constitutional protection for commercial and noncommercial speech alike could invite a dilution, simply by a leveling process, of the force of the [First] Amendment's guarantee with respect to the latter kind of speech.[136]
In Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corp. v. Public Service Commission (1980),[137] the Court clarified what analysis was required before the government could justify regulating commercial speech:
Is the expression protected by the First Amendment? Lawful? Misleading? Fraud? Is the asserted government interest substantial? Does the regulation directly advance the governmental interest asserted? Is the regulation more extensive than is necessary to serve that interest?
Six years later, the U.S. Supreme Court, applying the Central Hudson standards in Posadas de Puerto Rico Associates v. Tourism Company of Puerto Rico (1986),[138] affirmed the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico's conclusion that Puerto Rico's Games of Chance Act of 1948, including the regulations thereunder, was not facially unconstitutional. The lax interpretation of Central Hudson adopted by Posadas was soon restricted under 44 Liquormart, Inc. v. Rhode Island (1996),[139] when the Court invalidated a Rhode Island law prohibiting the publication of liquor prices.
School speech
In Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District (1969),[140] the Supreme Court extended free speech rights to students in school. The case involved several students who were punished for wearing black armbands to protest the Vietnam War. The Court ruled that the school could not restrict symbolic speech that did not "materially and substantially" interrupt school activities. Justice Abe Fortas wrote:
First Amendment rights, applied in light of the special characteristics of the school environment, are available to teachers and students. It can hardly be argued that either students or teachers shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate.... [S]chools may not be enclaves of totalitarianism. School officials do not possess absolute authority over their students. Students... are possessed of fundamental rights which the State must respect, just as they themselves must respect their obligations to the State.[142]
In Healy v. James (1972), the Court ruled that Central Connecticut State College's refusal to recognize a campus chapter of Students for a Democratic Society was unconstitutional, reaffirming Tinker.
However, since 1969 the Court has also placed several limitations on Tinker interpretations. In Bethel School District v. Fraser (1986),[144] the Court ruled that a student could be punished for his sexual-innuendo-laced speech before a school assembly and, in Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier (1988),[145] the Court found that schools need not tolerate student speech that is inconsistent with their basic educational mission. In Morse v. Frederick (2007),[147] the Court ruled that schools could, consistent with the First Amendment, restrict student speech at school-sponsored events, even events away from school grounds, if students promote "illegal drug use".[148]
Internet access
In Packingham v. North Carolina (2017), the Supreme Court held that a North Carolina law prohibiting registered sex offenders from accessing various websites impermissibly restricted lawful speech in violation of the First Amendment.[149] The Court held that "a fundamental principle of the First Amendment is that all persons have access to places where they can speak and listen, and then, after reflection, speak and listen once more."[150][151]
Obscenity
Justice Potter Stewart wrote that while he could not precisely define pornography, he "[knew] it when [he saw] it."
The federal government and the states have long been permitted to limit obscenity or pornography. While the Supreme Court has generally refused to give obscenity any protection under the First Amendment, pornography is subject to little regulation. However, the definitions of obscenity and pornography have changed over time.[10]
In Rosen v. United States (1896), the Supreme Court adopted the same obscenity standard as had been articulated in a famous British case, Regina v. Hicklin (1868).[152] The Hicklin test defined material as obscene if it tended "to deprave or corrupt those whose minds are open to such immoral influences, and into whose hands a publication of this sort may fall".[153] In the early twentieth century, literary works including An American Tragedy (Theodore Dreiser, 1925) and Lady Chatterley's Lover (D.H. Lawrence, 1928) were banned for obscenity. In the federal district court case United States v. One Book Called Ulysses (1933), Judge John M. Woolsey established a new standard to evaluate James Joyce's novel Ulysses (1922), stating that works must be considered in their entirety, rather than declared obscene on the basis of an individual part of the work.[154]
The Supreme Court ruled in Roth v. United States (1957)[155] that the First Amendment did not protect obscenity.[154] It also ruled that the Hicklin test was inappropriate; instead, the Roth test for obscenity was "whether to the average person, applying contemporary community standards, the dominant theme of the material, taken as a whole, appeals to the prurient interest".[156] This definition proved hard to apply, however, and in the following decade, members of the Court often reviewed films individually in a court building screening room to determine if they should be considered obscene. Justice Potter Stewart, in Jacobellis v. Ohio (1964),[158] famously stated that, although he could not precisely define pornography, "I know it when I see it".[159][160]
The Roth test was expanded when the Court decided Miller v. California (1973).[161] Under the Miller test, a work is obscene if:
(a)... ‘the average person, applying contemporary community standards’ would find the work, as a whole, appeals to the prurient interest... (b)... the work depicts or describes, in a patently offensive way, sexual conduct specifically defined by the applicable state law, and (c)... the work, taken as a whole, lacks serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value.[162]
Note that "community" standards—not national standards—are applied whether the material appeals to the prurient interest, leaving the question of obscenity to local authorities.[154] Child pornography is not subject to the Miller test, as the Supreme Court decided in New York v. Ferber (1982) and Osborne v. Ohio (1990),[163][164] ruling that the government's interest in protecting children from abuse was paramount.[165]
Personal possession of obscene material in the home may not be prohibited by law. In Stanley v. Georgia (1969),[167] the Court ruled that "[i]f the First Amendment means anything, it means that a State has no business telling a man, sitting in his own house, what books he may read or what films he may watch."[168] However, it is constitutionally permissible for the government to prevent the mailing or sale of obscene items, though they may be viewed only in private. Ashcroft v. Free Speech Coalition (2002)[169] further upheld these rights by invalidating the Child Pornography Prevention Act of 1996, holding that, because the act "[p]rohibit[ed] child pornography that does not depict an actual child" it was overly broad and unconstitutional under the First Amendment[170] and that:
First Amendment freedoms are most in danger when the government seeks to control thought or to justify its laws for that impermissible end. The right to think is the beginning of freedom, and speech must be protected from the government because speech is the beginning of thought.[171]
In United States v. Williams (2008),[172] the Court upheld the PROTECT Act of 2003, ruling that prohibiting offers to provide and requests to obtain child pornography did not violate the First Amendment, even if a person charged under the Act did not possess child pornography.[173][174]
Memoirs of convicted criminals
In some states, there are Son of Sam laws prohibiting convicted criminals from publishing memoirs for profit.[175] These laws were a response to offers to David Berkowitz to write memoirs about the murders he committed. The Supreme Court struck down a law of this type in New York as a violation of the First Amendment in the case Simon & Schuster v. Crime Victims Board (1991).[176] That statute did not prohibit publication of a memoir by a convicted criminal. Instead, it provided that all profits from the book were to be put in escrow for a time. The interest from the escrow account was used to fund the New York State Crime Victims Board – an organization that pays the medical and related bills of victims of crime. Similar laws in other states remain unchallenged.[177]
Defamation
New York Times Co. v. Sullivan, requiring the demonstration of "actual malice" in libel suits against public figures. Justice William J. Brennan, Jr. wrote the landmark decision, requiring the demonstration of "actual malice" in libel suits against public figures.
American tort liability for defamatory speech or publications traces its origins to English common law. For the first two hundred years of American jurisprudence, the basic substance of defamation law continued to resemble that existing in England at the time of the Revolution. An 1898 American legal textbook on defamation provides definitions of libel and slander nearly identical to those given by William Blackstone and Edward Coke. An action of slander required the following:
Actionable words, such as those imputing the injured party: is guilty of some offense, suffers from a contagious disease or psychological disorder, is unfit for public office because of moral failings or an inability to discharge his or her duties, or lacks integrity in profession, trade or business; That the charge must be false; That the charge must be articulated to a third person, verbally or in writing; That the words are not subject to legal protection, such as those uttered in Congress; and That the charge must be motivated by malice.
An action of libel required the same five general points as slander, except that it specifically involved the publication of defamatory statements. For certain criminal charges of libel, such as seditious libel, the truth or falsity of the statements was immaterial, as such laws were intended to maintain public support of the government and true statements could damage this support even more than false ones. Instead, libel placed specific emphasis on the result of the publication. Libelous publications tended to "degrade and injure another person" or "bring him into contempt, hatred or ridicule".
Concerns that defamation under common law might be incompatible with the new republican form of government caused early American courts to struggle between William Blackstone's argument that the punishment of "dangerous or offensive writings... [was] necessary for the preservation of peace and good order, of government and religion, the only solid foundations of civil liberty" and the argument that the need for a free press guaranteed by the Constitution outweighed the fear of what might be written. Consequently, very few changes were made in the first two centuries after the ratification of the First Amendment.
The Supreme Court's ruling in New York Times Co. v. Sullivan (1964)[52] fundamentally changed American defamation law. The case redefined the type of "malice" needed to sustain a libel case. Common law malice consisted of "ill-will" or "wickedness". Now, a public officials seeking to sustain a civil action against a tortfeasor needed to prove by "clear and convincing evidence" that there was actual malice. The case involved an advertisement published in The New York Times indicating that officials in Montgomery, Alabama had acted violently in suppressing the protests of African-Americans during the civil rights movement. The Montgomery Police Commissioner, L. B. Sullivan, sued the Times for libel, stating that the advertisement damaged his reputation. The Supreme Court unanimously reversed the $500,000 judgment against the Times. Justice Brennan suggested that public officials may sue for libel only if the publisher published the statements in question with "actual malice"—"knowledge that it was false or with reckless disregard of whether it was false or not."[181] In sum, the court held that "the First Amendment protects the publication of all statements, even false ones, about the conduct of public officials except when statements are made with actual malice (with knowledge that they are false or in reckless disregard of their truth or falsity)."[183]
While actual malice standard applies to public officials and public figures,[184] in Philadelphia Newspapers v. Hepps (1988),[185] the Court found that, with regard to private individuals, the First Amendment does "not necessarily force any change in at least some features of the common-law landscape."[186] In Dun & Bradstreet, Inc. v. Greenmoss Builders, Inc. (1985)[187] the Court ruled that "actual malice" need not be shown in cases involving private individuals, holding that "[i]n light of the reduced constitutional value of speech involving no matters of public concern... the state interest adequately supports awards of presumed and punitive damages—even absent a showing of 'actual malice.'"[188][189] In Gertz v. Robert Welch, Inc. (1974), the Court ruled that a private individual had to prove actual malice only to be awarded punitive damages, but not to seek actual damages.[190][191] In Hustler Magazine v. Falwell (1988),[192] the Court extended the "actual malice" standard to intentional infliction of emotional distress in a ruling which protected parody, in this case a fake advertisement in Hustler suggesting that evangelist Jerry Falwell's first sexual experience had been with his mother in an outhouse. Since Falwell was a public figure, the Court ruled that "importance of the free flow of ideas and opinions on matters of public interest and concern" was the paramount concern, and reversed the judgement Falwell had won against Hustler for emotional distress.[193]
In Milkovich v. Lorain Journal Co. (1990),[194] the Court ruled that the First Amendment offers no wholesale exception to defamation law for statements labeled "opinion", but instead that a statement must be provably false (falsifiable) before it can be the subject of a libel suit.[195] Nonetheless, it has been argued that Milkovich and other cases effectively provide for an opinion privilege.[196] In consequence a significant number of states have enacted state opinion privilege laws.[citation needed]
Private action
State constitutions provide free speech protections similar to those of the U.S. Constitution. In a few states, such as California, a state constitution has been interpreted as providing more comprehensive protections than the First Amendment. The Supreme Court has permitted states to extend such enhanced protections, most notably in Pruneyard Shopping Center v. Robins.[197] In that case, the Court unanimously ruled that while the First Amendment may allow private property owners to prohibit trespass by political speakers and petition-gatherers, California was permitted to restrict property owners whose property is equivalent to a traditional public forum (often shopping malls and grocery stores) from enforcing their private property rights to exclude such individuals.[198] However, the Court did maintain that shopping centers could impose "reasonable restrictions on expressive activity".[199] Subsequently, New Jersey, Colorado, Massachusetts and Puerto Rico courts have adopted the doctrine;[200][201] California's courts have repeatedly reaffirmed it.[202]
Freedom of the press
The free speech and free press clauses have been interpreted as providing the same protection to speakers as to writers, except for wireless broadcasting which has been given less constitutional protection.[203] The Free Press Clause protects the right of individuals to express themselves through publication and dissemination of information, ideas and opinions without interference, constraint or prosecution by the government.[204][205] This right was described in Branzburg v. Hayes as "a fundamental personal right" that is not confined to newspapers and periodicals.[206] In Lovell v. City of Griffin (1938),[207] Chief Justice Charles Evans Hughes defined "press" as "every sort of publication which affords a vehicle of information and opinion".[208] This right has been extended to media including newspapers, books, plays, movies, and video games.[209] While it is an open question whether people who blog or use social media are journalists entitled to protection by media shield laws,[210] they are protected equally by the Free Speech Clause and the Free Press Clause, because both clauses do not distinguish between media businesses and nonprofessional speakers.[204][205][211][212] This is further shown by the Supreme Court consistently refusing to recognize the First Amendment as providing greater protection to the institutional media than to other speakers.[213][214][215] For example, in a case involving campaign finance laws the Court rejected the "suggestion that communication by corporate members of the institutional press is entitled to greater constitutional protection than the same communication by" non-institutional-press businesses.[216]
A landmark decision for press freedom came in Near v. Minnesota (1931),[217] in which the Supreme Court rejected prior restraint (pre-publication censorship). In this case, the Minnesota legislature passed a statute allowing courts to shut down "malicious, scandalous and defamatory newspapers", allowing a defense of truth only in cases where the truth had been told "with good motives and for justifiable ends". In a 5–4 decision, the Court applied the Free Press Clause to the states, rejecting the statute as unconstitutional. Hughes quoted Madison in the majority decision, writing, "The impairment of the fundamental security of life and property by criminal alliances and official neglect emphasizes the primary need of a vigilant and courageous press".
However, Near also noted an exception, allowing prior restraint in cases such as "publication of sailing dates of transports or the number or location of troops". This exception was a key point in another landmark case four decades later: New York Times Co. v. United States (1971),[221] in which the administration of President Richard Nixon sought to ban the publication of the Pentagon Papers, classified government documents about the Vietnam War secretly copied by analyst Daniel Ellsberg. The Court found, 6–3, that the Nixon administration had not met the heavy burden of proof required for prior restraint. Justice Brennan, drawing on Near in a concurrent opinion, wrote that "only governmental allegation and proof that publication must inevitably, directly, and immediately cause the occurrence of an evil kindred to imperiling the safety of a transport already at sea can support even the issuance of an interim restraining order." Justices Black and Douglas went still further, writing that prior restraints were never justified.[222]
The courts have rarely treated content-based regulation of journalism with any sympathy. In Miami Herald Publishing Co. v. Tornillo (1974),[223] the Court unanimously struck down a state law requiring newspapers criticizing political candidates to publish their responses. The state claimed that the law had been passed to ensure journalistic responsibility. The Supreme Court found that freedom, but not responsibility, is mandated by the First Amendment and so it ruled that the government may not force newspapers to publish that which they do not desire to publish.[224]
Content-based regulation of television and radio, however, have been sustained by the Supreme Court in various cases. Since there is a limited number of frequencies for non-cable television and radio stations, the government licenses them to various companies. However, the Supreme Court has ruled that the problem of scarcity does not allow the raising of a First Amendment issue. The government may restrain broadcasters, but only on a content-neutral basis. In Federal Communications Commission v. Pacifica Foundation,[225] the Supreme Court upheld the Federal Communications Commission's authority to restrict the use of "indecent" material in broadcasting.
State governments retain the right to tax newspapers, just as they may tax other commercial products. Generally, however, taxes that focus exclusively on newspapers have been found unconstitutional. In Grosjean v. American Press Co. (1936),[226] the Court invalidated a state tax on newspaper advertising revenues, holding that the role of the press in creating "informed public opinion" was vital. Similarly, some taxes that give preferential treatment to the press have been struck down. In Arkansas Writers' Project v. Ragland (1987),[228] for instance, the Court invalidated an Arkansas law exempting "religious, professional, trade and sports journals" from taxation since the law amounted to the regulation of newspaper content. In Leathers v. Medlock (1991),[229] the Supreme Court found that states may treat different types of the media differently, such as by taxing cable television, but not newspapers. The Court found that "differential taxation of speakers, even members of the press, does not implicate the First Amendment unless the tax is directed at, or presents the danger of suppressing, particular ideas."[230]
In Branzburg v. Hayes (1972),[231] the Court ruled that the First Amendment did not give a journalist the right to refuse a subpoena from a grand jury. The issue decided in the case was whether a journalist could refuse to "appear and testify before state and Federal grand juries" basing the refusal on the belief that such appearance and testimony "abridges the freedom of speech and press guaranteed by the First Amendment".[232] The 5–4 decision was that such a protection was not provided by the First Amendment. However, a concurring opinion by Justice Lewis F. Powell, in which he stated that a claim for press privilege "should be judged on its facts by the striking of a proper balance between freedom of the press and the obligation of all citizens to give relevant testimony with respect to criminal conduct. The balance of these vital constitutional and societal interests on a case-by-case basis accords with the tried and traditional way of adjudicating such questions.", has been frequently cited by lower courts since the decision.[233]
Petition and assembly
United States v. Cruikshank (1875) that the right of assembly was a secondary right to the right to petition. Chief Justice Morrison Waite ruled in(1875) that the right of assembly was a secondary right to the right to petition.
The Petition Clause protects the right "to petition the government for a redress of grievances".[204] This includes the right to communicate with government officials, lobbying government officials and petitioning the courts by filing lawsuits with a legal basis.[212] The Petition Clause first came to prominence in the 1830s, when Congress established the gag rule barring anti-slavery petitions from being heard; the rule was overturned by Congress several years later. Petitions against the Espionage Act of 1917 resulted in imprisonments. The Supreme Court did not rule on either issue.[234]
In California Motor Transport Co. v. Trucking Unlimited,[235] the Supreme Court stated that the right to petition encompass "the approach of citizens or groups of them to administrative agencies (which are both creatures of the legislature, and arms of the executive) and to courts, the third branch of Government. Certainly the right to petition extends to all departments of the Government. The right of access to the courts is indeed but one aspect of the right of petition."[236] Today thus this right encompasses petitions to all three branches of the federal government—the Congress, the executive and the judiciary—and has been extended to the states through incorporation.[234][237] According to the Supreme Court, "redress of grievances" is to be construed broadly: it includes not solely appeals by the public to the government for the redressing of a grievance in the traditional sense, but also, petitions on behalf of private interests seeking personal gain.[238] The right not only protects demands for "a redress of grievances" but also demands for government action.[234][238] The petition clause includes according to the Supreme Court the opportunity to institute non-frivolous lawsuits and mobilize popular support to change existing laws in a peaceful manner.[237]
In Borough of Duryea v. Guarnieri (2011),[239] the Supreme Court stated regarding the Free Speech Clause and the Petition Clause:
It is not necessary to say that the two Clauses are identical in their mandate or their purpose and effect to acknowledge that the rights of speech and petition share substantial common ground.... Both speech and petition are integral to the democratic process, although not necessarily in the same way. The right to petition allows citizens to express their ideas, hopes, and concerns to their government and their elected representatives, whereas the right to speak fosters the public exchange of ideas that is integral to deliberative democracy as well as to the whole realm of ideas and human affairs. Beyond the political sphere, both speech and petition advance personal expression, although the right to petition is generally concerned with expression directed to the government seeking redress of a grievance.[239]
The right of assembly was originally distinguished from the right to petition. In United States v. Cruikshank (1875),[240] the Supreme Court held that
the right of the people peaceably to assemble for the purpose of petitioning Congress for a redress of grievances, or for anything else connected with the powers or duties of the National Government, is an attribute of national citizenship, and, as such, under protection of, and guaranteed by, the United States. The very idea of a government, republican in form, implies a right on the part of its citizens to meet peaceably for consultation in respect to public affairs and to petition for a redress of grievances.[241]
Justice Morrison Waite's opinion for the Court carefully distinguished the right to peaceably assemble as a secondary right, while the right to petition was labeled to be a primary right. Later cases, however, paid less attention to these distinctions.[234]
In two 1960s decisions collectively known as forming the Noerr-Pennington doctrine,[b] the Court established that the right to petition prohibited the application of antitrust law to statements made by private entities before public bodies: a monopolist may freely go before the city council and encourage the denial of its competitor's building permit without being subject to Sherman Act liability.[242]
Freedom of association
Although the First Amendment does not explicitly mention freedom of association, the Supreme Court ruled, in National Association for the Advancement of Colored People v. Alabama (1958),[243][244] that this freedom was protected by the Amendment and that privacy of membership was an essential part of this freedom.[245] The U.S. Supreme Court decided in Roberts v. United States Jaycees (1984) that "implicit in the right to engage in activities protected by the First Amendment" is "a corresponding right to associate with others in pursuit of a wide variety of political, social, economic, educational, religious, and cultural ends".[246] In Roberts the Court held that associations may not exclude people for reasons unrelated to the group's expression, such as gender.[247]
However, in Hurley v. Irish-American Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Group of Boston (1995),[248] the Court ruled that a group may exclude people from membership if their presence would affect the group's ability to advocate a particular point of view.[249] Likewise, in Boy Scouts of America v. Dale (2000),[250] the Court ruled that a New Jersey law, which forced the Boy Scouts of |
stuff like “you fucking posh gits you don’t know anything about life. I know about life… Because I’ve ended life”.
J
“I’ve killed a man”.
S
Haha yeah exactly! Exactly.
J
“With this thumb”.
S
Haha yeah it was pretty bad…
J
So you think “Talent” is bandied around a lot?
S
I think it’s actually bandied round a lot to discourage. I think people use it to say to somebody, you can’t do that because you’ve got no talent.
J
Whereas they may have just started out, but what you’re saying is that if someone finds something that they are truly passionate about they will work hard enough to become a master of that field.
S
Yeah, have you read Malcolm Gladwell’s books? He’s an American sociologist who wrote a really brilliant book called outliers. It’s a book of essays and each essay is an interrogation of the myth of “Talent”. One of the key ones in it is about professional sportsman, and their birthdays… People born between the end of august and the end of January, are much more likely to be professional sportsmen, because of the school year and physical development.
J
I actually put this into practice because when I played rugby from the ages of 7-13 I played in the year below, because I was 28th of august, and I loved it. Then I was forced to move up a year and I started getting absolutely battered… I just gave up.
S
There’s a really brilliant thing about why you’re more likely to be involved in a plane crash if your pilot is South Korean, because of the politeness of South Korean culture. The safest pilots to have are British or American.
J
Because they’re brash?
S
Because they’re brash.
J
Why do you want brash pilots?
S
Because if you’re running out of fuel and you need to land you just say “we’re landing”
J
Ahh right I see. Whilst the Koreans just politely fly themselves into a mountain.
S
“It would be very good if we can find a place to land in” then they crash into the fucking mountain. The British and Americans just go get out of the fucking way, we’re landing. This is our slot. We’re getting in there now.
The main thing he talked about that was relevant to my career, having not been a sportsman nor a pilot was a whole series in which he studied people of significant talent, and his argument was:
All of those people had 10,000 hours of practice, between them starting their work and their major breakthrough.
J
That was my next question; do you believe in the 10,000 hours rule?
S
Well it’s a Malcolm Gladwell idea and I think it’s true. I just think it’s true.
J
When did you hit 10,000 hours?
S
I think about the time of Bluebird. Lets say I wrote my first play in 6th form, so I was 18. I wrote Bluebird in spring of 1998, I think I was 27 years old. I think it took me about 10 years of writing plays.
J
You told me that you were doing 4 hours or writing a day?
S
Yeah I’d try and do 4 hours of writing a day. If you were doing bar work and you get home at midnight, you can’t really go to sleep, because you’ve been working.
J
I could have gone straight to sleep.
S
Haha, I’d tend to get home at midnight and then write until 2. There wasn’t anything on tele, it wasn’t like now where you can just watch whatever you want whenever you want. So you get home from work, what the fuck are you going to do? You could read a book or you could write.
So I’d get home from work, write till 2/2:30 in the morning, then get up at 10:30/11:00 and write until 3:30, so I’d be doing 4/5 hours a day.
J
Were there times when you thought this is a bit of an effort? Or was it routine after you’d done it for a couple of months/years?
S
It was twenty years ago; the easy misremembering for me would be to go yes I always loved it. It was always exciting. I never felt of it as a burden. I think I remember it being neither enjoyable nor not enjoyable. The idea of not writing was just weird. It would just be unthinkable. If you said to me now you can’t write all year, you’re not allowed to write all year I think I’d find it more confusing then anything else.
J
Would it be like “The Shining”?
S
Well I don’t know, I don’t think it would make me depressed or violent, I think it would just be confusing. I think it would be really weird. Not weird as in not eating or not drinking, it would be like saying to somebody you can’t turn right for a year, if you want to go right you’ve got to go left, left, left… It would just be like “Why? What the fuck”, it’s such a fundamental part of myself that it never felt like a burden.
I’d write on a type writer, I would share it with friends and receive their approval or criticism which was inspiring or dispiriting by turns, I sent plays off to theatres and got encouraging responses back which was really thrilling. But the idea of stopping…
Definitely what was frustrating was that I wasn’t making my living doing it. Definitely what was frustrating was I wasn’t making any money.
That people didn’t seem to give a shit. Theatres weren’t producing my plays; I wasn’t getting big reviews. I think there were times when I thought: “fuck this, nobody gives a shit.”
J
How many people did you know in York who also wanted to be playwrights?
S
There were 4 or 5 of us that wanted to be Playwrights; the only difference between the others and me was I didn’t stop. Through those years when I produced my own plays on the Edinburgh Fringe, I remember doing an interview about one of the plays and this fucking… looking back now, at the Edinburgh fringe the journalists are not the most brilliant journalists, there’s so many things to review that they just get interns. I did an Interview on the phone, and thought: “bloody hell this is what writers do”, and the journalist was just asking about the inaccuracy of the guys accent.
J
Oh god…
S
I remember thinking; “is that all you care about, the accent? If that’s all you care about then I’ve just fucking wasted the whole time of writing, directing and producing the play”. I think I thought:
“Well fuck it I’m going to quit”
Also a lot of people around me weren’t very encouraging. A lot of people in my family were really worried that I was wasting my time.
I have a very vivid memory of my mum, who I adore, telling me I “was kidding myself if I thought I was going to make it as a writer”.
I remember when she said it and thinking:
“Right, I don’t know if this is a deliberate tactic on your behalf, but if it’s not a deliberate tactic you just really fucked up, because that moment has made me totally determined to be a writer now. I’m really going to do it; I’m really going to make it.”
There was a big family, kind of, intervention. My mum and dad sat down with me and my sister came over and said, “you’re working in bars, you’re earning £800 a month, we’ve got you this degree, you’ve been brilliant all your life and you’re just wasting your time.
I said:
“I’m going to be a writer”
And my mum laughed in my face and said, “You’re kidding yourself”
The next day, talking to my dad about it later he said:
“If you’re going to be a writer you should take it seriously. You should read more plays, you should get the stage magazine and find out what’s happening in the industry and be serious about the industrial side of the job. Give yourself a deadline and say if I’ve not done it by the time I’m this age, then I’ll do something else”.
I think that was really well intentioned, but as it happens with the nature of the theatre industry, wrong advice. I started when I was 22, if I hadn’t made it when I was 32 then I’d look for something else to do.
J
You wouldn’t have stopped at 32 would you?
S
No I wouldn’t,
The notion of ‘making it’ is specious, it doesn’t make sense, it’s a ridiculous notion. After a while you realize that when you’re starting off as an artist in any form, but I think for a writer specifically, when you start off you think that what you want is you want to be a writer. Then you realize, as you start sort of being a writer that actually that’s not the point. The point isn’t being a writer, the point is writing.
What matters isn’t the noun, what matters is the verb.
So it doesn’t fucking matter how you earn your living it matters that you’re doing the verb, doing the writing.
If I got to 32 and still wasn’t making my living from doing the writing I still would have written…”
End of Part 1
“What matters isn’t the noun what matters is the verb”
For too long when we’re young we concentrate on what the end product of a job is. Simon’s point resonated with me because you see the outcome of being a doctor, lawyer, surveyor etc and think: “I’d like to do that”, or more: “I like the life that those jobs provides”, focusing on the “noun”.
Instead, focus on the things in life that you already do and try day by day to do them better, and better, and better until one day somebody asks:
“How did you manage to get so good at that?”
At that point without realising it you’ve become a person, through commitment and hard work, who can inspire others to not just follow their own dreams and desires but trust that what they enjoy doing is what they are meant to be doing.
If you have been lucky enough to chance upon a skill in life you are intent on honing then work to “master it”, not to “make it”.
If you haven’t found something you’re willing to invest 10,000 hours in don’t worry. Start worrying when you stop looking.
AdvertisementsNyhan puts Palin's unfavorables in context:
If Palin is indeed considering running for president, it's worth noting just how unsuccessful she's been at building the necessary public profile. Since last year, I have been tracking her poll numbers relative to the most obvious comparison -- Hillary Clinton, another polarizing female politician. Clinton could never fully shed the high unfavorable ratings she acquired during her husband's presidency, but she worked hard to improve her image and maintained higher favorable ratings during the period before the Democratic primary campaign began in 2007. By contrast, Palin's ratings have been consistently worse during the comparable 2008-2011 period, and the gap between her and Hillary has widened dramatically in recent months (data from Gallup).
Her unfavorables are indeed impressive. They just reached a new high in CNN's poll of 56 percent. But what I'd note as well is that her favorables remain at 38 percent, which is obviously concentrated in the GOP base. The poll of polls puts it at 35 percent - again roughly the core GOP vote. Huckabee is more popular as a person among Republicans, according to Gallup, but when you combine star power and favorability in the GOP, Palin is very much in the running:
Vigilance, Smithers. Vigilance.
We want to hear what you think about this article. Submit a letter to the editor or write to letters@theatlantic.com.PHILADELPHIA — More than 40 years after losing his right arm in the Civil War, Henry S. Huidekoper, a lieutenant colonel in the Union Army, had long since adjusted, and no longer found himself trying to reach for things or write with his missing hand.
But somewhere in mind or memory, he was still whole. In 1906, he wrote in a letter, “In my dreams, I always have the use of both my hands.”
He dreamed of himself as “a man with a perfect frame” whose struggle to write with the absent hand sometimes sparked phantom-limb pains that woke him in the night.
The letter is part of “Broken Bodies, Suffering Spirits,” a permanent exhibition on Civil War medicine that opened here last fall at the Mütter Museum.UCLA RESEARCH ALERT
FINDINGS:
For some time, scientists have blamed Alzheimer's disease on a small molecule called amyloid beta protein (A beta) that leaves large gummy deposits in the brain. Recent studies suggest that these A beta proteins stick together to form floating toxic clumps that kill brain cells. Now, UCLA scientists have identified a tiny loop in A beta as the likely culprit behind the adhesion process.
The UCLA team discovered that gene mutations in A beta increase the loop's flexibility, enabling it to join easily with loops from other A beta proteins and form clumps. The loop also appears in the region of the protein that regulates how — and how much — A beta is made.
IMPACT:
Current drugs treat the symptoms of Alzheimer's but not the disease's underlying cause. By shedding light on how toxic A beta formations arise in the brain, the UCLA discovery could aid the design of new drugs that both block the production of A beta and prevent it from clumping.
AUTHORS:
Principal investigator David Teplow, professor of neurology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, is available for interviews.
FUNDING:
The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, the National Institute on Aging and the Alzheimer's Association supported the study.
JOURNAL:
The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences published the findings in its Oct. 10 online early edition. For a PDF of the study, see www.eurekalert.org/pio/tipsheetdoc.php/237/zpq7481.pdf
BACKGROUND:
Alzheimer's disease afflicts some 5 million Americans and an estimated 24 million people worldwide. Half of people over 85 may suffer from the fatal disorder, which slowly robs individuals of their memory and ability to think and function independently.The video will start in 8 Cancel
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Jurgen Klopp revealed that Marko Grujic was sent to hospital after a sickening clash of heads in Liverpool' s 1-0 defeat to Chelsea.
The young Serbian midfielder was hurt in an aerial challenge with Bertrand Traore just before the break before being led away by concerned medical staff.
“In general the biggest problem for me is that Marko Grujic is in hospital,” Klopp said.
“He can't remember anything. That's not too cool for a young boy in this situation.
“Injuries happen in pre-season. It can happen. It's unlucky but it's not too good for us.”
In more positive news, Klopp revealed that Joel Matip is close to making a comeback after an ankle problem.
The former Schalke centre-back has missed the past two friendlies since going off against Wigan.
“Matip will be ready for the start of the season,” vowed Klopp.
“In the first two and a half weeks of pre-season he was really good. Now he's been out for a week.
“He trained today so hopefully he will be back in team training soon.”
Watch ALL pre-season games LIVE on LFCTV & LFCTV GO visit www.liverpoolfc.com/watchWhat do I need to get started with Vaders Streams with Live TV?
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The global elite are the head of mega-corporations who control forty percent of the entire global economy. Not only do they control these mega-corporations, they also dominate the unaccountable organizations that control the finances of nearly every nation in the world. This financial system is governed by the central banks and by the Bank for International Settlements, and it systematically transfers the wealth of the world out of individuals hands into those of the global elite. Most people have no idea what is really going on, because the global elite control what we see, hear, and think through corporate media. Of these, are the six giant media corporations that control over ninety percent of the news and entertainment that people watch in the United States.
Michael Snyder, “World Bank Whistleblower Reveals How The Global Elite Rule The World,” Global Research, October 6, 2013, http://www.globalresearch.ca/world-bank-whistleblower-reveals-how-the-global-elite-rule-the-world/5353130.
Student Researcher: Brandon Baranzini (Sonoma State University)
Faculty Evaluator: Jerrald Krause (Sonoma State University)Police secure suspected bombers, Jiaher Guinar, center left, and Rashid Kilala, center right, as they are presented to reporters at police headquarters in Quezon city, north of Manila, Philippines on Thursday, Dec. 1, 2016. (Photo: Aaron Favila, AP)
MANILA, Philippines - Philippine police officials have captured two local sympathizers of the Islamic State group who allegedly tried to detonate a bomb near the U.S. Embassy and prompted authorities to raise a terror alert.
National police chief Director-General Ronald de la Rosa said Thursday the two militants, who were separately arrested on Wednesday, initially wanted but failed to detonate the homemade bomb at Manila’s seaside Rizal Park, their initial target.
The bomb, which was designed to explode remotely with the use of a cellphone, also failed to explode near the embassy on Nov. 28 in Manila’s tourist and diplomatic section.
Police presented the handcuffed suspects at a news conference, where they also announced a terror alert, which means more road security checkpoints would be set up, and possibly more raids on suspected militant hideouts.
“Don’t get alarmed but stay alert,” dela Rosa said.
The militants, Rashid Kilala and Jiaher Guinar, belonged to a small Muslim militant group called Ansar Al-khilafa Philippines. After failing to set off the bomb, which was made from an 81mm mortar round, the two decided to leave the explosive in a trash bin near the U.S. Embassy but again failed to set it off.
They wanted to impress the Islamic State group and secure possible funding from the Middle East-based terrorist group, dela Rosa said. They also wanted to divert the military’s focus from an offensive against fellow Muslim militants in the south, he said.
Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/2goF4TfNot yet decided! So far it's tied at 4-4. We'll be heading into extra innings on Saturday or Sunday (tbd).
I'll be streaming from http://www.twitch.tv/ragingduckd No audio, as I'm a bit concerned it'll throw my game off, so I'd rather not try it for the first time in the GokoDom finals.However, I'm also recording the twitch stream itself from another computer. So those of you who don't watch live will be able to watch the games together with the chatroom commentary.Edit: The video is available for download (all one file, unfortunately). I also have a recorded version of the twitch.tv site itself that includes the chatroom comments that spectators made during the games. Can someone tell me what I should do with that? I'd like to post it on twitch.tv alongside the other recordings, but I can't figure out how to just upload a video. Can it be done, or do I need to host it elsewhere?Match Result:NAIROBI, Kenya — Al-Shabab gunmen attacked a college in northeast Kenya early Thursday, targeting Christians and leaving 147 dead.
Security officials at the scene say the security operation to free hostages at Garissa University College is over.
Kenyan Interior Minister Joseph Nkaissery said 79 people were wounded in the attack Thursday and four suspected attackers had been killed.
The minister ordered a dusk-to-dawn curfew in Garissa and in the nearby counties of Wajir, Tana River and Mandera.
Al-Shabab claimed responsibility for the attack.
The death toll far surpassed the 67 who were killed in al-Shabab’s attack on the Westgate Mall in Nairobi in September 2013.
Survivors described to The Associated Press a harrowing scene, where people were mercilessly gunned down and bullets whistled through the air as they ran for their lives.
Collins Wetangula, the vice chairman of the student union, said he was preparing to take a shower when he heard gunshots coming from Tana dorm, which hosts both men and women, 150 metres away. The campus has six dorms and at least 887 students, he said.
He said that when he heard the gunshots he locked himself and three roommates in their room.
“All I could hear were footsteps and gunshots. Nobody was screaming because they thought this would lead the gunmen to know where they are,” he said. “The gunmen were saying sisi ni al-Shabab (Swaihi for ‘We are al-Shabab’),” Wetangula said.
When the gunmen arrived at his dormitory he could hear them opening doors and asking whether the people who had hidden inside whether they were Muslims or Christians.
“If you were a Christian you were shot on the spot,” he said. “With each blast of the gun I thought I was going to die.”
The gunmen started to shoot rapidly and it was as if there was an exchange of fire, he said.
“The next thing, we saw people in military uniform through the window of the back of our rooms who identified themselves as the Kenyan military,” Wetangula said. The soldiers took him and about 20 others to safety.
A spokesman for al-Shabab says it is responsible for the ongoing attack. Ali Mohamud Rage said in a radio broadcast that fighters from the group were conducting a “heavy” military operation inside the campus.
Kenya’s security forces are trying to dislodge the gunmen from at least one dorm where the attackers could be holding hostages.
Augustine Alanga, a 21-year-old student, described a panicked scene as gunfire erupted outside their dormitory in the pre-dawn hours when most people were asleep.
The shooting became more intense almost immediately, he told AP by phone. The heavy gunfire forced some students to stay indoors as others fled with gunmen firing at them.
He said he saw at least five heavily armed, masked gunmen.
“I am just now recovering from the pain as I injured myself while trying to escape. I was running barefoot,” said Alanga, who was one of scores of students who managed to escape through barbed-wire fencing.
At the time the attack started — 5:30 a.m. — morning prayers were underway at the university mosque, where students were not attacked, he said.
A mortuary attendant in the town of Garissa saw the casualties arrive by ambulance. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the press.
Some of the more serious wounded were being flown to Nairobi, the capital, authorities said.
The National Disaster Operations Center said on Twitter that three of four dorms have been evacuated, with the gunmen cornered in one dorm. No further details were immediately available and Kenya Defence Forces have surrounded the area, journalists said, impeding their access.
We started running and bullets were whizzing past our heads and the soldiers told us to dive
Terrified students streamed out of buildings, some young men shirtless, as arriving police officers hunkered down, taking cover. The gunmen had opened fire at guards upon arriving, triggering a “fierce shootout” with police guarding student dorms, Kenya’s National Police Service said in a written statement.
Wetangula was among about 20 students who had been rescued by soldiers. One soldier instructed them to run at their command and dive when they told them to when they got outside, he said.
“We started running and bullets were whizzing past our heads and the soldiers told us to dive,” Wetangula said. He said the soldier told the students later that al-Shabab snipers were perched on a three storey dormitory called the Elgon and were trying to shoot them.
Police and military surrounded the buildings and were trying to secure the area, police officer Musa Yego told AP.
Last week al-Shabab claimed responsibility for a deadly siege on a Mogadishu hotel in which at least 24 people, including six attackers, were killed. That attack lasted more than 12 hours as Somalia’s security forces tried to dislodge gunmen who had taken control of parts of the Maka-al-Mukarramah hotel in the Somali capital.
Al-Shabab also attacked the Westgate Mall in Nairobi in 2013, killing dozens.
Kenya’s northern and eastern regions, which are near the Somali border, have suffered many attacks blamed on the al-Qaida-linked Somali group, which has vowed retribution on Kenya for sending troops into Somalia to fight the militants. Kenya sent its troops there in 2011 to fight al-Shabab militants following cross-border attacks.
Last month, al-Shabab claimed responsibility for attacks in the county of Mandera on the Somali border in which twelve people died. Four of them died in an attack on the convoy of Mandera County Governor Ali Roba.
Police statistics show that 312 people have been killed in al-Shabab attacks in Kenya from 2012 to 2014. Thirty-eight people were killed and 149 wounded in Garissa in the same period.Fully built with blocks!
Abaporu is finally here! My ultimate crazy and useful build comes with maximum power with 10 guns, 6 wheels and 3855 cubes.
As a true aggressive smg player I must say: one good and strong charge is enough to win a battle. That's why I built this monstrous megabot without any electroplates.
pros
-it can tank
-it can deal damage with good weapon redundancy without any conflict
-it looks crazy
-pew pew pew
cons
-heal takes some time
-slow*
*for a faster movement I used only inners wich is a bit more expensive but truly makes the build lighter and faster.
Until now Abaporu is my strongest build, after hours and hours of gameplay as mega or not, I'm sure about how strong this build is. It took me some weeks to build and improve this masterpiece, now it's finally done.As Gavin McInnes strode toward the entrance of Washington’s National Press Club in January, a black-balaclaved “anti-fascist” protester lunged toward him. “Get the f— out of here,” the picketer shouted.
The tuxedoed McInnes reacted swiftly. Spinning around, he grabbed the demonstrator’s mask and took a couple of long-range swings at the man.
Some public figures might have, on reflection, voiced regret at the sudden resort to fisticuffs. Not so the Canadian right-wing provocateur, a VIP guest at the “Deploraball” celebrating Donald Trump’s election victory.
“My fist went into his mouth,” McInnes gleefully recounted later to an interviewer from InfoWars, the website of conspiracy theorist
Alex Jones. “I felt his tongue … I felt so much moisture in there. I think I went right down his esophagus.”
The Ottawa native and co-founder of the Vice media empire was, in effect, just practicing what he preaches.
As head of the Proud Boys, a fledgling but high-profile branch of the American hard-right, McInnes is part of an unsettling new trend in U.S. politics: radicals on both the left and right willing to act out their ideological differences with force.
He has pledged to fight back against violence from leftist activists, and his Proud Boys have repeatedly followed through – at raucous demonstrations from Berkeley to Portland, Chicago to New Orleans.
They even have a spin-off organization – the Fraternal Order of the Alt-Knights – that McInnes describes as his “military division.”
“We’re the only ones fighting these guys, and it’s fun,” he enthused in a recent video for The Rebel, the Canadian ultra-conservative online media outlet. “When they go low, go lower. Mace ’em back, throw bricks at their head. Let’s destroy them. We’ve been doing it for a while now and I gotta say, it’s really invigorating.”
Canada may be stereotyped currently as a liberal antidote to Trumpian America, but the father of the Proud Boys has injected an unruly Canadian voice into the heart of the populist, nativist revolution.
Exactly what the group stands for is up for debate. It describes itself as a fraternal organization that promotes “Western chauvinism,” closed borders and housewives, and is against “racial guilt,” but insists it is not racist or even “alt-right.” Some of its tenets are slightly odd or deliberately whimsical – such as a ban on members masturbating and an initiation ceremony that involves naming five types of breakfast cereal.
But some experts worry about the role being played by the caustic court jester and his followers at a seemingly dangerous time in American politics, as far-left groups trigger violence at rallies, and the far right eagerly responds.
The Proud Boys “have stepped into a politically volatile environment with a declaration of war,” says Ryan Lenz, an investigational writer for the Southern Poverty Law Center. “When you come into an environment as politically charged and as volatile as this one with that kind of attitude, it’s almost inviting problems.”
It’s a role that also seems miles from McInnes’s previous life, helping create what became arguably the most successful Canadian media export ever.
Born in England to Scottish parents, he was four when the family immigrated to Canada and settled in Ottawa. McInnis studied at Carleton University in his home town, then at Montreal’s Concordia. It was in that city that he, Shane Smith and Suroosh Alvi started Voice of Montreal, originally a welfare-funded community magazine that morphed into Vice. It developed a cult following, attracted millions in venture capital and moved with its three founders to the United States in 2001.
After early setbacks, the transplanted Vice took off as a gonzo, irreverent window on the urban world. The magazine – whose snarky, irony-laden voice is largely credited to McInnes – spawned a website, videos, retail, record labels, a series on HBO and more, eventually becoming a $4-billion conglomerate.
Despite being known as the “godfather of hipsterdom,” though, he left the company in 2008, citing “creative differences.”
Smith and Alvi refused comment for this article, but some of McInnes’s public utterances – like saying “at least they’re white” about annoying residents of a trendy Brooklyn neighbourhood – had put him at odds with a media company increasingly tying itself to liberal causes.
Vice now behind him, he started his own website, streetcarnage.com, and established himself as a conservative pundit with an acerbically comic edge. He appeared until recently on Fox News in the U.S., hosts his own talk show on Compound Media, writes for the right-wing Taki’s Magazine and contributes to Rebel in Canada.
McInnes declined an interview request for this story, replying initially with two words: “Sorry Ratso.” He later elaborated that Proud Boys is no longer speaking to the media, and referred to a Rebel video where he complains of having explained at length to journalists from the New York Times, Salon and others that the group was not racist, only to be painted that way in the ensuing articles.
Reporters for the mainstream media are like Ratso Rizzo, Dustin Hoffman’s “slimy New York hustler” character in the movie Midnight Cowboy, he said.
“If you portray us as Alt-Right or racist, we will take you to court,” McInnes warned the National Post by email.
In fact, he has said that Nazis and white supremacists were not welcome in the Proud Boys, while gay and black people are. His own wife is Native American.
Some of his stated beliefs, though, would seem to place him near the outer edge of the conservative spectrum. He’s suggested “women should be at home with the kids, they’re happier that way,” and blasted attempts to remove Confederate monuments in New Orleans. The South did not fight the U.S. Civil War to defend slavery, he argued, but because the North “tried to tell them what to do.”
There’s also a pattern of more inflammatory remarks that he later sought to explain away.
“I love being white and I think it’s something to be proud of,” McInnes told the New York Times in 2003. “I don’t want our culture diluted.” Gawker quoted him afterward as saying the statement was only meant to goad easily offended liberals.
He ended up leaving the ad agency he started after penning a 2014 column that suggested transsexuals were “mentally ill gays who need help, and that doesn’t include being maimed by physicians.” Afterward, he said he just tried to point out that transsexuals have a high suicide rate.
And this March, McInnes drew ire from the Jewish community with a rant from a Rebel “fact-finding” trip to Israel. Noting that “I’m becoming anti-semitic,” he decried the “brain-washing” at Israel’s Holocaust museum, suggested Stalin’s deliberate starving of millions of Ukrainians was “by Jews,” and blamed the Versailles treaty that helped lead to Nazism on Jewish intellectuals.
When David Duke, former Ku Klux Klan leader, and others in the white supremacist movement voiced their approval, McInnes insisted that his words had been taken out of context and that he liked Jews, not Nazis.
The Proud Boys, meanwhile, have blipped onto the radar of the Anti-Defamation League’s Center on Extremism. The watchdog worries that – while disavowing white supremacy – McInnes’s group presents a more socially acceptable “gateway” into that movement.
“It arouses the emotion of the same things and ideas that are in the alt-right orbit, while skirting a real commitment to exclusive white nationalism,” said Carla Hill, an investigative researcher with the League. “It can attract average Joes, because it appeals to classic forms of bigotry, such as misogyny and Islamophobia.”
But how does all this align with the co-founder of a counter |
19, said they haven’t had any conversations with Colorado general manager Joe Sakic or anyone else with the team about playing in the under-20 WJC, which begins Dec. 26. Sakic was at the NHL board of governors meetings this week in Palm Beach, Fla., and he rejoined the team Saturday in Sunrise. He told The Denver Post he will do what’s best for the continued development of Jost and Girard, but he doesn’t anticipate making either of them available to Hockey Canada for the WJC.
Hockey Canada has invited 32 players to next week’s three-day camp in St. Catharines, Ontario, and the roster includes 2017 Avalanche-drafted defenseman Cale Makar and Connor Timmins.
Jost, who played for Canada at the WJC last year, logged only 12:41 in Tuesday’s 5-2 loss at Tampa Bay. But he’s still the left wing on the “Kid Line” with fellow rookies Alex Kerfoot and J.T. Compher, who both are logging 15-22 minutes a game. Jost has played in just 11 of 27 games because of two lower-body injuries and eventually he is expected to be a mainstay on the power play and penalty kill. He played on the power play during captain Gabe Landeskog‘s recent four-game suspension. Related Articles New Avalanche forward Derick Brassard had an interesting 11 hours
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“I’m just getting in my groove after being hurt so long,” Jost said. “I want to be here. Hockey Canada, whenever you can represent your country, it’s such an honor. I had my chance last year. Right now, honestly, I’m just focusing on playing on the Avs, focusing on earning the coach’s trust and put up numbers. Obviously, I haven’t been doing that and I’m trying not to get frustrated because I’m getting my chances and getting that opportunity. It will come. That’s what I’m focused on right now and just getting in this rhythm.”
Jared Bednar going with same lineup here in Florida — 11 forwards, 7 D. Yakupov scratched again #Avs pic.twitter.com/SI20FNtRPA — Mike Chambers (@MikeChambers) December 9, 2017
Girard’s ice time has steadily decreased since he played 20 minutes or more in his first eight games. He logged a season-low 15:35 at Tampa Bay when the Avs went with seven defensemen. But that’s no reason to assume Colorado would allow him to play for Canada in the WJC.
“His game has dipped a little bit (but) he’s a young player and I think that’s expected,” Bednar said. “He’s trying to work it back and aware of some of the things he’s good at and needs to be good at. Like other guys in our lineup we need to best out of him, so if it’s not where we feel he’s capable of, then he’s going to lose a little bit of ice time as he continues to work through it.”
Footnote. The Avs will use the same lineup Saturday from what they had against the Lightning, thus they’ll have one extra defenseman (seven) and one fewer forward (11) than normal. Goalie Semyon Varlamov will again start in net.The Law of One Search Results for ‘Tesla’
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26.20 ▶ Questioner: Thank you. In the recent past of the last thirty to forty years the UFO phenomena has become known to our population. What was the original reason for— I know there’ve been UFOs throughout history, but what was the original reason for the increase in what we call UFO activity say in the past forty years?
Ra: I am Ra. Information which Confederation sources had offered to your entity, Albert [Einstein], became perverted, and instruments of destruction began to be created, examples of this being the Manhattan Project and its product.
Information offered through Wanderer, sound vibration, Nikola [Tesla], also being experimented with for potential destruction: example, your so-called Philadelphia Experiment.
Thus, we felt a strong need to involve our thought-forms in whatever way we of the Confederation could be of service in order to balance these distortions of information meant to aid your planetary sphere.
11.27 ▶ Questioner: By freeing the planetary entities from darkness, precisely what do you mean?
Ra: I am Ra. [Most of the following answer was lost due to tape recorder malfunction. The core of the response was as follows.] We spoke of freeing people from darkness in a literal sense.
11.26 ▶ Questioner: How was Tesla’s work supposed to benefit man on Earth, and what were its purposes?
Ra: I am Ra. The most desired purpose of the mind/body/spirit complex, Nikola, was the freeing of all planetary entities from darkness. Thus, it attempted to give to the planet the infinite energy of the planetary sphere for use in lighting and power.
11.25 ▶ Questioner: Then I assume you can’t name him and would ask you where Nikola Tesla got his information?
Ra: I am Ra. The one known as Nikola received information from Confederation sources desirous of aiding this extremely, shall we say, angelically positive entity in bettering the existence of its fellow mind/body/spirit complexes. It is unfortunate, shall we say, that like many Wanderers the vibratory distortions of third-density illusion caused this entity to become extremely distorted in its perceptions of its fellow mind/body/spirit complexes so that its mission was hindered and in the result, perverted from its purposes.
8.6 ▶ Questioner: How did the United States learn of the technology to build these land [inaudible]?
Ra: I am Ra. There was a mind/body/spirit complex known to your people by the vibratory sound complex, Nikola. This entity departed the illusion and the papers containing the necessary understandings were taken by mind/body/spirit complexes serving your security of national divisional complex. Thus your people became privy to the basic technology. In the case of those mind/body/spirit complexes which you call Russians, the technology was given from one of the Confederation in an attempt, approximately twenty-seven of your years ago, to share information and bring about peace among your peoples. The entities giving this information were in error, but we did many things at the end of this cycle in attempts to aid your harvest from which we learned the folly of certain types of aid. That is a contributing factor to our more cautious approach at this date, even as the need is power upon power greater, and your people’s call is greater and greater.
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Questions? Comments? Email me: tw at law of one dot info.Fighting back against the hijacking of the National Day of Prayer at the Pentagon and other government venues is not anti-religious and not anti-Christian. The NDP Task Force is trying to impose a narrow definition of American religious orthodoxy, something that our Founding Fathers worked hard to insure would not happen in this country.
The National Day of Prayer Task Force is led by Shirley Dobson, wife of Focus on Family founder James Dobson. The organization leads thousands of "official" NDP events each year, many of which include the participation of government officials. The Texas Freedom Network, Americans United for Separation of Church and State and the Pluralism Project at Harvard all feature information about the exclusivity of these task force events.
There are two separate controversies taking place over the National Day of Prayer (NDP). One is a recent court case in which a federal judge declared the event to be unconstitutional. The other is the push to make the NDP more inclusive and to pry it out of the clutches of the "official task force" which does not represent all Americans. The attempts to make the NDP more inclusive have been ongoing for years, including recent organized efforts by the Interfaith Alliance and Jews on First.
My Zeek article "Our Day, Their Prayers", published yesterday, addresses the second issue - the hijacking of the NDP by the task force headed by Shirley Dobson. Zeek is a publication of the Jewish Daily Forward and in this article I stressed the fact that the NDP Task Force's claims that they are "Judeo-Christian" are deceptive. A primary emphasis of the Lausanne Movement is aggressive proselytizing of Jews, which is facilitated by the Lausanne Consultation of Jewish Evangelization (LCJE).
In that article I also describe the the history of the task force as well as the mission of the Lausanne Movement. A history timeline is on the NDP Task Force website, and also on the site of the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), a legal organization headed by Jay Sekulow and founded by Pat Robertson to counter the ACLU. Several Lausanne Movement websites credit Vonette Bright, co-founder of Campus Crusades for Christ with her late husband Bill Bright, as heading the Lausanne Movement entity that evolved into the NDP Task Force.
Billy Graham told President Richard Nixon in 1973, that he was initiating the original Lausanne international conference as a counter to the World Council of Churches and "to change the religious picture." Both Nixon and Graham described the World Council of Churches as being too friendly to communists. (A partial transcript of the audio can be found following this article. The audio and longer transcript can be accessed at The Presidential Recordings Program of the Miller Center of Public Affairs, University of Virginia.)
Certainly it is the right of adherents of the Lausanne Movement to practice their faith, which includes belief in proselytizing others, and to hold as many prayer events as they wish, whenever they wish. However, there is nothing anti-religious or anti-Christian about objecting to the NDP Task Force's commandeering of official events at public venues and involving government officials.
Imagine if the Roman Catholic Church, for instance, or maybe the Church of Latter Day Saints, decided to create its own task force and hold thousands of "official" prayer events including government officials, military observance, and distribution of public school educational materials. Imagine if these events were limited to leadership by Catholics or Mormons who were required to sign a statement of belief and could exclude any speaker that did not meet their religious qualifications. Imagine that these were marketed as "official" NDP events and included the participation of the president, senators, governors, and representatives of congress. What if "official" events were exclusively Jewish or Muslim? Would there be an outcry?
This is precisely what is happening if you replace those examples with evangelicals who adhere to the Lausanne Covenant. Since 1983 the Lausanne initiated 501C3 has been involved in official National Day of Prayer events, and formed the current task force to direct events across the nation in 1989.
Now that there is a court case striking down the constitutionality of the National Day of Prayer and, separately, a push for a more inclusive National Day of Prayer, the news is full of complaints from the NDP Task Force that its opponents are anti-religious. The right wing blogosphere is enraged. Yesterday Newsmax posted an article titled "Pentagon Widens Christian Ban: Franklin Graham Says Its Anti-Religion."
"The entire National Day of Prayer task force, including the Rev. Franklin Graham, has been 'disinvited' to the National Day of Prayer observance to be held at the Pentagon, sources tell Newsmax. And evangelist Franklin Graham believes the military's effort to ban him and other Christian leaders is nothing short of an effort to stamp out Christianity from the military... The son of the world-renowned evangelist and counselor to presidents told CBN 'they disinvited, is my understanding, the National Day of Prayer.'" The article continues, "A well-placed source at the National Day of Prayer task force confirmed Monday evening that it too has been excluded from the Pentagon event."
Incredible. The NDP Task Force emerged from an entity started by Billy Graham to compete with the World Council of Churches and to aggressively proselytize those of all of other beliefs outside the parameters stated in the Lausanne Covenant. Now that there have been objections to this sectarian belief system hosting an official Pentagon event event ( also a violation of Defense Department rules ), Franklin Graham declares it "anti-religious." The Lausanne Covenant does not represent religion, quite to the contrary, it is working aggressively to rid the world of all other faith systems beside that stated in the Lausanne Covenant. Depending on one's perspective, could that not be described as anti-religious?
In the same article Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council weighs in,
"This decision is further evidence that the leadership of our nation's military has been impaired by the politically correct culture being advanced by this administration," Perkins said. "Under this Administration's watch we are seeing the First Amendment, designed to protect the religious exercise of Americans, retooled into a sword to sever America's ties with orthodox Christianity.
Are we to assume that Tony Perkins or perhaps the Lausanne Covenant to which all task force members must sign, represents orthodox Christianity or an orthodox American Christianity? Thomas Jefferson must be rolling in his grave.
What about the First Amendment rights of the millions of Americans whose beliefs fall outside the narrow parameters of the Lausanne Covenant? Does Tony Perkins right to proselytize, trump the right of other Americans not to be proselytized at government sponsored events?
This supposedly "orthodox" American Christianity is being marketed by the NDP Task Force along with David Barton's revisionist histories. Barton is the leading practitioner of Christian Nationalist history being promoted in schools and adult training sessions across the country, and is also one of the advisors involved in the controversial changes to the social studies curriculum for Texas public schools. The NDP Task Force's "School Event Guide" for private, public, and charter schools, can be downloaded from their website.
The donations page includes a section for supporting education:
With a gift of $180 you can place "Drive Thru History America: Foundation of Character" in one of our country's public schools. The National Day of Prayer Task Force worked with historian David Barton and renowned curriculum developers to create this resource to align with public school's social studies standards.
The NDP Task Force continues to press their case in major media with little counter information provided about the hijacking of the event by the task force. Few journalists have written about the controversy over the NDP in the past week in terms other than atheist vs. public prayer, or Muslims vs. Graham speaking at the Pentagon.
It is separation of church and state which has allowed the numerous Christian denominations and the post-denominational movement to flourish side by side in this nation, along with Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, and non-theists. Separation of church and state protects all denominations and faiths from having to conform to a contrived orthodox American Christianity. It allows Baptist to really be Baptist, Jews to be Jews, Mormons to be Mormons, Lutherans to be Lutherans, Pentecostals to be Pentecostal - all participating as first class citizens of this great nation.
Apparently that is not enough for the NDP Task Force. The roster of the leadership is a list of luminaries in the battle against separation of church and state and against religious pluralism. The list includes self proclaimed "dominionist" C. Peter Wagner, Presiding Apostle of the New Apostolic Reformation, and one of the original executives of the Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization and chairman of its Strategy Working Group. Wagner has dedicated entire books to the issue of battling the "Queen of Heaven," the territorial demon that he claims blocks both Roman Catholics and Muslims from being evangelized.
The New Apostolic Reformation is an effort to reinvent Protestantism as a unified nondenominational church under the authority of the Charismatic apostles and prophets in Wagner's network. One of their major campaigns is "Reclaiming the Seven Mountains of Culture." (See the five minute video in the middle of the page.)The NDP Task Force list also includes Jack Hayford and Rick Warren, who are both on the advisory board for the 2010 Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization to be held in October in South Africa.
A stated mission of the National Day of Prayer Task Force is to "foster unity in the Christian church" which sounds nice until you realize this means standardizing a one size fits all belief system with the size being determined by the Lausanne Covenant. The task force goals also include "mobilizing the Christian community to intercede for America and its leadership in the seven centers of power: Government, Military, Media, Business, Education, Church and Family." This list is exactly the same as the seven mountains campaign of Wagner's New Apostolic Reformation, except that arts and entertainment are folded into media, and the military is added as the seventh center of power.
Thomas Jefferson stated in his Notes on Virginia, 1784,
But is uniformity of opinion desireable? No more than of face and stature. Introduce the bed of Procrustes then, and as there is danger that the large men may beat the small, make us all of a size, by lopping the former and stretching the latter. Difference of opinion is advantageous in religion. The several sects perform the office of a Censor morum over each other. Is uniformity attainable? Millions of innocent men, women, and children, since the introduction of Christianity, have been burnt, tortured, fined, imprisoned; yet we have not advanced one inch towards uniformity. What has been the effect of coercion? To make one half the world fools, and the other half hypocrites.
There is nothing anti-religious or anti-American about challenging the NDP Task Force's efforts to standardize an American orthodoxy. The future of the government mandated National Day of Prayer is in doubt, but meanwhile, let your government leaders know that any official event should be inclusive of all Americans, not led by a task force committed to the mission of proselytizing America.We all thought it. We’d have been mad not to. “Why are we launching a new national newspaper when print media is drawing its last breaths?”
But there we were, a team of around 20 huddled into a Trinity Mirror meeting room ready to hear about its new launch, The New Day.
“Okay, so we get it’s a new print newspaper, but it’ll have a website too, right?”
No. The reason? Other than the facts it would cost more money to run a website too and it would compete directly with Mirror Online, it was also that the founders wanted to prove that print media wasn’t dying. So to launch a website while championing print media would be akin to driving your 4×4 to an environmental protest.
The future of journalism: incorporating longform into digital
The team didn’t go in blind, of course. Over the previous year, masses of research had been carried out, from surveys to focus groups. I attended a number of the latter myself in the lead up to the launch. The results suggested that people still wanted to read newspapers, but they were tired of the options currently available to them. They were tired of the doom and gloom. The political bias. The separation between journalist and reader. The obsession with celebrity and shock factor.
The facts were there in front of us. People wanted a new kind of newspaper.
The knowledge that people go online to get their news now wasn’t ignored either. We understood that we’d have to offer something more: a reflection on the day’s news, opinions, experts, informative infographics and so on.
To launch a website while championing print media would be akin to driving your 4×4 to an environmental protest
We also considered the research which showed people are begging to slow down. In a world of digital detoxes, the slow-food movement and mindfulness, people want the feel of quality paper in their fingers and to enjoy the ritual of reading a paper while drinking their morning coffee.
We’d read books and share articles supporting this ethos, and the more we looked into it, the more the team got behind it.
We also embraced a new way of working: flexible hours (need to leave early for your kid’s sports day? As long as we know in advance, we’ll cover you), remote working for those who lived outside London, daily conferences that involved the whole team and invited story suggestions from everyone – yes even the designers. The Editor blew the open-door policy off its hinges by sitting alongside us in the open-plan office, ready with an open ear if you had a concern or suggestion.
Why is the Attention Movement worth paying attention to?
All this, plus the fact we were all in the same boat together, built a sense of camaraderie none of us had experienced anywhere else. Indeed our Head of News was also the self-appointed party planner, and every week we had Thirsty Thursday, where the team would celebrate another successful week. Successful, at least as far as we were concerned.
Unfortunately we were unaware of the sales figures. A conscious decision at first, the Editor understandably decided she didn’t want to know (or for the team to know) the numbers for fear of us either spiralling into a sense of doom, or feeling we could rest on our laurels.
Of course, as these things have a habit of doing, the stats found their way into the press and we soon heard that things weren’t going as well as we’d hoped.
There were a handful of meetings where we were asked what we thought could be done to increase sales.
Editorially we became more “newsy” (we were accused of being too much like a magazine) and answered reader requests for TV listings and for the sports pages to be put into their own section. But a lot of the arrows pointed to the fact that people just weren’t getting their hands on it.
Our suggestions were all given the same answer: “We don’t have the budget”
We made suggestions: put New Day stands in newsagents, ask supermarkets to stop tucking copies beneath other newspapers, sell them at a discounted price when you bought a coffee at Starbucks. But these suggestions were all given the same answer: “We don’t have the budget.”
It was a real shame because the people who did pick it up, loved it. We had readers calling and emailing to say how it was a “breath of fresh air”, and that they had given up on newspapers but were thrilled to be buying one again.
Can single metrics really interpret behaviours such as loyalty and engagement?
Unfortunately, promotion by word of mouth takes time – one thing we didn’t have. On Wednesday, May 4, we were called into a meeting to say they had no choice but to close down The New Day.
Some had a hunch it was going to happen. Others, like me, thought we had more time. But the fact was it didn’t make financial sense for them to continue and that was that.
Do I think this means print media is dead? No. With more money and time I think we could have made a success of The New Day, at least for a few years.
The team still continue to meet up for Thirsty Thursday, and there’s often talk of the dream that some wealthy investor will come along, buy The New Day and bring it back to life. Heck, after a few glasses of wine, we’d even settle for a website.
(Visited 44 times, 1 visits today)By Angus McDowall and Tom Miles
BEIRUT/GENEVA (Reuters) - Syria's army backed by Russian warplanes launched an assault north of Aleppo on Thursday, threatening to block a vital rebel route into the city in fighting that has cast new clouds over Geneva peace talks.
Syria's recent upsurge in fighting, particularly around the northern city of Aleppo, has proven the most acute challenge yet to a cessation of hostilities deal agreed in February and soured an already bleak mood as opposing sides gather in Geneva.
Outlining its bargaining position, the opposition High Negotiating Council (HNC) told Reuters it would be willing to share equally in a transitional council with the government, but repeated its rejection of a role for President Bashar al-Assad.
The Syrian government, buoyed by Russian and Iranian military support, has ruled out any discussion of the presidency. Moscow and Tehran have also rejected what they see as Western efforts to predetermine Assad's future.
The warring sides have sought to portray the fighting as the fault of the other, pushing towards breaking point a ceasefire that was designed to improve the political climate ahead of the Geneva talks.
In addition to the Aleppo assault, heavy government air strikes were reported north of Homs, where a doctor described the most intense government bombardment since the cessation of hostilities agreement took effect.
In Aleppo, government forces and their allies were focused on the area around Handarat Camp, overlooking an important access point held by rebels into the city, which is split into zones held by the government and opposition.
"The escalation started at night. The area is of great importance. If the regime advances, this will tighten the grip on Aleppo," said Abdullah Othman, head of the politburo of the Levant Front rebel group.
"VERY FIERCE" RUSSIAN BOMBING
Speaking to Reuters, he described the battle as "to-and-fro" and said: "the bombing is Russian, and very fierce". His account was echoed by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a British-based group that monitors the war.
Separately, the monitor said it had received information that Islamic State hit and may have brought down a Syrian jet near the southern city of Sweida although the pilot had apparently been rescued. Amaq, a news agency close to the militants, also said IS had downed a Syrian army plane.
Syrian state TV reported that the army had seized control of the northern part of Handarat camp, to the north of Aleppo, after fierce battles with armed groups. A number of militants had been killed, it said.
Handarat camp is important because it is perched on a hilltop above a main road leading to opposition-held districts of the city.
The government and its allies have launched several major offensives in the Aleppo area, cutting the rebels' shortest supply line to Turkey in February. Yet rebels still control territory around the city, including its western approaches.
Fighting near Aleppo has been escalating for two weeks, mostly to the south of the city where government forces backed by Lebanon's Hezbollah and other militias have been waging fierce battles with rebels including Nusra Front fighters.
The al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front and Islamic State groups are not included in the cessation of hostilities agreement.
Speaking in Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin accused the rebels of breaching the truce to reconquer lost ground. "The opposition is trying to recover what they lost," he said.
Putin, who last month decided to withdraw some of the Russian forces deployed to Syria, said Moscow had left Damascus in a position to launch major offensives.
The air strikes in Homs hit five towns and villages, killing one person and wounding a number of others in Talbiseh, said Doctor Mohamad al-Shamsi, speaking from the area. "Warplanes were flying at low altitudes for nearly an hour. A number of raids were launched on Talbiseh and al-Houla," he said.
Rebels north of Aleppo are also facing a separate attack by the Islamic State group, which is trying to retake territory at the Turkish frontier lost in recent days to other insurgent groups backed by Turkey.
OPPOSITION WANTS TO HEAR GOVERNMENT IDEAS ON ASSAD
The Geneva talks aim to end a war that has killed more than 250,000 people, created the world's worst refugee crisis, and allowed for the rise of the Islamic State group.Canonical's Will Cooke has revealed recently the company's plans on removing some old, unmaintained Unity 7 Scopes from the Ubuntu Linux archives because they could threaten the security of the entire operating system.
April will see the release of Ubuntu 17.04 (Zesty Zapus) operating system, but it also marks the fifth year of Unity user interface's implementation, which was first introduced as part of the Ubuntu 11.04 (Natty Narwhal) release.
While Canonical's engineers are concentrating all of their efforts on bringing us the next-generation Unity 8 user interface, current Ubuntu Linux releases are still successfully using Unity 7, and so will Ubuntu 17.04.
Old, unmaintained Unity 7 Scopes are still out there
However, it would appear that the Ubuntu repositories still include some old, unmaintained Scopes that have security issues open, posing a threat to the entire system if installed and used.
Most of these are related to some popular music playback apps and include unity-scope-audacious, unity-scope-clementine, unity-scope-gmusicbrowser, unity-scope-guayadeque, unity-scope-musique, and unity-scope-gourmet.
Because of that, Canonical is planning on removing these and many other unmaintained Unity 7 Scopes from the official repositories, if their maintainers don't step up to patch any of the existing security issues, and also because Unity 8 won't support them.
"Couple this with the decision to turn off online searches by default and I think it's time to consider dropping these Scopes from the archive. Plus of course, the fact that they won't work in Unity 8 in the future anyway," said Will Cooke, Ubuntu Desktop Manager at Canonical.
If you submitted a Unity 7 Scope in the past, and no longer offer security fixes for it, please do everyone a favor and remove it from the repositories as soon as possible. Unity 7 will be supported for a few more years, but it doesn't have to be insecure.on •
THE GUERRILLA ANGEL REPORT — The newly elected mayor of Bogota, Colombia has appointed trans woman Tatiana Pineros to lead the city’s social welfare agency. As head of one of the largest government agencies in the Colombia, Pineros will oversee a couple thousand employees and a budget running into the hundreds of millions of dollars. This position will make Pineros be among the most powerful non-elected government officials in Colombia.
Bogota Mayor Gustavo Petro: “[Pineros’ appointment] is a sign this mayoral administration recognizes diversity and doesn’t discriminate based on sexual orientation, ethnicity or age.”
The lack of religious backlash against the appointment from the country’s mostly Catholic population indicates a gradual acceptance of trans and GLB people holding high office in Colombia and other Latin American countries.
Latin America – USATODAY.com.
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Categories: Everything else, Transgender, Transsexual, TransLong-term anarchist political prisoner Sohail Arabi briefly started drinking water again on Thursday having experienced a seizure, one week into his total hunger and thirst strike.
Sohail, who has been imprisoned for writing “sacrilegious” essays on Facebook and for “insulting the supreme leader” of Iran, had already been on a lengthy hunger strike over torture in the notorious Evin prison where he is being held.
The incarcerated Iranian blogger refused to be hospitalised, despite attempts by officials and the director of the penitentiary to transfer him to the prison clinic. In addition, Soheil was barred from receiving visits from his relatives because of his refusal to wear the prison uniform.
The 34-year-old wrote in a letter:
Because of my mother’s concerns on the occasion of the World Water Day, I drank water after the last night’s seizure. Today I met with the Revolutionary Guards Corps a week ago to give them the opportunity to address my demands. If they do not do so, the strike will again be hunger and thirst. I will not back down.
Today, the political prisoners of Ward Seven of Evin provided me with a ceremony dedicated to commemorating World Teacher’s Day. I was proud to be with my teacher, Mahmoud Beheshti, because of my mother’s concern and also because I had vowed to attend the ceremony. I read, I drank water and the dreams of the prisoners jumped to Ismail Abdi and Mahmoud Beheshti Langrood. We remember the great Farzad Kamangar and hope to release all political prisoners
Sohail Arabi
Evin Prison Section 7
Sohail, who has been imprisoned since November 2013, was originally sentenced to death for blogging against the Iranian regime before having his sentence reduced to seven and a half years after an international outcry. He is still facing other charges related to his writing.
The following is the open letter from when he started his thirst strike:
Here, speaking the truth is forbidden. However, I am an anarchist and therefore I do not obey prohibitions. I can not remain silent when I see innocent people being tormented here in Evin’s prison. Here, free thinkers are being punished for telling the truth.
Do not ask me to be silent. At that moment, being silent is the greatest of betrayals.
I do not cry for help in my situation. I’m on hunger strike to be the voice of all innocent prisoners. I want our voice to be heard. I want to be the voice of all confined free thinkers: Manoucher Mohammad Ali, Mahmoud Langroudi, Ali Shariate, Yousef Emadi, Arash Sadeghi, Sovada Aghasar and other humans whose only crime was telling the truth.
Today, September 23, 2017, is the third year that my daughter started going to school and is the third time I am deprived of being alone with her. I went from a hunger strike to a hunger strike and thirst because I do not want her to see me in this prison anymore.
Evin prison, which houses most of Iran’s political prisoners, has been described as a “hell” infested with bugs, heavily overcrowded and lacking adequate sanitation or healthcare facilities.Woodworking
Newsletter Volume 7, Issue 6 - July 2013 Newsletter Home | Print Article Build a Rolling Tool Tote The rolling tool tote design calls for readily available materials: a cheap hand truck (it could be an axle and two wheels), 3/4" and 1/2" thick plywood, 1/4" thick MDF (you could use plywood or hardboard) and common hardware. The dimensions of the tote shown are 36" high x 16" wide x 12" deep, but you can adapt those measurements according to your needs, storage space and strength. As you will see, the final result is quite versatile. Getting Started: The Casing
Ensure your saw blade is set to 90° and rip two 12" strips from a sheet of 3/4" plywood (MDO plywood shown). From those strips, cut two 12"x35" long sides and a 12"x16" long top and bottom. Set aside the remaining material to use for the front doors. Install a dado blade set in your table saw and a sacrificial fence to protect the rip fence. Set the width according to the thickness of your 3/4" plywood and the depth to 1/2". Mill a rabbet at each end of the top and bottom pieces. Move the rip fence closer to set the width of the dado to 1/2" (the thickness of the plywood to be used for the back panel). Mill the required rabbets on the back of both sides and the back of the top and bottom. Clamp the four sides together, ensuring all joints fit tightly. Measure the distance between the back rabbets and cut the 1/2" thick plywood to size for the back panel. When done, check the diagonals to ensure the casing is square. Put aside the back panel at this time. Set your dado blade to 1/4" wide and 3/8" deep and measure the inside walls of the sides from top to bottom and rabbet to rabbet. Divide by the number of drawers you want. For versatility, all of the drawers should be identical so that you can slide any one of them into any of the locations. All of my drawers are 4" tall and fit into all of the 4-1/16" high locations. When ready, mill all dadoes and use glue and nails to assemble the casing, ensuring that it's square. Building the Inner Parts
The dadoes that you mill in the sides may cause the panels to bow, as mine did. Size and cut a 1/4" plywood fixed shelf to width to keep the sides parallel and reinforce the casing. Glue, nail and clamp this shelf and let it dry. Meanwhile, measure and cut 1/4" MDF (or other material) drawer bottoms that will easily slide in the side dadoes. They should be about 1/16" narrower than the distance from dado bottom to dado bottom. Rip 1/2" plywood strips about 1/16" narrower than the vertical distance between the adjacent edges of the dadoes. From those strips, cut drawer fronts and backs 1/8" narrower than the distance between the insides of the casing sides. Use the table saw to mill a 1/4" deep rabbet at each end for the drawer sides. To get the exact length for the drawer sides, slip one back into position in the casing and measure from the rabbet bottom to the front of the casing. Subtract the thickness of the front lip. To add pulls to your drawer fronts, choose the best face of your |
for whomever Mr. Obama nominates to succeed Ms. Napolitano.
Meanwhile, Charles Edwards, Homeland Security’s acting inspector general, is facing accusations of abuse of power and nepotism. According to documents obtained by the New York Post, Mr. Edwards claimed expenses for personal travel, hired his wife as an auditor and retaliated against staff who complained.
He has denied any wrongdoing, calling the allegations “false” and “completely without merit” in a letter to Sen. Ron Johnson, Wisconsin Republican, and Sen. Claire McCaskill, Missouri Democrat, who are investigating the matter.
“If those allegations turn out to be true, then this deputy inspector general is violating his role as a public servant who is being paid on the taxpayer dime,” said Mary Beth Hutchins of Cause of Action, which provided the documents obtained by the Post via a Freedom of Information Act request.
In 2011 and 2012, Mr. Edwards was working toward a computer degree at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and travel receipts he submitted list the university next to a hotel’s room rate, the documents show.
Copyright © 2019 The Washington Times, LLC. Click here for reprint permission.FORTUNE — How can a $1.3 trillion industry, getting bigger every year, be hidden in plain sight?
Easy. The vast U.S. logistics business, which delivers 48 million tons of freight (worth about $48 billion) daily and already employs roughly 6 million people, operates mostly behind the scenes.
“When you order something from, say, Amazon, you know it arrives on your doorstep in two days, but most people don’t think about how,” observes George Prest, CEO of logistics trade group Material Handling Industry (MHI). He adds that the field gets overlooked by new grads in particular, who think of supply-chain work — if they think of it at all — as “a guy driving a forklift in a dusty old factory.”
That outdated image is a huge hurdle for an industry that badly needs new talent in high tech, analytics, robotics, and engineering. Career changers, take note: Seasoned managers, marketers, data analysts, and human resources executives are also in demand. “There are currently six to eight management jobs available for each applicant we get, and the median salary is about $80,000,” notes Prest — and that’s even before the wave of boomer retirements the MHI projects over the next few years. In total, says a new MHI report, the logistics business will be looking to fill about 1.4 million jobs, or roughly 270,000 per year, by 2018.
MORE: American truckers have been stranded by employers
“We’ve been living with this problem for eight or nine years now,” says Ed Romaine, a vice president at Integrated Systems Design, headquartered in Wixom, Mich. “The competition for talent is so fierce that we’ve had to get creative.” The company recently trolled LinkedIn for two new engineering hires, and “one of our top salespeople was recruited away from a former customer.”
“I think the challenge we have is the same as for lots of manufacturing companies,” says Chuck Edwards, president of Lenze Americas, the Uxbridge, Mass.-based arm of German logistics giant Lenze, which specializes in supply-chain automation, software, and systems integration. “How do you communicate to college kids that this stuff is cool?” Like other supply-chain employers, Lenze recruits heavily at a handful of colleges “with strong engineering and tech programs,” including MIT, Cornell, and Purdue.
Lenze Americas also sponsors student projects and sends guest speakers to campuses. “The more we can get face-to-face with kids, the better we can explain where the real excitement, and the future growth, is,” Edwards says. “You can’t really convey that via social media.”
For people who have been out of college for a while and want a shot at one of those 1.4 million job openings, supply-chain recruiter Eve O’Reilly has some advice. First, do enough research through the trade press to know which part of the sprawling logistics business is most likely to be seeking your skills.
For instance, “’strategic sourcing’ is the industry term for procurement management [purchasing supplies and materials for companies],” says O’Reilly, who heads up supply-chain executive search firm O’Reilly Group. “Other fields call it something else, but it’s one of the skills that’s easily transferable. Likewise, there are lots of opportunities for proven salespeople.”
Next, whatever your background, O’Reilly recommends studying for professional certifications through one of two big nonprofit groups, the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals and the Institute for Supply Management. “If you can, go to the huge national conferences CSCMP sponsors,” she suggests. “It’s a great way to meet people in the industry” who may know about specific job openings. CSCMP also has “lots of local chapters all over the U.S., even in small towns,” so O’Reilly recommends signing up for one near you.
MORE: 5G wireless technology prepares for its moment
Chuck Edwards notes that “there are articles galore online about the industry, and most of them link to white papers that companies publish about the challenges the business faces right now. Take a look at those, and think about where your skills apply.”
In his view, to fill the multitude of job openings, supply-chain companies will have to try harder to see how people from other industries fit in. “Analytics, scheduling, complex problem solving, project management — we need all of these, and they’re very easily transferred from another business,” he says.
“But we as employers need to help people see where their skills fit, and not get hung up on the jargon in a job description,” he adds. “It’s up to us to get the word out about what we need, and convey that management talent need not come with industry experience.”
Ed Romaine agrees. “We’re always looking for capable people,” he says. “We’re hiring. Tell your friends.”Donal Greene League Report: Dundalk 7 - 0 Drogheda Utd Tue, May 20 2014
Dundalk inflicted ruthless retribution on a hapless Drogheda United side at Oriel Park on Tuesday night. Seven goals was the final tally but in all honesty, it could easily have been double figures. The ease with which the hosts dissected the visitors and dominated possession will certainly be a cause of great concern for Drogheda boss, Robbie Horgan.
In a blistering opening to the game, Dundalk chalked up their first chance after barely a minute, Daryl Horgan bringing the best out of Dave Ryan in the Drogheda goal after being set up by Darren Meenan. Drogheda were on the counter attack directly after that and might have carved out a chance had Andy Boyle not been alert to the danger, cutting out Gavan Holohan’s drilled cross at the near post.
Moments later, Dundalk were on the attack again and Brian Gartland will be wondering quite how he managed to miss the target, he managed to blaze over from barely three yards.
Kurtis Byrne had his first shot of the day on 11 minutes, his low drive from 25 yards trickling harmlessly wide of Ryan’s left-hand post.
The opening goal was a spectacle for the footballing purist; Dane Massey picked up possession inside his own half and went on a driving run, beating three Drogheda players, he then squared to Sean Gannon used his first touch to open up a yard of space for himself and his second touch to slot the ball neatly past Ryan into the net and put the host into a well-deserved lead.
The Lilywhites could have doubled their lead just before half time had Pat Hoban shown a little more guile and taken on the shot himself, having found himself with only the keeper to beat. Instead he opted to pull the ball back to Horgan whose effort was acrobatically tipped wide by Ryan.
Drogheda exerted a short spell of pressure on the hosts in the dying minutes of the half, Fabio O’Brien coming closest with a half-chance inside the box which ultimately came to nothing.
The half time whistle was sounded on a bizarre note, Tom Connolly awarding a free-kick to Drogheda, allowing the players to take up their offensive positions and set up the set-piece, then blowing for half-time before Paul Andrews had a chance to take the kick, much to the frustration of Shane Grimes, who remonstrated with the whistler on his way into the dressing room.
Dundalk began the second half with a noticeably quicker tempo, monopolising possession in the lead up to their second goal which came on 51 minutes. Daryl Horgan was the man in the right place at the right time to pick up the loose ball following Byrne’s effort. He had the simplest of tasks to guide the ball into the empty next and double the home side’s advantage.
In the aftermath of that goal, Eric Foley received his marching orders; Tom Connolly had no hesitation in showing him a second yellow card for remonstrating and duly pointed him towards the tunnel.
If Dundalk’s first goal was a thing of beauty, their third goal was a thing of comedy; a lack of communication in the Drogheda rearguard resulted in Paul Crowley heading the ball over his advancing goalkeeper, leaving him stranded as the ball bounced over the line.
Horgan might have gotten a second goal had Ryan not been alert to tip his curling shot from outside the box over the bar on 73 minutes. The fourth goal did come for Dundalk from the resulting corner, however; captain Andy Boyle stealing in at the back post to stab home from the set-piece.
Just as we caught our breath following the fourth goal, the fifth was hot on its heels. Barely 60 seconds after Boyle slotted home, substitute David McMillan got in on the act, his shot from just inside the box beating Ryan at the far post.
If five was fantastic, six was sublime. Richie Towell got on the end of a loose ball in the air, volleyed it into the ground and the ball glided gracefully into Ryan’s top corner.
Perhaps the loudest cheer of the night came on 80 minutes when Keith Ward replaced Kurtis Byrne – Ward having not played since early last season when he picked up a serious knee injury.
The misery wasn’t over for Horgan’s charges as on 86 minutes, David McMillan notched up his second goal of the night, driving into the Drogheda box and slotting coolly past Ryan who must have been seeking the sanctuary of the dressing room at that stage, having endured a torrid night in North Louth.
Not long after the seventh goal had gone in, that very welcome final whistle came for Drogheda. Dundalk will take some stopping this season.
Dundalk: Peter Cherrie; Sean Gannon, Andy Boyle, Brian Gartland, Dane Massey; Daryl Horgan (Marc Griffin, 74), Richie Towell, Chris Shields, Darren Meenan; Kurtis Byrne (Keith Ward, 80), Pat Hoban (David McMillan, 64).
Subs not used: Gabriel Sava (gk), Ruaidhri Higgins, Mark Rossiter, Simon Kelly.
Drogheda United: Dave Ryan; Michael Daly, Alan McNally, Ciaran McGuigan, Shane Grimes; Eric Foley, Gavan Holohan, Paul Andrews, Carl Walshe (Paul Crowley, 57) ; Gary O’Neill (Philip Hughes 73), Declan O’Brien (Sean O’Connor, 79).
Subs not used: Dylan Connolly (gk), Daire Doyle, Dominic Mahon, Roy Kierans.
Booked: Eric Foley (38)
Sent Off: Eric Foley (51)
Referee: Tomas Connolly
Attendance: 2,383
Extratime.ie Man of the Match: Chris Shields (Dundalk)Thanks to the hard work and talent of devs mentored by the Roblox Accelerator and Incubator programs, players everywhere can rain destruction from their eldritch towers and soon will explore the beautiful depths of the ocean. Here are three more great games developed through the Roblox Accelerator program: Apocalypse Rising 2, Drone Heist, and Vehicle Simulator.
I’m stuffing my backpack with the last army rations in town when a sudden noise chills me to the bone. It’s not the husky rasp of zombies. It’s a gunshot. Gunshots mean other players, and other players mean that if I want to keep my stockpile of warm soda and mismatched bullets I’m going to have to fight for it.
The world may have ended, but Apocalypse Rising 2’s alpha build is hardly deserted. It’s maintained a player base almost as impressive and reliable as its update schedule. “Before the [Roblox Accelerator] program, the majority of my time [milestone planning] was just a loose structure of events that I’d keep in the back of my mind as I got work done,” said developer WhoBloxedWho. “Looking back on it a few months after the program I’m pretty proud of just how much I was able to get done in just three months, and I’ve got 2blox2quit and the program to thank for it.”
You don’t have to be lost on the game’s massive island of zombies, townships, and ad-hoc bandit forts for long to appreciate how much work has gone into the game. The player experience feels complete, but according to project lead Gusmanak, there’s no shortage of major new features already in development: “In our next large update we hope to have a shiny new recoil system in place that will make every firearm feel unique to players. Players will also be excited to know that we’re planning to add an entirely new island to the Alpha before Christmas, in addition to the University which will be a large unique location on the map.”
As someone who spent most of my time at university protecting my snacks from greedy scavengers, I’m ready to go. Try to take my warm, flat soda if you dare.
Your goal in Drone Heist is to steal an alien artifact from a shady enclave of scientists. They’ve hidden it deep inside a laboratory with sprawling vents and puzzle-based security systems. This operation is what future security consultants will call a “Drone Heist” situation. Getting your prize means managing both a standard character model and a remote-controlled drone capable of shattering steel, grappling objects, and maneuvering in very tight spaces. The game’s intricacies require some focus to master; it’s hard to imagine what it was like to script and program.
“I probably learned more scripting during the three months I interned than the past three years tinkering on my own,” said Drone Heist developer XenoSynthesis of his time in the Accelerator program. “My partner, SquirrelByte, helped me master things like Module Scripts and Remote Events, dramatically improving the experience.”
These lessons are clearly on display in the game. Getting through a sequence means following a precise series of switch flips, power management, and assorted drone shenanigans that rely heavily on scripting. Developments like doors opening and laser grids shutting down are shown off in smooth-loading in-game cutscenes. Despite switching between two playable character models and precisely maneuvering physics objects, the game remained perfectly stable and responsive.
Right now the game has one puzzle-packed level and a hub world. Trust me, that’ll keep you busy for a while. Try the game here.
If you had to imagine a game called Vehicle Simulator, you might picture a garage, a back lot, or a racetrack. You probably wouldn’t imagine factions, radio stations, minigames, or a sprawling city map modeled after Los Angeles. One has to wonder if “Quite a Lot of Things Simulator” didn’t fit on the banner.
“When I started making Vehicle Simulator I did not know I was making Vehicle Simulator,” explained developer and Accelerator program graduate Simbuilder. “I was just trying to recreate my favorite childhood games in an open world environment, some of those games being the Burnout series and Need For Speed. Once I got the wheel rolling I kept getting ideas of how to improve the physics, the world, and all the interactions in the game.”
The game’s fundamental elements are polished to perfection. You can easily spend hours just cruising in a sports car, taking in the realistic city streets, cranking sweet tunes, and getting into ad-hoc street races or stunt competitions with other drivers. It’s easy to see why the game keeps getting bigger: when the basics are so good, what else is there to do but add more fun stuff?
“A couple features that are currently in development are a completely new auto shop to customize your vehicles, improved drifting physics, a new sound engine for vehicles, multiple apartments where players can place and customize furniture, huge optimizations to vehicles, a new map with elevation change, more stunts, accurate roads, and much more.”
All of that sounds like gravy to me. If you’re not already planning to try Vehicle Simulator, I’ve got two words for you: stunt plane. Don’t worry too much about how you’re gonna land it; that’s what insurance is for.
We hope you enjoyed our look into projects made possible by 2017’s Accelerator and Incubator programs! If you missed parts one and two, you find them here and here.0 SHARES Facebook Twitter Google Whatsapp Pinterest Print Mail Flipboard
First George H.W. Bush said he would vote for Hillary Clinton; now it turns out a daughter of George W. Bush, Barbara Bush, attends a Clinton fundraiser in Paris – with Huma Abedin no less.
Abedin, much hated by Republicans as some sort of alleged Muslim fifth columnist, hosted the event along with Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour.
The photo above was posted to Instagram with the hashtag “#imwithher.”
That’s two Bushes apparently now with her, while Jeb Bush has said he won’t vote for either candidate and Barbara’s father has not yet revealed for whom he will vote.
Trump is rapidly running out of big name Republican allies, as hardly a day goes by without one Republican or another endorsing Clinton, including several prominent conservative newspapers. The Trump cause appears to be sinking, and he has only himself to blame.
Conservative pundit S.E. Cupp noted that conservatives like Bush don’t recognize their conservatism in Trump, but that Trump doesn’t think he needs conservatives like the Bushes.
Of course, all Trump has in his corner at this point are racists and other bigots, and a few stragglers like Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh, who embody all the ugliness preached by Trump.
Barbara Bush has shown in this single classy gesture, that you can hold your head up high as a conservative show you still want what’s best for this country, rather than what’s best for Donald Trump.
Photo: Instagram
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:Tony Blair has many fine qualities. He can be a brilliant advocate; and he has a gift – although he found its limit – for finding agreement among apparently incompatible interests. His supporters also put forward other qualifications for the post of President of the European Council: he has experience of working with European institutions; as Prime Minister he sought to engage Britain more constructively in the European Union – again within limits; and, whatever the critics might say, he is well known and respected among world leaders.
However, The Independent on Sunday cannot support his undeclared candidacy for the job that is now almost certain to be created. This is not simply a matter of his decision to join the American invasion of Iraq. That was an error of judgement, and an important one. It must count against him in consideration for any leadership position. But the Iraq war also undermines Mr Blair's claim to be a unifying force. The issue itself was divisive, pitting the governments of the European Union against each other. When the choice between Britain's relationship with America and its relationship with the rest of Europe became unfudgeable, Mr Blair chose America, which speaks volumes about his instincts.
Mr Blair rode roughshod over popular opinion across Europe, and misled people at home. He used information selectively to help persuade Cabinet and Parliament of the case for military action. As we say, he was a forceful advocate, sometimes stretching the facts to the utmost in order to make his case. His lawyerly persuasiveness may be useful in presenting Europe's case to the rest of the world, but it is not necessarily the ability that makes for the best chairman of summits of European leaders.
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As we report today, this is the view of none other than Sir Stephen Wall. Sir Stephen was Britain's ambassador to the EU for Mr Blair's first three years as Prime Minister. He was then Mr Blair's adviser on Europe until 2004. In that time, he helped to draft the European Constitution that later became the Lisbon Treaty, which created the post of European president. He claims that it was a British idea, but that Mr Blair might one day fill the post "was not in our thoughts at the time". The job was seen then as one with "very constrained" powers, he says, of "co-ordinating the business of the European Council" – the meetings of the leaders of the member states that take place four times a year.
Sir Stephen says that having a high-profile figure as president "is not necessarily a good idea", which, from someone in his position, is damning indeed. Above all, however, the argument against Mr Blair's appointment is that it would be undemocratic.
This newspaper supports the Lisbon Treaty, but sees a terrible missed opportunity in the way it began – as an attempt to impose a constitution on the EU from above. The EU can only be strengthened if its peoples are given their voice. A referendum on the Treaty would have been essential had it proposed significant changes in the EU – as it was, the demand for a referendum was only a cause behind which Europhobes could rally. But Mr Blair is not the choice of the peoples of Europe, and it would weaken the EU if his appointment were to emerge from the secret horse-trading that is now going on behind the scenes.
Mr Blair is not even the choice of the people of Britain. Anyone who thinks it would be good to have a Briton in the job to fight for a "British" pragmatism in Europe should think again: he would provide a focus for Conservative anti-Europe feeling.
Nor should European leaders choose someone simply on the basis that the Americans have heard of him. They should choose someone who would be interested in making the European Union work better in the interests of its peoples, which means that it should work more democratically.
There is, therefore, a strong case that the first President of the European Council should come from one of the smaller member states. "As a unifying signal it should be thought about," says Sir Stephen Wall. More than that, it should be acted on, and Mr Blair should be stopped.
We’ll tell you what’s true. You can form your own view.
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Planet Redsheep The new and improved Planet Redsheep Server Forum. WelcomeTo combat a space-based threat, try a space-based solution. Within the next six years, the B612 Foundation plans to launch the Sentinel Mission – a dedicated infrared telescope that will be on the lookout for killer asteroids.
The project will be the first privately funded deep space mission and will greatly expand the catalog of known near-Earth objects. The foundation estimates it will cost several hundred million dollars to build the telescope and hopes it will be ready to go by 2017.
While large comets and asteroids strike the Earth infrequently – the last major one killed the dinosaurs 65 million years ago – they are a potential hazard. An object larger than half a mile across could cause global climate shifts and mass extinctions. Smaller rocks around 200 feet in diameter could easily level a city.
Several ground-based telescopes and projects, such NASA’s Near-Earth Object program, have eyes on the sky to search for potentially hazardous space rocks under the aegis of the Spaceguard Survey. Collectively, they have detected nearly 10,000 objects and an estimated 90 percent of near-Earth asteroids larger than a half mile.
Near Earth, there still lurk about half a million asteroid larger than the one that cause the 1908 Tunkusga event, when a large object from space exploded over Siberia, destroying a zone roughly equal to the San Francisco Bay Area.
“That’s the urgency of this,” said Ed Lu, a chairman of the B612 Foundation and former space shuttle astronaut. “If there is an asteroid out there that may strike in the next 10 or 20 years, then time’s a wastin'.”
The company currently plans to launch their telescope on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, sending the spacecraft toward the inner solar system into a gravity assist slingshot around Venus. The roughly 25-foot telescope will orbit the sun from between 0.6 and 0.8 times the Earth-sun distance and is planned to have a 5.5-year initial mission to find 90 percent of asteroids larger than 500 feet. It also intends to map out a significant number of 100-foot-diameter asteroids.
After launch, the telescope will immediately begin to search for near-Earth objects and calculate their orbits, making sure that none of them intersect with Earth’s. Being a dedicated asteroid-finding mission and working from space will give it a tremendous advantage over ground-based telescopes. Within a month, Lu calculates that the telescope will find 16,000 objects, more than doubling the known catalog. Ultimately, he hopes to expand the number of known asteroids by a hundred-fold.
The project will release asteroid trajectories publicly through an existing network that includes the Minor Planet Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Many researchers are eager to get their hands on such data. At a conference the B612 Foundation held last year, roughly 50 interested scientists gathered to discuss near-Earth asteroid threats.
Though such a project has been suggested in the past, NASA has never seriously considered a dedicated asteroid-hunting space telescope, and this is not likely to change in the current tight budget climate. Lu said that developments in processing speed and hardware over the last 10 years, as well as the emergence of private spaceflight companies, have made it possible for a private non-profit to step in and take the project on.
He compared the estimated hundreds of millions of dollars they need to the amount necessary to build a metropolitan museum or performing arts center. While the project is ambitious, it doesn't require the potentially billions in funding and decades of development needed for the risky asteroid mining venture recently proposed by Planetary Resources, Inc.
If a potentially dangerous asteroid is ever detected, there could be an international effort from space agencies to deflect it by slamming a large counterweight into it, using a gravity tug, or roping it with giant lasso.
A major component of the Sentinel Mission will be public education and outreach, said Lu. The foundation hopes to work with schools and museums to involve students and members of the public – perhaps through some sort of citizen science project – and help inspire future generations to get into science and engineering. They hope to show people that such a project is possible with the technology at hand.
In addition, data from the telescope will map out the near-Earth environ, potentially aiding in future exploration, robotic or manned.
“That’s why this isn’t a fear-mongering message,” said Lu, “It’s an empowering message – let’s just go it.”
Images: 1) The proposed orbit of the B612 Foundation's Sentinel telescope, which will search for hazardous near-Earth asteroids. 2) Mock up of the telescope's design. B612 FoundationMobile applications from Facebook and Google dominated the new list of the year’s top apps released today by Nielsen. Not surprisingly, Facebook again grabbed the number one spot on the list, with more than 146 million average unique users per month, and 14 percent growth over last year. In fact, Facebook scored several spots on the top 10 chart, thanks to Messenger (#2) and Instagram (#8) – the latter which also showed some of the highest year-over-year growth, up 36 percent from 2015.
Messenger came in second place this year, with over 129 million average unique monthly users, followed by YouTube with over 113 monthly uniques.
However, it was Google, not Facebook, that grabbed the most spots on the year-end chart.
According to Nielsen, Google’s apps YouTube (#3), Google Maps (#4), Google Search (#5), Google Play (#6) and Gmail (#7) were among those people used the most throughout the year. Given that several of these are considered the basic utilities you need on any device – search, maps, email – it’s also not surprising to find them so highly ranked.
However, one notable change Nielsen discovered is Amazon’s surge in 2016.
We already know that e-commerce sites broke records during this holiday shopping season, and Amazon accounted for a huge proportion of those numbers – as much as 37 percent, according to recent reports. But people are clearly doing more mobile shopping throughout the year, Nielsen found, as Amazon’s mobile app saw a 43 percent increase in terms of monthly average uniques versus 2015.
Nielsen also took a brief glimpse into the state of smartphone penetration in the U.S., noting that 88 percent of mobile subscribers now use a smartphone, up from 86 percent at the beginning of the year.
Over half (53%) are on Android, with 45 percent on iOS, and just 2 percent on Windows Phone. Blackberry is somehow still on the charts with a 1 percent share.A Vegan Christmas Dinner
The Vegan Christmas Dinner Shopping List
This helpful Vegan Christmas dinner shopping list is presented here for your reading pleasure. The list contains each item, how much is needed for all the recipes combined, and what recipes they are used in. It is also available in downloadable PDF format here.
A Very Vegan Christmas – Shopping List
Special Equipment
This meal is simple to create, but there are a few things that you might need to be aware of in terms of equipment. Here is a helpful list of equipment used in the recipes.
Fine Sieve
A Whisk
A Stick or Regular Blender
A Short, flexible Slicing Knife
Vegan Christmas Dinner Recipes and Videos
Jerusalem Artichoke Soup
Notes Yield – 8-9 Cups of soup.
Jerusalem artichokes are also called sunchokes. If these are not available replace them with white potato.
Low sodium vegetable broth or stock is best as this makes it easier to season to taste.
If nut allergies are a concern, replace them with bread croutons.
Any peppery green will do.
A variety of olive oils can be used for drizzling at the end. Consider a flavored olive oil for an extra flavor umph.
If soy cream is not available, another vegan cream can be used. Plain soy yogurt is also an option.
The soup can be made a few days ahead and stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator.
TIP: Want to cheat? Don’t bother blending or straining the soup. Season and serve as more of a chowder. A simpler dish? Toss the Jerusalem artichokes in olive oil, salt and pepper then roast them until brown and tender. Serve them as part of the main meal.
Ingredients
2 medium shallots
3 lbs of jerusalem artichokes
5 cups of vegetable broth
1 cup of soy cream
1 small handful of macadamia nuts – salted or unsalted (to your taste)
1 small handful of cashews salted or unsalted (to your taste)
2 handfuls of peppery greens like arugula, wasabi arugula or dandelion
olive oil for cooking and for drizzling.
salt and pepper
Directions
Peel and dice the shallots. Clean and peel the jerusalem artichokes. Dice them into small cubes similar in size. Heat 3 tbsp olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook until soft, but do not allow them to color. When the shallots are soft, add the jerusalem artichoke and cook five minutes. Add enough vegetable stock stock to cover. Bring to a boil then reduce heat immediately so the mixture simmers. Simmer until the jerusalme artichokes are soft about 20 minutes. Add the soy cream. Simmer another 10 minutes. Using a stick blender, blend the soup off the heat until smooth. If you do not have a stick blender, blend the soup in batches carefully making sure the lid does not come off during blending due to steam build up. OPTIONAL – To make the soup extra luxurious, strain the soup through a fine sieve. Season the soup to taste with salt and pepper. Rough chop the macadamia nuts and cashews. Clean and dry the peppery greens Serve the soup hot garnished with nuts and greens. Drizzle the top of the soup with olive oil.
Back To The Menu
Grapefruit Supremes with Mint Syrup
Yield – 8 Serving – assumes 1/2 grapefruit per person and makes about 1.5 cups of mint syrup.
Pink or white grapefruit can be used for this recipe. Sweeter is better. Cut out the supremes over a bowl to catch the juice. The mint can be substituted with 5 star anise.
This dish is nice as a palette cleanser, second light appetiser, or a light dessert. It is also fun to throw a shot of flavoured vodka into it at serving time.
The supremes can be made a few days ahead of time and kept in a sealed plastic container in the refrigerator. The syrup can also be made ahead and held sealed in the refrigerated.
TIP: Want to cheat? By a mint syrup in the coffee syrup aisle. To simplify even more, drizzle store bought syrup over grapefruits that have been cut in half and scored as is done when serving grapefruit for breakfast.
Ingredients
4 pink or white grapefruits.
1 cup of demerera sugar or light brown sugar
1 cup of water
1 oz of fresh mint leaves
Directions
To remove the supremes from the grapefruit, first cut them at the top and bottom removing enough skin to see the fruit. (this is a good time to watch the video) Slice the slides of the grapefruit following the curved edge of the fruit slicing enough of the skin so the fruit is exposed.Both the skin and pith should be removed. When all the skin and pith are removed slice out each section of the grapefruit individually over a bowl to catch the juice. Rough chop the mint leaves. In a small pot, mix the water and sugar. Heat the mixture until the sugar dissolves. Add the mint leaves and simmer 15-20 minutes. Turn off the heat and let steep an hour or as long as possible. Let the syrup cool. Strain the syrup.
To Serve
Fill a small bowl or glass (like a martini or margarita glass) with grapefruit supremes. Add a few tablespoons of the fresh juice. Spoon the mint syrup over the grapefruit supremes to taste. Sprinkle with a little chopped fresh mint. Serve cold or at room temperature.
Back To The Menu
Mushroom and Tofu Stroganoff
Yield – 8 Servings
Any type of mushrooms will do from white button to portabella. Shitake, enoki, oyster, king trumpet or others will also work well,too. If fancier mushrooms are not available you can use white button only.
As an added flavor boost, a shot of cognac can be added to the pot just before the flour is added. Add the cognac and reduce it fully.
This dish should be made the day of the meal.
TIP: Want to cheat? Double the tofu. Brown the tofu with onion and garlic, season with salt and pepper and cover with canned vegan “cream” of mushroom or other vegan “cream” soup, season with tarragon.
Ingredients
4 lb mixed mushrooms – any mixture will do, but if only white button are available that is fine.
1 block of firm tofu – about 12 oz.
1 large sweet onion – like Vidalia
2 cloves of garlic
1 oz of fresh tarragon (chervil will also work)
3 tbsp offlour
3 cups of vegetable stock
1.5 cups of plain soy yogurt or vegan sour cream
olive oil
salt and pepper
Directions
Clean and slice the mushrooms into bite size pieces. Medium dice for large mushrooms is good. Small mushrooms can be kept whole. Drain as much of the water as possible out of |
yards on 3 rushes. After 7 plays they punted. Very conservative. They should have come out swinging.
Funny how when the Raiders defense does good you don’t hear anything about the coaches. You can’t give coaches the blame when the team struggles and then give them no credit when they do well. Aw fans.
Grade C+
The first half the Raiders looked pretty good. You thought they’d come out blazing in the second half, but again they were predictable and conservative on offense.
Special Teams:
Sebastian Janikowski now has the record for most 50 yard plus field goals. Marquette King gets better each week and had 2 booming punts. Richard had a pretty good day running back punts. Jones only ran back one kickoff for 16 yards.
Grade A-
The return game was better for the punting team and King and Janikowski are solid.
Conclusion:
The Titans right now are the second worst team in the NFL behind the Bears. The Titans are 2-18 in their last 20 home games and 6-29 in their last 35 games overall. With all their failed drafts, the Titans are now where the Raiders used to be. As I said on draft day, Mariota has moxy, is athletic, but he’s just not accurate enough for my taste. Any win on the road is good but the Raiders in reality should have torched them. Oakland still doesn’t have a dominating signature win yet. If the PI is called and the 2 point conversion fails in New Orleans, this could be a different season. They have to play better.
Baltimore Ravens:
The Raiders are 2-7 lifetime against Baltimore, and 0-5 playing the Ravens on the road. This is a place that has given them nightmares. It’s loud and the Ravens play very physical at home.
While this isn’t the great Baltimore defenses of the past they are still solid so far. They rank #3 against the pass and #8 against the run. They have 9 sacks on the year which is 7th overall in the NFL. They’ve beaten the Bills at home, and the Jaguars and Browns on the road. Not exactly the NFL elite for this year so being 3-0 isn’t as impressive against these teams.
On offense they have Joe Flacco but not a whole lot else. Backup Terrance West and Justin Forsett share carries, and ageless Steve Smith is still their go to man at WR. Journeyman WR Mike Wallace is their deep threat. Their TE Dennis Pitta is having a great year and is a big part of their offense. He has 18 catches in 3 games. They are the 19th rated passing team and the 25th rated running team.
Outlook:
The Raiders on defense should have another good game. The Ravens don’t have a lot of speed and are not a team to score a lot of points but they will play a physical style on defense and rush the passer. Running yards may be difficult for the Raiders offense and the OL will be tested.
Look for a physical game in Baltimore next week with not a lot of scoring. The Raiders travel a lot but their schedule is not hard so this game would be a nice win for them. Look for the Raiders to make a statement.
AdvertisementsWomen's brains might be more vulnerable to the degenerative effects of Alzheimer's disease than men’s, causing them to decline in memory and cognitive function twice as fast, according to new research that could explain why women make up two-thirds of all diagnosed Alzheimer’s cases in the US.
The finding was presented this week at the 2015 Alzheimer's Association International Conference (AAIC) in Washington, DC, with the team also noting that women tend to decline more dramatically than men in cognition, function, and brain size after they’ve been in surgery or under general anaesthesia.
"Women are disproportionately affected by Alzheimer’s, and there is an urgent need to understand if differences in brain structure, disease progression, and biological characteristics contribute to higher prevalence and rates of cognitive decline," Maria Carrillo, the chief scientific officer at the US Alzheimer’s Association, said in a press release. "To intervene and help reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s, it’s critical to understand the reasons for these differences."
According to the Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures report, published by the Alzheimer’s Association, of all Americans aged 71 and older, 16 percent of women have Alzheimer’s and other dementias, while just 11 percent of men are similarly affected. If a woman manages to avoid Alzheimer’s by the age of 65, she’ll have a one in six chance of developing it during the remainder of her life, compared to the one in 11 chance for men, and once women hit their 60s, they’ll be twice as likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease as they are to develop breast cancer.
So why are women so uniquely affected by this devastating condition? It’s not yet clear, but the researchers said it’s not just to do with the fact that women are more likely to outlive men in every country on the planet. "There's something else going on in terms of the biology [or] the environment for women," one of the team, Kristine Yaffe from the University of California, San Francisco, told Jon Hamilton at NPR.
One study presented at the conference was based on data from an ongoing project called the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative. Yaffe and her colleagues investigated how the cognitive abilities of about 400 people (141 women, 257 men), mostly in their mid-seventies, with mild cognitive impairment - a condition that leads to Alzheimer’s disease - changed over the course of up to eight years.
"We found that women decline at almost twice the rate of men and we also found that women have faster acceleration of decline over time," one of the team, Katherine Amy Lin from Duke University Medical Centre in the US, told NPR.
The results of a complementary study were also presented, showing that women tend to accumulate more amyloid in their brains than men, which is thought to be the main culprit in Alzheimer’s development. But why this is the case is not yet clear.
One possible explanation is to do with the fact that every cell in a woman's body carries two X chromosomes, while every cell in a man’s body has an X and a Y, and these double x chromosomes could be what’s putting women at a higher risk of developing dementia, according to research done back in 2009.
Published in Nature Genetics, the study showed that women who inherited two copies of a variant in the PCDH11X gene, found on the X chromosome, were at a much higher risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. Women with a variant on one of their two X chromosomes also had a higher risk than those who didn't, as did men with the variant on their single X chromosome.
"This is a very common genetic variant, and many women who had two copies of it did not have disease. But, overall, the odds were substantially greater that female patients with the disease did have two copies," the study’s senior investigator, Steven Younki from the Mayo Clinic in the US, said in a press release at the time.
The research will continue, because with 700,000 people over the age of 65 in the US estimated to die with Alzheimer's this year, figuring out how to lower the risk for women will make a huge difference.
"Our findings suggest that men and women at risk for Alzheimer’s may be having two very different experiences," one of the researchers, Katherine Amy Lin from the Duke University Medical Centre, said in the press release. "Our analyses show that women with mild memory impairments deteriorate at much faster rates than men in both cognitive and functional abilities. These results point to the possibility of as yet undiscovered gender-specific genetic or environmental risk factors that influence the speed of decline. Uncovering those factors should be a high priority for future research."NSA Zero Day Tools Likely Left Behind By Careless Operative
from the opsec-only-works-if-you-do-it-100%-of-the-time dept
More information is surfacing on the source of the NSA's hacking tools discovered and published by the Shadow Brokers. Just as Ed Snowden pointed out shortly after the tools first appeared online, the problem with sticking a stash of hacking tools on equipment you don't own is that others can access the tools, too… especially if an operative doesn't follow through on the more mundane aspects of good opsec.
Here's where it gets interesting: the NSA is not made of magic. Our rivals do the same thing to us -- and occasionally succeed. Knowing this, NSA's hackers (TAO) are told not to leave their hack tools ("binaries") on the server after an op. But people get lazy.
Reuters has exclusive (but anonymous) interviews with personnel involved in the investigation which indicates other, more exculpatory theories are likely wrong.
Various explanations have been floated by officials in Washington as to how the tools were stolen. Some feared it was the work of a leaker similar to former agency contractor Edward Snowden, while others suspected the Russians might have hacked into NSA headquarters in Fort Meade, Maryland. But officials heading the FBI-led investigation now discount both of those scenarios, the people said in separate interviews. NSA officials have told investigators that an employee or contractor made the mistake about three years ago during an operation that used the tools, the people said.
And what a mistake it was. Tools purchased or developed by the NSA's Tailored Access Operations (TAO) are now -- at least partially -- in the public domain. The other aspect of this unprecedented "mistake" being confirmed is the fact that the NSA couldn't care less about collateral damage.
That person acknowledged the error shortly afterward, they said. But the NSA did not inform the companies of the danger when it first discovered the exposure of the tools, the sources said.
Three years of unpatched holes, one of them a zero day that affects a great deal of Cisco's networking equipment. Not only was TAO's operation security compromised, but so were any number of affected products offered by US tech companies.
However, investigators are still looking into the possibility that the tools were left behind deliberately by a disgruntled TAO operative. This theory looks far better on the NSA than another theory also being examined: that multiple operatives screwed up in small ways, compounding each other's mistakes and (eventually) leading to a public showing of valuable surveillance tools.
As for the official, on-the-record comment… no comment. The FBI and Director of National Intelligence declined to provide Reuters with a statement.
The NSA has long refused to acknowledge the inherent dangers of hoarding exploits and deploying them with little to no oversight. It's unclear whether this incident will change this behavior or make it a more-forthcoming partner in the Liability Equities Process. What is has proven is that the NSA makes mistakes like any other agency -- whether the tools were left behind accidentally or deliberately. It's just that when the NSA screws up, it exposes its willingness to harm American tech companies to further its own intelligence needs.
Filed Under: carelessness, hacking tools, nsa, surveillance, zero dayJUST!! - A Yaoi Manga (don't ask. got it for cheap) (Now Complete)
Mazinger Z Anthology (one off)
Thunderbolt Fantasy - Otome Genyuuki (maybe)
Higurashi Hinamizawa Bus-stop Manga (Complete)
Gun x Sword (Complete)
Betterman (Complete)
Suishou to Biroudo
Himegimi no Icon
Sprinter wa Nemurenai
Suzu-chan no Neko
Izumo (Now Complete)
Shojo Fujubun (Didn't realise it got officially released, so go buy it. It's great)
Various Go Nagai artbooks/databooks (half of which I've done now)
Shit-ton of various anime misc data/interview/artbooks (I'll get around to them sooner or later)
I was going to do the next Izumo chapter, but I really couldn't be bothered so I might as well get started on Omorai volume 2. And man does time fly because it has literally been about 7 months since volume 1. Granted, I have done a bunch other shit during that time, but it seems that I have neglected our lovable beggars for far too long.Anyway, as I said before, I won't be doing much Nagai in future or taking upon new works of his because I have been concentrating too much on it in the recent year or two, because I want to break free and start on different manga, and because I have a huge-ass backlog of manga to scanlate that I have bought and I might as well list them all for curiosity's sake:See what I mean? In other words, before I even consider more Nagai/Dynamic Pro outside of Omorai & Getter Robo Darkness, I need to get a good bit of my backlog done. To add on that, from what I have listed, is anyone interested in any particular work? If you are, then let me know and I'll bump it up the list of things to do. Other than that, enjoy the Omorai chapter. See ya!MADISONVILLE, TN—Sources close to local man Mike Ferguson confirmed Saturday that over time they have learned not to bring up their friend's utter failure to achieve anything whatsoever in life, a sensitive topic they said has always been a bit of a sore spot for him.
Longtime acquaintances of Ferguson reported that the otherwise amiable 39-year-old gets "a bit touchy" whenever someone makes even the most passing mention of his complete lack of personal and professional accomplishment.
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"Ordinarily, he's a pretty okay guy to have around," said Greg Ostrowski, who has known Ferguson since high school. "But you have to be very, very careful if you bring up how he's always come up short at anything he's ever attempted. If you're not extremely delicate in the way you broach how success of any sort has constantly eluded him, he'll get very defensive."
"Honestly, it's often best to avoid that subject altogether," Ostrowski added. "But that's really hard. Mike's fucked up an awful lot. At pretty much everything, really."
Ferguson's particular sensitivity to his lifelong ineptness was reportedly not apparent at first, and friends said they were often caught off guard by the amount of offense he took at the slightest reference to the fact he was totally squandering his time on earth.
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"I just remember casually saying something about how he was nearly broke, had never had a relationship that lasted longer than two months, and was still working part-time at his dad's sporting goods store, and he suddenly just bristled," said former roommate Ted McCormick, adding that he initially thought his friend's response was a sarcastic overreaction. "I said, 'Sorry, I didn't realize that was such a big deal to you.' I mean, how the hell was I supposed to know that just alluding to the fact he couldn't hack more than a semester and a half of college was going to get under his skin so much?"
McCormick also told reporters Ferguson could benefit from having more of a sense of humor about the four decades of futility that have made his life unbearable.
"Everyone's got that one thing they're a little weird about, including me," said McCormick, admitting that at five-foot-six, he was sometimes sensitive about his height. "But I don't get all testy about it when people make a joke or two. I think if Mike just learned to laugh and not get bent out of shape every time someone makes an offhand remark about how he's essentially blown any chance he'll ever have for happiness, it'd be a lot easier to talk to him."
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Added McCormick, "It's already tough enough being friends with a loser like that, you know?"Sharrif Floyd is among the most eager to get Vikings nose tackle Linval Joseph back in the lineup — he’d even give his toe for it.
“Losing him has been huge over the last few weeks,” Floyd said Tuesday at Winter Park. “I’ve been talking to [Joseph] every day [saying] ‘Please come back … I’ll give you my toe or at least give me 10 of your pounds, ’cause, boy, I respect your job.’ ”
Floyd has spent the past two weeks filling in for Joseph, out because of a toe injury, while Tom Johnson has taken over Floyd’s position at the three-technique tackle spot. The third-year tackle out of Florida has nine tackles during this stretch and has helped fill Joseph’s void at the center of the defensive line as best as possible.
“I don’t want to settle into the position, but I feel like it’s not a problem doing the job,” Floyd said. “Coach [Mike Zimmer] asked me to do something for the team and it’s going to get done. … Until the big dog gets healthy, I’ve got to be the big dog. It is some big shoes to fill and more so the technique than anything. It’s a tough duty.”
Before Joseph’s injury, he had established himself as one of the best tackles in the NFL this season and considered a Pro Bowl candidate. He missed practice again Tuesday, though no injury report was released by the Vikings.
With Joseph still sidelined, the Vikings worked out a pair of free-agent nose tackles, including Phil Taylor, a 2011 first-round draft pick of the Browns.
A source told the Star Tribune that the team has not decided whether to sign Taylor, 27, who was last listed as 6-3 and 335 pounds.
Taylor spent four seasons with the Browns, playing 44 games and recording 109 tackles and seven sacks before they released him after the preseason. He has since had tryouts with the Ravens and Steelers but did not sign with either team.
The Vikings also worked out nose tackle Euclid Cummings, according to ESPN 1500. He most recently played with the CFL’s Toronto Argonauts.
Along with Floyd and Johnson, the Vikings have Kenrick Ellis at defensive tackle.
Safety rating
Cornerback Terence Newman didn’t get a chance to review film of his first start at safety last Thursday in a 23-20 loss to the Cardinals, but felt comfortable enough in the role to consider a future doing it full-time.
“All options are in play in the future,” he said. “I think [safety is] definitely easier [than cornerback]. You don’t have to run backward, shift your body backward if some dude is running full speed forward, so in that aspect it’s definitely easier. But it’s a lot different in checks. At corner you just line up and play against the guy. But safety, you’ve got all types of stuff, communications and checks and you have to move here and there. It’s fun for sure, but it can be mentally tougher than corner.”
Newman turned 37 in September and has been one of the Vikings’ most consistent defensive backs this season with 45 tackles, 11 pass breakups and three interceptions.
He’s back again
The Vikings planned to re-sign defensive end Justin Trattou before they waived him last Tuesday. He was let go to make room for safeties Anthony Harris and Shaun Prater, who were signed to fill in for the four injured safeties on the 53-man roster.
“Gotta do what you gotta do. They had zero [safeties] left. That’s what happens,” said Trattou, who received a call from another interested team during his few days of unemployment. “I had some interest, but I didn’t really want to go anywhere else. … I’m happy where I’m at.”
The Vikings waived Prater and re-signed Trattou on Monday.
Injury report
The Vikings returned to practice Tuesday after four days off, but were still without their three best defensive players: Joseph, safety Harrison Smith (hamstring/knee) and linebacker Anthony Barr (groin/hand).
Smith and Barr stretched with the team, but didn’t participate in the portion of practice open to the media.
Safety Andrew Sendejo (knee) and linebacker Brandon Watts (ribs) returned to practice after missing the Cardinals game. Defensive end Scott Crichton (ankle) stretched with the team, but didn’t participate in warmup drills.
An official injury report will be released Wednesday after practice.
Staff reporters Matt Vensel and Mark Craig contributed to this report.The universities minister has written to the head of Oxford urging her to consider disciplinary action over alleged ‘rampant anti-Semitism’ at the university’s Labour club.
Jo Johnson demanded an urgent investigation after the student group’s co-chair said members had a ‘poisonous’ attitude towards minority groups and resigned.
Alex Chalmers, 20, said a ‘large proportion’ of the Oxford University Labour club (OULC) had ‘some kind of problem with Jews’ and that some had used offensive terms.
The club, which counts Michael Foot and Ed and David Miliband among its former members, describes itself as ‘the home of the Labour Party and the left at Oxford University’ and the largest in the country.
Yesterday, the university’s Jewish society released a list of alleged anti-Semitic incidents involving the club and claimed they were ‘mocked’ when they raised concerns.
Former Labour leader Ed Miliband postponed an event at the OULC next month with his spokesman stating he was ‘deeply disturbed’ at the reports of anti-semitism.
Investigated: The Oxford University Labour Club has been accused of 'rampant anti-Semitism’
Jo Johnson (pictured) demanded an urgent investigation after the student group’s co-chair said members had a ‘poisonous’ attitude towards minority groups and resigned
Last night, Mr Johnson said he was concerned over a number of reports of intimidation of Jewish students on campuses, which risked curtailing free speech.
He urged Oxford vice-chancellor Professor Louise Richardson and other university leaders to take action to show they were taking students’ safety ‘seriously’.
He wrote: ‘I am writing now following reports in the press alleging rampant anti-Semitism among members of the Oxford University Labour Club, and following the resignation of its chairman Alex Chalmers.
‘There can be no justification for attacks on Jewish students, and no tolerance for institutionalised racism within an organisation that bears the University's name.
‘Universities must be places for students, irrespective of their background, to develop as individuals and citizens, free from the fear of racism or the kind of intimidation that curtails free speech.
‘Jewish students at Oxford and all universities must feel confident that university leaders take their safety seriously.
‘I would welcome your assurance that the situation involving the OULC is being urgently and thoroughly investigated, with strong disciplinary action taken where necessary.’
Mr Johnson said he had already raised concerns about a public meeting involving the King's College Israel Society in London which was abandoned due to violent interruptions from pro-Palestinian protestors.
History student Mr Chalmers resigned after OULC voted to endorse Israel Apartheid Week (IAW), an annual series of lectures against Israeli settlement in the West Bank and Gaza.
Mr Chalmers, who is not Jewish himself, said the movement had a ‘history of targeting and harassing Jewish students’ and ‘inviting anti-Semitic speakers’.
Yesterday, his claims about the group were supported by the university Jewish Society, which revealed it had compiled a list of incidents reported by OULC members over the course of a year.
It included an allegation that several people have been known to sing an offensive song called ‘Rockets over Tel Aviv’ and expressed support for attacks by Hamas on civilians.
Another member is accused of stating that the club should not associate with any Jew who does not publicly denounce Zionism.
The society also said that one member of the OULC was formally disciplined by their college for organising a group of students to harass a Jewish student and to shout 'filthy Zionist' at them.
A spokesman for the society said: ‘It is not the first time that Oxford JSoc has had to deal with anti-Semitic incidents within the student left and it will not be the last.
Members: Both Ed and David Miliband were former members of the Oxford University Labour Club
‘It is a significant and worrying issue and one that on many occasions, Jewish students have felt that they are fighting alone.
‘Many of Oxford’s Jewish students who hold progressive views have long felt excluded from left-wing political spaces.
‘Jewish students who raised the issue of anti-Semitism at the OULC meeting were laughed at and mocked.
‘It is high time that this issue is confronted. We hope Alex’s resignation triggers a broader awakening amongst student political movements, and that anti-Semitism, particularly on the student left, is finally taken seriously.’
Yesterday, John Mann, Labour MP for Bassetlaw in Nottinghamshire, called for the party to sever ties with the club while an investigation is carried out.
He wrote on Twitter: ‘There needs to be a full enquiry [sic] and suspension of Oxford University Labour Club for the allegations of racism.’
It follows a growing number of complaints from Jewish students that they are being made to feel unwelcome on campuses around the country.
Mr Mann later said that Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn should ensure a thorough investigation into the allegations is carried out.
He said: ‘I have written to the Labour Party asking for an investigation as a matter of urgency.
‘It is hugely embarrassing for the Labour Party. This is something Jeremy Corbyn should personally look into.
‘These allegations are quite precise and there needs to be an investigation to see if they are true.’
The club endorsed 'Israel Apartheid Week', an annual series of lectures against Israeli settlement in the West Bank and Gaza
Mr Miliband’s spokesman said: ‘Ed is deeply disturbed to hear of reports of anti-Semitism in the Oxford University Labour Club.
‘It is right that the executive of the club has roundly condemned the comments and fully co-operates with the Labour Students' investigation.
‘Ed and the Labour Club have agreed that his talk should be postponed until the investigation is resolved.’
MP Louise Ellman, vice chairwoman of Labour Friends of Israel, said: 'I am deeply disturbed by the news that Oxford University Labour Club has decided to support Israel Apartheid Week and by the revelations from Alex Chalmers about the troubling tone of the discourse in which this debate appears to have been conducted.'
She said comparisons between Israel and apartheid-era South Africa 'are a grotesque smear and the Labour Party should dissociate itself from them'.
In a statement, national umbrella body Labour Students said it was 'deeply troubled' by the allegations.
Disturbed: MP Louise Ellman, vice chairwoman of Labour Friends of Israel said she was 'Oxford University Labour Club has decided to support Israel Apartheid Week
It added: 'We unequivocally condemn any form of anti-semitism. We are taking these allegations very seriously and will do whatever is necessary to ensure every Labour club is a safe space for Jewish students.'
A Labour Party spokeswoman said: 'The Labour Party condemns anti-Semitism in any form.
'Labour Students have launched an immediate investigation and the Labour Party welcomes and supports this action.
'If complaints are made about any individual member of the Labour Party, the party will take robust action to deal with any anti-Semitic behaviour.'
Noni Csogor, remaining co-chair of the club, said in an online statement: ‘We take allegations of anti-Semitism in the club very seriously and I will be discussing, with my executive committee, how to deal with the kinds of statements Alex mentions, and what concrete steps we can take in future to preserve a club that’s been a safe haven for Jewish students in the past.’
A spokesman for Oxford University said: ‘Oxford University does not tolerate any form of harassment or victimisation - including on the grounds of religion and belief - and expects all members of the University community, its visitors and contractors to treat each other with respect, courtesy and consideration.
'We would strongly urge anyone who has experienced harassment or intimidation on the grounds of religion and belief to come forward and officially report any incident to the university authorities. We take allegations of harassment extremely seriously, and where offences are found to have been committed they are considered grounds for severe disciplinary action.'
In March last year, Moselle Paz Solis, Jewish Society president at the School of Oriental and African Studies, told the Jewish Chronicle that she was ‘too scared to go anywhere’ after a controversial vote where students agreed to academically boycott Israel.RECENT SUBMISSIONS Some new citizens of Stagr â m showed up recently to pay their respects to Princess Sluts ö f. It's always amazing to meet new fans of this marvelous tale. Keep sending them! Every submission makes Sluts ö f dance with Joy.
Jessica writes : "In this tale, princess Slütsof is at her castle (one of their main exports is the rare
Stragramian blue marble, as used on the palace) when pirates attack! She swims out to begin
peaceful negotiations when it is discovered that her evil twin sister is the head of the Pirates!"
What an adventure! Stragramian is Stagram's main export it's also what makes Slutsof's shoes so shiney.
So Majestic! But I think her crown might be too big. Great job Anton!
Italian Illustrator Frederica Nardi sent in this amazing artwork. I've been told the snake gentleman's name is Dicksöf
Alex Cream writes: "Hi. this is a winter themed colorized night photo of princess slutsöf circa 2018. Thanks for the cause." Graffit sends greetings from Berlin and this great message from Slutsof. Be cool, stay in school kids.
We even received a Whöresof cosplay. Look out Comic 2019
I received a few submissions this morning and over the weekend so I thought I'd throw them up. It's been a tad quiet over here in Stagram, but don't fret something new is in the works ;) Your emails are like Tinkerbell claps. Keep'em coming, even just to say hi, each one makes my day.
Christian Cordts sent in this masterpiece of The Nasty MasterThief taking the princess' crown. In Stagram that is equal only to treason! Off with his spikey head! Noah Biblis made this sweet flag. He writes "The goats and ducks in the top left represent Slutsof and Whoresof, while the gold X over the black and white bars represents the evil king locked away". DAMN YOU TYRANT KING!
Chris Marquis sent in this amazing Stagram alphabet which I now pronounce as the official written language of Stagram. Any one want to make this into a font? Chris Marquis writes "t his is a depiction of whoresof, who, after reuniting with slutsof, rescuing him in the tyrant king's dungeon, decides to get some payback, and once again save stagram from the tyrant king's EVIL clutches" oooooohkaaaay Chris.
Keya Kersting writes "T his is Slütsöf having a nightmare about an even bigger evil lurking within her brother Whöresöf than the evil king." One word...terrifying.
Wiggins Writes "Slütsof finds Whöresof captured by the evil king, but anxious to rescue Whöresof, she does not realize that she is being trapped as well! What will happen to Slütsof and Whöresof!?" Nooo Slutsof its a trap!
FrostByteUK sent in a new character named Kindürfingrün: He has 7 and a half brothers and sisters and was found in a magic temple which was carved in a cave in the mountains which contains the cave of the Cyclops.
Hans Fandango sent in this piece he drew for Inktober (that's a thing?) Look at her beautiful hair, it looks like the cover of a box of Blondissima! Also great sparkle work.
Jacob Branchflower sent in this photo realistic rendering of Slutsof swiming to Stagram. She looks so Majestic. Keep your eyes out for the whirlpool and Pirates!
This is deep Felix Summ. What does it mean? You had me at Sashimi and you lost me at Chestburster.
Cold Pizza has titled his latest master piece: Fifty Shades of Slutsof. Oh jesh.
MORE SUBMISSIONS
Sorry to have disappeared for a while there, I was busy taking meetings with some Hollywood producers to discuss movie and video game rights. It's been a whirlwind, Me and Harvey Weinstein were doing Sake bombs in his Hot tub and then Leo did a back flip into the pool, it was radica---Who am I fooling? That's a lie, I was just trying to impress you guys. I sat on a pull-out couch in my sweatpants, ate Ben and Jerry's H.B.C. and re-watched the series boxset of The Wire....Entourage?...Okay fine, it was Gossip Girl. A man can dream though right? Especially when that man sleeps 16 hours a day. I received a few submissions this morning and over the weekend so I thought I'd throw them up. It's been a tad quiet over here in Stagram, but don't fret something new is in the works ;) Your emails are like Tinkerbell claps. Keep'em coming, even just to say hi, each one makes my day.Sorry to have disappeared for a while there, I was busy taking meetings with some Hollywood producers to discuss movie and video game rights. It's been a whirlwind, Me and Harvey Weinstein were doing Sake bombs in his Hot tub and then Leo did a back flip into the pool, it was radica---Who am I fooling? That's a lie, I was just trying to impress you guys. I sat on a pull-out couch in my sweatpants, ate Ben and Jerry's H.B.C. and re-watched the series boxset of The Wire....Entourage?...Okay fine, it was Gossip Girl. A man can dream though right? Especially when that man sleeps 16 hours a day.
To those that have asked, no replies yet, one thing that was strange though was: the other day some guy in a purple hoodie drove by in a Volkswagon GTI and egged me, and then he yelled "I'm CEO bitch!" probably unrelated though.
Anyway here some sweet submissions.
Grant Bruckner sent is this sassy picture of Slütsof talking to someone named Mr. Fuckerberg? Who ever he is, he seems to be asking some peculiar questions about Whoresof.
Jeroen a video game artist sent in this concept art. I think we need to make a video game. Who's in?
Þorri Líndal Guðnason writes "Sometimes Slütsof doesn't have a care in the world (of Stagram)" You couldn't be more correct Porri, It's monday today and I can honestly say, I don't give a duck either.
Julia Sukan Writes: " It is a bird's eye view picture of Slütsof doing her daily patrol of Stagram. You can see the Northern part of the island of Stagram. There is Speckbeard's pirate cove, Unicornington Upon Slütswhöres town, the fisherman's village, the Quackington arms Brewery and Lodge which is where Slütsof lives, Whöresof Castle, the elephant range, the witches hut and magic frog lake and the much respected statue of the late King Slütswhöres all surrounding the Stagram river." --Things missing in this detailed map, Duck University, Dragon fruit Orchard and Whoresof's favorite pub, The Hoof and Feather.
Cold Pizza: "Here Slutsof is shown making it rain. In the wise words of Juicy J, bandz a make her dance." --Oh no Slütsöf you have better options!
Cameron Nunya writes: "Slutsof has shared a picture of her on the very popular social media picture sharing site" --Wow Slütsöf in another video game! 69,420 votes holy moly, I don't know about her username though, what an odd number to choose.
Murc writes: "Found an old banner in my grandma's attic a while ago. There is also a faded motto written on the reverse side - "Credo in interiori anatis, semper fidelis, semper Stagram" I don't speak Stagramese" --My Stagramese is a bit rusty too, but I think it means "Always Faithful and Always Loyal, All Hail Princess Slutsof!"
--Wow we made it all the way to Iceland, thanks Anna. I'm not sure that's the safe way to hold a sword though. Unless it's like an Iceland thing or something, hitting some one with the handle would probably hurt too I guess.
Due to it's popularity Ikea has started to sell Unauthorized Slütsöf plushes. I think I might have to send them a cease a desist letter. Thanks for the heads up Edward Green.
I have no idea what's happening in this picture submitted by Richard Wigley the accompanying email did not clear anything up.
Cold Pizza writes "Slutsof is shown here being carried away by Whöresof to celebrate their reunion. A night of festivities awaits them." --Oh dear, I don't want to know what Whöresof has planned.
Here's a picture of the cyclops celebrating the 2014 soccer World Cup in his cave, apparently he's a Germany fan and breathes fire. Thanks Class Grim.
This is Whöresof showing off his laser hoof and dinosaur shoulder pad? Cool piercings, what a funky goat.
Cold Pizza writes "Slütsöf is shown here taking a picture of [herself] with [her] legs wide open." No Slütsöf you don't have to do that. What would your brother think!
Toopy Goo writes "I made some concept art, of a potential pokemon crossover? I have included a rare sketch of Slütsöf throwing a pokeball at a voltorb."
Alexandra Aton writes "So today I was in the mood of making something kitchy, like a collage of kids drawings. Big fan, btw! " ---Looking good Slütsöf she must be in the rolling hills just west of Ghost Forrest.
Ian Warde writes "We have enclosed an image of Princess Slutsof taking a'selfie' infront of her castle. This has been super-duper imposed on a pink glittery background" --Wow look at Slütsöf she's so technical, she's putting her picture up on the internet using some kind of video game.
Cameron Nunya writes "I worked tirelessly for at least 27 minutes to conceptualize and produce this spin-off movie sequel." --What a coincidence 27 minutes is the running time of Showgirls when they play it on TBS. Cool poster, some one get Paul Verhoeven's agent on the line.
Felix Summ writes "I made a picture of Whöresof and Slütsöf going on an adventure to find Slütsöf's stolen treasure." --Ring. Ring. Hello tattoo artist? Put this on my butt cheek pronto. Anna Zuchowicz writes "Best wishes from Iceland"
Rowan Watt: "Here is |
season in the Big Ten Hockey Conference.
Schedule of Events - Friday, Oct. 5
Greenberg Ice PavilionMonchi: ’It’s Totti’s final year’
By Football Italia staff
Monchi confirms that Francesco Totti will retire at the end of the season - “then he’ll start as a director”.
The 40-year-old is out of contract at the end of the season, meaning his final game will be on Sunday May 28 against Genoa at Stadio Olimpico.
“In terms of Totti, I already knew that there was an agreement with the club that this would be his final year as a player, then he’d start as a director,” Monchi announced in his presentation today.
“Francesco is Roma, I want to be as close to him as possible. I’d love to learn even one per cent of the huge amount that he knows.”
Daniele De Rossi is also out of contract at the end of the season, but Monchi is confident the Giallorossi's other stalwart will remain.
"The desires and the interests of the two parties are reciprocal, we want to continue together and we'd have to be particularly clumsy to not find an agreement.
"He's a fantastic lad and we'll try to achieve this objective."
Atalanta's Franck Kessié has been heavily linked with the Lupi, could he sign this summer?
"I want to sign players who are good and who are hungry to win," Monchi replied.
"Age doesn't matter. Kessié is a great player who we're following and who I already knew about.
"It's a possibility, there's not much more to say."Austrian Interior Minister Johanna Mikl-Leitner addresses a news conference in Vienna August 22, 2014. REUTERS/Heinz-Peter Bader
VIENNA (Reuters) - Austria has stopped processing asylum requests in an effort to pressure other European Union member states to do more to help absorb waves of refugees pouring into the continent, the country’s interior minister was quoted on Saturday as saying.
Vienna needs to “stop the Austrian asylum express” and become less attractive to refugees relative to its EU peers, Johanna Mikl-Leitner told Die Presse newspaper, renewing her demand for other countries to adopt fixed quotas for taking in asylum seekers.
“So far there have been only isolated declarations of intent that do not bring us further,” she said ahead of a planned meeting of interior ministers from the 28-nation EU on Tuesday.
Last month the European Commission proposed to ease pressure on Italy and Greece, which are struggling to deal with thousands of immigrants crossing the Mediterranean in flimsy boats from Libya, through an emergency scheme to redistribute 40,000 Syrian and Eritrean asylum-seekers throughout the EU.
But France and Germany, two of the EU’s largest states which under the plan would together take nearly 40 percent of the migrants, have raised concerns about the Commission proposals. Britain, which has an exemption in EU matters on immigration, has said it will not participate in the scheme.
Asylum requests for Austria rose nearly 160 percent in the first four months of the year to 14,225, government data show.
Mikl-Leitner said Austria, which has resorted to housing hundreds of refugees in tents, was fastest among EU member states in handling asylum requests and thus allowing refugees’ families to join them.
The paper said Austria ruled on asylum requests within four months on average, while nearly half of requests in the EU took at least six months.
Austrian opposition parties and refugee support groups criticized Mikl-Leitner’s decision to stop processing the asylum requests as irresponsible.The single most attractive feature in a person is passion.
You will always feel an attraction to somebody who knows what they believe in and why they believe in it. Too many people claim to believe in something yet when asked to defend their stance, when asked why they have no answer. Because they were raised to believe it, because they think they believe it, because they want to believe it.
Weak.
There are a lot of things that are being lost in our culture. Things we no longer teach or accept. Passion is slowly drifting further and further away from being a primary emotion of human nature. It is becoming a concept, an abstract. Something that people hear and imagine yet never feel. Passion is being framed as a thing of luxury that the rich and lucky get to feel. Us blue collar folk don’t get to be passionate, we have to have grit! I’m here to tell you that a life lived without passion is a life not lived. There are few things that separate us from the monkeys. We, as humans, have the ability to reason and believe. We are capable of complex emotions and metaphysical thought. Our ability to communicate transcends words and pictures and breaches the realm of pure energy. A complex sensation that no animal other than our own kind can experience is passion.
Passion is not a luxury. It is a requirement.
So what the f*ck are you passionate about!?
The odds are that you don’t know. Not yet, at least. Unfortunately the statistics show that your parents more than likely lived a life in which they pursued a career they were not passionate about. And if your parents, who serve as your primary role models for many years don’t know what it means to be passionate then they will be incapable of instilling that passion in you. I was lucky enough to have two wonderful parents who always encouraged me to follow my passions. They also pushed me towards action when I was being a wishy washy turd, because they knew how cultivating passion worked. They knew I had to experience it on my own, but it was not a passive process. For that, I thank them. I found what I was not passionate about first in order to be open to what I was.
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It doesn’t have to be a career where you experience your passion, that is just the ideal situation. But remember, you are the things that you do and think. If a person spends 8 hours a day doing something they aren’t passionate about it is highly likely that all passion within that person will start to fade. This is why every successful entrepreneur will tell you that step one is to be passionate about what you do. If you are able to do that then you don’t need a 9 to 5 because you won’t want to limit yourself to 8 hours.
If you find yourself to be lucky enough to know your passion then hold onto it. If you know your passion and you made a career of it then you should wake up every day overflowing with gratitude. You made that life happen through hard work and loyalty to yourself; it was obviously not a thing of luck. But you are lucky to have had that opportunity for such hard work. Most people go their whole lives without experiencing true soul rattling passion.
For that you are lucky. As am I.
So what does passion feel like?
Passion is not going to the gym for an hour every day. Passion is not being super into a new hobby. Passion should not be confused with enjoyment.
True passion is an earth shattering, stomach turning desire to continue on a path despite all logic or reason. Passion is a gravitational pull towards a higher calling, something bigger than yourself. Passion does not tell you what to do, it shows you an end goal. An ideal life that you know and feel with every cell in your body. That this is the life you want and need to live. Passion is energy.
It is both knowing and feeling. It is mind, body, and soul rooted behind one cause. Passion goes nowhere, it is unshakeable.
If you have experienced this then you will know it. You cannot mistake the feeling for anything else.
How do I find my passion?
Since passion is enduring; it will always be there. Here’s how you find out if what you think you are passionate about is what you are truly passionate about.
1. Pick something
Passion = action. It will not find you, you must find it. I believe you can feel this passion towards a many actions if those actions are all taking you to the same destination. It’s the progress towards an end goal that drives you. You can be passionate about picking up trash on the side of the road if it is pushing you towards being the person you want to be. So think about who, where, and what you want your life to be then pick a route and get moving. Right now. Actually, yesterday would have been better.
2. Live balls first
Once you pick something you have to go for it. No half-assed effort. Do the thing you chose, 24/7 non-stop obsessive compulsively for as long as it takes. Eat, breathe, and sleep it. Read the books, do the homework, spend the time. Pure unhealthy obsession. If after 6 months you still feel this deep drive to continue, despite minimal return, you have experienced the first inkling of passion’s draw. If you find yourself wanting to veer, go easy on yourself, take a day off, take a vacation because you've earned it; this is not the path for you. You must be able to absorb this thing into your very fabric of existence and still want more. Crave more. Anything less and you need to change course.
Living balls first is an expression that means you are going to dive into whatever is in front of you with your valuables exposed. Nothing held back. No 10% effort expecting 100% return bullshit. Balls first means that if you start something and stop short then you are losing your gnads. If you would like to keep those then you better go for it or stay home.
3. Stay the course
Passion means you aren’t afraid of trials. You don’t need to have recognition to continue doing what you are doing. You would continue to live your life if you were the only person on earth and you had to hand crank a generator for an hour in order to get 10 minutes of work time. If you find something you would sacrifice your arm and leg for then why would you stop doing it after a year, two, or twenty? Who cares if other people recognize it or you. Other people aren’t passionate. Why do you need their stamp of approval? Stay the course.
4. If you can, monetize.
You may be passionate, but you still need to make a living and provide for others. Until you can make your passion a career you need to be passionate and grind in the other 18 hours of the day. Give up 8 so that you may live a life that doesn’t put unnecessary strain on your family and yourself.
But listen to me. The MOMENT. The freakin’ INSTANT you see an opportunity, drop that regular people job stuff and go for it. Even if it means you have to give up your standard of living and operate out of a cardboard box for a year, go after the opportunity. Follow potential; not guaranteed return. Despite how ass backwards that is.
Work the moonlight to create the potential for an opportunity to capitalize on your passion and chase that opportunity down like it’s dinner. Because it is.
5. Help others find theirs
Because we are all one. We are here together and it is your duty. A selfish passion isn’t true.
TShutterstock
Cities trying to boost ridership have a few options, but lots of room for improvement.
Somewhere in a major American city, every Saturday night, a woman tells her friends that she's about to leave a party. Alone. Whether she's going to take the subway, or head to the bus stop, or simply walk, if it's after midnight a fellow partygoer will almost always pull out a phone and say, "No, no. Let me call you a cab." Her friends are genuinely concerned for her safety, and often that concern is warranted. But it's also a sign that certain classes of city dwellers — the ones who can afford iPhones and the occasional cab ride — simply accept that public spaces, especially at night, are places where women can't expect to feel safe. I've watched this "call a cab" interaction dozens of times, and never thought of it in terms of broader trends in public transit ridership. Ridership on U.S. public transportation has reached its highest levels (in raw numbers, at least) since the mid-1950s. There's a complex set of explanations for this resurgence, but a big part of it boils down to money. When the cost of driving gets too high, or when gas prices get too unpredictable, more people take the train or the bus.
And so most American transit riders tend to be lower-income. They also tend to be women, who of course work in lower-paid jobs. American women of all ethnicities accounted for a greater share of transit trips than men in 1997 (below); far more recent commuting figures show a similar breakdown, with 114 women taking transit to work for every 100 men. In many cases, these are the women who take public transit because it's the only financially viable option. "Women overall are more dependent on transit than men, for low-income households in particular," says Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris, an urban planning professor at UCLA. "If there is one car, it's most often the man who drives the car." City dwellers simply accept that public spaces are places where women can't expect to feel safe. Women who aren't bound to the bus by economic necessity cite reliability and convenience as reasons they choose to stick with their cars. That's more or less what men say. But women, regardless of income, tend to have an additional factor: safety. In a 2007 survey, 63 percent of New York City subway riders said they'd been harassed on a train, and 10 percent reported having been assaulted. It seems safe to assume that most of those riders were women. Among those who merely witnessed harassment or assault on public transit, 93 percent reported that the victim was female. It's no wonder there's a gender gap when it comes to transit riders' concerns. But there's also a gender-class gap, between the women who can simply refuse to ride because of those concerns and those who have to get on the bus anyway. "Women tend to be more fearful in public environments like the bus stop than when they're on the bus or on the train," says Loukaitou-Sideris. This makes sense: on the bus there are often other travelers, but at the bus stop you might be alone. Even then there are exceptions; late at night, a woman might find herself on the train with only one other passenger she doesn't trust, just the two of them in an enclosed space.
This is all too familiar. I can picture the many uncomfortable subway rides I've had in my life. I'm just as nervous being stuck in a subway car with only one or two other people than I am in a packed subway car where there's the threat of being anonymously groped. The city I call home, Los Angeles, has ample buses and trains. I take them at peak times, when they're likely to be more crowded. But late at night, they tend to be pretty empty. If I know I'm going to be out late, I almost always opt to drive myself or take a cab. Cities are changing fast. Keep up with the CityLab Daily newsletter. The best way to follow issues you care about. Subscribe Loading... These concerns often don't show up in surveys of transit riders. The bus or the subway is "this unique public space," says Camille Fink, a senior editor at the American Planning Association who compiled a visual ethnographic report on L.A. buses. "Census data doesn't tell us how women are experiencing those spaces. For women there are issues of safety and personal space. It's hard then to make a connection between how it affects the travel decisions they're making." But there is definitely a connection, says Loukaitou-Sideris. "A number of [women] perceive the private automobile as the safest mode of transportation, so they will save money to try to buy an automobile," she says, "or restrict their activity to certain times of day to not have to take public transit at night." Series The Future of Transportation Go As cities try to figure out how to boost transit ridership, and unpredictable gas prices force people to reconsider their commute, the threat of harassment and assault has been granted surprisingly little airtime. But short of solving the widespread societal problems of harassment and sexism — a tall order for even the most committed activist — there are piecemeal solutions cities can undertake to convey to women that they care about their safety on public transportation. Several cities have actively discouraged harassment on buses and trains with campaigns that send the message such behavior isn't tolerated. In 2008, transit authorities in Boston created a series of PSAs targeting would-be subway gropers. "Rub against me and I'll expose you," the ads read. They were later adopted by transit officials in Chicago, New York, and Washington, D.C. In all of these cities, the PSAs were rolled out along with easier ways for women to report harassment and assault. Many of the ads encouraged women to take a photo of the perpetrator with their cellphone camera and submit it to authorities. In the first year, there was a huge spike in harassment reporting in Boston. The number of groping complaints increased by nearly 74 percent and the number of arrests for indecent assault and battery went up 85 percent.
In a boon to transit riders of all genders, cities could also commit to providing reliable information on when the next train or bus is arriving. No one likes to wait around for the bus in the cold, or sweat it out on a subway platform in the heat of summer. But for women, such waits are uncomfortable for other reasons, too. "Women very much would like to have real-time info for buses," Loukaitou-Sideris says. "The city of Portland has that, where you go to the bus stop and you can see when the next bus is arriving." She sees apps like Next Bus as a good start, but notes that city transit authorities have to cooperate fully in order for them to really work. One of the most publicized solutions to women's concerns about public transit has been the creation of gender-segregated subway cars in countries like Japan, Mexico, and India. But there isn't much evidence to suggest these women-only cars have addressed the big-picture concerns women have with public transit. After all, buses and train cars are confined public spaces that reflect the problems women have elsewhere in society. "Overall, I did not find public transit as a more dangerous setting than walking on the street or in other parts of the city," says Loukaitou-Sideris. While that may be good news to transit officials, it probably won't provide much comfort to women, who are going to continue to either call a cab or muster their courage and head to the bus stop. This article is part of 'The Future of Transportation,' a CityLab series made possible with support from The Rockefeller Foundation. Top image: Aron Brand/Shutterstock.comIf you missed the KTLA link from The Times' home page, here's the story: While some cities in Southern California are calling for mandatory water conservation, officials in Orange are taking a family to court because their drought-tolerant lawn alternative is not up to code.
In what sounds eerily similar to the “yard cop” stories Steve Lopez has reported in the past, Quan and Angelina Ha have been going back and forth with the city for more than a year about their lack of lawn. Prompted by one neighbor’s anonymous complaint, the Has were cited for not having 40% of their yard landscaped, per city law.
The couple were contacted after they tore out their lawn and left the yard bare. They have since planted drought-tolerant landscaping, including some lavender, rosemary and native wildflower seeds, which they say are germinating under wood chips. You can see the current landscape on KTLA video here.
The Has have been summoned to court on Tuesday. The maximum penalty: six months in jail and a $1,000 fine.
March 2: For a court update, click here.
-- Lisa Boone
Photo credit: Angelina Ha
Become a fan: We've set up a page dedicated to gardening at facebook.com/latimesgarden.by Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy Director
Prohibitionists often claim that legalizing and regulating marijuana will increase youth access to the plant. But newly released federal data says just the opposite.
Fewer young people are reporting that marijuana is ‘easy’ to obtain, according to an analysis released this week by the US Centers for Disease Control.
Investigators from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and the CDC evaluated annual data compiled by the National Survey on Drug Use and Health for the years 2002 to 2014. Researchers reported that the percentage of respondents aged 12 to 17 years who perceived marijuana to be “fairly easy or very easy to obtain” fell by 13 percent during this time period. Among those ages 18 to 25, marijuana’s perceived availability decreased by three percent.
Researchers further reported that “since 2002, the prevalence of marijuana use and initiation among U.S. youth has declined” – a finding that is consistent with numerous prior studies.
By contrast, authors reported an uptick in use among adults. However, they acknowledged that this increase in adult marijuana consumption has not been associated with a parallel increase in problematic use. There has been “steady decreases in the prevalence of marijuana dependence and abuse among adult marijuana users since 2002,” the study found. Those adults experiencing the greatest percentage increase in marijuana use during the study period were respondents over the age of 55.
A separate analysis of the data published in the journal Lancet Psychiatry similarly acknowledged no observed increase in marijuana use disorders. A previous assessment of marijuana use patterns since 2002, published earlier this year in JAMA Psychiatry, also reported a decline in the percentage of adults reporting problems related to their marijuana use.
Full text of the CDC study, “National estimates of marijuana use and related indicators – National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 2002-2014,” appears online here.Hail the size of golf balls that coated parts of North Texas broke windows, damaged police vehicles and killed exotic birds at a zoo. (Published Thursday, March 17, 2016)
Hail the size of golf balls that coated parts of North Texas broke windows, damaged police vehicles and killed exotic birds at a zoo.
The Fort Worth Zoo delayed opening by an hour and a half Thursday following the early-morning storm that left eight birds dead.
Developing Judge Issues Arrest Warrant for Dallas City Councilman
Zoo spokeswoman Alexis Wilson said the hail killed five flamingos, a pelican, an ibis and a swan chick. All the birds that died were outside, in their normal habitat.
"7,000 animals in the park, but we're attached to every single one of them," Wilson said sadly. "So, a hard day for us."
Several other flamingos and ducks were treated for injuries.
The hailstorm during one of the busiest times at the Fort Worth Zoo — Spring Break — also broke skylights and other windows at the complex.
Hail Storm Photos: March 17, 2016
"It did look lilke snow," remarked Wilson. "It looked like the dead of winter and you would never know it now."
Several Arlington Police Department patrol cars had windows busted during the hailstorm that knocked out electricity to thousands of Dallas-area residents.
NBC 5's Noelle Walker contributed to this report.
Copyright Associated Press / NBC 5 Dallas-Fort WorthHe put a ring on it! Nashville actress Clare Bowen got engaged to her singer-songwriter boyfriend, Brandon Robert Young, this past weekend on Saturday, Dec. 5.
Bowen, who plays Scarlett O'Connor on the ABC country music drama, hinted via Twitter that something special had happened during her performance at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville on Saturday, Dec. 6.
"Unforgettable," the star, 31, tweeted, alongside a heart emoji. The news was then revealed by local outlet Sounds Like Nashville, which Bowen retweeted. "Thankyou!" she wrote, decorating her words with heart and star emojis.
Celebrity Weddings 2015
Bowen recently made headlines when she chopped off her long locks last month and debuted a pixie cut -- with one incredible message. In an emotional revelation on Facebook, the star shared with her followers last month that when she was 4 years old, she was diagnosed with "end stage nephroblastoma," a form of pediatric cancer that nearly killed her.
She decided to share her story to inspire a young girl suffering from the disease. "I heard a story about a little girl who said she couldn't be a princess because she didn't have long hair," Bowen wrote on Facebook. "I wanted her, and others like her to know that's not what makes a princess, or a warrior, or a superhero,” Bowen explained of her new ‘do. “It's not what makes you beautiful either. It's your insides that count…even if you happen to be missing half of them."
Celebs With Pixie Cuts
The actress said that she had the full support of Nashville creator, Callie Khouri, and the network for allowing her to swap her look for her character. "If it makes even one person think twice about judging another, then in some small way, the world is better," she wrote.If this weekend’s box office is any indication, the couch jumping stigma that has plagued Tom Cruise’s career for the better part of the last decade may finally be thing of the past.
Cruise’s latest, the $120 million sci-fi adventure Oblivion, opened to a solid $38.2 million this weekend. That’s a terrific start for the chiseled star, who has struggled recently at the box office with under-performers like Jack Reacher, Rock of Ages, Valkyrie, and Knight and Day. In fact, only four Cruise vehicles have ever opened higher — and three of them are Mission Impossible movies. (The other is War of the Worlds). Oblivion actually marks the first number one opening for Cruise in seven years, though it should be noted that Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol opened in limited release and climbed to number one upon its wide expansion.
Cruise isn’t the only star in Oblivion — it also features Morgan Freeman, Andrea Riseborough, and Olga Kurlyenko — but it was marketed almost exclusively on his appeal. According to distributor Universal, audiences, which were 57 percent male and 74 percent 25 or older, listed Tom Cruise as their primary reason for seeing the film, followed by the sci-fi genre and Morgan Freeman. Those same audiences weren’t in love with what they saw, though, as Oblivion was issued a lackluster “B-” CinemaScore grade.
Domestically, Oblivion opened in 3,783 theaters and earned a fantastic $10,085 location average. IMAX screens accounted for $5.5 million of Oblivion‘s weekend gross. Internationally, the film had a successful weekend, as well. After its $61.1 million opening from 52 territories, Oblivion took in another $33.6 million from 60 territories this time around. The film has grossed $112 million so far (for a $150.2 million worldwide total), and it has high-profile openings in Japan and China still to come.
In second, the Jackie Robinson drama 42 fell only 34 percent to $18 million for a $54.1 million total after ten days. Warner Bros.’ $40 million baseball pic, which earned an “A+” CinemaScore grade, didn’t hold quite as well as The Help, another “A+” racially charged drama, which dipped 23 percent in its second weekend. Thus, while 42 still seems likely to hit the $100 million mark, it doesn’t seem destined for a gross in the same range as The Help‘s $169 million total. Still, 42 is a big winner for Warner Bros., which was in dire need of a box office hit.
The Croods spent the weekend in third place, dropping 28 percent to $9.5 million. After five weeks, the $135 million animation has grossed $154.9 million, a great start in the five-year distribution deal between DreamWorks Animation and Fox.
In fourth, Scary Movie 5 didn’t hold nearly as well. The $20 million spoof from Weinstein’s Dimension fell 56 percent to $6.3 million, giving it a weak $22.9 million total after ten days. At the same point in its run, Scary Movie 4 had earned $67.5 million.
G.I. Joe: Retaliation rounded out the Top 5 with $5.8 million, marking a 48 percent drop from its prior frame. Paramount’s $130 million film has now earned $111.2 million domestically, a substantially lower gross than its predecessor, but it’s been making up ground overseas, where the film has earned $211.7 million. Retaliation opened in China this week, where it took in $33 million during its first seven days. Worldwide, Retaliation has earned $322.9 million and should pass the $400 million mark with ease.
1. Oblivion – $38.2 million
2. 42 – $18 million
3. The Croods – $9.5 million
4. Scary Movie 5 – $6.3 million
5. G.I. Joe: Retaliation – $5.8 million
The Place Beyond the Pines just missed the Top 5 after expanding from 514 theaters into 1,542 theaters. Pines grossed $4.8 million, yielding a mediocre $3,078 per theater average, which doesn’t merit further expansion. The Focus Features release cost $15 million and has earned $11.4 million total.
Two other quick highlights: Sony’s $13 million Halle Berry thriller The Call passed the $50 million mark this weekend. It’s been a nice mid-level hit for distributor TriStar. Olympus Has Fallen has also been doing terrific business for its distributor, FilmDistrict. After five weekends, the White House thriller has quietly earned $88.8 million.
For more box office coverage, follow me on Twitter: Follow @gradywsmith
Read more:
Oblivion: EW Review
The Place Beyond the Pines: EW Review
42: EW Review
The Croods: EW Review
G.I. Joe: Retaliation: EW ReviewA senior Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps Commander (IRGC) stated Wednesday that Iran will not stop building up its military until Israel is annihilated.
The United States and Israel “should know that the Islamic Revolution will continue enhancing its preparedness until it overthrows Israel and liberates Palestine,” Iranian Brigadier General Mohsen Kazzemeini said Wednesday, while leading military drills in Tehran, according to Iran’s state-run Fars News.
“And we will continue defending not just our own country, but also all the oppressed people of the world, specifically those countries that are standing on the forefront of confrontation with the Zionists,” he added, likely referring to Iran’s consistent support of terrorist groups Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Assad regime in Syria.
He said that the only way to deal with Israel “is full annihilation and destruction of the Zionist regime.” Kazzemeini encouraged Palestinians to continue the “armed struggle against Tel Aviv,” according to the Fars News readout.
Kazzemeini spoke in the midst of military drills that involved some 250,000 personnel, the report stated.
The General’s comments came on the same day that members of Iran’s Basij militia took to the former U.S. embassy in Tehran and proceeded to set fire to the flags of the United States, Britain, and Israel. The militia members were at the embassy to celebrate the unveiling of a plaque on the former U.S. embassy fence that displayed 100 derogatory terms to describe the U.S., according to an AFP report.
The Fars News report also recounted the recent statements of Iran’s theocratic leader, Ali Khamenei, who told a crowd in Tehran last year, “The armed resistance by the Palestinians is the only way to confront Israel,” according to the report. Khamenei’s statement follows a mid-August call for the Islamic world to “combat the plans” of the West “with jihad for the sake of Allah.”
Separately, on Wednesday, the Iranian nuclear deal reached the number of commitments in Congress needed for President Obama to veto a motion of disapproval without having to worry about the possibility of it being overturned, with Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) stating that she would vote to approve the nuclear deal.You can now easily share facts from the Wikipedia Android app. Watch this video for a quick preview. You can also watch it on YouTube or Vimeo. Video by Victor Grigas, freely licensed under CC-BY-SA-3.0.
Have you ever won an argument by finding a fact on Wikipedia? Or maybe you love sharing Wikipedia articles with your friends and family?
If that sounds like you, there’s a new feature on the Wikipedia Android app you might enjoy! Now, you can easily and quickly create Wikipedia fact cards — images overlaid with whatever text you choose from an article — that can be shared with anyone via social media (Facebook, Twitter, Google+, etc.), email, or text message.
Anyone can generate and share fact cards from the official Wikipedia Android app developed by the Wikimedia Foundation. Simply choose your favorite article, select some text, and then click the “Share as image” option. The app will pull the main image from the article and apply selected text on top. This card can then be shared with your friends, family, and the world on your communication channel of choice. You can also choose a text-only option if you prefer.
Quick guide
Step one: Choose and highlight text.
Strasbourg Wikipedia article with highlighted text to be shared.
Image by Dan Garry, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo by Jonathan Martz, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Step two: Click share.
Share options for card creation.
Image by Dan Garry, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo by Jonathan Martz, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Step three: And the card is created!
This is just one of many other existing features available on the Android app.
Other recently added features include:
• Read more feature at the end each article, to encourage further exploration
• Lead image at the top of each article, to engage readers in the topic
• Image gallery that lets you swipe left or right through all of an article’s images
• Nearby articles that suggest content related to your location
• Saved pages that allows you to read articles while offline
What do you think of this new feature? Let us know in the comments here — or share your own Wikipedia fact cards with us on Facebook or Twitter.
Dan Garry, Product Manager, Wikimedia FoundationBeing a jerk is not a crime. That's a lucky break for many of us, but it wasn't enough to keep Nate Cox out of hot water. On a fine spring day in April, Cox was driving down the street in Richmond, Virginia when he spied a member of the VCU campus Police Department nearby. Cox grabbed a bullhorn and shouted, "Stop harassing people, we pay your paychecks!" (Why did he have a bullhorn? That's an interesting question, but orthogonal to the issues here.)
Officer S.W. Kelley—the target of the taunt—jumped in his car, gave chase and pulled Cox over. When Cox asked why, Kelley told him, "You looked like you were a little distracted when you were driving." Kelley wrote up a charge of obstructing justice -- which is an odd thing to write someone up for if you're concerned that he's not keeping his eyes on the road. Cox asked how he had obstructed justice. Kelley replied that Cox "distracted me from doing my job."
Cox demanded to speak with Kelley's supervisor. When the supervisor arrived, he and Cox had a frank exchange of views, and Kelley issued a new citation, for disorderly conduct. The supervisor told Cox that yelling at Kelley through a bullhorn was disorderly conduct. Cox, who also had a camera with him, posted a video of the incident online. You can find it at www.youtube.com/watch?v=8y85wzcIYYg—or just Google "the state vs. Nate Cox."
If you watch the clip, you might come away with the impression that Cox acted like an obnoxious punk. How? He said something that wasn't nice to a policeman, and he said it loudly. And as Kelley testified, "his attitude and the way he went about carrying himself" were on the sassy side—though there's no law requiring citizens to display cringing submission in the presence of a policeman, either.
Now, none of us is a mind reader. But it seems fair to wonder whether Kelley would have written Cox up if Cox had bellowed something more flattering to the ego, such as: "Thanks for keeping our streets safe, Officer!"
If the answer is no, then it looks as though Cox received a fine and a suspended jail sentence simply for expressing an opinion the government doesn't like. They do that sort of thing—in places like Cuba and North Korea. We're not supposed to do it in America.
But suppose the answer is yes. Suppose Cox had been given a summons for distracting Officer Kelley with high-decibel flattery. Does yelling at a cop as you're driving by meet the standard for disorderly conduct?
Not hardly. Virginia law specifies that disorderly conduct "shall not be deemed to include the utterance or display of any words." Further, it must have "a direct tendency to cause acts of violence by the person … at whom … such conduct was directed." And there is a whole string of cases in which the courts have found that people who said things much worse to police officers than Cox did had a First Amendment right to do so. In one, Ford v. City of Newport News, the accused "was so loud and boisterous that apartment dwellers in a nearby building came out on their porch and asked if the officers needed help." Yet the court found no basis for a disorderly-conduct charge.
Then there is City of Houston v. Hill, in which Raymond Wayne Hill started yelling at two Houston cops during an incident in 1982. "Why don't you pick on someone your own size?" he hollered. One of the officers asked, "[A]re you interrupting me in my official capacity as a Houston police officer?" Hill shot back, "Yes, why don't you pick on somebody my size?" The officers took him up on the suggestion and arrested Hill for violating a city ordinance prohibiting "intentionally interrupt[ing] a city policeman … by verbal challenge during an investigation."
This, the Supreme Court said, was wrong: "The freedom of individuals verbally to oppose or challenge police action without thereby risking arrest is one of the principal characteristics by which we distinguish a free nation from a police state," the court ruled. (By poetic coincidence, one of the officers in the Hill case was named Kelley.) Time and again, the courts also have |
account on this page, and find links to our communities where you can find support for the game, and reports on server status.
Note that our installer downloads the original TSO files from EA’s official servers. These files are required to make FreeSO behave like TSO, and are not unofficially distributed.
http://largedownloads.ea.com/pub/misc/tso/
Fair use policy
On its own, the FreeSO client does not display any copyrighted material, and is not distributed with it. The game files are provided by the user, and the client simply reads the files the user provides. In this sense, our replacement client is essentially a glorified The Sims Online™ file reader, as all original graphics, sounds, UI layouts and game objects are simply read and simulated by the client. The same goes for all our other tools and extensions for The Sims franchise games.
The game server transmits metadata generated from the execution of these scripts (avatar money values, lot/object state, avatar appearances, hash of game files for version identification) but does not transmit any copyrighted material.
We will not accept any code or content that violates the policy above in our repo.The companies said they do, however, comply with individual court orders, including under FISA. The negotiations, and the technical systems for sharing data with the government, fit in that category because they involve access to data under individual FISA requests. And in some cases, the data is transmitted to the government electronically, using a company’s servers.
“The U.S. government does not have direct access or a ‘back door’ to the information stored in our data centers,” Google’s chief executive, Larry Page, and its chief legal officer, David Drummond, said in a statement on Friday. “We provide user data to governments only in accordance with the law.”
Statements from Microsoft, Yahoo, Facebook, Apple, AOL and Paltalk made the same distinction.
But instead of adding a back door to their servers, the companies were essentially asked to erect a locked mailbox and give the government the key, people briefed on the negotiations said. Facebook, for instance, built such a system for requesting and sharing the information, they said.
The data shared in these ways, the people said, is shared after company lawyers have reviewed the FISA request according to company practice. It is not sent automatically or in bulk, and the government does not have full access to company servers. Instead, they said, it is a more secure and efficient way to hand over the data.
Tech companies might have also denied knowledge of the full scope of cooperation with national security officials because employees whose job it is to comply with FISA requests are not allowed to discuss the details even with others at the company, and in some cases have national security clearance, according to both a former senior government official and a lawyer representing a technology company.
FISA orders can range from inquiries about specific people to a broad sweep for intelligence, like logs of certain search terms, lawyers who work with the orders said. There were 1,856 such requests last year, an increase of 6 percent from the year before.
In one recent instance, the National Security Agency sent an agent to a tech company’s headquarters to monitor a suspect in a cyberattack, a lawyer representing the company said. The agent installed government-developed software on the company’s server and remained at the site for several weeks to download data to an agency laptop.Before bar codes, before StubHub, before we printed tickets out at home and were forced into joylessly scanning them ourselves upon entering a stadium, we had tickets. Real tickets. Pasteboards, ducats, rain checks.
And these tickets were, more often than not, chock full of copious and wonderful details, customized letterforms, and all sorts of archaic references that are seemingly frozen in time. How about background patterns? Like banknotes, these were included in order to fend off potential counterfeiters in the days before photocopiers, much less scanners.
Oversized, beautifully designed World Series tickets still exist today. I have the ticket stubs to the more than 30 World Series games that I have attended, dating back to 1977, and some of the more recent examples are some of the best, colorful and stunning pieces of art. But I get the feeling that the days of actual World Series are numbered, not only because of changing technology but also because of our own wants, needs, and desires for convenience and portability.
Consider this. On October 30, 2013, I was at Fenway Park in Boston, where I saw the Red Sox win the World Series at home for the first time in 95 years. Exiting the ballpark into a raucous sea of celebration, I spotted a piece of paper on the ground. It was an electronically-generated ticket to the game, a souvenir of a historic moment, trampled under foot, sadly discarded. Or not so sadly discarded, because it was an ugly mess, at best. QR code. Bar code. Six or seven dense paragraphs of five point type, informing the bearer that the paper in question is a revocable license, and that the user accepts the risk of injury. See where I am going here? Function sweeps form in four games, Series over.
The earliest World Series tickets were no better than the sad piece of barcoded paper that I have just described, utilitarian in nature, devoid of visual specificity or charm. Things began to change in the late 20s. By the mid to late 40s they really hit their stride. Each participating team was responsible for their own designs until 1974, when MLB took over with a standardized design for both American and National League champions.
Here are some pieces of Octobers past, all much more enjoyable to look at than a QR code.
1940 Cincinnati RedsAn Oklahoma teenager has confessed to raping and molesting HIV-positive orphans while volunteering on a humanitarian mission trip to Kenya.
According to court records, 19-year-old Matthew Durham confessed to raping several young girls, and forcing some boys to perform oral sex on him while making other kids watch.
Durham was a volunteer with the Upendo Children’s Home, run by a Christian Charity, in Nairobi, Kenya’s capital. He volunteered at the orphanage four times over the last two years, and on his last trip between April 30 and June 17, 2014, feds say he requested to stay at the orphanage with the children in a “overflow bunk” instead of offsite accommodations.
“The victims are believed to be both boys and girls between the ages of four and nine, at least one of whom is HIV positive.” Prosecutors say while the alleged sex crimes were committed overseas, Durham can be held accountable for the crimes in Oklahoma. Durham is being held without bond.
Heavy.com adds:
Speaking to The Oklahoman, Durham’s lawyer, Stephen Jones said his client was the victim of “some sort of pseudo-tribal psychological voodoo practiced on him.” The attorney went into to detail, saying that Durham was subject to “false imprisonment” and was delayed from leaving the country. He added “I don’t think Hollywood could make up what happened at this so-called orphanage.” Jones said that he is investigated the area around where Durham was staying, saying “It’s like some cult over there.”
…
Durham was arrested at his family’s home in Oklahoma and was held without bond after facing a judge on July 18. Durham faces another preliminary hearing on August 1. If convicted, he faces life in prison. He could also face charges in Kenya.
You can read the full criminal complaint here:
Durham Complaint by sarah_larimerThe opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not represent the views of Townhall.com.
Many Christian organizations are fearful for their safety after CNN published a bogus “hate map” concocted by the Southern Poverty Law Center.
“Here are all the active hate groups where you live,” CNN’s headline declared.
The list included among others American Family Association, Family Research Council, Alliance Defending Freedom, Liberty Counsel and Pacific Justice Institute.
American Family Association blasted the CNN story calling it a “sham news article that could easily incite violence and place AFA employees and supporters in harm’s way.”
Liberty Counsel President Mat Staver demanded an immediate retraction – calling CNN’s report “false, defamatory and dangerous.”
“Liberty Counsel is not a hate group,” he said. “The false ‘hate’ label is very damaging to our reputation and is a safety risk to our staff. Liberty Counsel is a Christian ministry, and hates no one.”
Conservatives and Christians have good reason to be worried.
In 2012, Floyd Lee Corkins opened fire inside Family Research Council headquarters in Washington, D.C. A security guard was shot and wounded.
The domestic terrorist told police he wanted to kill as many employees as possible to intimidate opponents of same-sex marriage. Corkins brought along Chick-fil-A sandwiches, which he intended to smear on the faces of dead staffers.
So what does this have to do with CNN’s story?
Corkins told authorities that he picked his target using the Southern Poverty Law Center’s so-called “hate map.”
Family Research Council President Tony Perkins appeared on my nationally syndicated radio show Thursday to condemn CNN for using material from an organization that is “an attack dog of the Left.”
“They are not a neutral arbiter that is calling balls and strikes. They are on the field – playing. They are pushing an agenda and anyone who opposes them – they slap a label on them,” Perkins told me.
“They (SPLC) are inciting violence and it needs to stop,” he added.
Liberty Counsel pointed out that had CNN done due diligence they would have discovered that the SPLC hate map has been widely discredited.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation removed the SPLC as a resource in 2014 – during the Obama Administration.
And Liberty Counsel reports that in 2016 the Justice Department reprimanded SPLC’s lawyers for repeating “hate” misinformation.
Shortly after I called out CNN on my nationally syndicated radio show, they issued an editor’s note:
“The headline on this story has been changed to more closely align with the content of the piece, which clearly indicates that the data on hate groups is from the Southern Poverty Law Center. This story has also been updated to provide direct links to the full list from the SPLC as opposed to publishing the entire list here.”
That’s not good enough.
CNN must retract the entire story and publicly vow to never again use Southern Poverty Law Center’s inflammatory propaganda.
The cold hard reality is that CNN is responsible for placing a target on the backs of well-respected conservative groups and Christian ministries.
We can only pray there’s not another Floyd Corkins lurking in the shadows – and reading CNN’s bogus report.Canberra man pleads not guilty over alleged dog baiting captured on CCTV
Updated
A 71-year-old Canberra man will fight a charge of dog baiting alleged to have taken place earlier this year.
John Barry Wood of Higgins in Canberra's north did not appear in the ACT Magistrates Court today, after being summonsed on a single charge of laying a poison.
His lawyer entered a plea of not guilty.
Police will allege that in April, Wood threw a bait over the fence of a property where two dogs were kept.
The pets were not harmed, but police said meat covered in a green substance was found in the yard.
The investigation was sparked by a call to police after someone was captured on CCTV throwing an item into the garden.
A hearing has been set down for January.
Topics: courts-and-trials, law-crime-and-justice, animal-welfare, higgins-2615, canberra-2600, act, australia
First postedLast Updated ago. Click "Updates" above to see the latest.
Addams Family Mansion
From the 1964-66 TV sitcom “The Addams Family”, this is the Mansion and family! The project is an “end of series” anniversary tribute to the last new episode aired on April 8, 1966 - 50 years ago!
The Addams Family was a group of fictional characters created by American cartoonist Charles Addams includes Gomez, Morticia, Uncle Fester, Lurch, Grandmama, Wednesday, Pugsley and Thing. They lived in this Mansion at 001 Cemetery Lane.
Construction details:
3 floor Mansion, each floor is a removable segment
Sits on two 15”x10” base plates (for a total of 3,072 studs)
The Mansion separates into two halves through the center
A full glass greenhouse out back
All original Lego pieces with no modifications
All floors are covered in tiles and “carpet” tiles
All ceilings are covered in inverted tiles
The Mansion is 22” high
The entire build is comprised of 7,200 pieces
Look for these special characters and details:
Tish relaxing in her large rattan chair, with her black fan
Gomez practicing fencing in the living room
Lurch and his harpsichord
Beware of Thing…delivering mail from his table
Cleopatra, the meat eating plant and others in the greenhouse
Kitty Kat the lion, by the grand staircase
The tall stuffed polar bear watching over all the proceedings
The NYSE stock market ticker tape machine
Call for Lurch… with a black rope noose butler bell call
Suit of Armor - who is hiding inside?
Massive fireplace, with a moose head on the mantle
Have a rest on the bed of nails!
Grandmama and Uncle Fester with his light bulb and dynamite
Cigar Store Indian watching over Pugsley and Wednesday
Back upper porch, with cannon, cannon balls and a catapult
Backyard cemetery, with unknown inhabitants
Attic spider web
Family automobile
Special guests include bats, owls, spiders, snakes, and parrots
Browse all 27 Pictures!Chinese officials announced in May that the authorities were investigating Mr. Ai on suspicion of tax evasion, after police officers took him from the main Beijing airport on April 3 as he prepared to board a flight to Hong Kong. Supporters of Mr. Ai said the tax inquiry was a pretext to silence one of the most vocal critics of the Chinese Communist Party.
Mr. Ai is presumed to be well connected because he is the son of Ai Qing, one of the most beloved poets of modern China. His detention was nearly certain to have been approved by top Chinese leaders. It is unclear what kinds of discussions took place within elite political circles that ultimately led to his release.
But China came under unusually heavy pressure from all corners of the globe, not only from standard diplomatic channels but also from prominent people like Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg of New York, who harangued China in May at a Manhattan opening of an outdoor sculpture exhibition by Mr. Ai, and Anish Kapoor, a leading sculptor in Britain who this month canceled a show planned for the National Museum of China in Beijing. Prime Minister Wen Jiabao of China was scheduled to visit Britain and Germany starting on Saturday, and he almost certainly would have encountered protests and condemnation, whether on the streets or in private meetings.
“Without the wave of international support for Ai and the popular expressions of dismay and disgust about the circumstances of his disappearance and detention, it’s highly unlikely the Chinese government would have released him,” Phelim Kine, an Asia researcher for Human Rights Watch, said in an e-mail. “The public announcement of his release signals that the Chinese government has had to respond to this pressure and that the cost-benefit ratio of continuing to detain him was no longer tenable.”
Mr. Kine noted that less visible Chinese remain missing and “at high risk” of torture. Among them are Wen Tao, a former journalist and aide to Mr. Ai, and other associates of Mr. Ai, including Hu Mingfen, Liu Zhenggang and Zhang Jinsong.
Gao Ge, Mr. Ai’s sister, said in a telephone interview that Mr. Ai’s wife, Lu Qing, got a call on Wednesday and was told to go to a police station in Beijing. “She didn’t know what would happen, and then the police said that Weiwei was free to go with her back home,” Ms. Gao said. Mr. Ai got home before midnight, and his mother went to meet him.
“All I care about is that he’s home now,” Ms. Gao said.
Word of Mr. Ai’s release first emerged in a report posted online Wednesday night by Xinhua, the state news agency. It said in English that the Beijing police had released Mr. Ai on bail “because of his good attitude in confessing his crimes as well as a chronic disease he suffers from.”
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Xinhua also quoted the police as saying that Mr. Ai had repeatedly said he was willing to pay the taxes he had evaded. The news agency reported the authorities as saying that Beijing Fake Cultural Development Ltd., a company controlled by Mr. Ai, evaded “a huge amount of taxes and intentionally destroyed accounting documents.”
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“Bail” is the shorthand commonly used as an English translation of the Chinese term “qubao houshen,” which means obtaining a guarantee pending trial. It generally means that prosecutors have decided to drop charges against a suspect on certain conditions, including good behavior, and to monitor him over a period of time during which charges could be reintroduced.
“This is a technique that the public security authorities sometimes use as a face-saving device to end controversial cases that are unwise or unnecessary for them to prosecute,” Jerome A. Cohen, a scholar of the Chinese legal system, said in an e-mail. “Often in such cases, a compromise has been reached in negotiation with the suspect, as apparently it has been here.”
Mr. Cohen said Mr. Ai’s release “is very good news and perhaps the very best outcome that could have been expected in the circumstances of this difficult case.”
Liu Xiaoyuan, Mr. Ai’s lawyer, said in a Twitter post that as long as the taxes were paid, Mr. Ai would probably remain free.
Mr. Ai’s family members have insisted that he is innocent of the accusations against him. Ms. Gao said in May that Mr. Ai was neither the legal representative nor the chief executive of the company accused of evading taxes and should be freed. During his detention, the family also said that Mr. Ai had been suffering from high blood pressure and diabetes, which required medication.
After Mr. Ai was detained on April 3, the authorities did not immediately detail any charges against him, and his incarceration was widely considered an attempt to silence a prominent critic while buying the authorities time to decide on the legal grounds for prosecuting him.
He was held in an undisclosed location. On May 15, police officers took Mr. Ai’s wife, Ms. Lu, to see him. Ms. Gao said afterward that Ms. Lu had reported that Mr. Ai seemed healthy and was being given access to medication. On May 20, a Xinhua report said the police had concluded that Mr. Ai had evaded taxes and destroyed financial documents.
The police can legally continue to pursue the case for up to one year after “qubao houshen” releases. During that time, the suspect is allowed freedom of movement, but the police generally hold onto his travel documents.
Few dissidents who have been detained in recent years have been shown leniency. International pressure so far has not helped Liu Xiaobo, a writer who was sentenced in 2009 to 11 years in prison on subversion charges. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize last October, which he was not allowed to collect.When comparing America’s mostly private healthcare system with the socialized systems in other countries, it is oft mentioned by supporters of socialized medicine that people in America live shorter lives, are more obese, &c., than people in developed countries with socialized health systems. Of course, this is a classic case of lies, damned lies, and statistics.
One of the better metrics of comparison is the survival rate for cancer. With healthy people, or those who need relatively cheap medical assistance with a high probability of effectiveness, socialized medicine is great since they don’t have to directly pay much money out of pocket. However, it is in those cases where a disease is severe or the chance of survival is far from certain, and treatment often very expensive, that we can best judge. The United States, with its uninsured and “greedy” private healthcare market ranks right up there in the top ranks.
Unsurprisingly, the reality of the situation has led to some advocates of socialized healthcare to incoherently declare that that isn’t really so.
The so-called “factcheck.org,” for example, makes some ridiculous claims, and contradicts itself, in order to declare the facts to be untrue.
For example, the “fact checkers” admit that “[i]t’s certainly the case that we have higher survival rates than the United Kingdom and other countries with nationalized health care. Across the board, the United States boasts a higher five-year relative survival rate than the European average”, but then turn around to say “survival rates in Canada, Japan, Australia and Cuba were all comparable to or higher than U.S. survival rates”. While this shows that some countries that have socialized systems can provide results that are comparable to the U.S., this does not indicate that this is because of the systems themselves, particularly with Canada which has access to the free-market system in the United States for when their own system tell them to take a couple of aspirin and come back later. What it does show is that socialized systems can and often do end up being worse than the private model in the U.S., even for those who are uninsured: Colorectal cancer survival rates in the U.S. for the uninsured is at 49%, while it averages at only 45% in Europe! Even within the U.S., Medicaid has no significant effect on health outcomes vs. being uninsured!
Sure, being uninsured is more comparable to living in a system of rationed healthcare, but that underscores that insurance in the U.S. was just that good, and perhaps instead of destroying that, we should seek to expand it.
They also try to claim that survivor rates are skewed because they are caught earlier in the U.S. and thus the higher rates could be because people knew about it longer, not that the healthcare made a difference. Of course, they also note that early detection does mean a better chance at survival. That it is being detected earlier in the U.S. is an indicator of the superiority of the U.S. private system.
While there are an infinite number of ways of parsing that data, the fact is that when it comes to cancer, and likely other examples where expensive treatments are necessary in order have a chance to survive, the United States does much better, and that those statistics are much, much better measuring sticks than overall life expectancy.
TweetPlease turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. Advertisement By Sarah Rainsford
Yenikapi, Istanbul
Digging through thick mud and an ancient swamp of black clay, archaeologists in Istanbul have discovered a grave that proves the city is 6,000 years older than they previously thought. The skeletons of two adults and two children lie curled-up, perhaps to save space. Alongside them are pots: gifts placed in the grave to use in the afterlife. The ancient family was unearthed at the site of a 21st Century rail project. "We found the grave, pots and other artefacts. There were signs of houses made of tree-branches and next to the settlement was a swamp where we found small tools, wooden pieces and bones," explains Ismail Karamut, head of the Istanbul Archaeology museum, which is leading the dig. Neolithic graves were unearthed at the site "It all shows there was a Neolithic settlement here in the historic peninsula of Istanbul where people lived, farmed and fished," he adds. Historians had believed modern-day Istanbul was first settled around 700 BC. The discovery of the skeletons has revealed far deeper roots. The Neolithic era - when man abandoned the nomadic, hunting lifestyle and settled to farm the land and raise cattle - began east of here, gradually carrying the foundations of "civilised" life west, to Europe. The new find in Istanbul helps map that transition. "Neolithic culture changed as it moved west. Not all of what we call the 'Neolithic package' was transferred," explains Professor Mehmet Ozdogan of Istanbul University. "Domesticated animals and some of the cereal crops came, but mud brick became wooden architecture, settlements were re-organised. The transformation is important to understand the Neolithic culture in Europe. Every new site adds data to the picture." Past and present Neolithic remains were discovered in two Istanbul suburbs in the 1950s and 1980s, but this is the first such find in the historic heart of the city. That has created a stir the other sites never managed. Archaeologists worked in shifts, covering 24 hours a day Prof Ozdogan believes the Yenikapi settlement dates from between 6400BC and 5800BC - long before the Bosphorus Strait had formed and in the days when the Marmara Sea was a small, inland lake. Istanbul's first inhabitants appear to have lived on both sides of a river that flowed then through Yenikapi. The excavation of Istanbul's first settlement is taking place at the site of a state-of-the-art train station on the multi-million dollar Marmaray rail project. The line will link Europe and Asia with the world's deepest underwater tunnel, 56 metres beneath the Bosphorus. The last sections of underwater tubing were joined in October. The project has been delayed, but it's important to discover the culture here
Yasar Anilir, Chief archaeologist at the dig But above ground, the revolutionary project has been held up by history. Scheduled to last six months, Yenikapi archaeological dig is still going strong four years later. The Marmaray is now expected to open in 2011 at the earliest. "Of course the project has been delayed, but it's important to discover the culture here," argues Yasar Anilir, chief archaeologist at the dig. "But if there was no Marmaray project we would not have been digging at all. This requires a lot of labour and money." Archaeological delight The team's first major discovery was a section of the first city walls, believed to date back to Constantine I. As anticipated, they also uncovered a 4th Century port - once the busiest in Byzantium - and the stunningly well-preserved remains of more than 30 wooden ships, many wrecked in storms in the 10th and 11th centuries. Unearthing the Neolithic settlement was an unexpected archaeological delight. Under pressure to complete their excavations and let-in the construction workers, archaeologists have at times worked in shifts, digging 24 hours a day. The cost of the delay to construction has not been calculated yet. "The Marmaray project is very important, but you cannot sacrifice our cultural heritage," says Ismail Karamut, who insists his team has not compromised on the quality of their work. "We're trying to reconcile both demands - to help the project, and protect the heritage." The Yenikapi dig has now reached bedrock, so archaeologists don't expect any more major discoveries. They're still working through piles of ancient swamp mud though, which has preserved some of the oldest wooden artefacts ever found. Skeletons and gifts for the afterlife were found On the far side of the site, beyond the Marmaray station, excavation work will continue alongside construction. "We're expecting to find more - maybe a small settlement," Yasar Anilir explains. "We have to remove the Byzantine ships first, then we can complete our dig." This experience should be a lesson to the authorities, according to Prof Mehmet Ozdogan, who says there have been no archaeological digs for purely scientific purposes in Istanbul since the 1960s. "Of course a city should live, you can't turn it into a museum. But we should not wait for construction projects to learn the history of a town. We should dig on purpose, just to learn," the professor argues. "Once the past is destroyed, it's irreversible."
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StumbleUpon What are these? E-mail this to a friend Printable versionThe hype for new Earl Sweatshirt tunes is getting pretty real, particularly after he debuted a new song at this year’s Day N Night Festival. Fortunately, news has broke that Earl has contributed beats to a new EP from elusive rapper Mach-Hommy. The only catch? You’re going to have to pay over $100 to hear them.
Mach-Hommy’s Fete Des Morts AKA Dia De Las Muertos EP is out now on Bandcamp, and is only available to listen to for the price of $111.11. Hommy told Pitchfork he has no plans of any kind to make the EP available to stream, so fans desperate to hear the six beats Earl made for the project will just have to cough up.
Aside from this project, Earl has been hard at work on a new clothing line called ‘DEATHWORLD.’ Take a look at the pieces here.
In other music news, Britney Spears sold one of her original paintings at auction for a whopping $10,000. Get the scoop here.
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Cover Image: @soapmanwun / InstagramMy BF [29M] and I [28F] have been together for 6 years, but friends for 11 years since college. 3 years ago I had a short 1 month affair with a co-worker while BF and I were in LDR for 1yr. I confessed and although my BF wanted to break up with me at first I convinced him work through it and I transferred offices to one back home so our LDR was over and we were together again.
Lately a lot of our friends from college have been getting married and we've been attending going to all these weddings (4 this summer alone) and my friends always ask when BF and I will get engaged and I always just say, "Oh i dunno hopefully someday soon".
Now before the affair we had discussed marriage and my BF always said he wanted to get married one day and that we'd probably get engaged once he finished law school (which he finished almost 3 years ago). But since the affair we haven't talked about it.
So last sunday we were sitting at home drinking wine and watching True Blood when I decided to casually mention how our friends had been joking that we were next to get married but we had to get engaged first. All he said was "oh yea?"
So then I asked have you thought about proposing to me? And he said no which obviously hurt a little so I asked why and he said because he's never planning on proposing to me. This was kind of shocking to me because when we were younger he told me he wanted to be married one day and have kids.
So I thought well it's 2014 a women can ask a man to marry her, so I asked what if I asked you to marry me what would you say and he said he'd say no. So at this point I'm on the verge of bawling my eyes out. So I asked why i thought you always wanted to be married one day and this is basically what he said:
"Yes I always thought I'd be married one day, but even though these last 2.5 yrs have been great I will still never trust you 100% and I'm never going to put myself in another position where you can hurt me like that again. So no I won't be asking you to marry me and I won't marry you. I'm not going to ask you this year. I'm not going to ask you in 5 years. Maybe in 10 years my opinion changes, but probably not. I'm not against marriage. I'm just against marriage with you. I'm sorry but I can't marry a cheater. I'm not gonna put myself in a position where you can devastate me again. I can spend the rest of my life with you and probably be happy, but odds are I won't spend it married to you. If that's a problem for you I understand, and you're welcome to find a solution that works for you."
Is this a normal way of thinking? What do I do? I want to marry this man. He's basically told me if I ever want to be married I'll have to break up with him and find another guy.
tl;dr: BF of 6 years has told me he can spend the rest of his life with me but he'll never marry me because I cheated on him +3 years ago. Wondering if I can change his mind.The San Antonio Spurs held the second best record in the NBA for most of the season and after a win on Monday night against the Atlanta Hawks, they are now tied for first place in the Western Conference with the Golden State Warriors.
Before the season started, many felt this season was going to be one of many ups and downs. With a new roster coming in, the retirement of Tim Duncan, the bevy of new player additions, it was looking like quite the transition year for the teams.
Fast forward to today, and the Spurs are sitting at 52-14 and giving the Warriors a run for their money in the standings.
Following the Spurs' win against the Hawks on Monday, Danny Green spoke on the Spurs being tied with the Warriors in the West and needless to say, this isn't a surprise to him.
“I didn’t think it was impossible. I didn’t think we’d be here," said Green. "With the guys we brought in, with Pop, there’s no telling where we’ll end."
"Without Timmy [Duncan], we didn’t expect to be number one. We’ve been fighting and keeping with it all season. The injuries happen, but it’s always next man up. Luckily, we have landed in a good place so far. We just want to be playing our best basketball going into the playoffs,” said Green.
Danny nailed it right on the head.
He talks about being without Duncan and mentioning injuries that have happened with the team yet here they are still proving they are a team not to be overlooked.
As Danny put it, they just want to play their best basketball heading into the "real season." Frankly, the team looks to be on their way.
Add the fact, LaMarcus Aldridge is out indefinitely, Tony Parker has been dealing with back stiffness and rookie Dejounte Murray also been dealing with groin issues, this team is not at max health yet are still taking care of business on the floor.
Perhaps moving forward, it should never be outside the realm of possibility San Antonio will always challenge in the West.
Twitter: @For some reason, the Tour de Suisse decided that a good place to stick a finish line was 100 meters after a 90-degree corner. When Danny van Poppel tried to squeeze past Peter Sagan on the inside corner, he clipped wheels and was on course to eat shit into the barrier until he made a miraculous save.
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When you watch it at speed, it looks fake, like something that should be set to “Yakety Sax.”
I suppose this finish setup makes for a rather technical sprint, but it also means that whoever is at the front is more or less guaranteed to win unless someone manages to get the corner perfect and slip through the inside edge. Several riders criticized the race for putting such a dangerous finish in.
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The Tour de Suisse has a history of setting up dangerous sprints, but this is the first time one has forced a rider to do a nose wheelie at 30+ MPH.Is the sky falling or not? Stacey Dash criticized Leonardo DiCaprio’s environmentalism-minded 2016 Oscars speech in a personal blog post published on Thursday, March 10. Specifically, she called out the actor’s impassioned remarks about climate change — and likened him to the storybook character Chicken Little!
Biggest Oscars Gaffes of All Time!
“Leonardo DiCaprio’s Oscar was truly a well-deserved win. DiCaprio’s speech, you could tell, was planned ahead of time. He knew he had it. Though I’ve not seen his film yet, I hear it’s great,” the Clueless star, 49, began her entry before making her dig: “[But] he reminds me of Chicken Little, the bird who ran around the neighborhood and disturbed everyone ‘with her foolish alarm.’ ”
As the world knows, DiCaprio took his first Academy Awards win for best actor for his role in The Revenant as an opportunity to bring awareness to global warming, an issue he feels strongly about.
“Climate change is real, it is happening right now. It is the most urgent threat facing our entire species, and we need to work collectively together and stop procrastinating,” the longtime environmentalist said. “We need to support leaders around the world who do not speak for the big polluters, but who speak for all of humanity, for the indigenous people of the world, for the billions and billions of underprivileged people out there who would be most affected by this. For our children’s children, and for those people out there whose voices have been drowned out by the politics of greed.”
Dash — who made a painfully awkward Black History Month joke at this year’s Oscars — branded this part of DiCaprio’s speech as “too much” and fired off “facts” disputing his statements. The controversial Fox News contributor cited reports claiming that while global average temperatures have risen in recent years, Earth has seen similar climate change centuries ago when there were “no fossil fuels, no emissions, no cars,” she points out.
The There Goes My Social Life: From Clueless to Conservative author also slammed DiCaprio, 41, for not paying attention to the problems she thinks are important.
“There are people 10 miles from Leo starving, stuck on entitlement. Twenty first century NAZIS to deal with and North Koreans playing with nukes,” Dash added. “He needs to get his priorities straight. I would leave him alone, except that his rhetoric isn’t cheap.”
Sign up now for the Us Weekly newsletter to get breaking celebrity news, hot pics and more delivered straight to your inbox!
Want stories like these delivered straight to your phone? Download the Us Weekly iPhone app now!Donald J. Trump all but erased his enormous fund-raising disadvantage against Hillary Clinton in the span of just two months, according to figures released by his campaign on Wednesday, converting the passion of his core followers into a flood of small donations on a scale rarely seen in national politics.
Mr. Trump and the Republican National Committee raised $64 million through a joint digital and mail effort in July, according to his campaign, the bulk of it from small donations. All told, Mr. Trump and his |
features various characters from the film. The Japanese version, in fact, is based very heavily on the film, with almost every reference in the game coming from the film.
A video game version of the film was released on Game Boy Color by Nintendo of America on October 4, 2000 in North America. Additionally, in the video games Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, Wonderland is a playable world. Alice is also a major character in the overall plot of the first game due to her role as one of seven "Princesses of Heart". Other characters from the movie that appear include the Queen of Hearts, the Cheshire Cat, the White Rabbit, the Doorknob, the Caterpillar (V Cast only), and the Deck of Cards. The Mad Hatter and the March Hare appear in portrait form as well. All except the Doorknob also appear in Chain of Memories, albeit in the form of illusions made from the main character's memory.[45] While the world is absent in Kingdom Hearts II, it returns in Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days and Kingdom Hearts coded, the latter featuring a digitized version of the world originating from data in Jiminy Cricket's royal journal.
In Toy Story 3: The Video Game, the Mad Hatter's hat is one of the hats you can have the townsfolk wear. In Kinect Disneyland Adventures, Alice, Mad Hatter, White Rabbit, and the Queen of Hearts make appearances.
In Disney Infinity, there are power discs based on Alice in Wonderland.
Several characters of the movie make appearances throughout the Epic Mickey-games. For example, the cards are seen throughout Mickeyjunk Mountain in the original Epic Mickey, Alice appears as a statue carrying a projector screen in Epic Mickey 2 and Alice, the Mad Hatter, the Cheshire Cat and the Queen of Hearts appear as unlockable characters in Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion.
References [ edit ]CLOSE 17 years to the day after making his first 900, Tony Hawk lands the aerial spin again at the age of 48. Time_Sports
Tony Hawk has bought a home in Detroit.
The skateboarding icon closed on a three-unit apartment building in Detroit’s Woodbridge neighborhood on Wednesday, said Jim Tumey, a senior commercial agent at The Loft Warehouse, a Detroit-based brokerage.
While Hawk is not moving to Detroit, he and his family “wanted to put their money and their stamp on the city,” said Tumey, who finalized the sale. Hawk could not be immediately reached for comment.
The red-brick building, which is about 120 years old, was at one point a single-family home, then at another point a hospital before it was converted into apartments, Tumey said.
When Hawk and his family are in town, they plan to stay in one of the 1,200-square-foot units, while the other two units are leased.
“They love it,” Tumey said of the family. “Where else can you buy three apartments in a 120-140-year-old building? It’s a pretty good deal.” He declined to disclose the building’s price.
Hawk is based in California, but his wife is from metro Detroit and the family comes to Detroit on occasion to visit relatives, Tumey said.
When Hawk reached out to Tumey months ago, he suggested condos at first, but Hawk chose to buy a building because he also wanted to invest in the city.
Double dipping in The D with @milesgizmo 📷: @catherine_o A photo posted by Tony Hawk (@tonyhawk) on Aug 24, 2016 at 12:34pm PDT
“I grew up skateboarding, so it’s kind of ironic to have a childhood idol turn into a client,” Tumey said.
Wednesday was also the family’s first time seeing the building in person -- previous visits had been walk-throughs on FaceTime. After the sale was closed, the family and Tumey posed for a photo on Instagram.
While in town, Hawk also did some skating at a nearby skate park in Woodbridge known as The Wig, which was built by Tumey’s friends. The park made an appearance on Hawk’s Instagram page.
Contact Daniel Bethencourt: dbethencourt@freepress.com. Follow on Twitter @_dbethencourt.
Read or Share this story: http://on.freep.com/2bX8KWjBy Reva Bhalla
At the edge of empires lies Kurdistan, the land of the Kurds. The jagged landscape has long been the scene of imperial aggression. For centuries, Turks, Persians, Arabs, Russians and Europeans looked to the mountains to buffer their territorial prizes farther afield, depriving the local mountain dwellers a say in whose throne they would ultimately bow to.
The hot temperament of this borderland was evident in an exchange of letters between Ottoman Sultan Selim I and Safavid Shah Ismail I shortly before the rival Turkic and Persian empires came to blows at the 1514 Battle of Chaldiran in northern Kurdistan. The Ottoman sultan, brimming with confidence that his artillery-equipped janissaries would hold the technological advantage on the battlefield, elegantly denigrated his Persian foes:
Ask of the sun about the dazzle of my reign;
Inquire of Mars about the brilliance of my arms.
Although you wear a Sufi crown, I bear a trenchant sword,
And he who holds the sword will soon possess the crown.
Safavid Shah I, also writing in Turkish, poetically retorted:
Should one embrace the bride of worldly rule too close, His lips will kiss those of the radiant sword...
Bitter experience has taught that in this world of trial, He who falls upon the house of 'Ali always falls.
The armies fought to the limits of their empires and, after a series of wars culminating in the Treaty of Zuhab of 1639, the Zagros Mountains came to define the borderland between the Ottomans and Persians, with the Kurds stuck in the middle.
A Rivalry Reborn
The Turkic-Persian competition is again being fought in Kurdistan, only this time, energy pipelines have taken the place of gilded cavalry. At a recent energy conference in the northern Iraqi Kurdish city of Arbil, I listened as hundreds of energy executives murmured excitedly in the audience as Ashti Hawrami, the minister of natural resources for Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region, declared in perfect, British-taught English that an oil pipeline connecting Kurdish oil fields to Turkey is complete, operational and will be pumping oil by the end of the year with or without Baghdad's consent. This, effectively, was as much a Kurdish declaration of independence as it was a Turkish-backed Kurdish declaration of war against Baghdad and its Persian sponsors.
Roughly 25 million Kurds occupy a region that stretches from the eastern Taurus Mountains in Turkey through the Jazira Plateau of northeastern Syria across the mountains and plateaus of southeastern Anatolia before dead-ending into the northern spine of the Zagros Mountains, which divide Iran and Iraq. This is a territory spread across four nations with bitter histories and a shared commitment to prevent Kurdish aspirations for independence from eroding their territorial integrity. For Syria, Iraq, Turkey and Iran, this restive buffer had to be preserved and contained, though it could also be exploited. The fratricidal tendencies of the Kurds, bred by their divisive mountainous home, gave the surrounding states a useful tool to undermine one another whenever the need arose.
As power changed from indigenous empires to colonial hands, from monarchs to Baathist tyrants, from hardcore secularists to Islamists, the Kurds remained too divided and weak to become masters of their own fate able to establish a sovereign Kurdish homeland. The Kurds themselves are divided and sequestered along geographical, tribal, linguistic, political and ideological lines across the four states they inhabit. But unique circumstances over the past decade enabled a politically coherent Iraqi Kurdistan to temporarily defy its own history and inch toward quasi-independence.
A String of Good Fortune
The chain of events began with the 2003 toppling of Saddam Hussein. His attempts to eradicate Iraq's Kurdish population through chemical attacks in the Anfal campaign of the late 1980s and other aggressions in the region eventually led to the creation of a U.S.-imposed no-fly zone in northern Iraq after the 1991 Gulf War. With the threat in Baghdad effectively neutralized and U.S. troops covering Mesopotamia, Iraq's Kurdish leadership put aside their differences to form the Kurdistan Regional Government, further solidifying the boundaries of the northern autonomous zone.
Ultimately, the United States was a strong but unreliable protector for the Kurds. When U.S. troops withdrew from Iraq, a nervous Kurdistan looked to energy firms as their next-best insurance policy. So long as Western energy firms were committed to making money in northern Iraq, their presence would give Arbil the leverage it needed to balance against a government in Baghdad, slowly re-strengthening under Shiite dominance and committed to keeping Kurdish oil revenues under its control.
But as tensions with Baghdad grew over the distribution of energy revenues, the Iraqi Kurds unexpectedly found a sponsor in Ankara. The moderate Islamist-rooted Justice and Development Party had effectively neutered the military's political influence in Turkey and was ready to experiment with a new strategy toward its Kurdish population. Instead of suppressing Kurdish autonomy with an iron fist, Ankara went from regarding Kurds as confused "mountain Turks" to recognizing Kurdish language and cultural rights and launching its most ambitious peace negotiation to date with the Kurdistan Workers' Party. This policy of engagement extended to Iraqi Kurdistan, where the Turkish government was earnestly eyeing Kurdish oil and natural gas to fuel Turkey's expensive energy appetite and loosen Russia's energy grip over Ankara.
At this point, Iran was too preoccupied to effectively balance against Turkey's deepening involvement in Iraqi Kurdistan. The Iranian regime was busy defending its allies in Syria and Lebanon while trying to manage a highly antagonistic relationship with the United States. Meanwhile, Baghdad had its hands full in trying to manage intra-Shiite rivalries and fending against a reinvigorated jihadist threat spurred by the U.S. withdrawal from Iraq and the Syrian civil war — all while trying to prevent the Kurds from breaking out on their own.
A cooperative Ankara, a weak Damascus, a preoccupied Tehran, an overwhelmed Baghdad and a host of anxious investors formed the ingredients for an audacious pipeline project. It began furtively in 2012 as a natural gas pipeline designed to feed the domestic Kurdish market. When the pipeline quietly skirted past the power plant it was supposed to feed, underwent a conversion to transport oil and began heading northward to Turkey, the secret was out: Turkey and the Kurdistan Regional Government were working to circumvent Baghdad and independently export Kurdish energy.
As the pipeline construction progressed, Kurdish peshmerga forces continued spreading beyond formal Kurdistan Regional Government boundaries in disputed areas and held their ground against demoralized Iraqi army forces. And in the name of guarding against a real and persistent jihadist threat, Kurdish forces built deep, wide ditches around the city of Arbil and are now building one around the disputed oil-rich city of Kirkuk, marking the outer bounds of a slowly expanding Kurdish sphere of influence.
A Complicated Future
We have now arrived at the question of when, and not if, Kurdish oil will flow to Turkey without Baghdad's consent. The completion of the tie-in of the pipeline at a newly constructed pumping and metering station at Fishkhabor near the Turkish border, bypassing the station controlled by Iraqi federal authorities, marks the boldest foreign policy move that Turkey has made in a very long time.
Turkey has put itself in a position where it can receive 250,000 to 300,000 barrels per day of crude from Iraqi Kurdistan (potentially including crude that could later be pumped from the disputed Kirkuk field through the Khurmala Dome complex in Kurdish territory) at the Turkish border. From Fishkhabor, the crude will reconnect to a 40-inch pipe that runs parallel to a 46-inch pipe traveling westward to the Ceyhan port terminal. While the 46-inch pipe of the Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline in federal Iraqi territory is operating at just one-fifth of its capacity due to disrepair and frequent militant attacks, Turkey and the Kurdistan Regional Government are essentially appropriating the section of the 40-inch pipe lying in Turkish territory to complete their independent energy project.
Plans are quietly being discussed to build another parallel line on the Turkish side to Ceyhan to completely divorce the pipeline infrastructure from any claims by Baghdad. Even now, by Ankara and Arbil's design, Baghdad has no physical means of interrupting the oil flow through the new pipeline route. And while Baghdad can quietly try to facilitate, or at least turn a blind eye to, jihadist attacks in Iraqi Kurdistan in a bid to undermine investor confidence, Kurdish security and intelligence can still put up a formidable defense against threats from both jihadists and Iraqi national forces — that is, at least until Baghdad develops its air force and regains the military bandwidth to refocus on the north.
The speed and cunning with which the pipeline was completed demand respect, even — however reluctantly — from an outraged Baghdad. At the same time, the geopolitical tectonic plates are shifting once again in this volatile region, promising to complicate the energy strategy engineered by Arbil and Ankara down the line.
Iran may have been too distracted to balance Turkey in Kurdish lands over the past decade, but the coming years will look different. Iran and the United States are both serious about reaching a strategic rapprochement in their long-hostile relationship. Though there will be obstacles along the way, the foundation for a U.S.-Iranian detente has been laid. Turkey is already starting to adapt to the shifting balance of power, struggling to reach an accommodation with Baghdad, Tehran and Washington over the thorny issue of how payments from this new export pipeline will be handled. For now, the United States is trying to avoid becoming entangled in this political morass, prioritizing its negotiation with Iran while publicly maintaining a "one Baghdad, one Iraq" policy. But with time, the United States will regain its ability to manage a balance of power between Shiite Iran and Sunni competitors such as Turkey and Saudi Arabia. The more U.S.-Iranian relations progress, the more time and attention Iran can give to strong-arming regional allies, like Baghdad, in the face of a deepening Turkish footprint in northern Iraq.
The age-old Turkic-Persian rivalry will reawaken in Kurdistan as Iran reinforces its Shiite allies in Baghdad to pressure the Kurds, using military operations in its own Kurdish region to justify cross-border interventions. Iran is also already starting to discuss energy exploration in the border region with Iraqi Kurdistan, asserting that if Arbil has a problem with such activities, it can take it up with Baghdad. But the sharpest tools Iran and its allies in Baghdad have to undermine Turkey's alliance with the Kurdistan Regional Government are the Kurds themselves.
The past decade of Kurdish unity between Massoud Barzani's Kurdistan Democratic Party and Jalal Talabani's Patriotic Union of Kurdistan is highly anomalous and arguably temporary. Iraq's Kurdish region has effectively been split between the Barzani and Talabani fiefs politically, militarily and economically, with the Kurdistan Democratic Party ruling the northern provinces of Dohuk and Arbil and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan ruling Suleimaniyah to the south. Though the two parties have demonstrated the ability to suppress their rivalry in times of extreme stress or opportunity, the fault lines that intersect this fractious Kurdish landscape are still present. On the surface, the Kurdistan Democratic Party and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan have united their peshmerga forces into a single, unified ministry. In reality, the political lines dividing Peshmerga forces remain sharper than ever. Further complicating matters is the political rise of the Gorran movement, a faction that broke away from the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan now that the latter is suffering from a leadership vacuum. Though the Gorran can only claim votes at this point, it is only a matter of time before it, too, develops its own peshmerga forces, creating an even wider imbalance of power among Iraq's main Kurdish parties.
The cracks in the Kurdish landscape will be exploited the more competition grows between Turkey and Iran. One does not even have to reach far back in history to get a sense of just how deep Kurdish rivalries can run. The Kurdistan Democratic Party and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan were engaged in an all-out civil war from 1994 to 1996 that arose from a property dispute. More willing to turn to their regional adversary than compromise with their ethnic kin, the Kurdistan Democratic Party reached out to Ankara and even Saddam Hussein for assistance, while the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan took help from Iran. Those fault lines have tempered since the fall of Hussein, but the influx of oil money into an already highly corrupt and competitive leadership, a growing imbalance of power among the main Kurdish parties and a developing rivalry between regional forces Turkey and Iran will apply enormous stress on the Kurds' brittle union.
Sober Reminders
For now, Kurdish and Turkish officials and energy executives alike will brush these inconvenient warnings aside; their eyes will remain set on the hundreds of thousands of barrels of crude and billions of cubic meters of natural gas lying beneath Kurdistan's rocky surface. From their point of view, how could Baghdad refuse the commercial benefits of another viable export line out of Iraq? It's only a matter of time, they say, until Baghdad comes to the negotiating table on Ankara's and Arbil's terms and a win-win solution is achieved.
But matters of territorial integrity, financial sovereignty and nationalism are not easily trifled with at the intersection of empires. This is easy to forget when watching heavy concrete blocks being lifted by cranes over Arbil, a bubble of a city where two five-star hotels are filled with expats and Versace-clad locals who look like they belong in a "coming soon" promotion on the oil riches about to be bestowed on Iraqi Kurdistan.
Just a few miles from that glitzy scene is a crowded, smoke-filled cafeteria filled with women in head scarves, screaming children and a mix of men wearing business suits and the traditional Shal-u-Shepik style of baggy trousers with thick bands around the waist. Carts filled with tea in tulip-shaped glasses, warm sheets of flatbread, Kurdish kabob, hummus, cucumbers and radishes rattle noisily through a maze of long tables. Across from me, a young Kurdish man with bright eyes and an American flag on his phone fidgets in his seat. After a long pause, he says, "you know … we have a saying here. Kurdistan is a tree. After a long time, we grow tall, we become full of green leaves and then the tree shrivels and becomes bare. Right now, our leaves are green. Give it enough time. This tree won't die, but our leaves will fall to the ground again."DALLAS -- 2017 brought thousands of bikes for rent to Dallas. 2018 could be the year when the city puts some rules and regulations on paper for the bike-sharing companies.
No fewer than four bike-sharing businesses have brought bikes to nearly every corner of the heart of Dallas, and its changed the way many people get around the central corridor.
But for others, the growing number of bikes are seen as litter. Sometimes they’re treated as such, ending up knocked over, tucked in brush, or tossed in the Trinity River.
"We don’t want to dismiss those complaints, and we will be dealing with them," said Dallas City Councilman Philip Kingston.
He says that the city is listening.
"What the Council told city staff to do is to get nine months of data," said Kingston. "We need to understand what we’re dealing with before we issue regulations."
The councilman says next spring, Dallas could decide to create some rules for bike sharing companies. It’s an idea the cities of Seattle and San Francisco started playing with this summer.
Both cities’ Transportation Agencies require permits, which include rules about how and where bikes should be parked. Namely, upright and out of the way of everyday foot traffic. At the end of nine months, the City of Dallas may decide it wants something similar.
"We wanted to make sure that the businesses were going to be successful before we go in and put in common sense regulations that can address some of the quality of life issues," said Kingston.
Come spring, city council, critics and riders will weigh how to best to keep bikes on the road.
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Jan. 24, 2017, 12:03 PM GMT / Source: TODAY By Jane Weaver
Twins Ballenie and Bellanie Camacho may be only 11 months old but already they are true fighters.
The baby girls, born conjoined at the lower back, were successfully separated on Jan. 17 in an almost 22-hour surgery at Maria Fareri Children's Hospital in Valhalla, New York.
"Things went really well," Dr. Samir Pandya, one of the lead general surgeons at Maria Fareri Children's Hospital told TODAY, which was given exclusive access to the girls and their family ahead of the separation procedure. "We are very happy with how everything was choreographed and coordinated and worked out in the operating room."
The "herculean effort", as described by Pandya, involved numerous medical teams and nurses, including neurosurgeons, orthopedic, urological, gastrointestinal, pediatric and plastic surgeons. Conjoined twins occur in an estimated 1 in 200,000 births, but twins joined at the hip — called pygopagus — are extremely rare.
The girls are recovering quickly and were moved out of the pediatric intensive care unit.
After three months of preparation and previous surgeries, the fear, excitement and sleepless nights waiting for the separation are over.
"It was always a dream," said mother Laurilin Celadilla Marte, 24, told TODAY about the separation. "I would pray and dream that it would come together and now it has."
Related: Twin boys formerly joined at the head make'stunning' recovery after 9 weeks
'Pride, gratitude and just elation'
To prepare for the complex surgery — the first separation procedure performed at the New York hospital —the medical teams went through multiple practice sessions in the operating room, as well as using 3-D models constructed from CAT scans and MRIs of the little girls' lower body, pediatric surgeon Dr. Whitney McBride told TODAY. It's believed to be the first time that some of the surgical work was performed using laparoscopic techniques, which gave surgeons a clearer image of how the digestive tracts were joined ahead of the surgery.
At the moment of separation, the medical teams paused briefly before breaking into applause.
"It was an overwhelming sensation that I don't think any one of us is going to experience again," Pandya said. "There was pride, gratitude and just elation that we were able to achieve this for them."
Ballenie and Bellanie Camacho shortly before their separation surgery. Maria Fareri Children's Hospital
The identical twin girls, who were born in Moca, Dominican Republic, surprised their parents and the doctor, who delivered them via C-section. Laurilin knew she was expecting twins, but did not realize the babies were conjoined.
"In that moment when the doctor had them in his hands, he said, 'Blessed be God, they are Siamese twins," mother Laurilin said. "I said, 'well, God, they are yours.' "
Ballenie (left) and Bellanie Camacho, with mother, Laurilin Celadilla Marte and father, Marino Abel Camacho. Maria Fareri Children's Hospital
The initial shock turned to fear for their health after learning the smaller girl, Ballenie (pronounced like ballerina), had a congenital heart condition. Doctors warned them that she might die.
"The girls were worse every day," their father Marino Camacho told TODAY. Finally, a cardiologist told him that if he didn't take them to a different hospital, the family might lose both the girls. Eventually, they were brought to the Maria Fareri Children's Hospital, where the family has been preparing for the mammoth procedure for the last three months.
A 3-D model of the conjoined twin girls, constructed using CAT scans and MRIs. About 12 hours into the separation procedure, surgeons discovered that the two hips were more densely attached than anticipated, said Dr. Samir Pandya, pediatric surgeon at Maria Fareri Children's Hospital. "Eventually we were able to separate the vessels and divide that," said Pandya. "That was the last part before the eventual separation. Samantha Okazaki / TODAY
As is typical for conjoined babies, one twin is larger and stronger. That's Bellanie, who her mother says is very active, observant and "very joyful."
"She wants to touch everything," said Laurilin. "She's very demanding, she wants everything. If the little one has a toy, she'll take it from her."
The "little one" Ballenie is calmer and quieter. Her parents call her "little butterfly".
"She doesn't laugh a lot," said her father, Marino. "But when she does, she's beautiful."
Ballenie and Bellanie Camacho in their winter outfits, before surgery. Maria Fareri Children's Hospital
If there are no complications, the girls and their parents could be home within a couple of months.
The family has started a gofundme to help cover care for the girls as they grow.
Related: Formerly conjoined twins can't take their eyes off each other in 1st reunion
'Time will give a better picture'
Now that they are no longer literally joined at the hip, the doctors are optimistic about their futures. They'll be able to live independently — but beyond that is unclear.
"Will they be able to walk? We'll have to see," said Pandya. As far as other bodily functions, "time will give us a better picture."
Laurilin and Marino Camacho with Ballenie and Bellenie recovering after surgery at Maria Fareri Hospital. Seth William Reiber
The girls will celebrate their first birthday on Feb. 4 in the hospital. But they could be home within a few months, joining their "big" sister Lina Bel, who is 2 and half-sister Sheily, 10.
"The first thing we'll do is go to the beach," said Marino.
It's been a challenging and often painful journey, but Laurilin has a dream for her baby girls.
"I want to see my daughters healthy and independent," Laurilin said. " I want them to go to school, for them to play freely. Even if it's in a wheelchair, anything, but with their freedom and independence."Student Black Lives Matter activists at Oregon’s Portland State University shut down a meeting of Students for Trump supporters, as shown in a video posted on YouTube by a citizen journalist with the name Laughing at Liberals.
The Black Lives Matter students’ goal was exactly what Black Lives Matter has shown time and time again: to act as super-predators taking away the free speech rights of people with whom they don’t agree.
The amazing footage also includes students trying to shut down the videographer by shoving their hands in front of the camera. The filmmaker, who was filming in a public space, knew the law, however, and quotes the Oregon statute back to the students.
As Laughing at Liberals described the video on YouTube:
It was utter chaos at Portland State University Thursday evening, as over 100 wackjob commie students crashed the forming meeting for Students For Trump. Fights nearly broke out, doxing and vandalism threats were issued to Trump supporters, Latino students were shoving the Trump students out of the way, another student encourages others to join anti capitalist groups, they shut down and silenced the pro Donald Trump group, mocking their talking points, whined about TRUMP chalk on the sidewalk, and it ends with the socialist students gloating about shutting it down and promising to come back if Students For Trump holds another meeting.
As Breitbart News continues to document, there’s an academic connection to these acts of politically correct violence.So you’re at a party, and someone says something ignorant. And while you know that they’re in the wrong, and that you could totally engage them and win if you were a bit more prepared, your words escape you. To make sure that doesn’t happen, we’ve compiled a series of handy reference guides with the most common arguments — and your counter-arguments — for all of the hot-button issues of the day. This week’s topic: how to argue against Bernie or Bust, aka Bernie Sanders' diehard fans' refrain.
Common Argument #1: We need a political revolution, and only Bernie is serious about bringing it about.
Your Response: While the throngs of impassioned supporters inspired by Sanders will be understandably disappointed if he's not the nominee, this "Bernie or Bust" business ― progressive voters who're threatening to withhold support if he's not the nominee ― is coming at a profoundly dangerous moment in American politics.
Not everyone's going to agree about the need for a "political revolution," as longtime Democratic supporters of the Obama administration's policies might not be as keen as some of the the progressive independents who've helped fuel Sanders' candidacy. There are definitely powerful moral arguments for the economic justice policies he supports. There's no doubt that his vision for America is further to the left than Clinton's, even with the work he's done to drag her that direction. That's basically undeniable.
But if there's no "political revolution" on the table ― if Sanders loses, like he's virtually statistically guaranteed to do ― does it really make sense to let everything blow up in the opposite direction? If Sanders' vision of a fairer, more equitable United States excites you, there's little practical argument for sitting this one out in the fall, or for obfuscating the seismic threat that Trump poses to the American political system.
To be clear, there's nothing about Bernie or Bust that inherently means "vote for Trump instead," but he's already made it obvious that he's going to be appealing to disaffected Sanders voters. If he lures enough of them to his side, well, it'll be a sad moment in progressive politics. Simply put, it's absolutely essential that Sanders supporters don't let their frustrations outweigh the facts as they are now, if we're going to avoid the President Trump nightmare scenario.
John Sommers II/Getty Images News/Getty Images
Common Argument #2: Clinton shouldn't even be the nominee. She's only winning thanks to a rigged system.
Your Response: Whether or not you agree with the process the Democrats have in place to decide their nominee (I think "rigged" goes a bit too far), Clinton is winning fairly within that process, and Sanders is, to this point, losing fairly. There have been some valid complaints in some states ― the voter registration rules in New York, for example, drew a lot of criticism for forcing primary voters to register as Democrats a full six months before election day. Even in a closed primary, that kind of advance deadline is pretty egregious, and it's a well-established progressive ideal that voting ought to be easier, not more difficult. Add to that the reported removal of more than 100,000 voters from the rolls in Brooklyn (blamed on a "clerk's error" by the New York City Board of Elections, according to the New York Daily News), and it's plain as day why some people are outraged.
But even if Sanders had won the New York primary, even by 10 points (which would go far beyond what any of the polls suggested), his chances of winning the nomination wouldn't be much better. He'd still be trailing, and by a virtually insurmountable deficit. Truthfully, his fate has been sealed for weeks, doomed by his run of abysmal performances across the South ― made possible in large part by Clinton's strong support among black voters.
Since the Democrats award their delegates proportionally to the vote, all of those blowouts on Clinton's part stitched things up for her nicely, and all the Sanders five-point wins in the world won't change that. And, more to the point, the primaries aren't even necessarily democratic, governmental elections; they're functions held by the parties to pick their nominees. There's actually no requirement that the party to listen to the will of the voters about who should be nominated, although in this case, the rightful victor and the establishment's pick are one in the same: Clinton leads by more than 300 pledged delegates, leads the popular vote by millions, and has won a majority of the states.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images News/Getty Images
Common Argument #3: You didn't even mention the superdelegates! They're stealing the nomination from Bernie.
Your Response: Nope! This is maybe the most durable, flatly incorrect view of the Democratic primaries thus far. The Democratic superdelegates get a lot of criticism, and it's no secret why ― they're an inherently anti-democratic (that's small-d democratic) mechanism, and they really violate many people's sense of fairness. But in reality, every single election since they were instituted in 1982, they've always ended up supporting the candidate with more pledged delegates ― in other words, they've never actually done anything but affirm the rightful winner.
That's why Sanders' occasional statements about trying to flip superdelegates to his side at the convention are so deeply, wildly radical ― trailing in the pledged delegate race by hundreds, and trailing the popular vote by millions, there's no democratic "will of the people" argument in his favor. If anybody's saying they're willing to steal the Democratic nomination, it's not Clinton. It's Sanders and his campaign team, full stop.
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images News/Getty Images
Common Argument #4: Well, Clinton is fool's gold. A Trump presidency could force a liberal resurgence! It might even result in more progressive change than a Clinton presidency would!
Your Response: That's an awfully big gamble to take, especially when there's no meaningfully predictive evidence to support it whatsoever. And especially when the candidate you're willing to risk is a demagogic political novice, loudly shouting a slew of terrible, utterly inhumane policy ideas, who also seems genuinely unable to control himself.
It's also an attitude, it must be said, that may reflect a certain amount of privilege. Suffice it to say, a Muslim-American who's seen their friends, family, and faith demonized by Trump, or an immigrant from Mexico who's been similarly smeared and scapegoated, or a military veteran who understands the danger of his rhetoric on torture and war crimes, or a woman who values her reproductive freedom, or any intersection thereof, might have a different outlook.
And frankly, that's the progressive ideal you should hold close to your chest in this election ― if you're privileged enough to even for an instant think, "hey, maybe Trump wouldn't be so bad," then you ought to stand up for those people who aren't. Otherwise, you should consider whether you're really making choices on policy grounds, or whether you're operating mainly out of dislike for Clinton.
Spencer Platt/Getty Images News/Getty Images
Common Argument #5: But aren't you ignoring her foreign policy record? Her hawkishness is dangerous, too!
Your Response: That's a very valid concern about Clinton from a progressive perspective. But remember, you're not weighing Clinton against Sanders anymore, you're weighing her against Donald Trump ― a man who spins false historical yarns about executing Muslims with bullets dipped in pig's blood, who wants to more fully embrace torture (and says generals who disagree with him are "weak"), and who casually muses on national television about using nuclear weapons in Europe and the Middle East.
If you've got concerns about Hillary Clinton's foreign policy plans, however deeply held and valid they may be, you should have bigger and far more existential concerns about Donald Trump, both for what he'd mean for America, and what havoc his instincts might wreak on countries across the world.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images News/Getty Images
Common Argument #6: Well, Bernie was the stronger general election candidate, and Democratic voters chose Clinton. They will get what they deserve.
Your Response: Sanders may be polling as the stronger general election candidate, sure, but that's before he's stood up to the kind of national scrutiny and right-wing attacks that Clinton's been absorbing for more than 20 years, initially as First Lady (when some were painting her as a literal murderer) then as a senator from New York and a secretary of state. And, my fondness for Sanders' politics aside, it's easy to imagine the GOP (especially with a nominee as virulent and mean-spirited as Trump) smearing and effectively demagoguing his Democratic socialism.
Could he have won? Sure, and I'd have voted for him, as any progressive should have. Here's what I wouldn't have done: organize an effort to convince supporters to sit out the general election, in the midst of one of the most stark and significant races in American history. You might remember that there was a similar movement in 2008 by some Clinton supporters, to freeze out then-Sen. Barack Obama during the general election.
Mercifully, that didn't come to fruition. Whatever the John McCain and Mitt Romney presidencies might have looked like, you'd have been hard-pressed to argue that liberalism would actually be stronger if they'd won, even if you're using some shaky, speculative "but it'll make the people rise up" thinking. If you're actually an issues-oriented progressive (perhaps with a healthy fear of totalitarian-style appeals to violence), then this is at best wishful thinking, and at worst a woeful self-deception.
Clinton is better than Trump. And if you really think about the real, lived consequences a Trump presidency would have for millions of people, you might realize how dangerous apathy can be. Hopefully, by the time the general election rolls around, we'll all be on the same page about this. But, truth be told, the fact that this is even a question is terrifying enough on its own.Predicting the future is hard. It’s nearly impossible to know what technological marvels await in the next few years, let alone the next eight decades. Undaunted, we’ve put together a list of 10 super-advanced technologies that should be around by the year 2100.
Some of these technologies are rather “out there,” but I’m reasonably confident in making these predictions. As radical as some of the items described here appear, most—if not all—should be around by the turn of the 22nd century. The reason has to do with an innovation that doesn’t appear on this list: Artificial superintelligence. As computer scientist I. J. Good aptly pointed out in the 1960s, “the first ultraintelligent machine is the last invention that man need ever make.”
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Once greater-than-human intelligence emerges in a machine—a development that could happen as early as the 2050s—all bets are off in terms of what’s technically possible. Intelligent machines will replace humans as designers and engineers, constructing the technologies of our dreams, including some we hadn’t even thought of. Here are just 10 of those technologies that could change virtually everything.
1. Brain-Linked Virtual Reality
Wearable VR-enabling devices like Oculus Rift are all fine and well, but no matter how sophisticated these sorts of gadgets become, a “true” |
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While the day-to-day routine for the keepers hasn’t changed much, there have been a few growing pains. To protect the baby, they had to remove the bigger toys that Ayana plays with, which weigh as much as the baby.
They also realized they had to baby rhino-proof the pen by adding wood panels when they figured out the baby was small enough to slip through the space between the enclosure’s bars.
“It’s like a baby gate, but for a rhino,” Nepp said.
Zoo population and the ‘tipping point’
The eastern black rhino population is at a ‘tipping point’ in the wild, experts said.
“Deaths, mostly due to poaching, will soon outnumber births,” Kevin Drees, Blank Park Zoo’s director of animal care and conservation, said in a statement. “The captive zoo population plays a role in survival of the species....This celebrated birth should raise awareness and bring attention to this critical wildlife situation.”
Ellis called the rhino population housed in zoos an “insurance population,” a group that can help make sure that the "critically endangered" label doesn’t turn into "extinct."
And, unfortunately, that insurance policy might come in handy sooner rather than later, Comer said. If poaching continues to rise, extinction is a real possibility.
“I have young children, and there is the possibility that they could see two species of rhinos go extinct in their lifetime," he said. "I would be happy if we could keep that to one species."
Of the five rhino species in the world, the Javan and Sumatran populations are virtually extinct, each having fewer than 100 animals total, according to the World Wildlife Fund. In 2011, a subspecies of the Javan rhino was officially declared extinct, and the northern white rhino is believed extinct in the wild and has just a few left in captivity.
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"While we have no plan to reintroduce either of these ladies into the wild, that is an option," Comer continued. "We are doing our part to supply the world with the genetics of this animal, which, ultimately, will keep this animal alive."
The baby rhino will stay at Blank Park Zoo for at least a year, if not two, while Smith and a team with the Association of Zoos & Aquariums work out where she could live with a mating partner. The team looks at age, genetics and other factors in its digital database when making those decisions.
The baby will not be viewable on exhibit for a while, according to Bickel, as the family bonds and the zoo monitors the baby’s health.
The zoo will release more information soon on how the baby’s name will be selected.
“But she’s no less cute without a name,” Comer said.
Read or Share this story: http://dmreg.co/2emEyRmDavid McNew via Getty Images 99.961 percent of Sanders' donors could give to his campaign again.
As Bernie Sanders gears up for a Democratic primary more protracted than anyone initially expected, he has a unique advantage over the rest of the field. Almost every single person who has given to his campaign can give again.
Since Sanders announced his White House run back in April, he has raised nearly $41.5 million, his campaign said on Thursday. But the most amazing stat is this: only.039 percent of the donors are prohibited from giving again.
According to data provided by the campaign, just 270 of Sanders' 680,959 campaign donors gave the maximum $2,700 they're allowed to give during the primary. (The campaign initially said they had 650,000 donors, but they gave a more precise figure to The Huffington Post).
And that actually overstates the number by one. The campaign has already returned the $2,700 donation it received from Turing Pharmaceuticals CEO Martin Shkreli, who infamously hiked the price of a drug often used to help AIDS patients. But because the return came late in this fundraising quarter, it couldn't be reflected in the campaign filing.
The amazing number of small donors means that Sanders' fundraising will more than likely maintain its pace. The senator raised more than $27 million in the third quarter. According to the campaign, the average donation was $30.
His campaign hit 1 million individual donations in September, becoming the first 2016 campaign to reach that milestone.
Meanwhile, Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton raised $28 million in the third quarter, and 93 percent of her donations were $100 or less. Her campaign raised approximately $5.2 million from donations of $200 or less, and $16 million from max-out donors.
This story has been updated to include more details about Clinton's donations.
Also on HuffPost:Bob's Burgers Has Some Amazing Guest Stars Lined Up For Season 6 By Eric Eisenberg Random Article Blend
This afternoon, the likes of show creator
Though he was actually the last name to be revealed, Paul Rudd was arguably the most exciting name revealed during the panel – partially because his character was the only one that was identified with a bit of context. According to Loren Bouchard, an upcoming episode will feature Tina getting the chance to ride a horse for the first time, and the revelation that she has an imaginary horse friend in her name Jericho. It’s this imaginary horse friend who will be voiced by
Henry Winkler is certainly no stranger to television, thanks to a resume that is highlighted with titles like Happy Days,
When it comes to voice-over roles, Steve Buscemi is no novice either, having had notable roles in movies like Monsters Inc. and
We haven’t heard Wanda Sykes doing a voice-over role since playing a school therapist on a 2013 episode of
This one is a bit more iffy, as it was hard to make out over the sound of the crowd applauding the list of names being announced, but unless I’m mistaken, we can expect at least three members of the series Flight of the Conchords to appear on this season of Bob’s Burgers - specifically the great Jermaine Clement, Bret McKenzie, and Rhys Darby. It would make sense that they appear on the show, if not only because both Kristen Schall and Eugene Merman had regular roles on their shortlived HBO series, not to mention the fact that their musical stylings match up perfectly with the animated show.
These are the big new names that were mentioned during the Bob’s Burgers In the five years that it has been on the air, Bob’s Burgers has featured a number of very awesome guest stars – from Jon Hamm, to Zach Galifianakis, to Patton Oswalt – and the next season will be no different. In fact, the show has some truly fantastic names lined up for Season 6, and many of them were just announced at San Diego Comic-Con this afternoon.This afternoon, the likes of show creator Loren Bouchard, H. Jon Benjamin (Bob), Jon Waters (Linda), Dan Mintz (Tina), Kristen Schaal (Louise), Eugene Merman (Gene), Larry Muphy (Teddy), and developer/producer Jim Dautrieve all joined together on a Bob’s Burgers panel at San Diego Comic-Con, and it was while answering fan questions that the group announced some amazing guest voices who will be featured in upcoming episodes of the show. So who are these fantastic people? Read on to find out!Though he was actually the last name to be revealed,was arguably the most exciting name revealed during the panel – partially because his character was the only one that was identified with a bit of context. According to Loren Bouchard, an upcoming episode will feature Tina getting the chance to ride a horse for the first time, and the revelation that she has an imaginary horse friend in her name Jericho. It’s this imaginary horse friend who will be voiced by Rudd is certainly no stranger to television, thanks to a resume that is highlighted with titles like Happy Days, Arrested Development, and Children’s Hospital, but he will expand his tenure on the small screen by voicing a character on the sixth season of Bob’s Burgers. We don’t know what role he will be playing just yet, but the good news is that he’s voice is so identifiable that we should be able to figure out who he is the second his character opens his mouth.When it comes to voice-over roles,is no novice either, having had notable roles in movies like Monsters Inc. and Monster House, and he will have the chance to lend his pipes to another character when he plays a character on Bob’s Burgers. Again, we don’t know exactly who he will be playing, or when he will be showing up during the season, but we anticipate that we will be able to recognize him immediately.We haven’t hearddoing a voice-over role since playing a school therapist on a 2013 episode of The Simpsons, but later this year she will be jumping over to a different animated series on Fox. Given that she is exactly the kind of actor that Bob’s Burgers loves to feature, it’s surprising that her cameo this season will only be her first time on the show, but we hope that she winds up being a welcome addition for her episode, and possibly a regular.This one is a bit more iffy, as it was hard to make out over the sound of the crowd applauding the list of names being announced, but unless I’m mistaken, we can expect at least three members of the series Flight of the Conchords to appear on this season of Bob’s Burgers - specifically the great. It would make sense that they appear on the show, if not only because both Kristen Schall and Eugene Merman had regular roles on their shortlived HBO series, not to mention the fact that their musical stylings match up perfectly with the animated show.These are the big new names that were mentioned during the Bob’s Burgers San Diego Comic-Con panel, but they surely won’t be the only actors who pop up in the upcoming Season 6. So stay tuned, and listen closely! Blended From Around The Web Facebook
Back to topSAD-BJP alliance on Wednesday swept the civic polls in Punjab as it won 1,161 seats out of results declared in 2,037 wards, with Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal describing the verdict as mandate in favour of "pro-people" and "development oriented policies" of the state government.
Out of 2,037 wards in 122 municipal councils and Nagar Panchayats, SAD wrested control on 813 wards while its ally BJP won 348 wards, as per election results declared late evening. The Congress which was looking to strengthen its position in these elections won 253 wards while Independents were victorious on 624 seats, an official of Punjab Election Commission said.
There was a clean sweep for SAD in Amritsar, Moga, Tarn Taran and Mohali while Congress was able to gain majority in Nurmahal, Khanna, Doraha, Patran, Malerkotla, Abohar, Gidderbaha and Nawanshahar towns. BJP led in the wards of Ferozepur, Fazilka, Mukerian, Dasuya, Nangal, Tanda, Rajpura, Deenanagar and Sujanpur. BSP won three seats each in Nakodar, Nurmahal and Bhai Roopa while PPP won one seat in Phillaur and two in Gobindgarh, as per the results.
Interestingly, in Tarn Taran where SAD and BJP were in direct fight, Akalis won on 16 wards while BJP managed to win 7 seats out of 23 wards. Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal hailed the victory of Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP alliance in the elections of Municipal Councils and Nagar Panchayats in the state.
Describing it as a mandate in favour of pro-people and development-oriented policies of SAD-BJP government, the Chief Minister in a statement said that the victory of the alliance has once again demonstrated people's full faith and confidence in the policies and programmes of the alliance government. He said that poll results were a "triumph of clean, transparent and good governance of alliance over the "malicious propaganda" based on divisive politics and dirty tactics applied by the Congress.
Reacting to the poll results, Punjab BJP President Kamal Sharma termed the victory of the SAD-BJP combine as victory of the democracy and development agenda pursued by the ruling alliance. Earlier, polling to 122 municipal councils and nagar panchayats today passed off peacefully barring stray incidents at some booths of Samana and Ferozepur. Despite inclement weather conditions, the total polling in the civic polls was registered at 78.60%, said SS Brar, State Election Commissioner. Maximum polling was witnessed in Bathinda (87.11%), Barnala (82%), Fatehgarh Sahib (80.55%), Moga (85.18%), Mansa (85.60%) and Sangrur (82.71%).Right off the bat, let’s get it clear that both parties are now denying this ever happened, but still, the story came from somewhere.
According to a CNN story out today, however, there was some point in time where President Trump’s most loyal gimp with Fox News, Sean Hannity, pulled a gun on Juan Williams, another Fox News personality.
The CNN piece first talks about Hannity’s love of puffing out his chest at people over the internet who disagree with or don’t support Trump.
Hannity, Trump’s biggest backer on television, has said this is entertainment for him: “I am a counterpuncher,” he told one Twitter user who asked why he was so antagonistic. “I do not start fights but I finish them. This is pure entertainment for me. If people take cheap shots I hit back.” Still, Hannity’s version of entertainment can go too far. Last year, after ending one of his many spirited on-air arguments with liberal contributor Juan Williams, Hannity pulled out a gun and pointed it directly at Williams, according to three sources with knowledge of the incident. He even turned on the laser sight, causing a red dot to bob around on Williams’ body. (Hannity was just showing off, the sources said, but the unforeseen off-camera antic clearly disturbed Williams and others on set.) For the record: Hannity’s colleagues brought the Williams incident to the attention of Fox News executives, though it’s not clear whether anything came of it. The sources said it went to Bill Shine, the network’s co-president and longtime Fox News executive, who is Hannity’s longtime friend and a former producer. A Fox News spokesperson said the incident was referred to the legal and human resources departments.
Ok. That’s really messed up.
Fox News released a statement to CNNMoney and said that after investigating, they determined that no one was in any danger, at any time.
The statement also read that Hannity has handled guns since he was 11 years old and is currently licensed to carry in five states.
That’s all well and good, but if he pointed a gun at anyone, he violated his training.
You don’t point a gun at anyone, unless you are prepared to use it.
And I’ll say this: I don’t know where this story originated. CNN’s version mentioned three sources with knowledge of the incident and said there were others who were made uncomfortable by the events.
It also seems a tad “off-ish” to immediately rush out statements from both parties at this time, which is what happened.
“While discussing the issue of firearms, I showed my good friend Juan Williams my unloaded firearm in a professional and safe manner for educational purposes only,” Hannity’s statement read. “Every precautionary procedure that I have been trained in since the age of 11 was followed. I’ve had a conceal carry permit in five states for all of my adult life. Any other interpretation of this is outright false reporting.” “This incident is being sensationalized — everything was under total control throughout and I never felt like I was put in harm’s way,” Williams’ statement read. “It was clear that Sean put my safety and security above all else and we continue to be great friends.”
Neither said he didn’t point a gun.
But they’re great friends. They want you to know that.
As Hannity’s online persona becomes more and more unhinged, it becomes easier to believe this sort of thing may have happened.
It’s a curious story, so I’ll just let you decide if it sounds plausible.UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey will put her title on the line Feb. 22 against fellow Olympian Sara McMann Ahead of the matchup, Rousey’s teammate Shayna Baszler joined the Sherdog Radio Network’s “Beatdown” show to discuss Rousey’s judo versus McMann’s wrestling and much more.“It’s a really quick turnaround, so she had about a week where she took some time off and didn’t have to do two-a-days every day for a bit and kind of relaxed after her last fight and then was right back in the camp. It was just long enough to take a short mental break but not long enough that she got out of shape or anything like that. She’s been charging it hard. … I’ve been having to pretend to be Sara McMann and hop around like Sara McMann does and get caught and beat up. Ronda’s looking sharp. It sounds so cliché, and of course I’m going to say this training with her and stuff, but her boxing [and] everything looks better than she’s ever looked.”“She’s paying special attention to her hands because she’s grappled her whole entire life. She’s paid special attention to make up for the gap, and I think it showed in her last fight. I think she’s really going to showcase everything she has for this fight.”“She has the best clinch in women’s MMA. As far as using it for her game plan, she has the best. If anyone ties up with her, they’re landing on their ass. I don’t care who it is.”“Everyone knows Ronda’s strength is tossing you from a high tie-up. I think what’s interesting about this matchup that maybe people don’t know is that yes, [in] wrestling, you shoot doubles and singles and you shoot low, but that’s not really part of Sara’s game. Even in her wrestling, she reached for a single, but … most of her throws come from that tie-up, tossing people around, slamming them. I really think if the distance gets closed, it’s going to be a high tie-up. On the chance that she times it right and gets a low shot off on Ronda, Ronda has an answer for her there too. The head wrestling coach at [Glendale Fighting Club] is a three-time Olympian in wrestling. She’s going to be seeing a lot of the same looks, and I’m going to go so far as to say men’s wrestling at the Olympic level is far more competitive than the women’s wrestling. She might be getting even better looks, by some accounts. She’s got answers.”“I’m one of the few people that doesn’t call the armbar because I train with Ronda enough to know that isn’t the only thing she has. That’s just the thing no one can stop. I really want Ronda to do something else just to show people she has other stuff, but if plan A works, why switch to plan B for no reason?”Legacy Fighting Alliance has an all Texas month planned for March, starting with San Antonio on March 10. LFA 6 will be headlined by a heated local rivalry between two accomplished Texas featherweights. BJJ Black Belt, Rivaldo Junior (15-6-2), will take on “The Judge” Ray Rodriguez (11-4) in the crosstown rivalry.
Co-headlining the card, former Legacy FC middleweight title challenger, Larry Crowe (9-6), taking on highly-touted prospects Eryk Anders (6-0). Anders is a San Antonio native who gained national notoriety by playing football at NCAA Division I powerhouse, University of Alabama.
Also on the main card, the return of BJJ World Champion Mackenzie Dern (2-0). Dern will face Katherine Roy (1-0). Roy is a U.S. Army SGT veteran and 2015 Golden Gloves champion. She comes into this fight fresh off a successful professional MMA debut last summer in the Philippines.
The main card will air on AXS TV at 9 pm ET on Friday, March 10. Check out the rest of the card below.
Fight Card (Subject to Change):
Main Card (AXS TV)
145 – Rivaldo Junior (15-6-1) vs Ray Rodriguez (11-4)
185 – Jon Kirk (19-13) vs Eryk Anders (6-0)
115 – Mackenzie Dern (2-0) vs Katherine Roy (1-0)
HVY – Willian Hoffmann (8-2) vs Richard Odoms (11-3)
145 – Gleidson Moraes (5-2) vs Dimitre Ivy (6-30)
170 – Arthur Ashton (2-1) vs Anthony Ivy (2-1)
Prelims
Amateur 145 – Billy Walker (8-3) vs Damion Alfaro (4-1)
Amateur 135 – Jonathan Gomez (0-1) vs Patrick Ferguson (Debut)
Amateur 155 – Tomas Suarez (Debut) vs Marcell Mickens (2-1)SAN ANTONIO - A bill allowing the medical use of cannabis in Texas is set for a hearing in the Texas Legislature on Tuesday.
The bipartisan House Bill 2107 authorizes "the possession, use, cultivation, distribution, transportation, and delivery of medical cannabis for medical use by qualifying patients with certain debilitating medical conditions and the licensing of dispensing organizations and testing facilities; authorizing fees.”
The bill, authored by Rep. Eddie Lucio III, D-Brownsville, Rep. James White, R-Hillister, Rep. Jason Isaac, R-Dripping Springs, and Rep. Ron Simmons, R-Carrollton, would expand on the current Compassionate Use Act
READ: What is the Compassionate Use Act?
Testimony will be heard during the hearing.
Those for and against the bill will have the opportunity to speak to the committee for two minutes each.
If the bill is considered, it will then go to the House floor for consideration.
LEARN: How does the Legislative process work?
Below is a link to our special look at the debate over medical marijuana legislation in Texas:
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Copyright 2017 by KSAT - All rights reserved.Parliament approved the fund’s rules by 464 votes to 131 with 19 abstentions. The vote marks the end of a rapid legislative process, demonstrating Parliament's commitment to the plan.
Research and networks budgets shielded
Parliament sought to improve the financing structure of the plan’s guarantee fund, the fund's governance rules, its working arrangements and its democratic accountability. The key achievements were:
scaling back cuts in the EU’s “Horizon2020” research and innovation programme and Connecting Europe Facility (CEF – to link up Europe’s energy, transport and digital networks) by €1 billion. Horizon 2020 and CEF, two of the three sources of financing for the EU guarantee backing the plan, will now contribute €2.2 billion and €2.8 billion respectively, i.e. €500 million each less than was originally proposed,
ensuring that the €1 billion salvaged for the programmes will be paid for out of the unused budget margins of 2014 and 2015,
winning the right for Parliament to approve the appointment of the managing director and the deputy managing director the investment fund,
stipulating that the list of approved projects will be public, and
requiring that a set of project selection criteria and a list of project goals be drawn up to ensure that projects selected are in line with the general priorities of the Union.
For all the details on the compromise, please see the background note.
Rapporteurs’ quotes
Budgets Committee rapporteur José Manuel Fernandes (EPP, PT), said "The Juncker Plan is an innovative instrument that will give a major boost to investment in Europe. €240 billion from the plan will go to investments, and €75 billion will go to the backbone of our economy: the small and medium-sized enterprises that provide two thirds of private sector jobs and make up 99% of businesses in Europe. Politicians don't create jobs, but we can help those who do".
Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee rapporteur Udo Bullmann (S&D, DE), said "The European Parliament paved the way for the investments that Europe urgently needs. We ensured that the EU invests in modernizing its economy, instead of taking us back to the past. For the first time, these investments will be explicitly recognized in the context of the Stability and Growth Pact, rather than being penalized by it. In addition, we put an end to the politics of concealment – responsibilities are clearly assigned and the European Parliament is democratically involved in appointing the managing director".
Next steps
Now that Parliament has approved the rules, the Council of Ministers needs to do likewise. The Council confirmed its provisional agreement with Parliament on 9 June and is expected to give its final approval in a written procedure soon. The Juncker Plan regulation then enters into force at the start of July, and the fund is expected to be fully operational by September.
Background
Presented last November, the Juncker Plan aims to create a European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI) made up of €5 billion capital from the European Investment Bank (EIB) and a €16 billion guarantee fund. The guarantee fund is, to receive €8 billion from the EU budget, out of which the EIB may be paid in the event of a call on the guarantee. Parliament and Council hammered out a compromise on the Commission’s original proposal in eight three-way meetings between 20 April and 4 June.
Procedure: Co-decisionNorth Dakota has just become the first state to legalize police use of drones equipped with “less than lethal” weapons, including rubber bullets, Tasers, tear gas, pepper spray and sound cannons. Now, police will be able to remotely fire on people in North Dakota from drones, much as the CIA fires on people in other countries.
Although drones in North Dakota will be limited to “less than lethal” weapons, some of these devices can cause injury or even death, according to Christof Heyns, United Nations special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions. He reported that rubber bullets, water cannons and tear gas have resulted in injury and death. “The danger is that law enforcement officials may argue that the weapons that they use are labeled ‘less lethal’ and then fail to assess whether the level of force is not beyond that required,” Heyns wrote. The Guardian reports that at least 39 people have been killed by Tasers as far in 2015.
Heyns warned the U.N. General Assembly that the use of armed drones by law enforcement could threaten human rights. “An armed drone, controlled by a human from a distance, can hardly do what police officers are supposed to do—use the minimum force required by the circumstances,” he said.
Drone manufacturers in North Dakota lobbied hard to stymie efforts that would have required police to obtain warrants before using drones. Al Frazier, a sheriff’s deputy who pilots drones, revealed their motivation. He told The Daily Beast, “I think when you’re trying to stimulate an industry in your state, you don’t want things that would potentially have a chilling effect on [drone] manufacturers.”
When North Dakota police suspected Rodney Brossart of cattle rustling, they asked Homeland Security to use a Predator drone to fly over his land. Predator drones are also used by the CIA to conduct surveillance and drop bombs in Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia, Iraq and Syria. The police, who didn’t get a warrant to fly over Brossart’s land, used evidence gathered from the drone surveillance to prosecute him. Brossart was convicted of terrorizing, preventing arrest and failing to comply with the law for stray animals.
The Supreme Court has not yet decided whether police must obtain a warrant before using drones. In California v. Ciraolo, the court upheld the warrantless use of a fixed-wing aircraft at an altitude of 1,000 feet to peer into a private, fenced backyard and identify marijuana plants because “any member of the public flying in this airspace who glanced down could have seen everything that these officers observed.” The court noted that no warrant is needed for what is “visible to the naked eye.” The justices reached the same result in Florida v. Riley, in which officers saw marijuana plants in a greenhouse from a helicopter 400 feet above.
But in Kyllo v. United States, the court held that the police need a warrant to use a thermal imaging device that measures the temperature of the roof of a house to detect the growing of marijuana inside. Justice Antonin Scalia wrote for the majority that if the government could freely collect any information “emanating from a house,” we would be “at the mercy of advancing technology—including imaging technology that could discern all human activity in the home.” The majority thought it significant that the technology used in Kyllo was “a device that is not in general public use.”
It is unclear how the court will apply these cases to the use of drones, which could be used to conduct long-term surveillance of private property with imaging systems that pick up much more detail than the naked eye.
Fourteen states have enacted legislation that limits how the police can use drones. But, “in the states that don’t require warrants, it’s pretty much a Wild West,” Jay Stanley, senior policy analyst with the ACLU’s Speech, Privacy and Technology Project, told the National Journal.
Drones are increasingly used for surveillance in the United States.
The U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP), which patrols almost half the Mexican border with drones, has loaned its drones to local agencies and other national agencies, according to the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF). Drones were used 700 times for domestic surveillance between 2010 and 2012.
Stanley cautions against government use of drones for mass surveillance. In my book “Drones and Targeted Killing: Legal, Moral, and Geopolitical Issues,” he writes:
Police and government agencies, meanwhile, are likely to seek to use this technology for pervasive, suspicionless mass surveillance. To begin with, there is a long history of government agencies seeking to engage in mass surveillance, from the Cold War spying abuses to today’s deployment of license plate scanners and surveillance cameras in our public places, to the sweeping NSA programs that were revealed by Edward Snowden.
Stanley warns about discriminatory targeting of people of color, citing the experience in Britain where black people were 1½ to 2½ times more likely to be the subject of surveillance than the percentage of their numbers in the general population would indicate.
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Stanley cites the Electronic Frontier Foundation’s revelation of CBP documents that suggest the CBP will use “non-lethal weapons designed to immobilize TOIs [targets of interest].” But, he thinks, “there is good reason to think that, once current controversies subside and the spotlight of public attention shifts elsewhere, we will see a push for drones armed with lethal weapons.”
The private use of drones can also be quite threatening.
Augustine Lehecka was enjoying a San Diego County beach with friends when a drone flew a few feet above them, its four blades whirring, its camera rotating from side to side. Lehecka said, “We had like a peeping Tom. I felt threatened.”
So Lehecka threw his T-shirt at the drone, it hit the propeller and the drone fell to the ground. He was arrested for felony vandalism, and after spending the night in jail and posting $10,000 bail, Lechecka was released without charge. The incident caused a San Diego Union-Tribune columnist to write an article titled “We should pin a medal on that drone downer’s shirt.”
In response to Lehecka’s arrest, the Encinitas City Council is considering local regulation of drones. John Herron, who urged the council to take action, told a San Diego Union-Tribune reporter that his 3½-year-old son had been terrified by a low-flying drone, saying, “Once my son saw the drone, he became visibly scared... he told me he wanted to leave the park.”
Children in Yemen and Pakistan are also terrorized by U.S. drones, which hover above their communities for hours at a time, according to the study “Living Under Drones,” published by Stanford and New York University law schools. The constant buzzing of the drone is terrifying. Medea Benjamin spoke to people in Waziristan, Pakistan, many of whom “live in a state of constant fear.” She wrote in “Drones and Targeted Killing,” “Residents I met with said they had a hard time sleeping, that many people suffer from depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, and that there is widespread use of antidepressants and anti-anxiety medication.” She added, “They also reported a spate of suicides, something they said never existed before.”
William Merideth downed a drone with a shotgun, claiming it was flying over his property near Louisville, Ky. He said, “I had no way of knowing [if] it was a predator looking at my children.” Charged with first-degree endangerment and criminal mischief, Merideth was released on $2,500 bond and is due to return to court in September. The operator of the drone was not charged with any offense.
The Federal Aviation Administration issued proposed regulations on drone use earlier this year. Drones would not be allowed to fly over people unless they are directly involved with the flight. The rules would apply to drones that weigh 55 pounds or less. Drone flights could take place only during the daytime. They would be limited to an altitude of 500 feet and speeds of 100 mph. And they could not fly near airports or restricted airspace. The operator would have to maintain eye contact with the drone at all times.
It could take years for these regulations to be implemented. Meanwhile, the FAA has reported 700 near misses between airplanes and drones in U.S. airspace so far this year. Some of the drones have been flying at high altitudes—10,000 feet or more.
Twenty-six states have passed laws regulating the use of drones, and six more states have adopted resolutions. Issues addressed in these laws include defining what a drone is, the manner in which they can be used by law enforcement and other state agencies, how they can be used by the general public, and how they can be used to hunt game.
In February, the White House began requiring government agencies to inform the public where federal agencies fly drones, how frequently, and what information they secure from drone use.
Two federal bills are pending: in the Senate, The Protecting Individuals From Mass Surveillance Act, and in the House, Preserving American Privacy Act. The Senate bill would require a warrant before federal law enforcement officers could use drones and manned aircraft, but it carves out an exemption within 25 miles of the border, and it wouldn’t bind state or municipal agencies. The House bill would require warrants to conduct state or federal drone surveillance with some exceptions. Evidence obtained in violation of both these bills would be inadmissible in court.
Given the significant invasion of privacy occasioned by the use of drones by law enforcement, warrants should be mandatory before using them for surveillance. And weaponized drones of any sort should be outlawed.Recently on Twitter people were discussing the Lindiwe Mazibuko saga where she was debased in parliament with the following comment ‘...while the Hon Mazibuko may be a person of substantial weight, her stature is questionable”’ and I took on a few people who agreed with the comments made about her. To them, it matters not that she is highly educated, well-spoken and intelligent. What matters? The fact that she’s overweight and these three individuals thought her inferior because of this fact.
Why? “Oh, it’s soooo unhealthy” Really? Since when do thin people have a monopoly on good health? If fat people are so unhealthy then why are there so many of us around?
Why is it anyone else’s business anyway? Do they go up to smokers and tell them it’s unhealthy? Would they dare to inform drinkers that alcohol is bad for their health? So, why then is it okay to take the moral high ground with overweight people for their perceived unhealthy lifestyle?
I, and presumably other super-size people, like to think it’s jealousy that our skinny sisters berate us, put us down and constantly undermine us but I suspect the reason is rather more complex than that. Our entire western culture has made the ‘fat stigma” quite okay.
An advert for a popular cereal has thin women stepping onto a scale in public but instead of numbers the scale has words on it. “Confident”, “Radiant” and “Shine”, directly implying that only thin women can be confident, radiant and have shine. (What do they mean by “shine” anyway? Stoopid ad) Another advert, by the same company, implies that confident, light-hearted fun can only be achieved by weight-loss.
Since when did body-shaming become acceptable? Comedians, having now learned that racial jokes can get them sued and making fun of the disabled is rightfully frowned upon still somehow get away with making ‘fat jokes’. Almost every sit-com has the token fat girl (or guy) as comic relief. Hollywood has type-cast the “fat girl” as disgusting, slutty or morally dubious. (Think “Bridesmaids”, “Identity Thief” and “Shallow Hal”) One could argue misogyny as there is a world of difference between the roles for fat guys vs fat girls. John Goodman? Great actor. Famous for “The Big Lebowski”, “Argo” and “Beyond the Sea”. Melissa McCarthy (of “Mike and Molly” fame) has recently had to fend off comments from a critic for being “tractor sized” and a “‘Hippo”. Would any critic dare to call John Goodman a ‘hippo’? Probably not. Of course Hollywood stereotyping and misogyny could probably be a whole new blog all on it’s own but I think my point is made.
Every other week in a celebrity magazine you’ll see a spread of Hollywood Lovelies where the |
in the country:
Pale Ale Torpedo Celebration Ruthless Rye 2010 5 T12 T7 N/A 2011 10 T8 7 N/A 2012 4 9 7 12 2013 15 T12 T9 8 2014 12 20 T15 21 2015 T12 T12 T28 N/A
I recognize many voters in the Zymurgy poll are potentially and most likely American Homebrewers Association members, so we can assume they’re knowledgable about beer and recognize the place that Pale Ale and Torpedo hold in the pantheon of craft beer. Perhaps that’s why they’re not going away? They’re also good beers, but this is not how “best beer” lists typically work.
Ultimately, Dogfish and Sierra Nevada’s situations seem pretty straight forward, given the wide range of new, competing beers hitting store shelves these days.
Whew. That’s a lot of rankings. Deep breath.
Per usual, this information reinforces many of our general assumptions about the beer consumer: they’re looking for new, they value specific styles and ABVs and they most likely buy into hype surrounding more famous products.
But what do you think?
Related: What Zymurgy’s “Best Beers” Ranking Tells Us About “Boring” Beer (2014)
Bryan Roth
“Don’t drink to get drunk. Drink to enjoy life.” — Jack Kerouac
AdvertisementsAn Android control code vulnerability originally reported as a Samsung problem in fact appears to affect most smartphones and UMTS tablets running Ice Cream Sandwich (version 4.0.x) or earlier versions of Android. Google updated the dialling software code in version 4.1.1 so that control codes are no longer executed automatically.
Most diallers based on the original Android dialler are therefore likely to be affected by the vulnerability. Reader comments on heise Security, The H's associates in Germany, bear this out, suggesting that some devices from almost every manufacturer are vulnerable. While it was originally thought that Sony (formerly Sony Ericsson) devices appear to be affected only where alternative firmware, such as CyanogenMod, is installed, there now have been reports that the original firmware is also vulnerable. On non-modded Sony devices, a dedicated Sony dialler takes care of control codes.
The current version of Android (4.1.x "Jelly Bean") is installed on only 1.2% of all active Android devices, largely due to the continued, and likely continuing, unavailability of updates to Jelly Bean for devices.
The problem with control codes is that the dialler executes them without requiring confirmation, whether they are typed into the on-screen keyboard by the user or passed to the dialler from a tel: URL on a web page. Whilst some codes are harmless, such as *#06# which merely displays the phone's 15 digit IMEI number, other codes can cause the SIM card to be irrevocably blocked. Samsung smartphones even support a code which runs a factory reset, deleting all user data stored on the phone. According to reports, other manufacturers such as HTC may have integrated similar commands.
The diversity of methods for addressing the dialler means that control codes can lurk almost anywhere – on web sites, in HTML emails, in WAP push messages and even in QR codes. How manufacturers will respond to the problem remains unclear. Users of older devices in particular should not get their hopes up that the manufacturer of their devices will release a security patch.
As exploitation of the vulnerability is trivial and details have been circulating online for some time, device users would be ill-advised to wait for a response from the manufacturer. The H advises users to install one of the many apps for blocking control code execution which are now available. TelStop and NoTelURL have now been joined by G Data's USSD Filter. Installing an alternative browser can also prevent execution of tel: URLs on web pages, but does not protect users from control codes in QR codes or elsewhere.
See also:
(djwm)By Jake Donovan
Gennady Golovkin’s three-round destruction of former middleweight titlist Daniel Geale drew huge accolades among the media and fans alike, but the overall show proved to be a huge dropoff in terms of cementing his star power.
The July 26 show, which aired live on HBO from Madison Square Garden in New York City, pulled in an average of 758,000 live viewers, according to Nielsen Media Research. When factoring in DVR first-time viewings, the show crept closer to 1 million viewers (984,000, with a peak audience of 1.048 million), but became the first major fight for HBO to fail to hit the ‘two-comma’ mark since late January.
The televised co-feature saw Bryant Jennings earn a split decision over Mike Perez in an awkward 12-round battle between unbeaten heavyweights. Their bout drew a dismal 602,000 live viewers, and 714,000 viewers when factoring in DVR first-time viewings, peaking at 780,000 viewers.
The ratings result is a massive decline from Golovkin’s last appearance on HBO. The unbeaten middleweight knockout artist from Kazakhstan scored the third highest-rated event of any cable-televised boxing event in 2013, when his 8th round stoppage of Curtis Stevens drew more than 1.4 million viewers last November.
Golovkin’s win over Geale marked as his first stateside fight on the year, with his lone ring appearance on the year taking place overseas in Monte Carlo, which aired in virtually every other country around the world except the United States. The streaking middleweight titlist was due to return to the ring in April, but was forced to withdraw due to the untimely passing of his father.
Last weekend’s headliner was Golovkin’s debut in the main room at Madison Square Garden, following three appearances in the venue’s accompanying Theatre in 2013. A respectable crowd of more than 8,500 fans filed in for the building’s first major show since Miguel Cotto–who has sold more tickets at Madison Square Garden than any other fighter in the 21st Century–scored a historic 9th round knockout of Sergio Martinez to claim the lineal middleweight championship in June.
With the eye-catching performance by Golovkin last weekend, fans have naturally clamored for a head-on collision with Cotto. Many consider such a matchup to be between the true middleweight champ (Cotto) and the best middleweight in the world (Golovkin).
Golovkin (30-0, 27KOs) has now scored knockouts in 17 straight fights, along with racking up the 11th defense of his alphabet middleweight title.
The July 26 card was HBO’s first offering since Terence Crawford’s thrilling 9th round knockout of Yuriorkis Gamboa on June 28, which previously served as the second most-watched cable fight of 2014.
HBO’s next offering comes this Saturday, when Sergey Kovalev makes his second headlining appearance on the network. The unbeaten light heavyweight titlist–whose in-ring ferocity, like Golovkin, has made him a cult favorite–faces unbeaten Blake Caparrelo in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
The bout serves as the final leg of a split site tripleheader, with the rest of the show airing live from The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas. Brandon Rios faces Diego Chaves (pending visa approval) and Jessie Vargas defending his 140 lb. belt versus Anton Novikov in a matchup of unbeaten super lightweights.
Jake Donovan is the Managing Editor of BoxingScene.com, as well as the Records Keeper for the Transnational Boxing Ratings Board and a member of Boxing Writers Association of America. Twitter: @JakeNDaBoxAt the 52nd anniversary of the Urban League luncheon, all four candidates for Rochester’s mayoral seat got to share their vision for the city.
The event wasn’t a debate, but simply an opportunity for candidates to state their plans if elected to become Mayor of Rochester.
Candidates were each given 15 minutes to speak and no questions were asked between candidates or the audience.
Alex White was first up, representing the Green Party. He touched on initiatives he wanted to implement such as better public transportation and more summer jobs for teens, with program that would extend into the fall for participants.
"I also intend to pay each of them a stipend during the school year if they attend school every day and don’t get in trouble."
He also mentioned the need to prepare for a changing climate.
"We know that we're running out of crude oil. We know that there’s less of it in the ground every year. We know prices are going to rise."
Republican Tony Micciche focused on crime in the city, but that it can be subjective.
"If you live on Winton Road, your crime is probably pretty low. If you live on Avenue D, or Thurston Road, or Otis Road, not so much."
He stressed an effort to make neighborhoods tight knit once again by investing in neighborhood schools.
"The neighborhoods don’t have identity anymore. People used to say I’m from Charlotte, I’m from the 19th Ward or Winton Road area."
The only independent candidate running, Lori Thomas shared a plan that centered on community building, co-ops, small business investment, and tiny house neighborhoods.
"I want to make Rochester a place where people live, work, learn, cooperate, and freely participate in their governance with a genuine concern for their community and our city."
Thomas added there should be more flexibility to work from home as a way to earn a living that could reduce childcare costs. She also mentioned neighborhood identity.
"Every neighborhood in Rochester has a unique cultural aspect that can be cultivated into a part of our city's landscape."
Mayor Lovely Warren closed out the speeches, defending her last three and a half years in the mayor’s seat, but stressing there is still work to be done.
"As leaders in both government and our community, we have to accept that the old ways of doing things are gone."
Warren highlighted the new transportation she’s brought to town with Uber and Zagster, while mentioning the need to attack issues like poverty.
"My vision is not just about creating safer and more vibrant neighborhoods, but to make sure that our citizens can afford to live in those neighborhoods."
More information about the candidates platforms can be found on their websites.Etymology
The name "zebra" in English dates back to c. 1600, from Italian zebra, perhaps from Portuguese,[2] which in turn is said to be Congolese (as stated in the Oxford English Dictionary). The Encarta Dictionary says its ultimate origin is uncertain, but perhaps it may come from Latin equiferus meaning "wild horse"; from equus ("horse") and ferus ("wild, untamed").[3] The word was traditionally pronounced with a long initial vowel, but over the course of the 20th century, the pronunciation with the short initial vowel became the usual one in the UK and Commonwealth.[4] The pronunciation with a long initial vowel remains standard in the United States. A group of zebras are referred to as a herd, dazzle, or zeal.[5]
Taxonomy and evolution
Physical attributes
Ecology and behavior
Harems Zebras Like most members of the horse family, zebras are highly social. Their social structure, however, depends on the species. Mountain zebras and plains zebras live in groups, known as 'harems', consisting of one stallion with up to six mares and their foals. Bachelor males either live alone or with groups of other bachelors until they are old enough to challenge a breeding stallion. When attacked by packs of hyenas or wild dogs a zebra group will huddle together with the foals in the middle while the stallion tries to ward them off. Unlike the other zebra species, Grévy's zebras do not have permanent social bonds. A group of these zebras rarely stays together for more than a few months. The foals stay with their mothers, while adult males live alone. Like the other two zebra species, bachelor male zebras will organize in groups. Like horses, zebras sleep standing up, and only sleep when neighbors are around to warn them of predators. Communication Zebra feeding on grass Zebras communicate with each other with high-pitched barks and whinnying. Grévy's zebras make mulelike brays. A zebra's ears signify its mood. When a zebra is in a calm, tense or friendly mood, its ears stand erect. When it is frightened, its ears are pushed forward. When angry, the ears are pulled backward. When surveying an area for predators, zebras will stand in an alert posture with ears erect, head held high, and staring. When tense, they will also snort. When a predator is spotted or sensed, a zebra will bark (or bray) loudly. Food and foraging Burchell's zebra drinking at a waterhole at Etosha National Park Zebras feed almost entirely on grasses, but may occasionally eat shrubs, herbs, twigs, leaves and bark. Their digestive systems allow them to subsist on diets of lower nutritional quality than that necessary for other herbivores. Reproduction Further information: Plains zebra § Reproduction, and Grévy's zebra § Reproduction Female zebras mature earlier than the males, and a mare may have her first foal by the age of three. Males are not able to breed until the age of five or six. Mares may give birth to one foal every twelve months. She nurses the foal for up to a year. Like horses, zebras are able to stand, walk and suckle shortly after they are born. A zebra foal is brown and white instead of black and white at birth. Plains and mountain zebra foals are protected by their mothers, as well as the head stallion and the other mares in their group. Grévy's zebra foals have only their mother as a regular protector, since, as noted above, Grévy's zebra groups often disband after a few months.
Interaction with humans
See also
ReferencesBig News!!! We're in Beta, Teaser for LoG2 and LoG iOS!
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Big news indeed! Oh boy we’re super-excited to tell you that we are now officially in BETA! And it’s about time! We have been burning the midnight oil for so long that all our dreams are now filled with visions directly from the Isle of Nex. The game, a raw diamond which we have been carefully chiseling and polishing so long, is now finally coming together and it’s starting to feel really good. That doesn’t mean that the work ends here. Beta is actually a beginning, a beginning to make the game meet all your high expectations. It’s time to balance all the thousands of gameplay parameters and finetune the gui and optimize the game, and… You get the point! All the features we’ve planned are in and just waiting for some TLC
But before you mail us offering to kindly join the beta-test team… It’s going to be a closed beta again, sorry. Closed beta worked really well with LoG1 and we’re looking to repeat the process. By giving beta access to a carefully selected group of people, we can personally interact with the testers much better and thus get better and more accurate feedback.
The game has been playable from the beginning to the end for some time now and now that we have had one complete playthrough and several cheated speed-throughs we have some idea about the length of the game. It’s looking like Grimrock 2 is going to be around 25% longer than Grimrock 1 but more testing by us and our betatesters is still needed to confirm this.
Like mentioned, all the features of the game are in, but there’s still much work to do. Our Venerable List of Things To Do is constantly getting added with new entries even as we are hammering on the things at the other end of the list. But we are fighting hard to empty the list before the launch. Btw. on top of the list we have things like memory and performance optimizations and tutorial. Below that lots and lots of smaller tweaks and fixes and then of course testing, testing and more testing…
To celebrate all this, we have published a new teaser trailer for Legend of Grimrock 2. Here you go:
But that’s not all (I’ve always wanted to say that)! Many of you may be wondering what the heck happened to the iOS version of Legend of Grimrock!? And rightly so. The truth is we really, really would have liked to work on it, but there never has been enough time to truly make it happen. We care so much about the quality of our games that hiring some random dude who we do not know personally to do the porting work just did not seem right to us (no offence to “the random internetz folks!”). But now things have changed. A friend of us and a coder extraordinaire, Juha Pinola has now been working on the iOS version of Legend of Grimrock 1 for some time and the game is shaping up really well. We do not know the release date just yet other than “when it’s done” but we’ll let you know when we know, ok? The game isn’t just a direct port from the PC version of Legend of Grimrock. We have always felt that the game wouldn’t work on touch screens straight out of the box but needed a few custom mechanics to get the benefits of the touch interface.
So there you have it! No more secrets between you and us (or is there?!?). We’ll keep you posted on the progress of the iOS version and the development of Grimrock 2. We also hope to be able to soon officially announce the release date of Grimrock 2…
Be excited, be very excited!
-Juho and Petri on behalf of the Almost Human crewThe Government Railway Police (GRP) stumbled upon a booty at the Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT) at Kurla on Wednesday afternoon. The GRP officials were routinely checking passenger baggage when they found two brothers carrying Rs5.93 lakh of stolen cash, silver biscuits worth Rs55,000, three imported wrist watches worth Rs1.07 lakh and some Israeli currency. The goods and cash, collectively worth Rs7.55 lakh, were concealed in three bags.
“Sudhirkumar Baitha, 31 and his brother Lalitkumar, 19, were booked under Section 353 (assaulting government servant while discharging his duty) of IPC and seized the valuables from them,” said Shivaji Dhumal, senior PI of Kurla GRP station.
Preliminary investigation revealed that the brothers were working as domestic servants with two families residing at Nepeansea Road. Sudhirkumar was working for Shankar Seth and Lalitkumar for LB Shah, a businessman. Shah’s flat was on the 16th floor of the 30-storey Chastis Apartment. Lalitkumar left the job on July 1 when Shah allegedly refused to give him some money in advance.When Shah left for his native place in Gujarat on July 3, his servant with Sudhirkumar burgled the house.
Taking advantage of heavy rains they entered the house on July 15 around 10pm with the help of the scaffoldings and through the window. The building was under renovation. They broke open the cupboard and collected the valuables and money.
Lalitkumar revealed that they wanted to go back to Aourai, their native village in Muzzafarpur district in Bihar by the Pawan Express. During the checking at LTT, the brothers tried to run away with their bags. Suspecting foul play, assistant sub-inspector C Thombre and his staff nabbed them.
The GRP is cross checking with the Malabar Hill police whether the burglary case is registered with them.In early 2010, a group of men (and a few women) in dark suits landed in Athens. They belonged to a global institution, the International Monetary Fund, and to a pair of regional ones, the European Commission and the European Central Bank.
In early 2010, a group of men (and a few women) in dark suits landed in Athens. They belonged to a global institution, the International Monetary Fund, and to a pair of regional ones, the European Commission and the European Central Bank. Their mission was to negotiate the terms and conditions of a financial bailout of Greece. A few months later, what became known as the “troika” was dispatched to Ireland, then to Portugal, and later to Cyprus.
This endeavor was bound to have wide implications. The troika negotiated what ended up being the largest financial assistance packages ever: loans to Greece from the IMF and European partners are set to reach €240 billion ($310 billion), or 130% of the country’s 2013 GDP – far more in both absolute and relative terms than any country has ever received. Loans to Ireland (€85 billion) and Portugal (€78 billion) are also significantly bigger than those usually provided by the IMF.
Moreover, cooperation between the three institutions is unprecedented. Back in 1997-1998, during the Asian crisis, the G-7 flatly rejected Japan’s proposal for an Asian Monetary Fund. Now the IMF has even accepted a minority-lender role, with the bulk of assistance coming from the European Stability Mechanism (ESM), a new institution often viewed as an embryonic European Monetary Fund.
It is frequently argued that the size of the assistance packages is a testament to Europe’s clout within the IMF. Perhaps, but the packages are, first and foremost, a consequence of the constraints to which Europeans were (and still are) subject.
Economic adjustment is necessarily slower within a monetary union than it is for countries with their own currency, because, even for very flexible economies, prices change more slowly than the exchange rate. Delivering the same result therefore takes more time, and requires keeping countries in intensive care for longer – and at higher cost.
Three years later, the results are mixed at best. Unemployment has increased much more than anticipated and social hardship is unmistakable. There is one bright spot: Ireland, which is set to recover from an exceptionally severe financial crisis. But there is also a dark spot: Greece, where GDP has shrunk by 20% since 2009 and where the public debt/GDP ratio is now higher than anticipated at the launch of the program, despite the debt reduction negotiated with private creditors in February 2012. This is not because of a lack of fiscal consolidation. On the contrary, the Greek authorities have done more than planned on this front. But the collapse of GDP has necessarily implied a rising debt ratio, driving the country into a recessionary spiral as economic contraction forces further spending cuts.
Could the troika have done better? It was not responsible for existing monetary conditions – a currency union with a central bank focused on price stability. But European officials’ hesitant response to the crisis added to the difficulty. Prolonged controversies over the terms and conditions of assistance and the absurdly high interest rate initially set on official loans exacted a heavy toll on countries already under stress.
Furthermore, the troika made three mistakes. First, Greek debt reduction was postponed for too long. Once it became clear that the burden was unbearable, debt should have been cut expeditiously. Too many creditors were reimbursed at par on their maturing claims.
Second, the troika based its programs on overly optimistic assumptions. It misjudged the consequences of fiscal consolidation and credit constraints, underestimating the contraction of employment and overestimating exports and privatization receipts.
Finally, not unlike what happened during the Asian crisis in the late 1990’s, the troika took country cases one by one. As a result, it did not pay enough attention to cross-country spillovers and deteriorating conditions in the wider eurozone.
Should the troika survive? Its three participating institutions have different mandates and different roles. It was perhaps inevitable that initially they worked jointly; but there is reason to question such an approach now.
Operationally and financially, the IMF has become much more involved in Europe than its global shareholders deem sustainable. It should become a catalytic lender whose participation in eurozone programs remains desirable but not indispensable – giving it the possibility to disagree and walk away.
The ECB is in an odd position as well, but for different reasons. As the eurozone’s central bank, rather than a lending institution, it does not have a clear role in negotiations on behalf of creditors. If it remains in the troika, its participation should be mostly silent.
Finally, Europe should transform the ESM into a European Monetary Fund capable of providing policy assessment and advice, as well as financial assistance – possibly drawing on European Commission staff.
Beyond European specifics, the troika experiment answers a question of major importance to other parts of the world: Can the IMF cooperate with regional institutions? The answer is yes – but not easily. The troika has proved functional, and Europe would have been at pains to provide conditional assistance to eurozone countries without the IMF’s participation and support. But cooperation has proved to be difficult, if only because each participating institution has rules and constraints that are not easy to reconcile with the others’.
This column was first published here by Project Syndicate. It draws on a Bruegel report co-authored with André Sapir and Guntram Wolff.USA! USA! (AFP PHOTO / Saul Loebesal Loeb/AFP/Getty Images)
It turns out that if you have a major political party arguing that a government debt default wouldn't be that big a deal, it makes people start to wonder just how creditworthy your government really is.
That's the lesson of the decision late Tuesday by Fitch, one of the three major credit-rating firms, to put the U.S. government on "Ratings Watch Negative" for a possible downgrade of the nation's AAA credit rating. It follows an actual downgrade during the last debt ceiling standoff, in August 2011, by Standard & Poor's. That event sparked a wave of stock and bond market volatility. The Fitch analyst team has not (at this point) downgraded U.S. debt, but it is clearly threatening to do so if Congress does not raise the debt ceiling soon.
The irony in Fitch's statement resides in the pains it takes to point out the soundness of the fundamentals of the U.S. debt picture. "Fitch continues to judge that the U.S. economy (and hence tax base) remains more dynamic and resilient to shocks than its high-grade rating peers," the company's analysts write. "Fiscal and macroeconomic risks emanating from the financial sector are generally low and diminishing and becoming supportive of, rather than a drag on, economic growth."
And deficits have been coming down."The 'AAA' rating also reflects the halving of the federal budget deficit since 2010, which is now approaching a level consistent with debt stabilisation."
In other words, the United States is not facing anything resembling a traditional debt crisis, like those faced by Greece and Argentina in the recent past. This is a different sort of animal, the Fitch analysts strive to make clear -- a scenario in which it is political actors, not economic fundamentals, that are posing a risk to the creditworthiness of the world's largest economy.
At stake, the Fitch analysts argue, is nothing less than the United States' status as the anchor of the global financial system, and even, potentially, its ability to handle debt loads in the future. "The prolonged negotiations over raising the debt ceiling (following the episode in August 2011) risks undermining confidence in the role of the U.S. dollar as the preeminent global reserve currency, by casting doubt over the full faith and credit of the U.S.," write the analysts, led by Ed Parker. "This 'faith' is a key reason why the U.S. 'AAA' rating can tolerate a substantially higher level of public debt than other 'AAA' sovereigns."The Orlando Magic are going to the bullpen for the NBA Draft Lottery this year. Alex Martins, not Pat Williams will represent them on TV. Williams will be there though.
The Orlando Magic have had a run of good luck in the NBA Lottery Draft, even inspiring the league to change the rules for the Lottery.
Lately, the Magic have not had the luck they wanted. They ended up with the second pick in 2013 and got locked out of the top three in 2014, despite the odds being in their favor.
Pat Williams has been there each time, hoping to recapture the luck of the mid-1990s to grab Shaquille O’Neal and Anfernee Hardaway and the 2004 Lottery which landed them Dwight Howard. These are the seeds of a championship team.
It apparently is time for a change in luck.
Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel reports Orlando Magic CEO Alex Martins will replace executive vice president Pat Williams at the dais for the NBA Draft Lottery on May 19, a major change in the Magic’s plans for good luck. Williams will be at the Lottery, but not on TV. He will be in the room where the actual Lottery is taking place, away from TV cameras and contact with the outside world until the results are revealed on ESPN.
But the Magic have not won the right to the No. 1 pick the past two seasons in their rebuild, so they hope that moving Williams from the dais to the top-secret nerve center will do the trick. CEO Alex Martins will represent the team on the dais. “I took a strong stand in our strategy meeting,” Williams said, tongue firmly in cheek. “I’m going to have a little chat with those ping-pong balls.”
Yes, the Magic have made their decision it would appear and have gone to the bullpen after two unsuccessful trips to New York during this rebuild. The Magic sure could use a top pick to jump start the rebuild with the most elite talent the Draft has to offer.
Of course, none of this matters. The Draft Lottery is actually conducted in a separate room before the public unveiling with all the team representatives there for their photo opp.
The last two years, the Magic have been represented in the actual room by Senior Vice President of Public Relations Joel Glass. This appears to be where Williams will be this time around for the Draft Lottery. So you will not see him on TV, but he will be nearby.
And of course, who is actually present in the room has nothing to do with how ping pong balls are drawn in a drum. It is pure luck. You just hope the odds are in your favor.
The Magic have an 8.8 percent chance of landing the top pick in the NBA Draft when the Lottery is conducted May 19. The most likely spot for the Magic to land is not the fifth spot they are slated for, but rather the sixth spot.
The Magic will get to interview select prospects during the NBA Draft Combine next week in Chicago as draft preparations are starting to take shape.The Smithsonian Institution has destroyed nude photographs taken decades ago of Yale University students who were unaware the pictures were to be used in the pursuit of a form of science. The science has since been discredited.
After a request from the university, Smithsonian officials emptied more than 100 pounds of photos and negatives into a shredder on Friday at a museum office in Suitland, Md., a Washington suburb.
"All material in the National Anthropological Archives pertaining to Yale University students has been destroyed," said a museum spokesman, Randall Kremer.
The photos went to the shredder with a Yale representative looking on.
"We are delighted that the privacy of the individuals in those photographs will be forever protected," said a Yale spokesman, Gary Fryer.
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Posing for the photos was required of students years ago at many Ivy League colleges and other prestigious schools, including Wellesley, Mount Holyoke, Vassar and Swarthmore.CAESAR submissions See https://bench.cr.yp.to/supercop.html for software implementations, and https://cryptography.gmu.edu/athena/index.php?id=CAESAR_source_codes for VHDL implementations. Final portfolio The final CAESAR portfolio is organized into three use cases: 1: Lightweight applications (resource constrained environments)
2: High-performance applications
3: Defense in depth Final portfolio for use case 1 (first choice followed by second choice): candidate designers Ascon, first choice for use case 1: home v1 v1.1 v1.2 Christoph Dobraunig, Maria Eichlseder, Florian Mendel, Martin Schläffer ACORN, second choice for use case 1: v1 v2 v3 Hongjun Wu Final portfolio for use case 2 (alphabetical order, without a preference): candidate designers AEGIS-128 for use case 2: v1 v1.1 Hongjun Wu, Bart Preneel OCB for use case 2: v1 v1.1 Ted Krovetz, Phillip Rogaway Final portfolio for use case 3 (first choice followed by second choice): candidate designers Deoxys-II, first choice for use case 3: home v1 ordering addendum v1.3 v1.4 v1.41 Jérémy Jean, Ivica Nikolić, Thomas Peyrin, Yannick Seurin COLM, second choice for use case 3: v1pre v1 addendum; superseding AES-COPA: v1 v2; and superseding ELmD: v1 clarification v2.0 v2.1 Elena Andreeva, Andrey Bogdanov, Nilanjan Datta, Atul Luykx, Bart Mennink, Mridul Nandi, Elmar Tischhauser, Kan Yasuda Additional submissions Additional finalists (alphabetical order): AEGIS-128L and AEGIS-256 for use case 2 see above MORUS for use case 2: v1 figure1-corrected v1.1 v2 Hongjun Wu, Tao Huang Additional third-round candidates (alphabetical order): candidate designers AES-OTR: v1 v2 v3 v3.1 Kazuhiko Minematsu AEZ: home v1 security v3 v4 v4.1 v4.2 v5 Viet Tung Hoang, Ted Krovetz, Phillip Rogaway CLOC and SILC: home clocv1 silcv1 clocv2 silcv2 v3 Tetsu Iwata, Kazuhiko Minematsu, Jian Guo, Sumio Morioka, Eita Kobayashi Deoxys-I see above JAMBU: v1 v2 v2.1 Hongjun Wu, Tao Huang Ketje: home v1 extendeddoc v2 Guido Bertoni, Joan Daemen, Michaël Peeters, Gilles Van Assche, Ronny Van Keer Keyak: home v1 addendum v2 v2.1 v2.2 Guido Bertoni, Joan Daemen, Michaël Peeters, Gilles Van Assche, Ronny Van Keer NORX: home v1 v2.0 v3.0 Jean-Philippe Aumasson, Philipp Jovanovic, Samuel Neves Tiaoxin: v1.0 v2.0 v2.1 Ivica Nikolić Additional second-round candidates (alphabetical order): candidate designers HS1-SIV: v1 nh v2 v2corrected Ted Krovetz ICEPOLE: home v1 addendum v2 Paweł Morawiecki, Kris Gaj, Ekawat Homsirikamol, Krystian Matusiewicz, Josef Pieprzyk, Marcin Rogawski, Marian Srebrny, Marcin Wójcik Joltik: home v1 ordering addendum v1.3 Jérémy Jean, Ivica Nikolić, Thomas Peyrin Minalpher: home v1 v1.1 Yu Sasaki, Yosuke Todo, Kazumaro Aoki, Yusuke Naito, Takeshi Sugawara, Yumiko Murakami, Mitsuru Matsui, Shoichi Hirose OMD: v1.0 v2.0 v2.0corrected Simon Cogliani, Diana-Ştefania Maimuţ, David Naccache, Rodrigo Portella do Canto, Reza Reyhanitabar, Serge Vaudenay, Damian Vizár PAEQ: home v1 ordering Alex Biryukov, Dmitry Khovratovich π-Cipher: home v1 newpad v2 v2.0 v2.0corrected Danilo Gligoroski, Hristina Mihajloska, Simona Samardjiska, Håkon Jacobsen, Mohamed El-Hadedy, Rune Erlend Jensen, Daniel Otte POET: home v1 ordering nomult v2.0 Farzaneh Abed, Scott Fluhrer, John Foley, Christian Forler, Eik List, Stefan Lucks, David McGrew, Jakob Wenzel PRIMATEs: home v1 ordering v1.02 Elena Andreeva, Begül Bilgin, Andrey Bogdanov, Atul Luykx, Florian Mendel, Bart Mennink, Nicky Mouha, Qingju Wang, Kan Yasuda SCREAM: home v1 ordering v3 Vincent Grosso, Gaëtan Leurent, François-Xavier Standaert, Kerem Varici, Anthony Journault, François Durvaux, Lubos Gaspar, Stéphanie Kerckhof SHELL: v1 corrections v2.0 Lei Wang STRIBOB: home v1 v2 Markku-Juhani O. Saarinen, Billy B. Brumley TriviA-ck: home v1 v2 Avik Chakraborti, Mridul Nandi Additional first-round candidates (alphabetical order): candidate designers ++AE: v1.0 analysis parameters nopatent Francisco Recacha AES-CMCC: v1 v1.1 Jonathan Trostle AES-COBRA : v1 withdrawn Elena Andreeva, Andrey Bogdanov, Martin M. Lauridsen, Atul Luykx, Bart Mennink, Elmar Tischhauser, Kan Yasuda AES-CPFB: v1 Miguel Montes, Daniel Penazzi Artemia: v1 proof addendum v1.1 Javad Alizadeh, Mohammad Reza Aref, Nasour Bagheri AVALANCHE: v1 corrections Basel Alomair Calico : v8 withdrawn Christopher Taylor CBA: v1 v1-1 Hossein Hosseini, Shahram Khazaei CBEAM : r1 withdrawn Markku-Juhani O. Saarinen Enchilada: v1 v1.1 Sandy Harris FASER : v1 withdrawn Faith Chaza, Cameron McDonald, Roberto Avanzi HKC : v1 withdrawn Matt Henricksen, Shinsaku Kiyomoto, Jiqiang Lu iFeed[AES]: v1 Liting Zhang, Wenling Wu, Han Sui, Peng Wang iSCREAM see above Julius: v1.0 addendum Lear Bahack |
land at the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation in North Dakota. I saw it as a chance to document a historic moment, a gathering of tribes that hasn’t been seen in over 100 years, from the inside. Since April, protesters have gone there to try to block construction of the 1,172-mile Dakota Access Pipeline, which would cut through tribal lands and compromise its water supply in order to carry oil from North Dakota to Illinois. As I approached a camp and saw all the tipis, all the individuals brought together as defenders of water, I found myself pushing back tears. Ranging in age from infants to elders, people had traveled from all over the country and the world to stand in solidarity with the protesters.
I stayed at the Oceti Sakowin camp, the largest of Standing Rock’s four camps and home to around 1500 people while I was there. Before dawn every day, a rider on horseback (or, sometimes, a driver in a car) would make their way through camp, saying, “Good morning, my relatives! It’s a beautiful day. Wake up, and remember why you are here!” Then we would all gather in a circle and pray as the sun rose. Our prayers would be for those who opposed us, those who supported us from afar and those who were among us. These prayers continued all day and all night in many forms. In the evening, the sounds of singing and of drums (our mother’s heartbeat) could be heard in the dark. It was truly a wonderful place to be.
When I left the camp after a month, I wept again. This time, I felt like I was walking away from my family in their moment of dire need as the police kept pushing towards our sacred site. Despite President Obama’s requests to put a temporary halt on construction and to search for an alternate route, the pipeline operator has persisted in moving forward with its plans to tunnel under a reservoir used by the Sioux. Now back home and far away in California, I’m helplessly watching the protests and preparing to go to Antarctica to continue my long-term photographic project on the polar regions (TED Talk: Haunting photos of polar ice). But my resolve remains: We should take this opportunity to shift away from fossil fuels. Here are some of the portraits I took while in Standing Rock.
The heartbeat of the people
Benjamin Conrad and Willard Price sing and drum by the side of the Cannonball River at the Oceti Sakowin camp. Ben is from the Wind River Cheyenne and the Arapaho Reservation, and Will, an artist from the Diné, lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico. At night, Will would sit, sing and drum, and people would emerge from the dark to join him before disappearing into the starry night.
Prayer in the face of the police
Caro Gonzales is Chemehuevi and a two spirit (or LGBT). Caro works with Bernie Sanders and the National Congress of American Indians to create policy solutions that respect indigenous people; she is also an organizer for Idle No More, an indigenous movement that defends the earth, water, land and air from environmental degradation and destruction. In August, Caro and her wife arrived at Standing Rock, where they’ve organized peaceful direct actions, rallies and art projects with organizations such as the Indigenous Environmental Network, 350 and the International Indigenous Youth Council. Caro is committed to staying at Standing Rock for as long as it takes to stop the pipeline. Here, she kneels in prayer before the police.
A sage protest
A protester smudges the air with sage, an act of purification that helps clear negative energy from a place. This sacred tradition is one of the daily peaceful practices at all the Standing Rock camps and on the front lines of the protest.
Standing up for those no longer here
James Wyatt Hawk, a Cherokee two spirit, came to Standing Rock for his late grandmother. He says he knows that if she were still alive, she would have been there.
An eagle of bravery
Actor Wes Studi stands next to a fellow water protector holding an eagle staff. An eagle staff is passed from generation and generation, accumulating the medicine, or energy, of those who have carried it and the brave acts it has witnessed. To have a staff at Standing Rock brings its medicine to the area as a form of protection and honor. Wes traveled to the protests from Santa Fe, New Mexico, with his son so that they could show their dedication to protecting the lands and livelihood for all indigenous peoples.
Belonging to a movement
Jade and Mike stand at the front lines of the protest in the bitter cold and wind. Many of the people wore bandanas on their faces to preserve their anonymity. Jade told me that being at Standing Rock was the first time in her life she has ever felt like she belonged. Mike came to help as part of the security team at Oceti Sakowin.
Getting ready for winter
Tracy Hsu (far left) is from a nearby town in North Dakota. She and her friends raised the first of many Mongolian ger (yurts) at the Oceti Sakowin camp. The blowing winds, frigid winters and treeless terrain of North Dakota are similar to the Mongolian steppe, and the design of these ancient structures is well suited to provide shelter during the daunting cold of the coming winter.
Bringing spiritual power
The Dakota 38 Riders — their name honors and remembers the 38 Dakota men executed en masse after the Dakota War of 1862 — return to camp after completing a 500-mile roundtrip journey to the Bakken oil field in the northwestern corner of the state. Their ride was a way of counting coup, a native phrase that refers to enduring great challenges, discomfort and hardship in order to bring spiritual power to the people standing against the pipeline.
Thinking of the future
Audrie Ellen traveled to North Dakota from Tennessee with her daughter and their dog. She said she came because she needed to stand for her daughter and for future generations.
Honoring the Earth
Dallas Goldtooth (second from left) is an environmental activist who uses comedy to try and stop the pipeline. Tara Houska (center), a citizen of the Couchiching First Nation, is a tribal attorney in Washington, DC, and the national campaigns director of Honor the Earth. She also served as the Native American advisor to Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign.
Man and horse
A spirit rider sits on his horse. The horses and their riders are an inspiring symbol and presence in the camps; they are the first to arrive at the front lines where they defend those protesting from the brutality of the police. The horses can often be seen roaming free around the camp or galloping through the grass. Their calmness is a testament to the respect that riders and horses have developed towards each other.
The richness of culture
Sophia Blackcloud was a small child when she was adopted away from her Hunkpapa Lakota family. As an adult, she has worked hard to reestablish her connection to her native culture. She came to Standing Rock to teach her daughters that the advantages of the life she had in California pale in comparison to the richness of their culture and connection to the people and land. She says that being at Standing Rock has been both life-changing and soul-changing.
Highway 1806
Dan Nanamkin of the Yakima Nation of Washington state stands on Highway 1806, part of the historic Lewis & Clark trail. A peaceful warrior, Dan was arrested while praying. This was the last image I took before I left for the airport.ANALYSIS/OPINION:
COMMENTARY:
A Scottish judge recently bent the law to benefit a polygamous household.
The case involved a Muslim male who drove 64 miles per hour in a 30 mph zone - usually grounds for an automatic loss of one’s driving license. The defendant’s lawyer explained his client’s need to speed: “He has one wife in Motherwell and another in Glasgow and sleeps with one one night and stays with the other the next on an alternate basis. Without his driving license he would be unable to do this on a regular basis.” Sympathetic to the polygamist’s plight, the judge permitted him to retain his license.
Monogamy, this ruling suggests, long a foundation of Western civilization, is silently eroding under the challenge of Islamic law. Should current trends continue, polygamy could soon be commonplace.
Since the 1950s, Muslim populations have grown in Western Europe and North America via immigration and conversion; with their presence has grown the Islamic form of polygyny (one man married to more than one woman). Estimates find 2,000 or more British polygamous men, 14,000-20,000 harems in Italy, 30,000 harems in France, and 50,000-100,000 polygamists in the United States.
Some imams openly acknowledge conducting polygamous marriage ceremonies: Khalil Chami reports he is asked almost weekly to conduct such ceremonies in Sydney. Aly Hindy reports having “blessed” more than 30 such nuptials in Toronto.
Social acceptance is also growing. Academics justify it, while politicians blithely meet with polygamists or declare Westerners should “find a way to live with it” and journalists describe polygamy with empathy, sympathy and compassion. Islamists argue polygamy’s virtues and call for its official recognition.
Polygamy has made key legal advances in 2008. (For fuller details, see my blog, “Harems Accepted in the West.”) At least six Western jurisdictions now permit harems on the condition that these were contracted in jurisdictions where polygamy is legal, including India and Muslim-majority countries from Indonesia to Saudi Arabia to Morocco.
— United Kingdom: Bigamy is punishable by up to seven years in jail but the law recognizes harems already formed in polygamy-tolerant countries. The Department of Work and Pensions pays couples up to 92.80 pounds ($140) a week in social benefits, and each multiculturally named “additional spouse” receives 33.65 pounds. The Treasury states. “Where a man and a woman are married under a law which permits polygamy, and either of them has an additional spouse, the Tax Credits (Polygamous Marriages) Regulations 2003 allow them to claim tax credits as a polygamous unit.” Additionally, harems may be eligible for additional housing benefits to reflect their need for larger properties.
— The Netherlands: Dutch Justice Minister Ernst Hirsch Ballin has announced that polygamous Muslim marriages should not be dealt with through the legal system but via dialogue.
— Belgium: The Constitutional Court took steps to ease the reunification of harems formed outside the country.
— Italy: A court in Bologna allowed a Muslim male immigrant to bring the mothers of his two children into the country on the grounds that the polygamous marriages had been legally contracted.
— Australia: The Australian newspaper reports “it is illegal to enter into a polygamous marriage. But the federal government, like Britain, recognizes relationships that have been legally recognized overseas, including polygamous marriages. This allows second wives and children to claim welfare and benefits.”
— Ontario, Canada: Canadian law calls for polygamy to be punished by a prison term but the Ontario Family Law Act accepts “a marriage that is actually or potentially polygamous, if it was celebrated in a jurisdiction whose system of law recognizes it as valid.”
Thus, for the cost of two airplane tickets, Muslims potentially can evade Western laws. (One wonders when Mormons will also wake to this gambit.) Rare countries (such as Ireland) still reject harems; generally, as David Rusin of Islamist Watch notes, “governments tend to look the other way as the conjugal mores of seventh-century Arabia … take root in our backyards.”
At a time when Western marriage norms are already under challenge, Muslims are testing legal loopholes and even seeking taxpayer support for multiple brides. This development has vast significance: Just as the concept of one man, one woman marriage has shaped the West’s economic, cultural and political development, the advance of Islamic law (Shariah) will profoundly change life as we know it.
Daniel Pipes (www.DanielPipes.org) is director of the Middle East Forum and Taube distinguished visiting fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution.
Copyright © 2019 The Washington Times, LLC. Click here for reprint permission.Cameron Slater says he was "talking up a big game" when he claimed in an email that Judith Collins was "gunning" for the former director of the Serious Fraud Office, Adam Feeley.
The Whale Oil blogger invited media to his home in the wake of Judith Collins' resignation, reading a statement that said: "Judith Collins has now been taken down by death by a thousand cuts".
In the latest leaked email from 2011, Slater claims he spoke at length with Ms Collins, saying: "She is gunning for Feeley and asking for information on his background. The email goes on to say: "She is using this review of these events to go on a trawl looking for anything else. It is my opinion that Feeley's position is untenable."
When asked about the email he said: "If Judith Collins was gunning for someone she'd have got them", pointing out that Adam Feeley resigned from the role a year after the email was written.
When challenged on whether he was therefore lying in the email, he said "embellish is a good word. It's better than lie isn't it?"
Journalists also asked if he would "give back double" for the bringing down of his friend, he replied: "I always give back double" and "Judith always gives back double".
In his statement Mr Slater also claims Judith Collins is a victim of a large scale criminal conspiracy and said "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger and the game never ends".
My book brought down Collins - Hager
Meanwhile, Nicky Hager says Ms Collins has resigned because of the material contained in his book 'Dirty Politics' and not because of the email today.
"It's obvious she's standing down because the allegations in the book look so bad and the public weren't believing what they were saying and it wasn't going away. The email is just an excuse."
Mr Hager says Mr Key should have taken action when the book was first released.
"When I first saw the materials about Judith Collins it seemed to me that there was no way that that could be published and she would remain Minister of Justice in New Zealand, it just wasn't possible."
"This is a slippery way of doing it. They are pretending that she is not stepping down because of the book. I don't think they have done it well at all."
"Professional relationship"
The man at the centre of the latest email allegations, Adam Feeley, said in a statement today that in his years as a public servant he has worked for a number of ministers of various governments and strived to ensure an entirely professional and constructive working relationships with them.
"Throughout my time as Chief Executive of the SFO, I believe that the work of the SFO always enjoyed the support and respect of the Government," he said.Because STDs often have no symptoms, they frequently go untreated and make seniors more prone to other infections, Salagubang said. And these infections will make other conditions, such as diabetes or heart disease, worse.
"If I think a patient may be sexually active, I suggest he or she gets screened," Salagubang said. "I let patients know that STDs and HIV are on the rise among seniors and are a lot more common than many seniors think."
Although older Americans account for a relatively small proportion of new STD diagnoses overall, providing them education and services to help protect them from infection is critical, said Rachel Powell, CDC spokeswoman.
"Many older Americans face unique prevention challenges, including discomfort in discussing sexual behaviors with physicians and partners, and discomfort discussing condom use," she said.
Given the changing sexual climate for seniors, Dr. Connie Micklavzina, a gynecologist at Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women & Babies in Orlando, has started asking her older patients more questions, including whether they would like to be screened for sexually transmitted diseases.
"Often I see a huge look of relief on their faces, because they are too embarrassed to ask," said Micklavzina, who's been in practice 25 years. "The responsibility of bringing this up should be on the practitioner, not the patient, to make the conversation easier."
Next: Why condoms are key. >>After reading both Hannah Dreyfus’s and Aryeh Younger’s honest and legitimate claims regarding their personal feelings towards aliyah, I felt it was time to jump on the bandwagon and present my opinion on the topic.
I identify myself as an American Israeli. Not an Israeli American. Definitely not as just an Israeli.
I live in Israel, but yet I use Swiffer wet mops over sponga (if you don’t know what sponga is then g-d bless you. May you stay forever naïve) to clean my floors. I live in Israel, but yet I wear heels to weddings. I live in Israel, but speak English about 96% of the time. I live in Israel and do not wear Aladin pants, or eat chummus, and no, I do not plan on wearing a mitpachat when I get married (calm down, I will cover my hair).
Do I think Israel is one of the top ten most beautiful countries? No. Do I wake up every morning and look out the window and say “wow. Listen to the beautiful sounds of those two cars having a honking fight?” Not really. And no, I will never bring the dust of Israel with me when I go on vacation.
I live in Israel frankly because I am a Jew.
I get constant remarks such as “you are such an American”. Which is obvious after talking to me for half a second or even looking at me. But so what? Since when did being called an American become such an insult to recent olim? Yes, I am American and I basically have it written on my forehead and honestly I do not plan on changing that.
Being Israeli is a culture, being Jewish is a religion. I believe the two terms get confused too frequently. Just because you live in Israel does not mean you need to do an automatic 180 from American to Israeli and give up the lifestyle you feel comfortable living in.
Contrary to popular beliefs, I do not live in some shack at the side of the street. And for your information the floors in my apartment are not speckled. I plan on moving to an American community once I complete college. I plan on implementing the “English only” rule in my home. At the risk of sounding like a total snob I will and am placing constant orders from J.Crew and Anthropologie.
However, I feel justified doing this because at the end of the day I am living in Israel. I made one of the biggest statements there is to make by leaving America. I left my family and friends behind and miss them to no end. I declared that I am leaving the familiarities, mannerisms, norms, and social cues that I have come to know and love to move to a country that I am getting to know but instantly loved. I didn’t do this for the applause or to receive the Nefesh B’Nefesh red carpet welcome, I did this because Jews belong in Israel. Simple as that.
I live in Israel because this is the Jewish homeland. Love it or hate it, it’s Israel where Jews belong, not America.
I live in Israel because this is where the future of the Jewish people will take place.
I live in Israel because this country is a down right miracle and I was not willing to watch from the sidelines any longer.
I live in Israel because I do not want to raise my future children in a country where they need to ask themselves if they identify themselves as an American or as a Jew. I want to raise them in a place where both their nationality and their religion come hand in hand. The thought of teaching them the importance of Israel and raising them as Zionists while living in New York does not sit well with me. Living a contradictory lifestyle does not sit well with me.
I live in Israel because it is the Jewish country. Not the Israeli country, but the Jewish country. And if my condition for living in Israel happily is to live like an American than so be it.
I have not given up a single American value from the moment I got off of the Nefesh B’Nefesh charter flight last August. I live like an American. I talk like an American, I certainly act like one and of course I still read the New York Times Sunday Style section, just online now. I do this because this is who I am. Just because I made aliyah does not mean I need to suddenly change to fit the Israeli framework.
I live in Israel for ideological purposes and because I truly believe it is the place for the Jewish people. Living in Israel gives my life purpose and reason which is indescribable until you yourself move here. But living in Israel does not mean you need to throw away or compromise your American lifestyle.
So yes, in short I am the Swiffer mopping, English speaking, chummus hating, J.Crew dressed twenty one year old oleh chadasha who couldn’t be any happier to live in the Jewish homeland, Israel. (But does miss America!)
DISCLAIMER: It goes without saying that this article is all generally speaking. Aliyah is a very personal opinion based on so many different circumstances and g-d forbid would I ever judge anyone. I am just stating my opinion and thoughts on the topic.TORONTO — The Progressive Conservatives’ call to make Ontario a so-called “right-to-work” province is “misguided” and would mean lower salaries and a weaker economy, the Liberals and New Democrats warned Friday.
“It just doesn’t reflect Canadian values,” Labour Minister Linda Jeffrey said in an interview.
“I believe it would mean lower wages and reduced buying power, and would have a very serious effect on the economy.”
The Conservatives said Ontario currently has what they call “forced unionism,” and they want to give people the right to decide whether or not to join the union at their workplace and pay dues.
A right-to-work law would make Ontario a more attractive place for businesses to invest in instead of seeing new companies go to other jurisdictions with more welcoming rules, said deputy PC Leader Christine Elliott.
“What we really need to do is develop a very nimble workforce and that’s what the right to work legislation is intended to do, so that businesses when they need to adapt to changing conditions in the workplace, they have the flexibility to be able to do that,” she said.
The Tories said U.S. states that adopted right-to-work laws create more jobs and workers get higher raises, but Elliott struggled when asked if she could point to one such jurisdiction where wages actually went up.
“I don’t think that there’s any situation where Ontario’s exactly the same as other jurisdictions, so I don’t think you can provide that kind of comparison,” she said.
The New Democrats called right-to-work laws “wrongheaded,” warning such a move would not help Ontario’s economy because no one would have any money to spend.
“Driving down wages and turning Ontario into the next Alabama is simply a recipe for more people being squeezed out of the middle class, more hardship, and it will not stimulate the economy because people won’t have any money to spend,” said NDP Leader Andrea Horwath.
“I don’t see how the removal of people’s ability to make a decent wage, have decent benefits, be able to retire with dignity, is somehow made more beneficial in a right-to-work state.”
The Tories cited a 2012 study from the Pacific Research Institute in San Francisco that showed U.S. states with right-to-work laws saw 11% higher economic growth and 11% higher personal income growth compared with other states.
“The overall issue I believe will result in people earning higher wages because we will have more businesses locating here, they will do well and be able to hire more people and pay higher wages,” said Elliott.
“But if we have a situation where they’re unable to move and respond to international demands and conditions, then we’re never going to be able to compete with the rest of the world in attracting those businesses to Ontario.”
‘Driving down wages and turning Ontario into the next Alabama is simply a recipe for more people being squeezed out of the middle class’
Jeffrey said one of her “worst days as minister of labour” came last February, when U.S. heavy equipment giant Caterpillar closed the Electro-Motive plant in London, Ont., and relocated to Indiana — a right-to-work state — after workers refused to accept a 55% cut in wages and benefits.
After Michigan became the 24th U.S. state to pass a right-to-work law Monday, President Barrack Obama said it wasn’t about the economy.
“These so-called right-to-work laws, they don’t have anything to do with economics, they have everything to do with politics,” Obama told cheering workers in Lansing, Mich.
“What they’re really talking about is giving you the right to work for less money.”After three years of playing defense, beating back GOP bids to blunt U.S. EPA's authority over carbon emissions, environmentalists are ready to up their offensive game in support of the climate action strategy President Obama will lay out tomorrow.
Long before the White House's plans became public this weekend, green groups began quietly reorganizing a project that coordinated political message, strategy and grass-roots lobbying during conservatives' ongoing attacks on EPA.
The new campaign, called the Climate Action Coalition (CAC), will have no easy task ensuring that greenhouse gas rules for new and existing power plants can survive industry and Republican opposition. But the environmental strategists behind it say they have learned numerous lessons from the collapse of cap-and-trade legislation a few years ago.
Details of the campaign are few and far between, in part because its member groups want to ensure that the coordinated effort doesn't upstage their individual work -- or Obama's message -- as they prepare to wage political warfare over the power plant rules with Capitol Hill Republicans who are already sharpening their knives.
But partners including the National Wildlife Federation, Environment America, the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Center for American Progress, the Sierra Club, the League of Conservation Voters and others are using CAC -- as it is called informally -- to avoid duplicating efforts as the environmental community mobilizes to defend the existing power plant rule, which could reduce emissions from a sector that contributes 40 percent of the United States' greenhouse gases.
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"It's really just a way for us to do a better job of coordinating our efforts and strategy than what we've done in the past," said Pete Altman, climate and clean air campaign director at NRDC.
Joshua Saks, legislative director for the National Wildlife Federation, said the coalition is "a place where we can coordinate together and share resources and leverage our various strengths. Through a coordinated campaign, we can divvy up our roles and responsibilities."
The exact structure of the campaign is shadowy -- members were reluctant to discuss how many staff are devoted to it, what its budget is or where its funding comes from. The campaign itself declined to comment for this story.
But interviews with staff from its member organizations sketch an outline of a team of 30 or fewer staff, many of whom are dividing their time between the coordinated campaign and their day jobs at the organizations.
Some of the campaign's staff is housed in Washington, D.C., at the I Street Northwest headquarters of the Partnership Project, a coalition of nonprofits that work on a variety of issues. Some work remotely from other offices or telecommute from as far away as California. Two sources tagged political strategist George Rakis as the group's campaign manager, but he could not be reached to confirm that. It is apparent, however, that some of the people involved with CAC have nuts-and-bolts political campaign experience and have not just done environmental work.
League of Conservation Voters (LCV) President Gene Karpinski said in an interview last week with E&E Daily that CAC is poised to play a critical role in selling the president's climate plan. But it will work under the radar as "a sharp, smart, strategic, coordinated entity... both inside and, even more importantly, outside the Beltway," he said.
"We're not trying to create a brand-new organization, a brand-new brand," Karpinski said. He added that the 20 member groups of the Partnership Project also plan to lend support to pro-EPA organizations in advocating for Obama's climate change agenda.
'A more offensive movement'
CAC is the new name for the Clean Air Defense Campaign -- a coordinated effort by many of the same groups that came together in late 2010, after Republicans won control of Congress and it was clear that efforts to pass a comprehensive carbon bill would have to be shelved.
The focus shifted to EPA, said Altman, which had yet to act on a slate of air quality regulations for hazardous emissions, smog, soot and carbon. The GOP-controlled House spent the last Congress launching many-pronged attacks against new EPA rules that environmentalists devoted resources to defending.
"So we wanted to do a more effective job, and we decided we needed to do more to coordinate effectively with each other," Altman said.
CADC, now CAC, became "a vehicle that helps groups make sure they're communicating with each other and coordinating."
The campaign shifted its focus to greenhouse gas rules for new and existing power plants after many of the other items on its to-do list had been accomplished -- or, in the case of the smog rule, were killed by the White House. The campaign's name was changed to reflect its new purpose.
"I think it is fair to interpret it as a shift to a more offensive movement that's designed to work with the president to do these things, instead of playing defense," Saks said.
The campaign's function is to allow activists at all levels of the organization to better communicate with each other, participants say. Lobbyists talk to lobbyists. Field organizers talk to field organizers. Two groups don't show up at the same Capitol Hill office at the same time without knowing it.
"Pushing action on climate is a priority of most of the environmental groups right now," said Nathan Wilcox, Environment America's federal global warming director. So the role of the campaign is to "make sure we're not stepping on each other's toes."
Individual groups still have their own missions. The National Wildlife Federation is reaching out to sportsmen. Environment America is focusing outside the Beltway on earned media and outreach to members through phone and email. NRDC appealed to the White House with a campaign featuring Robert Redford.
But Daniel Weiss of the liberal Center for American Progress said the coordinated campaign could claim some credit for the 3.2 million comments EPA received last year in support of its proposal for new power plants, which environmentalists hope to see become final in the very near future.
"A primary function of coalitions is to coordinate outside-the-Beltway advocacy activities, including grass-roots mobilization and earned media," he said. But he added that coordinated campaigns of this kind are nothing new.
"Since the dawn of the modern environmental movement, organizations frequently worked together in formal or informal coalitions," he said. "Today, there are organizations working together to oppose the Keystone XL pipeline, promote conservation provisions in the farm bill and other similar efforts. The National Clean Air Coalition was a formal organization that helped lead the successful efforts to pass the Clean Air Act of 1990."
Partnership Project's role
The campaign's logistical home, the Partnership Project, was formed in 1999 to coordinate activities among major U.S. environmental groups under an online aegis known as Save Our Environment. The group's website lists former Wilderness Society President Bill Meadows as its board chairman, with "seats" occupied by representatives of 20 green organizations.
Its most recent publicly available tax return, filed for 2010, the Partnership Project touts a 435,000-member "e-activist list" that is employed by "the entire environmental community to educate the public about threats to the environment," crediting it with "337,655 emails and faxes to decision-makers and corporate targets."
Internal Revenue Service records show that the project, like several of its member groups, maintains a separate action fund registered under a portion of the tax code that permits more lobbying and the collection of unlimited donations in the wake of the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision on political spending.
The project's action fund "helps the environmental community work more collaboratively to defend environmental safeguards from efforts to weaken them," according to its 2010 tax return.
Both arms of the Partnership Project reported a drop in revenues in 2010 relative to 2009, when environmental enthusiasm for newly elected Obama had reached a peak as the House passed its comprehensive climate bill. The project took in $8.3 million in 2010, a drop of nearly $4 million, while its action fund saw total contributions and grants fall from $18.8 million in 2009 to $5.3 million in 2010.
Keystone XL action
While CAC has devoted its energies to the EPA carbon rules, many of the same organizations are working overtime to urge Obama to reject the Keystone XL oil pipeline, a project they say would pump particularly dirty fossil fuels into the world's economy and eventually its atmosphere.
The decision over the pipeline will ultimately rest with Obama, who is avoiding offering an opinion on it while the State Department finishes its assessment of the project's effects. But the president is widely expected to approve Keystone XL later this year, and some political observers have suggested that his announcement on climate might be scheduled to stem environmentalists' fury.
Organizing for Action (OFA), the nonprofit group formed after Obama's re-election to rally his supporters on an array of issues, began escalating its involvement in climate change last month with an online targeting of Republican "climate deniers" in Congress (E&E Daily, June 10). Yet OFA drew fire from some greens by declining to take a position on Keystone XL, which would run between Canada and the Gulf Coast, and the rejection of which rivals EPA emissions rules as environmentalists' top priority for the president.
Former White House green jobs adviser Van Jones, who appeared alongside Karpinski at an anti-XL event last month, warned Obama not to wager that a public endorsement of EPA regulations would make up for approving the pipeline: "You can't say, 'Look at this one good thing I'm doing -- please ignore the bad stuff.'"
Karpinski described LCV's relationship with OFA as solid, noting that he had attended a recent meeting of the group in Chicago. "I'm confident OFA would be with us" after the still-ongoing XL review culminates in an Obama decision, he said.
The pipeline is the present battle that hangs over the campaign, but the past clash over comprehensive climate change legislation also looms large as EPA's green cavalry prepares its charge. Asked how the failure of 2009's cap-and-trade bill from Reps. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) and Ed Markey (D-Mass.) factors into the groups' efforts, Karpinski described it as good preparation.
Waxman-Markey was "the fight of the moment," he said, and "we lost. We've learned a lot of lessons."
Saks of NWF said Organizing for Action's ambivalent stance on Keystone XL seemed to be driving a wedge between its members, and between OFA and the environmental community.
"There is definitely concern in the community that they have been reticent to address the Keystone issue," he said.
Environmentalists are as united in opposing Keystone XL as they are in supporting tough power plant emissions standards, he said. And while most are not singling OFA out for criticism, a few are -- including 350.org’s founder Bill McKibben.
“As far as I can see, this issue is the one where there’s disharmony. I don’t see a big split within OFA about immigration or gun policy,” Saks said. “But on this one, I do.”Hollywood gets judged all the time, but now it appears the entertainment capital of the world is judging itself — and the results are a bit surprising.
The trade publication Hollywood Reporter has come up with a list of moviedom’s top 100 movies as selected by the industry itself. You’d expect if any industry were to do any navel gazing, the film world would do it long, deep and continuously.
This, however, is a rare glimpse into what Hollywood thinks. More than 2,100 in the business — including studio executives, directors, agents and even entertainment attorneys — were asked to list their favorite films of all time.
To film critics and industry associations such as the American Film Institute, some of the films that made the list will be right on the money. Many, though, will seem absurd and read more like a “People’s Choice” list than holy gospel.
At the top of the list is a choice that probably would surprise few: 1972’s classic, “The Godfather.” Francis Ford Coppola’s epic masterpiece about the Corleone crime family has been near or at the top of many all-time favorites list. Also near the top is Orson Welles’ “Citizen Kane,” the 1941 film about a Hearst-esque publisher, which often gets the top spot, but places third here.
Which film was second? “Wizard of Oz,” which is somewhat of a stretch as it placed 10th on the AFI list. But it’s tops on “Rotten Tomatoes” and is listed third on Metacritic.
After that comes the head-scratching. Based on the results, you might think 1994 — not 1939 or 1974, deemed by many as flush with top-notch entries — was the best year for filmmaking given that Nos. 4 and 5 were released at that time, “The Shawshank Redemption” and “Pulp Fiction,” respectively. While those two modern classics can be found on most top 100 lists, they’re not usually on anyone’s top 10, much less top 5. (Clips of all top 5 films are scattered throughout this post.)
It’s also worth noting that both films ranked higher than the movie that got the Best Picture Oscar that year, “Forrest Gump.” “Gump” ended up in 14th place, but that’s still higher than its grade on most other lists.
After that, the studios offer a number of choices that would boggle the mind of many a critic. On virtually no one else’s top 100 list is “Back to the Future” at No. 12, “The Breakfast Club” at No. 27, “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” at No. 36 and “When Harry Met Sally” two spots behind “Ferris.”
It’s clear that commercial success is revered just as much, if not more, that critical success by the industry. James Cameron’s two blockbuster hits — 2009’s “Avatar” and 1997’s “Titanic” — rank 67th and 45th, respectively, on the Hollywood Reporter list. The two films are the only ones in the $2 billion club in worldwide receipts, with “Avatar” at $2.8 billion and “Titanic” at $2.2 billion. “Titanic” was 83rd on AFI’s list |
white phone. — Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) September 21, 2012
TRULY CHARITABLE!!!!!!!!!! Ann & Mitt Romney DONATED OVER $4 MILLION to CHARITY in 2011 … nearly •30% of their income• #tcot — slone (@slone) September 21, 2012
Reminder: Romney gives a lot more to charity than just money http://t.co/3QStxGIF — Dan McLaughlin (@baseballcrank) September 21, 2012
Romney camp: The Romneys’ generous charitable donations in 2011 would have significantly reduced their tax obligation for the year. — Zeke Miller (@ZekeJMiller) September 21, 2012
Showing once again that they are completely out of their minds, lefties are now outraged. That Romney paid too much.
So apparently libs/marxist are now upset cause Romney donates too much money to charity! Seriously where do they come up with this crap! — Rcup94-M4 (@Rcup1994) September 21, 2012
Wait, Romney released his tax records and now people complain that he paid too much in taxes? Politics confuse me. — Ben Maddox (@benwmaddox) September 21, 2012
That should work, or not. RT @guypbenson: New liberal argument: Romney paid *too much* in taxes because he gave so much to charity!!! #LOL — EdHubbard (@EdHubbard) September 21, 2012
Make what you want of this, but the big picture should be his charitable contributions – a lot: http://t.co/AWeeeX0U — Adam Henry (@viewofadam) September 21, 2012
Somehow we went from "Mitt Romney is a tax-dodging cheat!" to "That damn Mitt Romney paid too much in taxes!" in about 10 minutes. — SunnyRight (@sunnyright) September 21, 2012
"Romney paid only 14.1% in taxes! He's evil!" – currently being said by lots of people who paid 0%. — -ls/cm (@isfullofcrap) September 21, 2012
Unreal! Perhaps they are trying to divert attention from the embarrassments known as Joe Biden and Harry Reid. Remember, Senator Reid just repeated his disgusting and scurrilous accusations from the Senate floor: “For all we know, Mitt Romney could be one of those who paid no taxes.” You know, because some guy who knows this girl who is dating this other guy, told him.
RT @Chris_Moody: In 2007, Biden gave $995 to charity and Obama gave $240K. In 2011, Ryan gave $13K and Romney donated $4 million. — Comfortably Smug (@ComfortablySmug) September 21, 2012
Mitt Romney gave more to charity in an average day this year than Joe Biden has given in over a decade combined. — AG (@AG_Conservative) September 21, 2012
Attention @SenatorReid. RT @Goldfarb: From 1990 to 2009, Romneys paid an average effective tax rate of 20.20% — Ellen L. Carmichael (@ellencarmichael) September 21, 2012
https://twitter.com/ellencarmichael/status/249203021903454209
So over 44% of Romney's income in 2011 went to either taxes or charity. Anybody know what Harry Reid donated? http://t.co/uCrbdtWv — David Jesse (@davidsjesse) September 21, 2012
Harry Reid's anonymous tax source (the Obama camp) unavailable for comment today after Romney proves he's paid TONS of taxes. #LyingScum — Mitt Romney Central (@Romney_Central) September 21, 2012
Shouldn't this LIAR @SenatorReid apologize to the Romney family for all the lies he spread regarding their Taxes? #tcot #RomneyRyan2012 — Bonnie (@BonShores) September 21, 2012
Accountants: What would Romney's effective tax rate be if he gave to charity the same % of income as Joe Biden? — Byron York (@ByronYork) September 21, 2012
Indeed.
Romney leads by example and pays more taxes than legally required. Unlike Warren Buffett and Hollywood hypocrites who vote Obama. #tcot — RB (@RBPundit) September 21, 2012
Romneys paid an average federal tax rate of 20.20%. Today, the average federal tax rate for Americans is 7.2%. Narrative: destroyed. — Ellen L. Carmichael (@ellencarmichael) September 21, 2012
Yep. The result? Frothing and insane outrage. They are out of their minds, truly.
Update: CNN/MSNBC contributor Goldie Taylor is even more unhinged.For Zimbabwe, this is a great time. Robert Mugabe's 37-year long rule has ended without adding to the blood and suffering that he has already caused to his country's people. This moment is as much a victory for the people as it is for the army which moved against him.
The next few weeks will be crucial. But if Zimbabwe is to have a positive future, it's time for Western countries to own up to the role they played in the country's catastrophe, and to put it right.
Six years ago, Jubilee Debt Campaign investigated the history of Zimbabwe's debt. That debt - now thought to be running close to $10bn - is unpayable by a country that remains in economic collapse. But it is also testament to the role that Western governments, international institutions and transnational corporations have played in Zimbabwe's catastrophe.
Zimbabwe's debt has its origins in loans which were used to bolster the military power of the white supremacist government of Rhodesia (Southern Rhodesia being the colonial name for Zimbabwe) in violation of UN sanctions. These debts (worth $700m at that time) were handed down to Mugabe after 1980, who inherited a country with "middle income" economic status but also high levels of poverty and inequality.
The new Zimbabwe ran up further debts simply trying to prevent destabilisation from apartheid South Africa, which was still being supported by governments like Britain well into the 1980s. As early as 1998, my organisation called for the cancellation of these "apartheid debts". But in effect, they are still being recycled, with no acknowledgement of the damage wrought by that terrible period in Southern Africa's history.
It seems strange now, but Mugabe was a model student of austerity for a while
Who was recycling these debts? Enter the International Monetary Fund and World Bank, who responded to successive droughts by extending loans to the country, on the condition that Zimbabwe implemented "structural adjustment" reforms. In modern terms, this meant austerity: cut government spending, liberalise trade, freeze wages, remove financial controls.
It seems strange now, but Mugabe was a model student of austerity for a while, praised by the World Bank for the "persistence and determination" with which these reforms were pursued. Too right. During the early 1990s drought, the most serious since the 1960s, maize was still being exported overseas, as a condition of the structural adjustment programme.
The long-term tensions these policies caused could hardly have been contained even by a well-meaning government, never mind the ruthless regime of Mugabe. The results affected every part of society. Badly needed land redistribution was scaled down, and the country became dependent on food imports. The successful textile industry collapsed. Unemployment rocketed to around 50 percent. Public spending cuts and the introduction of healthcare fees saw maternal mortality double. Inflation shot up.
Even the IMF and World Bank have since admitted that these reforms didn't work, with the Bank saying it "under-estimated government concerns about the impacts of reforms on the distribution of income and assets and on the racial divide inherited at independence."
Zimbabwe was also given a series of loans by European governments - often counted as "aid" - which benefitted big business, with the bill effectively being picked up by Zimbabwe's poor. For years, British "aid" was conditional on buying British-made goods.
Between 1989 and 1997, the British government financially supported the sale of Hawk fighter jets, which Mugabe used to intervene in Congo, and 1,000 police land rovers which were used to suppress dissent. Britain joined other countries in supporting the infamous Hwange coal power station, which was great for foreign corporations, but which generated so little power that it didn't even pay the interest on the loans.
Today, Zimbabwe continues to be weighed down by this debt, and by the policies which were promoted by the West.
None of this justifies the brutality or looting of Mugabe's government. And before we get too excited by the events of recent days, let's remember that Mugabe's successor, Emmerson Mnangagwa, is another hard man, who spent decades in Mugabe's clique, and has been accused of his own brutality and corruption.
Zimbabwe needs change, and that change needs to come from the country's people. It's vital that the stranglehold of Mugabe's party, ZANU-PF, is broken, perhaps by a unity government preceding elections.
Western governments can continue to play a detrimental role, or they can play a useful role. If they want to make amends for past crimes, serious debt cancellation will be required as well as genuine aid and investment tied not to free-market reforms, but a massive democratic development plan, fully transparent and accountable.
Zimbabwe stands at a crossroads. Western countries and international institutions must apologise for their previous crimes. Rather than seeing this as an opportunity for further economic control, it's time they put Zimbabwe's people in the driving seat.
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera's editorial policy.It is a sin to waste time on mediocre entertainment. With that in mind, we present our Fifth Annual League Pass Rankings, an infallible, scientific watchability index for the NBA season, which somehow starts in just 19 days. Sure, you could fill a good chunk of the next six months alternating between the Warriors and your favorite team, but you are a true NBA fan. You dabble. When players fly around the league in free agency, you are the go-to expert in your friend group.
The League Pass Ranking will maximize your happiness. As usual, I've assigned every team a score, ranging from 1 to 10, across five traditional categories:
PLAYOFFS/ZEITGEIST: A rough estimate of a team's place in the national barroom debate. This naturally favors good teams, controversy and teams that might drive the trade marketplace.
INDIVIDUAL HIGHLIGHT PRODUCTION: We're looking for players who make Twitter explode and force everyone not watching them to change channels. Curiosities such as Joel Embiid and (sigh) Ben Simmons pump up a team's score here.
STYLE: Fast breaks and fancy passing are more fun than plodding iso-ball. Starless teams, such as the peak Mike Budenholzer Hawks, can gain ground in this category.
LEAGUE PASS MINUTIA: Instead of looking at your spouse, you'll be gazing at the court and the uniforms. Instead of hearing about his or her workday, you'll listen to announcers yapping about the action. On some level, these things define the look and feel of an NBA game.
UNINTENTIONAL COMEDY: This was Bill Simmons' pet category, back when we started this at Grantland. The silly, stupid and Vine-worthy get you points here: Dion Waiters' forlorn pleas for the basketball, everything JaVale McGee has ever done, Kendrick Perkins taking 17 steps without dribbling, teammate feuds, Nick Young's shot selection, Tom Thibodeau's bellow and much, much more.
I break all ties based on personal preference.
30. BROOKLYN NETS (20 points)
I'm not proud of this, but I manipulated the rankings to shove the Nets into dead last. An annual perfect 10 in the League Pass Minutia category has spared Brooklyn the ignominy of the cellar too many times. Call it the Ian Eagle Corollary: Every five years, the holy rankings system will deduct at least two points from the Nets if such a deduction is required for accuracy. And so it shall be.
Ironically, Linsanity II: The Gentrification might produce appealing hoops -- even to those beyond Boston fans rooting against the Nets. Kenny Atkinson, the team's new head coach, worked with Lin in New York before spending four years in Atlanta under Budenholzer. Plop Lin back into a Mike D'Antoni-style pick-and-roll attack, mix in some Hawksy side-to-side action, and you might brew up something fun.
The Nets just don't have the personnel to make it potent. Brook Lopez is too slow to set a pick and dive inside for an alley-oop; he's an ambler who prefers to pop for jumpers, loft floaters from the midrange, and post up on both blocks. The Nets have ranked 21st or lower in pace in each of the past five seasons, and it's hard to run when Lopez is the fulcrum.
The Nets likely won't have the spacing to unclutter the lane for Lopez, anyway, especially if they start Rondae Hollis-Jefferson -- a tenacious, switchy defender whose bricky jumper is all pointy elbows. Still, it will be fun to watch Hollis-Jefferson, Chris McCullough and the pups develop, and Luis Scola will be sonning fools with floppy-haired up-and-under moves until he dies. Lopez improved his passing last season, and worked a mean give-and-go with Shane Larkin; maybe he'll do the same with Lin.
Hit me with a Swamp Dragons alternate jersey, and I might consider lifting the Nets out of last.
29. DENVER NUGGETS (20.5)
Well, this is surprising -- and a sign of how damn fun the league is now that everyone understands the power of 3s, pace, and freedom of movement. Denver has at least seven interesting 25-and-under guys, including Nikola Jokic and Jusuf Nurkic, the duo some in the Denver brain trust want starting over Kenneth Faried. (Spoiler: Faried will not take this well, and Michael Malone might start him just to avoid the awkwardness.)
Jokic shocked the league as a rookie with his shooting touch and Gasolian playmaking, including a taste for leading fast breaks. Nurkic is a bulldozer who swears so loudly you can hear it through the TV, and he had the balls to taunt Kobe freaking Bryant as a rookie.
Malone played better defense along the sideline than James Harden played in any actual game last season, and Danilo Gallinari's hunched drives trick everyone into fouling him. And, hey! Remember Wilson Chandler?
The Nuggets will also be at the epicenter of the trade market. They've been dangling Faried off and on for three years, and continue to now, sources say. They could deal in either team-building direction: turn young players and extra picks into a bigger name, or go full rebuild by flipping their established veterans for more picks. You can win 30-something games for only so long before ownership jolts you in one direction -- even if this ownership gave its entire front office contract extensions over the summer.
Denver feels some regret over rejecting trade offers for Gallinari last season, when he had more time left on his contract, and the Nuggets face a harsh choice now, as he enters the final year of his deal: Trade him for less, pay him a ton as he approaches 30, or let him walk for nothing.
The Nuggets are just a hard sell to casual fans. There is no must-watch name, no identifiable style (yet), no powder blue on the home floor and no stopping Scott Hastings, their color guy, from ranting at the officials.
We might finally get to see a full season of Brandon Knight and Eric Bledsoe as running buddies. Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
28. PHOENIX SUNS (22)
The Suns and Nuggets make you appreciate what Toronto has done in fielding two teams at once -- a veteran team that is really good and an intriguing bench squad of prospects who rarely play. Phoenix and Denver have the bifurcated rosters, but they don't win games. The intrigue of youth gets you only so far in these rankings.
Dragan Bender and Marquese Chriss probably won't play much as rookies, though with P.J. Tucker recovering from surgery, Earl Watson might be tempted to (gulp) shoehorn Bender into wing minutes.
It will be nice to see Eric Bledsoe again. Phoenix has to be crushed that Bledsoe and Brandon Knight have barely logged 1,000 minutes together since the Point Guard Trading Orgy of 2015, and now Watson has Knight coming off the bench. Knight has always conceived of himself as a classic point guard, but that's not what he is, and the Suns may be nudging him toward his destiny as a Jamal Crawford type. The cap spike accidentally made it acceptable -- and in some cases, unavoidable -- for teams to bring big-money players off the bench.
Still, the Suns did not flip a coveted Lakers pick for Knight, and then pay him $14 million per season, to be a backup. The league is cool on Knight now, but given the dearth of wings, the Suns might find a palatable trade market if Knight starts strong. (There is no indication that they have any interest in trading Bledsoe right now, sources say.)
Benching Knight means fewer botched alley-oops between Knight and Tyson Chandler, and less of Chandler pouting the facial equivalent of, "Why in the hell did I sign here, again?" That hurts the unintentional comedy score.
On the bright side, the Devon Booker/T.J. Warren starting duo brings a nice new-school/old-school vibe, and dunkin' Jared Dudley always makes the smart play. Steve Albert and Eddie Johnson are secretly a top-five broadcast team, and the team finally slapped purple back onto the floor after its hideous black-and-orange Halloween phase.
27. LOS ANGELES LAKERS (22)
Even assuming Metta World Peace doesn't make the team, the Lake Show is untouchable in the comedy category: Young (until they waive him), D'Angelo Russell's social media recovery, Chairman Yi, Timofey Mozgov being here for some reason, Lou Williams' artful flopping, Marcelo Huertas passing up layups more egregiously than Rajon Rondo and so much more.
The Snapchat (or whatever) scandal overshadowed the command Russell showed when the Lakers let him run without Kobe Bryant. He has a brainy, manipulative, stop-and-start dribble, and threads zippy, cross-court passes one step ahead of defenses. He's going to be really good. Brandon Ingram, Julius Randle and Larry Nance Jr. are three very different front-line prospects, and everyone is going to love Luke Walton.
Jordan Clarkson could be a steal at his new salary, and Walton tossing the point guard mantle to Russell provides Clarkson a more defined role. The Lakers have the best home floor in the league, gorgeous jerseys and a play-by-play guy who might chill on the insane histrionics now that Bryant is gone.
26. MIAMI HEAT (25)
I'm as surprised as you are. A lot of the Heat's stylistic appeal left with Dwyane Wade's old man crossovers and bank shots that roll down the glass like melting candy. Chris Bosh is sidelined, leaving a heap of mostly unproven young guys around the Goran Dragic-Hassan Whiteside centerpiece.
Dragic can set his own pace with Wade gone, and he developed a nice pick-and-roll chemistry with Whiteside late last season. Justise Winslow and Josh Richardson transformed Miami into a turnover-producing, fast-breaking chaos engine whenever they entered the game last season, and Tyler Johnson is back to join them.
But they have to prove they can do it in larger roles, and Richardson is coming off knee surgery. I'm bullish on Johnson as a rotation guy, but it's objectively insane that the Heat have committed $50 million to a guy who has never even played 1,000 minutes in a season. (Random aside: Look for the league and union to change the obscure Gilbert Arenas rule so that matching teams can distribute salary more evenly across the length of a deal like Johnson's.)
When Wade cut the cord, Miami scrambled to fill space with leftovers and low-basketball IQ risks. The team is a bit of mystery, without much for the eyes and ears -- despite having approximately 87 jerseys. Let's hope Erik Spoelstra swallows hard and plays James Johnson, who lives on the line between insanity and genius.
25. ATLANTA HAWKS (25)
Oh my god. I might have to recalibrate any system that drops Team Cognoscenti 15 spots in a single season. Do Dwight Howard's farts carry that devastating a stench? Perhaps the ratings are skeptical about mixing Howard's slowing interior game with Budenholzer's pass-happy, outside-in machine. The Hawks built their team around the idea that defenses couldn't keep up with two big men -- Al Horford and Paul Millsap -- comfortable popping, dishing, and screening 25 feet from the hoop. On defense, Horford and Millsap harassed ball-handlers 30 feet from the rim, arms spread into passing lanes, forming a hydra that swiped a ton of turnovers.
What do they do now? On offense, they want to use the Dennis Schroder-Howard pick-and-roll to batter the rim -- a fine style, but also one that robs the Hawks of what made them the Hawks.
Schroder's slithery recklessness on the pick-and-roll is magnetic, even if he struggles to finish wild flails at the rim. Millsap is one of the league's finest all-around players, but some of his best work is the stuff you miss on first watch -- not exactly "change the channel!" material.
There is something a little stale about the arena and television experience. The new court, with its shaded, feathery pattern in the paint, is a little too busy for my taste.
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24. CHARLOTTE HORNETS (26.5)
Yes, the conservative Hornets eased onto the gas last season and jacked more 3s than all but four teams while playing on that brilliant, teal, honeycombed floor. Yes, Kemba Walker is the Big Balls Dance incarnate late in games. Try selling non-Charlotte fans on the nuances of a Nicolas Batum-Cody Zeller pick-and-roll, or their military-grade obedience in forsaking the offensive glass to get back on defense.
As much as they moved away from him, Charlotte might miss Al Jefferson's McHaleian footwork. They don't really have anyone who gets buckets one-on-one, and they leaned on Big Al to torture Hassan Whiteside during long stretches of their first-round series against Miami.
Good thing Michael Kidd-Gilchrist is back to inject anarchy. Steve Clifford has given Kidd-Gilchrist carte blanche to crash the offensive glass, and holy hell does MKG crash into everything. He is a bigger Tony Allen on defense; no one runs back harder, to the point that MKG's footsteps unnerve ball-handlers who assume everyone has given up stopping their 1-on-0 fast break.
The starting Batum-MKG-Marvin Williams trio can switch across three positions, a boon for any modern NBA defense. The Roy Hibbert Rehabilitation Project is of interest to all of us who miss Indiana Hibbert.
23. ORLANDO MAGIC (27.5)
We need Evan Fournier's hairstyle plan for the full season to really nail this ranking. I'm stoked to watch the Magic! If they are this far down, the league is in a great spot. Aaron Gordon is probably a year away from being a consistent "change the channel!" star, and the system is pessimistic about his transition to the wing -- and Frank Vogel's plan to use him like a bouncier Paul George. The trio of Gordon, Serge Ibaka and Bismack Biyombo should form a massive switching terror on defense.
Vogel's task of sorting out the overcrowded big man rotation is more fun on paper than as a viewing experience. I am ready to not watch Jeff Green play basketball for a year. Nikola Vucevic has a smooth all-around game -- he made huge strides as a passer last season -- but he's also an obvious trade candidate when Orlando decides to balance its roster.
The trimmings are as pleasant as anyplace outside New York City: sharp court, killer black-and-blue uniform set, and announcing from David Steele and Jeff Turner that is both neutral and incisive.
22. INDIANA PACERS (28)
Larry Bird wants to speed things up, but the Pacers already played at a top-10 pace last season while ranking a bricky 23rd in points per possession. They were even worse when their three holdover starters -- Paul George, Monta Ellis and Myles Turner -- shared the floor, per NBA.com. If Jeff Teague can't at least approach his (by far) career-best 3-point mark from last season, the Pacers may struggle to generate breathing room for all their slashers. George Hill might have been a better fit for this team than Teague, at least as long as Ellis is around.
Even so, George is a liquid two-way presence, and it will be fascinating to watch Turner evolve into a stretch center who can both shoot 3s and block shots. Thaddeus Young fools defenders with arrhythmic floaters that look all wrong, but end up cash. Jefferson's post artistry is always welcome, and the Pacers are sliding him into the perfect twilight role as a second-unit destroyer. Big Al can prop up punchless bench units without having to defend opposing starters and play crunch time when the Pacers need scoring.
The clean court with its teensy center logo reflects Hoosier values: The basketball is all that matters.
21. CHICAGO BULLS (29)
The names are bright, but the downside is unsightly: three non-shooters over-dribbling amid a forest of defenders, in search of any workable shot.
The frontcourt is filled with exciting players who boost the comedy score. Nikola Mirotic and his sweaty beard are good for at least three ridiculous, infuriating pump fakes every game. Bobby Portis is going to be good. Fred Hoiberg has been starting Taj Gibson early in preseason, but Mirotic deserves first crack at that power forward spot; you can't roll out lineups featuring zero guys who shoot 3s. Don't sleep on Portis as a candidate to snag that spot for a stretch.
No one outside Chicago noticed, but Cristiano Felicio emerged late last season as a cinder-block banger with some touch. Can Robin Lopez coax Benny the Bull into a heel turn, forming a tag-team that attacks rival mascots?
The snorting bull is the league's best logo, and the court looks even better now that the Bulls have enlarged the centerpiece while removing the superfluous basketball that lingered behind it for years. The narrower baseline font, installed last season, is a massive upgrade over the cartoonish balloon font that preceded it.
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If you are one of those snobs too good for Neil Funk's gravelly voice and Stacey King's silly nicknames, we can't be friends.
20. UTAH JAZZ (29)
We're all excited about the Jazz, but can they speed it the hell up already? Utah ranked dead last in pace, and their possessions after snagging defensive rebounds -- opportunities to run! -- were egregiously slow, per the tracking site Inpredictable. Utah frittered away the first 10 seconds of every possession with rote sequences of passes and cuts before getting to the real stuff.
The Hawks and Spurs go through similar rituals, but with more vigor -- and heightened awareness for openings to abort and attack. Quin Snyder has talked about ditching the prelude more often, and that would help a middle-of-the-road offense that grinds amid cramped spacing when Derrick Favors and Rudy Gobert share the floor.
We saw that pairing in only 49 games last season, after they went Godzilla on the league in the last two months of the season. The Jazz need to see more of it, against top competition, before declaring Favors and Gobert the $50 million long-term frontline -- especially with Trey Lyles looking like a stretchy playmaker who could play alongside either.
Utah sussing all of that out ahead of Gordon Hayward's free agency makes for a juicy subplot. Boris Diaw is a one-of-a-kind trickster, the new court puts that perfect jazz note logo in a more prominent position, and Snyder makes the best coach faces.
19. SAN ANTONIO SPURS (29)
The megaphone homerism of San Antonio's broadcast crew always hurts here, but it is stunning -- and probably stupid -- to see the Spurs 19th. Kawhi Leonard is the first perimeter defender since Scottie Pippen and Gary Payton so impossible to navigate, opponents just give up the ball and say, "Here, I can't deal with this dude." He gobbles up steals without gambling his way out of position or fouling -- a delicate balance almost literally no one else can strike. I'd watch a full-game camera showing only Leonard playing defense over the tanking nonsense that masquerades as basketball in April.
But there is something a little passé about these guys. The passing style that shell-shocked the league from 2010-2014 has run its course. When these Spurs ape that strategy, they will look like a slower version of the old Millsap/Horford Hawks, with LaMarcus Aldridge and Pau Gasol manning opposite wings. Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili don't have the ballhandling verve of years past, and if Parker can't flit to the rim against postseason defenses, San Antonio might face a dribbling deficit.
The Spurs make up for it by slowing down for Leonard and Aldridge post-ups, but those aren't must-see TV unless Aldridge gets on one of his fadeaway hot streaks. The bench beyond Ginobili and the effervescent Patty Mills is a collection of unknowns and retreads, though Jonathon Simmons brings a fun, breakneck, drive-and-dish game.
18. PHILADELPHIA 76ERS (30)
Believe it or not, these guys ranked a few spots higher before the sad news about Ben Simmons. I mean, I'm sorry, but watching Simmons and Joel Embiid develop during another mega-losing season would have been more fun -- and more appealing to dabbling fans-- than a garden-variety game between 42-win Eastern Conference teams.
As it is, we finally get to see Embiid play against something other than air, chairs, and 5-foot-10 coaches. I can't freaking wait. Once the Sixers deal either Nerlens Noel or Jahlil Okafor, the other will get to go solo as Embiid's backup -- and probably share some minutes with him.
And they'll have real, actual NBA guards to feed them the ball! Sergio Rodriguez is a whip smart passer, and Gerald Henderson is one of the sneakiest leapers in the league when he can load up off two feet; he'll unleash a half-dozen earthquake dunks that come out of nowhere. Fans are going to love Dario Saric's blend of European refinement and sharp-elbowed grime, and if Simmons does come back this season, Brett Brown will see what the two "power forwards" can do together. I'm optimistic they can work well alongside Embiid.
Simmons' absence might open time for Jerami Grant, who hunts dunks and blocks with a full-speed violence that is scary. He is a collision waiting to happen. Sauce Castillo is still here!
Brown's enthusiasm seeps through the TV, and everything about the broadcast is aces -- the floor, the unis and the expert work of Marc Zumoff on the play-by-play.
We're watching for a return to health for Conley and Gasol and a return to a sixth-man role for Z-Bo. AP Photo
17. MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES (30)
This is the lowest-ever ranking for the team bringing Marc Gasol's unmatched high -post ingenuity and Tony Allen's Tony Allen-ness. After so many years, we can close our eyes and visualize every step of every 24-second, half-court slog involving the Grizzlies' famed Core Four: Mike Conley's in-and-out dribbles and righty teardrops, Zach Randolph's jab-step dance on the right block, Gasol's underhanded bowling ball passes, and Allen's can't-watch-but-can't-look-away fast- break adventures.
Dave Joerger, now the Kings coach, tried to bring these guys into the 2010s by briefly using Z-Bo off the bench, and David Fizdale will open the season with the same pace-and-space gambit -- giving Z-Bo's tenured starting to spot the hungry JaMychal Green. Fizdale has Marc Gasol shooting 3s in preseason, and Chandler Parsons projects as the perfect new addition to the cast: a secondary ball -handler with 3-point range who will love cutting baseline for Gasol high-lows.
Alas, Parsons' knee still isn't right. The bench is a mystery; Memphis is one injury away from the lottery, and owes its draft pick -- with top-five protection -- to Denver.
Look, I'll always tune in for Gasol's genius and Allen's caffeinated defense. The court is nice, but for the love of the Z-Bound, get Sean Tuohy's insufferable press box cheering off my television.
16. WASHINGTON WIZARDS (30)
It seems like the Wizards should be higher. John Wall streaking down the floor, with gunners fanning out around him, is one of the most thrilling sights in basketball. Only LeBron slings better cross-court passes to corner shooters. Wall slacked on defense last season, but when he's dialed in, he can be a terror -- a long, speedy menace leaping into passing lanes at just the right moment. The Wizards need that John Wall.
Wall needs a healthy Bradley Beal, and for Otto Porter to do just a little bit more on both ends. Markieff Morris launched more triples as a Wizard, and if he (finally) gets more comfortable beyond the arc, Washington's starting five -- a solid plus-5.5 points per 100 possessions in limited minutes last season -- could coalesce into an effective spread pick-and-roll group around Wall.
But the wing rotation is scary thin beyond Beal and Porter, and it's unclear how Scott Brooks, the team's new coach, can divide minutes among a half-dozen center types. Tomas Satoransky looms as a crucial bench player -- skilled enough to run point on offense, and big enough to guard wings.
The Wiz viewing experience feels tired, and we don't have Randy Wittman around to enliven it with his whiteboard confusion and immortal Wittman Faces.
Check out Part 2.This evening, Arsenal legend Robert Pirès was guest of honour at a fanzone broadcast of the Arsenal v Sunderland Barclays English Premier League fixture.
Before the game, fans had the opportunity to meet the former Gunner, who was a member of the last Arsenal team to lift the Premier League trophy 11 years ago.
Met @arsenal #legend #robertpires #mybpl cc @kevinwiddopia A photo posted by Vj One (@vjone) on Dec 5, 2015 at 10:06am PST
Following the game, he shared his post match analysis of the match, which Arsenal won 3-1, lifting them to second in the table.
https://twitter.com/JoeWMuchiri/status/673189371441520641/photo/1
His man of the match was fellow Frenchman Laurent Koscielny who plays at centre back for the Gunners.
Currently top of the league are Leicester City who beat Swansea 3-0.
Earlier in the day he attended the MYSA championships where he thrilled young fans with an inspiring speech and shaking hands on the pitch.
While there, the former French international attended a masonry demonstration by an Arc Skills trainer.
Demo by Arc Skills trainer on Masonry to football legend Robert Pires… Inspiring! pic.twitter.com/X4e6VqA3uD — Mithun Kamath (@mithunrkamath) December 5, 2015
Robert Pirès is in Kenya to publicise Barclays Bank Kenya’s Switch to Better promotion, replacing former team mate Tony Adams who had to withdraw through illness.The White House isn't likely to be illuminated in rainbow lights anytime soon under a Trump-Pence administration.
Anyone looking up the White House LGBT page shortly after Donald Trump’s swearing in found only a smiling photo of Trump and Vice President Mike Pence.
Then a few minutes later, the page was gone altogether.
Under his predecessor Barack Obama, historic gains were highlighted on the page.
They included same-sex marriage becoming legal and the end of the military’s Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy.
It also highlighted Obama’s Executive Order forbidding federal contractors and subcontractors to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.
Trump has vowed to nullify many of Obama’s executive orders and is against same-sex marriage.
Pence, as governor of Indiana, signed a law that made it legal for businesses to discriminate against gay people based on ‘religious beliefs.’
A search for "LGBT" day one of the Obama administration vs. a search for "LGBT" day one of the Trump administration. A photo posted by @glaad on Jan 20, 2017 at 10:26am PSTOne of the truly indispensable works of nonfiction released in 2015, Jamie Bartlett’s The Dark Net charts the rise of the anonymous Internet — the “dark net” — and its many appendages. Bolstered by rising cryptographic technologies, a fair amount of intellectual hubris, and no shortage of libertarian pride, the trolls and programmers who “built” the dark net (or labored in its underbelly) can aggravate the sensibility of even the sanest person. Nevertheless, the story of how it all came to be is fascinating. Here, drawn from Bartlett’s book, are eight facts you may not have known about the rise of the dark net.
1. Much of the ideology behind cryptocurrencies (like Bitcoin) and the broader dark net was constructed by the libertarian cyph |
10 days. Only does cards. Superior POD
website Good-Excellent Good-High Poor Has ripped off many companies and not delivered tons of projects since 2012 The Game Crafter
TheGameCrafter.com Cards=
Excellent
Box,etc=
Fair Good-High Excellent A print on demand company that can make just a few copies of your game. Several size cards. Provides a store-front. Boxes are flimsy. You must use only their bits selection.
Cost of cards comparison of POD companies:
http://oneblogshelf.blogspot.com/2018/06/print-on-demand-playing-cards-cost.html
Factory Tours
Our friends at Thornhenge Games visited several factories in China recently and did a great write up about them. You can find that here – http://thornhenge.com/factory-tours/
Jolly Games has some links to Manufacturers and DYI tips.
http://www.silcom.com/~tomjolly/design2.htm
KS Homework – Getting Quotes From Printers
http://www.leagueofgamemakers.com/kickstarter-homework-lesson-1-quotes-and-setting-prices/
Wikipedia has a list too:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_game_manufacturers
A BGG user posted this about several companies they tried to work with:
https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/952551/manufacturer-run-down-influence
Don’t forget to join our Facebook Group for more interactive discussions:
Tabletop Game Publisher’s Guild – https://www.facebook.com/groups/TabletopPublishers/
Tabletop Game Kickstarter Advice – https://www.facebook.com/groups/TabletopKickstarters/
Card & Board Game Designers Guild – https://www.facebook.com/groups/GameDesignersGuild/
Written by: James MatheIf it’s windy out in Nobles County, Minn., today, a lot of energy is being produced. That’s because the Nobles Wind Project is now online, with 134 1.5-megawatt (MW) wind turbines generating enough power to serve around 66,500 homes. Nobles was a joint venture of Xcel Energy and enXco, which put out the press release announcing that the 201-MW project was now supplying electricity to the regional transmission grid, but under their deal ownership now transfers to Northern States Power Co.-Minnesota, a subsidiary of Xcel.
Xcel also owns the Grand Meadow wind power plant in southeastern Minnesota’s Mower County, and a third company-owned wind project, the 150-megawatt Merricourt Wind Project, is under development by enXco in southeastern North Dakota. All three of the projects – even the one in North Dakota – count toward meeting Minnesota’s renewable portfolio standard of 25 percent renewables by 2025.
One final note: When wind projects are announced, the companies involved inevitably tout the job-creating benefits. In the Nobles case, Xcel and enXco had said the project would result in 200 construction jobs and 400 jobs manufacturing the 262-foot-tall wind turbines and related equipment. What about now that the project is complete? According to Xcel, running the Nobles wind power plant adds 13 operation and maintenance positions to their payroll.
Like what you are reading? Follow us on RSS, Twitter and Facebook to learn more and join the green technology discussion. Have a story idea or correction for this story? Drop us a line through our contact form.New Haven, CT — Today’s Potter Cup matches were filled with excitement and unexpected results.
Defending champions Trinity faced Rochester in one semifinal. Historically, Rochester has two all-time victories against the Bantams, a win in 1973 and a 5-4 victory in 2015. When the two squads faced each other in Hartford in January, Trinity had the edge in a 5-4 match.
Rochester roared out of the gates, with Xiaomin Meng winning in three at number 9 and Neil Cordell winning 11-9 in the fourth at number 3. Trinity stayed close with a three-game win from Afeeq Ismail at number 6. The Yellowjackets led 2-1 at the end of the first round.
The momentum shifted in the second round. Trinity posted two more wins, catching and passing the Yellowjackets. Nku Patrick won in four at number 8, and James Evans also won in four at number 5. The Yellowjacket’s Ryosei Kobayashi won in four at number 2 to tie the score once again. Trinity and Rochester were locked at 3-all going into the final round of matches.
Omar Allaudin gave Trinity a 4-3 lead with a three-game win at number 7. Trinity won the first game of both the number 1 and number 4 matches, but in both contests, Rochester came back to take games 2 and 3.
Rochester’s Mario Yanez rallied from a blowout 1-11 loss in the first game to win the number 1 match in four, tying up the match.
Trinity’s Tom De Mulder and Rochester’s Tomotaka Endo were locked in battle, tied 9-all, then 10-all, in the fifth. Endo pulled away in the final points, winning 12-10 in the fifth. The final score was Rochester 5, Trinity 4. For the first time in 19 years, Trinity will not be in the national championship final; for the first time ever, Rochester will be.
The other semifinal match-up was Yale versus St. Lawrence. During the regular season, the Bulldogs made the trip to Canton and came home 6-3 victors. Now Yale had the home court advantage.
All three first-round matches went past three games. Yale posted the first win, as Arjun Kochhar won in four at number 9. Yale’s Sam Fenwick forced a fifth game at number 3, and St. Lawrence’s George Willis forced a fifth at number 6. It was Fenwick’s and Willis’s opponents, however, who prevailed. Ahmed Bayoumy of St. Lawrence won at number 3, and Max Martin of Yale won at number 6. Yale had a 2-1 lead.
Liam McClintock of Yale didn’t waste much time in his second round match, winning in three at number 8 to widen the Bulldog’s lead. Thomas Kingshott of Yale and Hussien Elrayes of St. Lawrences traded games in the number 5 match, all the way through the fifth. Kingshott won 11-6 in the fifth to bring Yale within one match of the final.
Like his teammate Kingshott, Pierson Broadwater also traded games with his St. Lawrence opponent, Lockie Munro. Broadwater hung on to win 11-9 in the fifth. Yale was going to compete for the Potter Cup on their home courts.
Yale won the match, 6-3.
Tomorrow’s Potter Cup and national championship match will be contested between Yale and Rochester. The match starts at 3 PM.
In the consolation semifinals, Penn defeated Columbia, 5-4, and Harvard defeated Dartmouth, 6-3. Harvard and Penn will meet in the consolation final tomorrow morning.Published: September 8th, 2008 13:27 EST Statement by the President (Treasury Department and the Federal Reserve) By SOP newswire2 Today, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), the regulator of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, determined that these housing mortgage companies cannot continue to operate safely and soundly, and fulfill their public mission -- posing an unacceptable risk to the broader financial system and our economy. FHFA announced that it will place the companies in conservatorship and appoint new leadership. The Treasury Department and the Federal Reserve are taking additional steps that complement FHFA`s actions and will support market stability, add to mortgage availability, and protect taxpayers. These agencies are taking the necessary steps to prevent a disruption of our financial system. Putting these companies on sound financial footing, and reforming their business practices, is critical to the health of our financial system and to making further progress with the housing correction that today is weighing heavily on our economy. Allowing the companies to fail or further deteriorate would damage our home mortgage market, and could weaken other credit markets that are unrelated directly to housing. Americans should be confident that the actions taken today will strengthen our ability to weather the housing correction and are critical to returning the economy to stronger sustained growth in the future. The actions taken today are temporary, and will support housing finance in the near term. As we determine the appropriate role for the companies in the future, it is crucial that they not pose similar risks to our economy or the financial system again. SOURCE: US White HouseThe blowback over Indiana governor Pence’s signing into law ‘The Religious Freedom Restoration Act’ has gone viral. Prominent citizens, politicians and human rights groups are aghast as the act’s potential for instituting discrimination against those who don’t toe the line to fundamentalist Christian sexual orientation standards. In defense of signing the act into law Indiana’s governor Pence has said it was based on the 1993 federal ‘Religious Freedom Restoration Act.’ See New York Times for more on the Act.
What perhaps few know is that one of the most energetic proponents of the federal act that serves as Indiana’s model was none other than the church of Scientology. Scientology crows about its achievement on its own website:
“In 1991, Scientologists supported passage of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which was signed into law on November 16, 1993. The Church of Scientology International was an active member of the Coalition for the Free Exercise of Religion, a broad-based religious and civil liberties group that strenuously worked for passage of the act.” Scientology website
Scientology was so involved in its passage that its president was invited to the White House for the President Clinton’s signing of the original federal act. (President Heber C. Jentzsch crowed about it on Larry King Live)
What scientology doesn’t tout is that it shamelessly exploited the Act even before its final enactment. As it was wending its way through Congress, which scientology was directly and indirectly lobbying, scientology was using its imminent passage as leverage in obtaining tax exempt status from the Internal Revenue Service.
Scientology has used the federal Act for more than two decades to not only discriminate against the LGBT community, but also to immunize itself against charges ranging from human trafficking, to wrongful death, to fraud.
Scientology cited to the act in successfully dismissing criminal charges against it in the case of Lisa McPherson, a 36-year old woman who died in scientology’s custody on its premises. St Petersburg Times
Recently scientology successfully argued for dismissal of a high profile lawsuit for fraud brought by former members in Tampa Florida, citing to the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act. The Underground Bunker
Coincidentally, the highly publicized documentary ‘Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief’ premieres this Sunday on HBO. Its director and producer have both been quoted far and wide of late questioning how scientology gets away with the abuses they chronicle in the film (including its tax exempt status). They need only examine more closely the current media fire emanating in Indiana to find a considerable part of the answer. Folks concerned with the Religious Freedom Restoration Act who look deeper might find that it potentially carries far more grave consequences than currently meet the eye.Who remembers the old GT Xizang? Back in the 90’s, GT had a frame called the Xizang, it came from their SkunkWorks lab that they had in Longmont, CO. That was the pinnacle of the bike, basically equivalent to the Zaskar LE but it was produced in titanium.
For 2013, GT has brought back the “‘Xang”. It is a full Ti frame, the biggest difference is that they put 29inch wheels on it and basically modernized all the features: tapered head tube, fully shaped tubing, and really nice chainstays and seatstays to make the bike nice and stiff but compliant as well. It will be offered as a frameset and is actually available in shops right now so you can get one at your local GT dealer.
MSRP is $2200 for the frameset and is available in 26″ or 29″ versions. The Xizang 26 comes in XS, SM and MD. The 29er version comes in MD, LG or XL. The frame features Aerospace grade Titanium 3AL-2.5v Triple Triangle™ Frame Construction with post mount for disc brakes, replaceable derailleur hanger and 1-1/8″ to 1-1/2″ Tapered Head Tube with internal machined bearing seat. It is hydroformed and butted and the dropouts are laser cut grade 5 6/4 plate with CNC post machining.Tottenham striker Emmanuel Adebayor claimed he cannot stop smiling after he was handed a return to the Spurs first-team following the sacking of manager Andre Villas-Boas.
Emmanuel Adebayor said he is happy to be back playing for Tottenham.
• Fitch: Spurs unconvincing
Adebayor was frozen out by Villas-Boas for much of this season and his future at the club appeared to be bleak so long as the Portuguese tactician remained at the helm.
Yet just 48 hours after Villas-Boas was fired, Adebayor was back scoring at White Hart Lane, and while his return ultimately ended in a disappointing Capital One Cup exit at the hands of West Ham, the Togo striker is relieved to be playing once again.
“I’ve still got my smile on my face. I got a chance, I took it well. I’m very happy,” stated Adebayor, who received a warm reception on his return to the team.
“I was hanging in there waiting for my chance. Tim [Sherwood, Spurs’ interim coach] gave me the chance to play football again. Now the most important thing is me scoring goals, confidence is back.”
Adebayor is hoping to start Sunday’s Premier League game against Southampton after claiming his team-mates can turn around their season if they play with passion at St Mary’s Stadium.
“We just have to keep working hard, put more heart into it and it will be better,” he added. “Hopefully this Sunday we’ll have a chance to win it. We have to get out there with confidence, with belief and take the three points.”
Meanwhile, Spurs midfielder Mousa Dembele stressed there is no need for Tottenham players to allow their season to unravel, as he admitted he shares a sense of responsibility for Villas-Boas’ sacking.
“I think everyone feels guilty and that’s a normal thing,” said the Belgium international. “It’s a team sport, it’s not one guy that’s responsible, everybody is responsible. We are one team, all together.
“We don’t have to be negative. It is not that bad. We expect so much of ourselves and we know we can achieve big things. When it doesn’t happen you’re very disappointed.
“In the last few games we could have done much better, so we have to stay with the same motivation. It has been a tough few days but everybody is still positive. You could see that out on the pitch.”Being overweight or obese carries with it social stigma (even from your doctors) and a host of risk factors — for diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke and heart disease — that can herald an early death. But being inactive might carry the biggest risks. A huge, 12-year-long study emphasizes this point with the finding that a lack of physical activity claims twice as many lives as obesity does.
The European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study is following more than half a million Europeans in 10 countries to look for links between diet, nutrition, lifestyle, the environment and the occurrence of cancer and other diseases. Using that data set, researchers based at the University of Cambridge, looked at 334,161 men and women for the relationship between physical activity and premature death. Over the 12 years that they asked for weight, waist circumference and activity levels, 21,438 participants died.
The researchers found that if people who reported no physical activity had done a little exercise—just a 20 minute brisk walk every day—they could have reduced their chance of dying early by between 16 to 30 percent. "This is a simple message: just a small amount of physical activity each day could have substantial health benefits for people who are physically inactive," says Ulf Ekelund, of the University of Cambridge and lead author on the study, in a press statement.
If all inactive people did that little bit of exercise, deaths across the board would be theoretically be reduced by 7.35 percent. By comparison, if no one was obese, that would reduce deaths by 3.66 percent. This result suggests "that physical inactivity is responsible for more than twice as many deaths as general obesity," at least in Europe, write the study authors. The study was published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
"The greatest risk [of an early death] was in those classed inactive, and that was consistent in normal weight, overweight and obese people," Ekelund told BBC News. Even lean people who don't exercise aren't as healthy as they should be. That doesn’t mean that we still shouldn’t strive to avoid obesity, he adds, just that any exercise at all is important, even when you are overweight.
And if that news isn’t so new to you… if you’ve heard it before and know you want to get off your tush but just lack the confidence (perhaps because you fear being judged for your weight while you exercise), then take a look at the "This Girl Can" campaign for Sport England. It features women of all shapes, sizes and a broad diversity of race and age working out and rocking it.
The ad agency who created it cast British women they found "outside gyms and football pitches and even while out on a run," writes Meg Carter for Fast Company. One of the ad’s slogans reads, "sweating like a pig, feeling like a fox." Now, please excuse this reporter while she goes for a run.JED Archive Closing
The JED Team will be closing down the Joomla 1.5 Extensions Archive on March 1, 2014.
The archive was created in February of 2013, following community feedback, to allow users an additional year to find Joomla 1.5 extensions. It also has aided developers to transition their extensions and in some cases fork abandoned extensions to 2.5 and 3.x.
The JED's 1.5 Timeline
April 1, 2012 : we stopped accepting Joomla 1.5 extension submissions.
: we stopped accepting Joomla 1.5 extension submissions. February 15, 2013 : the Joomla 1.5 compatibility icon was disabled for new submissions.
: the Joomla 1.5 compatibility icon was disabled for new submissions. February 15, 2013 : the Joomla 1.5 Extension Archive site was deployed on http://archive.extensions.joomla.org.
: the Joomla 1.5 Extension Archive site was deployed on http://archive.extensions.joomla.org. March 1, 2013 : We removed listings that were marked as Joomla 1.5 only and removed the 1.5 icons.
: We removed listings that were marked as Joomla 1.5 only and removed the 1.5 icons. March 15, 2013 : all non-compatible listings were purged from the system.
: all non-compatible listings were purged from the system. March 1, 2014: the Joomla 1.5 Extension Archive site will be closed.
A copy of the site will be packed and put into storage. At this time, we have no intentions of distributing or sharing any portions of the archive outside of the Joomla Project.
You can comment on this blog post here.This process involves Der8auer’s new delidding kit, an Allen wrench (looked like a 5mm wrench), and some force. Nothing difficult. The process is identical for both KBL-X and SKY-X, with the disclaimer that larger SKY-X CPU dies (like 14-18C chips) could pose some difficulties with extra capacitor density surrounding the CPU die. There’s much greater risk of damaging or destroying the 14C to 18C CPUs given this challenge, and although the 10C CPU was trivial, risk of damage is also present. SMD components sit close to the outer glue of the IHS, which means that delidding could potentially rip one of the SMDs off of the substrate. The SMDs on the sides of the CPU die are for memory channels, with the capacitor and RFID chip in the corner being less critical.
We ran into professional overclocker Der8auer at G.Skill’s Computex booth, who was keen to give us a hands-on delidding demonstration of a new 10C/20T Intel Skylake-X CPU. During the process, we also got our first real hands-on look at the CPU substrate and package – interesting in its own right – and underlying thermal compound choice. The lack of solder could have an explanation in chip longevity, something we’ll talk about a bit later.
Delidding the CPU reveals that the substrate is stacked vertically, split into two layers. The elevated part of the substrate hosts the CPU die, which is a bit smaller in our photos than the 14C-18C dies. The Intel CPUs with higher core count will leverage 22-core dies that have been cut down.
As for thermal solution, it’s thermal paste from Dow Corning, which isn’t the best, but is reliable and will withstand hot/cold cycles without issue. The company’s reasoning for solder seems to be longevity, and they have a point, to some degree: Solder will struggle with rapid contraction and expansion of metals during extreme temperature swings, where thermal compound remains stoic and largely unaffected. That said, the concern of expansion/contraction of solder is largely relegated to smaller dies, which some of these new CPUs are not. Using thermal compound could be defensible, though thermal improvement is still tremendous when switching to soldered contact or liquid metal. And Intel has not been particularly good in the thermal department lately. Regardless, we're not clear on how much water the longevity argument holds.
Der8auer's delid kit -- currently in prototype phase.
There appears to be an RFID chip in the corner of the Intel i9-7900X that we looked at, which would lead us to believe that the chip is capable of storing user information. Der8auer’s theory is that this could be used to store user overclock data, e.g. maximum stable OC. Such a chip could also be used for RMA processes, theoretically.
View the video for a live delidding; otherwise, this gives you one of the first looks at a delidded Skylake-X CPU, the i9-7900X.
Editorial: Steve Burke
Video: Keegan GallickNorway's Alexander Rybak won this year's contest
Eurovision Song Contest organisers say they may ban countries from the competition if broadcasters disclose information about voters' identities.
It comes after a number of people in Azerbaijan were questioned by police after voting for a song by neighbouring Armenia in this year's contest.
Phone companies had been responsible for protecting voters' details, but now broadcasters will shoulder the burden.
Sanctions against offending countries could be a ban of up to three years.
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) said the rule change was to ensure the protection of voters' privacy.
Last month, an Azerbaijani man told the BBC he had been accused of being unpatriotic and a "potential security threat", after he sent a text backing Armenia's song, Jan Jan.
'Totally unacceptable'
The country's authorities said people had merely been invited to explain why they voted for Armenia.
The two states fought over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region in the 1990s.
Armenia's Inga and Anush perform at the Eurovision Song Contest
The EBU's director general, Jean Reveillon, said violating the privacy of voters "or interrogation of individuals... is totally unacceptable".
As it does not have the ability to penalise telephone companies, the body said it would impose sanctions against broadcasters "for any disclosure of information which could be used to identify voters".
Banning a broadcaster would effectively stop a country from being able to take part.
Norway's Alexander Rybak won the contest this year, smashing the record for the most points awarded during the competition with 387.Two years after it stunned the world by launching the world’s cheapest Mars orbiter mission in its first attempt, India’s space agency, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), launched as many as 34 satellites into space in 2016. These included 22 foreign satellites and 12 Indian ones.
India’s indigenously-developed Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) and Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) did most of the heavy lifting, carrying 33 of these satellites. Only one of ISRO’s satellites was put into orbit through French company Arianespace because of its heavier weight, which the Indian space agency can’t yet handle.
In September, ISRO sent 20 satellites into orbit on one rocket, the highest number it has launched in one go. But that feat will soon be bettered as the agency is now gearing up to launch a record 83 satellites in one go—setting a world record—in Jan. 2017.
Of the 83 satellites, 80 belong to Israel, Kazakhstan, Netherlands, Switzerland and the US. The remaining three belong to India.
These exploits are helping to rake in the moolah. The Indian space agency’s commercial arm, Antrix Corporation, currently has an order book of Rs500 crore ($73 million), which is expected to increase by another Rs500 crore if ongoing negotiations are successful. Globally, the satellite industry stood at $208 billion in 2015, according to Washington DC-based Satellite Industry Association.
“Launch capacity globally is limited,” AS Kiran Kumar, chairman of ISRO, told Bloomberg last month. “Why are people coming to us? Because they are looking for the most cost-effective, short turnaround-time launches.”
This year, ISRO also made headway with its indigenous space shuttle programme. On May 23, the space agency successfully tested a prototype of a reusable space shuttle, which was about six times smaller than the final planned vehicle. Around 600 scientists at ISRO have been working on the space agency’s shuttle programme for a decade now. If and when the final shuttle is built, India will be among the select few countries to have such a vehicle as part of their space programmes.
“We need more and more capacity, launch capacity,” Kumar said on Dec. 27. “We are working toward that. Our effort is to continuously increase.”
Here is a list of ISRO’s successes through 2016.Inquirer Eight: Manila Major Power Rankings
Justin "Popi" Banusing
With the advent of the Manila Major, some teams are bound to rise and fall on the big stage.
Whereas some teams are considered favorites, others have no one confident in their potential success notwithstanding a miracle. Recent roster changes, alongside the small amount of premier events in the gap between Shanghai and Manila, means that opinions are divided.
On that note, we gathered our staff along with a few guests such as Ben “Noxville” Steenhuisen, Paul “ReDeYe” Chaloner and Joey “Lefeator” Thimian to see who among the sixteen teams will be in the top 8, according to general consensus.
Here are our picks for the teams most likely to strike it big at the Major – the Inquirer Eight.
8. Evil Geniuses
North American Dota 2‘s best, Evil Geniuses (EG) have long ruled both their home scene and maintained a healthy level of competition globally. However, things have been shaky for the 17-year old organization recently, especially after losing their carry Artour “Arteezy” Babaev and offlaner Saahil “Universe” Arora to rivals Team Secret in the post-Dota Pit shuffle.
With a new roster sporting Digital Chaos (DC) players and former teammates Kurtis “Aui_200” Ling and Sam “Bulba” Sosale, their results have been decent at best. That’s not to say they don’t have the potential to win. given midlaner Syed “Suma1l” Hassan’s snowball potential. Captain Peter “ppd” Dager and support Clinton “Fear” Loomis have proven from time to time again that they can lead new rosters to success. Regardless, losses to CompLexity Gaming (coL) and Vega Squadron (Vega) show that the team has a lot to prove going into the Major.
7. Vici Gaming Reborn
Xu “fy” Linsen’s decision to build a new roster around the former academy team Vici Gaming Potential was seen with skepticism from many sides when it was announced. Now, the “B-squad” seems to be “B” no longer. With a strong win at the Starladder i-League Invitational over Natus Vincere (Na’Vi), Vici Gaming Reborn (VGR) proved itself worthy of becoming the organization’s main squad; that was without their midlaner Wang “Nono” Xin, who ran into visa issues.
Now complete, VGR are going in strong at the Manila Major, but their lack of match-up experience over most western teams might prove a problem.
6. Wings Gaming
Coming in unexpectedly and securing the win at ESL One Manila, Wings Gaming (Wings) surprised western fans. Although they’ve only played in two international tournaments, WCA 2015 and the aforementioned ESL event, they’ve already beaten teams such as Team Liquid (Liquid), VGR and more. Unfortunately, they’re in a bit of a flux, with domestic results being a mixed bag thanks in part to Newbee’s near-domination of Chinese Dota 2.
One thing that Wings do have that others do not is their drafting and wide hero pool. Quirky, weird and unheard of strategies sometimes play into the mix for their drafter Zhang “Innocence” Liping. With the Manila Majors at hand, expect the unexpected, especially now that they’ve been knocked into the Lower Bracket.
5. MVP Phoenix
MVP Phoenix (MVP) are the Korean Dota 2 scene’s top dogs and near-last hope. If their 2 recent 1st place finishes at Dota Pit Season 5 and WePlay League Season 3 are an indicator of what’s to come, expect them to do well. Then again, they’ve also lost a string of online qualifiers to fellow Asian team Fnatic and bowed out of the Starladder i-League Invitational at a rock bottom placing.
Provided MVP show up in their prime form and not their online qualifier form, they have a good shot at making the top 3 or even taking it all.
4. Team Secret
The instigators of the western scene’s post-Dota Pit shuffle, change has not done Secret well. Adding Arteezy and Universe to their roster in favor of Aliwi “w33” Omar and Rasmus “Misery” Flipsen showed a decline in their results, finishing near last at ESL One Manila and EPICENTER: Moscow. Secret’s raw talent is undeniable, with former Na’Vi captain Clement “Puppey” Ivanov at the helm and former Cloud 9 (C9) captain Jacky “EternalEnvy” Mao as second mate.
Their performance in the group stages left a lot to be desired and as a result, they’re starting the Main Event from the Lower Bracket. If anyone can make it happen though, it’s Secret’s star-studded roster.
3. OG
As the name implies, OG are the “OGs” of the Major system. Winning the Frankfurt Major last year all the way from the first round of the Lower Bracket solidified the team’s status as Tier 1. Come Shanghai however, it had seemed that Tal “Fly” Aizik’s drafting hadn’t adapted to the new patch and the team suffered, still finishing within the top 8.
They’ve recently been showing a return to form, with midlaner Amar “miracle-” Barqawi’s explosive playstyle being a key factor. A combination of good tournament results and wins over the likes of Newbee and Na’Vi make them a threat coming into the Manila Major, where they are now in the Upper Bracket of the Main Event.
2. Newbee
Newbee went on an undefeated spree after the Shanghai Major, only losing to OG in the first round of the Upper Bracket during EPICENTER: Moscow. Even then, the Chinese powerhouse still managed to run it all the way back to the Lower Bracket finals, where they beat OG in the rematch and proceeded to finish 2nd place. They aren’t slouches domestically either, with them winning the last two iterations of H-Cup over other regional favorites like VGR.
Superb team-fight execution is the name of the game for this iteration of the The International 2014-winning team thanks to Chen “Hao” Zhihao and Zhang “Mu” Pan’s long-term partnership coupled with solid supporting play from Damien “kpii” Chok, Wong Hock “Chuan” Chuan and Hu “Kaka” Liangzhi. They’re definitely up for championship contention but if their series with OG and Team Liquid (Liquid) have any meaning, it’s that they aren’t invincible.
1. Team Liquid
From not qualifying for Frankfurt, to finishing 2nd at Shanghai, to winning EPICENTER: Moscow, Liquid have done it. Kuro “Kuroky” Salehi’s former 5Jungz roster, through extremely solid play all throughout the season, have recent winning records over almost every team in the Major that they’ve faced bar Wings.
With support Jesse “JerAx” Vainikka, midlaner Adrian “FATA-” Trink and carry Lasse “MATUMBAMAN” Urpalainen being the best at their respective signature heroes, each of them bring a lot to the table. Offlaner Ivan “MinD_ContRoL” Borislavov is no slouch either thanks to his diverse hero pool.
While they do have winning records over most teams as mentioned before, some of these were close series, with their last one against Newbee 3-2 after they came back from being down a game.
Despite this, Liquid, according to our panel, are by far the favorites going into the major.
For more coverage on the Manila Major and Dota 2, stay tuned on eSports by Inquirer.net.
All the photos used in this article belong to their respective owners.
Special thanks to our staff and guests for panelists on this project:As someone who was a participant on Ivan's RS84 buy who did file a paypal dispute after what I suspected was a reasonable amount of time for a reply in the original thread, I think part of the blame is also on the buyers to use common sense to see if a situation is super fishy.
Note: I had both emailed Ivan myself (using the email that was used during the paypal transaction) and looked in the thread and Ivan's profile for an update. I waited as long as I could during the paypal dispute window to make one. I didn't do it because I wanted my money back, I did it because I did not trust that the Group Buy was going to go through.
During all of this, I saw numerous posts in the original thread about people saying that Ivan was a good guy, that he had run buys before, that you should just trust him, etc. In my opinion, this is the largest failing by the geekhack community- assuring others that everything was OK when they had obviously no idea what was going on.
What the mods need to do to ensure this shouldn't happen again is this:
1. Do not allow users that are not connected to the group buy itself to issue statements about the validity of the gb's progress in the thread. Yes, there are senior members in gh that I personally trust. However, I don't think it's fair for those that are disconnected from the actual logistics of the buy to post things like "don't worry, he's trustworthy" or "He/She will pull through, just give it time". Being unavailable through the forum and unresponsive IS cause for concern, especially when handling over $10,000 worth of gh members' money.
2. Do not base Group Buy Leader eligibility over post count, rather keep the current requirements: 25 posts/2 months. High post count/Seniority make no difference in whether or not the person is a scammer. I had purchased my GMK Hyperfuse set off of sethk_ and at the time, he seemed like he was a reputable member of gh. He had a high post count and was a member for a long time. Obviously, his group buy fell through as well. In fact, of the recent issues with group buys they've mostly been caused by members that had high post count/seniority.
3. Require images of paid invoices and independent confirmation from the manufacturer that the order has been placed. In the case of Miami Nights, the payment to GMK was never made. If an invoice isn't made within 60 days (which is a reasonable amount of time for the GB leader to collect funds and transfer funds to their personal bank account and make an invoice), people are still able to file paypal disputes in that time. An image can also be doctored, so to ensure that the order is actually placed, the GB leader should notify the manufacturer to allow an outside party (perhaps an admin@geekhack.org) email to get confirmation that the order had been placed and to put that confirmation in the OP.
4. Allow mods access to a list of group buy participants. This way, if an invoice isn't made in the required time periods, group buy participants can be sent an email telling them that the leader has not abided by the Group Buy rules and to check the original thread for more information. Note: I don't think this email should include advisement to file a paypal dispute- that is the point of Caveat Emptor. Rather, this just provides information for the buyer to make a better decision.
5. Suggest new members to use PMK/MD during the IC phase if it applies.
6. Do not involve yourselves as some sort of intermediary other than the checking the paid invoice phase- I do believe that there shouldn't be any sort of warranty, refund, etc. attached to a group buy. However, ensuring that the group buy get off of its feet is not any of those things.
7. While I like the idea of posting 2 week updates, making sure this happens is beyond the control of the mods. The group buy could be running smoothly and have no updates until the product arrives at your doorstep. Furthermore, how are you going to force people to post updates anyways? Would failure to update result in a ban? In this case, scammers wouldn't not care- collect money and gtfo. Why would |
]
L. Rosas hijacks a DC-8 from Miami to Cuba. November 1 A man born in Mexico successfully hijacks a 727 from San Diego to Cuba; he has two children with him. [31]
A man born in Mexico successfully hijacks a 727 from San Diego to Cuba; he has two children with him. November 13 A man hijacks an airliner from Raleigh to Cuba. [31]
A man hijacks an airliner from Raleigh to Cuba. December 19 A man attempts to hijack a DC-9 from Albuquerque to Cuba. He is taken into custody at Tulsa; he is sentenced to 5 years subject to a medical mental examination for conveying false information about an attempt to commit air piracy.[31]
1971 [ edit ]
January 22, 1971 A man successfully hijacks a 727 from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to Cuba; he would have gone to Algeria, if possible. [45]
A man successfully hijacks a 727 from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to Cuba; he would have gone to Algeria, if possible. February 4 A man successfully hijacks a DC-9 from Chicago to Cuba. [45]
A man successfully hijacks a DC-9 from Chicago to Cuba. February 25 A man successfully hijacks a 727 from San Francisco to Cuba or Canada; he ends up in Canada; he is deported on March 8, 1971; he is sentenced to 10 years for interference with a flight crew. [45]
A man successfully hijacks a 727 from San Francisco to Cuba or Canada; he ends up in Canada; he is deported on March 8, 1971; he is sentenced to 10 years for interference with a flight crew. March 31 A man born in Venezuela successfully hijacks a DC-8 from New York to Cuba; he returns to the United States via Bermuda on October 8, 1974.[45]
1972 [ edit ]
1974 [ edit ]
December 14, 1974 Robin Harrison charters a plane by phone. On arrival at the airport office in Tampa, he points gun at the pilot of a Piper Seneca and demands a flight to Cuba.[45]
1978 [ edit ]
March 13, 1978 Hijacker Clay Thomas hijacked United Flight 696 out of San Francisco. He claimed to have a high explosive filled pipe bomb and wanted to go to Cuba. Flight 696 landed at Oakland and after the passengers and cabin crew disembarked, began fueling for the flight to Cuba. Surrounded by police cars, Thomas panicked, stopped the refueling, and forced the crew to take off.
En route, Flight 696 landed in Denver to take on more fuel. While waiting for the fuel truck, the crew escaped the cockpit by jumping from the open cockpit windows. Without hostages, Thomas quickly surrendered to the FBI.
The Seattle-based crew, which included Captain Alan Grout, First Officer Jack Bard, and Second Officer Luke Warfield were all injured during the escape. They subsequently recovered and returned to flight duty during the following months.
1979 [ edit ]
June 12, 1979 Delta Air Lines Flight 1061, an L-1011 piloted by Captain Vince Doda, is hijacked by Eduardo Guerra Jimenez, a former Cuban air force pilot who had hijacked a MIG jet to the United States 10 years earlier.[45][49]
1980s [ edit ]
1990s [ edit ]
February 4, 1992 Luis Rodríguez hijacks a plane from Cuba with other eight people. The plane ran out of fuel and fell to the sea near the Florida keys. There were no survivors. [9]
Luis Rodríguez hijacks a plane from Cuba with other eight people. The plane ran out of fuel and fell to the sea near the Florida keys. There were no survivors. November 15, 1993 Alvarez Manuel & Alvaro Dominguez flew a Russian-built AN-2 biplane on a four-hour, zig-zag course to confuse Cuban radar. Guided by a U.S. Coast Guard interceptor, he landed just before dawn at Opa-Locka Airport just north of Miami. [9]
Alvarez Manuel & Alvaro Dominguez flew a Russian-built AN-2 biplane on a four-hour, zig-zag course to confuse Cuban radar. Guided by a U.S. Coast Guard interceptor, he landed just before dawn at Opa-Locka Airport just north of Miami. June 7, 1996 Lieutenant Colonel José Fernández Pupo hijacks a Cubana An-2 with 10 passengers, flying from Bayamo to Santiago de Cuba, demanding at gunpoint to land in Guantanamo Bay Naval Base. On May 29, 1997 he was declared not guilty by U.S. courts. [9]
Lieutenant Colonel José Fernández Pupo hijacks a Cubana An-2 with 10 passengers, flying from Bayamo to Santiago de Cuba, demanding at gunpoint to land in Guantanamo Bay Naval Base. On May 29, 1997 he was declared not guilty by U.S. courts. July 26, 1996 Iberia Airlines Flight 6621 McDonnell-Douglas DC-10 flying from Madrid to Havana with 286 people aboard is forced to land in Miami by Lebanese National Saado Ibrahim, threatening the use of a bomb, later found to be fake. No one is injured. [52]
Iberia Airlines Flight 6621 McDonnell-Douglas DC-10 flying from Madrid to Havana with 286 people aboard is forced to land in Miami by Lebanese National Saado Ibrahim, threatening the use of a bomb, later found to be fake. No one is injured. August 16, 1996 Commercial pilot Adel Given Ulloa and two other workers of Aerotaxi, Leonardo Reyes and José Roberto Bello, force pilot Adolfo Pérez Pantoja to fly to the United States. The plane ran out of fuel in the Florida Straits and fell to the sea 50 km south of Fort Myers. They were collected by a Russian ship. The three were declared not guilty of hijacking by a court in Tampa. All remained in the U.S.[9]
2000s [ edit ]
September 19, 2000 – An Antonov An-2 crashes into the sea west of Cuba. Cuban authorities said the plane was hijacked after take-off from Pinar del Río. [53]
– An Antonov An-2 crashes into the sea west of Cuba. Cuban authorities said the plane was hijacked after take-off from Pinar del Río. July 31, 2001 – John Milo Reese steals a plane from Florida Keys Marathon Airport with the reported intention of delivering a pizza to Fidel Castro in an attempt to kidnap the Cuban leader. After crash-landing on a Cuban beach, he was returned to the United States, where he was convicted of transporting a stolen aircraft, and was sentenced to six months in jail. In a later interview, he admitted to being slightly intoxicated and having lost his bearings in the air. [54]
– John Milo Reese steals a plane from Florida Keys Marathon Airport with the reported intention of delivering a pizza to Fidel Castro in an attempt to kidnap the Cuban leader. After crash-landing on a Cuban beach, he was returned to the United States, where he was convicted of transporting a stolen aircraft, and was sentenced to six months in jail. In a later interview, he admitted to being slightly intoxicated and having lost his bearings in the air. August 14, 2001 – An elderly couple attempts to hijack a plane and force the pilot to fly to Cuba. In the ensuing scuffle the plane crashed into the sea near Florida and the couple drowned. [55]
– An elderly couple attempts to hijack a plane and force the pilot to fly to Cuba. In the ensuing scuffle the plane crashed into the sea near Florida and the couple drowned. November 11, 2002 – A Cuban An-2 aircraft, registration No. CU-C1086, is hijacked. The plane landed at the Pinar del Río airport before flying to Key West in Florida. [56]
– A Cuban An-2 aircraft, registration No. CU-C1086, is hijacked. The plane landed at the Pinar del Río airport before flying to Key West in Florida. March 19, 2003 – Six men, some armed with knives, take control of a Cuban state airline plane as it heads to Havana from Cuba's Isle of Youth. U.S. Air Force fighter jets intercepted the DC-3 plane, run by Cuban state airline Aerotaxi, shortly before it reached Florida late on Wednesday evening. The U.S. jets then escorted the plane to Key West's airport, where the suspects surrendered without incident. [57]
– Six men, some armed with knives, take control of a Cuban state airline plane as it heads to Havana from Cuba's Isle of Youth. U.S. Air Force fighter jets intercepted the DC-3 plane, run by Cuban state airline Aerotaxi, shortly before it reached Florida late on Wednesday evening. The U.S. jets then escorted the plane to Key West's airport, where the suspects surrendered without incident. March 31, 2003 – A Cuban airliner is successfully hijacked to Key West with 32 people on board. [58]
– A Cuban airliner is successfully hijacked to Key West with 32 people on board. April 1, 2003 – A man carrying two grenades hijacks a Cuban domestic airliner demanding that it fly to the United States; it landed in Havana due to insufficient fuel.[59]
See also [ edit ]Environmental and human rights activists, holding plastic “torches” and “pitchforks,” formed human barricades at both entrances to the Nestlé Waters bottling plant in Sacramento at 5:00 a.m. on Friday, March 20, effectively shutting down the company's operations for the day.
Members of the “Crunch Nestlé Alliance" shouted out a number of chants, including ”We got to fight for our right to water,” “Nestlé, Stop It, Water Not For Profit," and “¿Agua Para Quien? Para Nuestra Gente.”
The protesters stayed until about 1 pm, but there were no arrests.
Representatives of the alliance said the company is draining up to 80 million gallons of water a year from Sacramento aquifers during a record drought. They claim Sacramento City Hall has made it possible through a "corporate welfare giveaway."
“This corporate welfare giveaway is an outrage and warrants a major investigation,” Coalition spokesperson Andy Conn said. “For more than five months we have requested data on Nestlé water use. City Hall has not complied with our request, or given any indication that it will. Sacramentans deserve to know how their money is being spent and what they’re getting for it. In this case, they’re getting ripped off.”
Lola Ellis of 99 Rise Sacramento, who spoke on the bullhorn at the protest, said, “Nestlé’s bottling of water in Sacramento is unsustainable in the current state of drought. We really don’t’ know how much water they are taking from the aquifer and that is a scary thing.”
“The water needs to be used for the local community. If there is not enough water for the local community, the Nestlé corporation should not be making a profit,” she emphasized.
The coalition protested what they call Nestlé's “virtually unlimited use of water” while Sacramentans (like other Californians) who use a mere 7 to 10 percent of total water used in the State of California, have had severe restrictions and limitations forced upon them.
The coalition is calling on Nestlé to pay rates commensurate with its enormous profit, or voluntarily close down.
“Nestlé pays only 65 cents for each 470 gallons it pumps out of the ground – the same rate as an average residential water user. But the company can turn the area's water around, and sell it back to Sacramento at mammoth profit,” according to a news release from the activists.
They said Sacramento officials have refused attempts to obtain details of Nestlé's water use. Coalition members have addressed the Sacramento City Council and requested that Nestlé either pay a commercial rate under a two tier level, or pay a tax on its profit.
A call to the Sacramento City Department of Utilities about the details of Nestlés water use hadn’t been returned as of press time.
But according to Fox 40 News, “In 2014 Nestlé says it used 50 million gallons from the Sacramento Municipal Water Supply, which they say is a fraction of one percent of total water demand within the city of Sacramento.” (http://fox40.com/...)
A statement issued by the company in October 2014 regarding a previous protest in front of the plant said:
"In Sacramento, Nestlé Waters North America purchases and pays the standard metered rate for municipal water, which is delivered through the municipal pipe system. We are not ranked among the top 10 water users in Sacramento as we use about two thousandths of one percent (0.0016%) of Sacramento’s total water demand. Our company is subject to any restrictions, drought or otherwise, imposed on all light industrial or business customers by the city of Sacramento and we comply with those restrictions." (http://www.scribd.com/...)
Bob Saunders, also with the Crunch Nestlé Alliance, responded, "Nestlé can claim any amount of water they want, but we haven’t seen any documentation of the amount of water they’re using. We do know they’re allowed to take up to 80 million gallons per year.”
Mauro Oliveira, known as "Red Sun," showed up at the protest with his children, including Rise, Aren and Mahai'a, and connected the battle of local activists against Nestlé with the struggle of Indian Tribes, family farmers, grassroots environmental activists and fishermen to stop fracking, the Shasta Dam raise, and Governor Jerry Brown’s Bay Delta Conservation Plan (BDCP) to build the twin tunnels, the most environmentally destructive public works project in California history.
“This whole idea of bottling water goes against Indigenous Peoples' concept of water is sacred," said Oliveira. "The 20,000-year-old water in aquifers belongs to the last generation on earth. We don’t have the right to tap into this water.”
“The Governor said we should conserve, but millions of gallons of fracking waste are being reinjected into the aquifer in California. The Governor talks out of both sides of his mouth. Polluting our water supplies is a violation of human rights," said Oliveira.
You can view photos of the protest at: http://www.indybay.org/...
Raiding pristine water from a National Forest stream
The bottling plant in Sacramento is not the only one in California. A recent investigation in the Desert Sun found that Nestlé Waters North America has been pumping water from pristine streams of the San Bernardino National Forest with little to no oversight by the U.S. Forestry Service. (http://www.desertsun.com/...)
“Nestlé Waters North America holds a longstanding right to use this water from the national forest near San Bernardino,” according to the Sun. “But the U.S. Forest Service hasn't been keeping an eye on whether the taking of water is harming Strawberry Creek and the wildlife that depends on it. In fact, Nestle's permit to transport water across the national forest expired in 1988. It hasn't been reviewed since, and the Forest Service hasn't examined the ecological effects of drawing tens of millions of gallons each year from the springs.”
On its website, Nestlé claims that it is committed to “environmental stewardship.” (http://www.nestle-watersna.com/...)
“36 years of experience promoting healthy hydration, Nestlé Waters North America has 15 leading U.S. and Canadian bottled water brands,” according to the company. “The company’s commitment to environmental stewardship, especially in the areas of water use, packaging and energy, as well as its dedication to partnering in the communities where it operates, have led Nestlé Waters to achieve the number one bottled drinking water position in the U.S.”
Activists disagree strongly with the company’s claims of commitment to "environmental stewardship." In October, the “Crunch Nestlé” coalition released a "white paper" highlighting predatory water profiteering actions taken by Nestle’ Water Bottling Company in various cities, counties, states and countries.
Most of those great “deals” yielded mega profits for Nestlé at the expense of the public. Additionally, the environmental impact on many of those areas yielded “disastrous results,” the paper stated.
Nestlé is currently the leading supplier of the world’s bottled water, including such brands as Perrier and San Pellegrino. It has has 7,500 employees and 29 bottled water facilities across the U.S. and Canada, and annual revenues were $4.0 billion in 2012, up 6.8% from 2011. For nearly four decades, activists from an array of organizations have criticized the company for its human rights violations throughout the world.
For example, Food and Water Watch and other organizations blasted Nestlé’s "Human Rights Impact Assessment," released at the UN Forum on Business and Human Rights in December 2013, as a "public relations stunt."
(http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/...)
“The failure to examine Nestlé’s track record on the human right to water is not surprising given recent statements by its chair Peter Brabeck-Letmath challenging the human right to water,” said Wenonah Hauter, Executive Director of Food & Water Watch. She noted that the company famously declared at the 2000 World Water Forum in the Netherlands that water should be defined as a need—not as a human right.
Watch Nestlé's CEO declare water “food that should be privatized, and not a human right”: http://http://www.globalresearch.ca/nestle-continues-stealing-worlds-water-during-drought/5438880
More recently Brabeck-Letmathe, after facing international criticism for his remarks, reversed course and now said he thinks that "water is a human right and that everyone, everywhere in the world, has the right to clean, safe water for drinking and sanitation." (http://www.nestle.com/...)
But activists continue to cite the company's bad human rights record, noting that Nestlé workers who have protested unjust labor conditions at the corporation’s facilities in Colombia have been assassinated by paramilitary death squads.
"In November 2013, Colombian trade unionist Oscar Lopez Trivino became the fifteenth Nestlé worker to be assassinated by a paramilitary organization while many of his fellow workers were in the midst of a hunger strike protesting the corporation’s refusal to hear their grievances," according to the groups.
Taking the water from aquifers throughout the world and the deaths of workers protesting Nestlé policies are not the only violation of human rights that activists charge the corporation with. Groups including the International Baby Food Action Network (IBFAN) and Save the Children claim that the promotion of Nestlé infant formula over breastfeeding has led to health problems and deaths among infants in less economically developed countries.
“They’re a despicable company with death built into their business plan,” summed up Conn.
For more information about the Crunch Nestlé Alliance, contact Andy Conn (530) 906-8077 camphgr55 (at) gmail.com or Bob Saunders (916) 370-8251
The Drought and The Tunnels
The Sacramento protest took place just days after Jay Famiglietti, the senior water scientist at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory/Caltech and a professor of Earth system science at UC Irvine, revealed in an op-ed in the LA Times on March 12 that California has only one year of water supply left in its reservoirs. (http://touch.latimes.com/...)
The protest also made the news as Governor Jerry Brown continues to fast-track his Bay Delta Conservation Plan (BDCP) to build the peripheral tunnels to ship Sacramento River water to corporate agribusiness, Southern California water agencies, and oil companies conducting fracking operations.
The $67 billion plan won't create one single drop of new water, but it will take vast tracts of Delta farm land out of production under the guise of "habitat restoration" in order to irrigate drainage-impaired soil owned by corporate mega-growers on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley.
The tunnel plan will also hasten the extinction of Sacramento River Chinook salmon, Central Valley steelhead, Delta and longfin smelt, green sturgeon and other fish species, as well as imperil the salmon and steelhead populations on the Klamath and Trinity rivers. The peripheral tunnels will be good for agribusiness, water privateers, oil companies and the 1 percent, but will be bad for the fish, wildlife, people and environment of California and the public trust.The Indianapolis Colts' no-coast offense sliced and diced the preseason darling Cleveland Browns on Saturday night. In the midst of wrapping sophomore quarterback Andrew Luck in a praise blanket, Colts coach Chuck Pagano pointed to the one thing that could doom his offense in 2013.
"He's running way too much," Pagano said after the Colts' 27-6 victory. "I know that. He's running way too much. We've got to do a better job of keeping him clean."
Keeping its franchise quarterback upright was a key goal for Indy heading into the offseason, but those efforts might have been hindered when left tackle Anthony Castonzo left Saturday's game with a right knee sprain.
Luck's ability to extend the play is borderline Roethlisbergian, leaving him susceptible to more hits than normal. Luck showed in 2012 he's capable of taking a beating; however, he must protect himself better once he is outside the pocket.
The Pro Bowl quarterback said Saturday night he's still trying to figure out how to get down.
"I don't know -- I haven't figured out how to slide," Luck said. "I'm just going to go down, and however way I go down and avoid a hit is the way it'll be."
To be fair, Michael Vick still hasn't learned how to slide either. Who thought something done in every Little League World Series baseball game could be so difficult?
"The Around The League Podcast" is now available on iTunes! Click here to listen and subscribe.When will the madness and poor foresight stop! On Saturday afternoon yet another poorly conceived marketing stunt ended in a stage strewn only with trampled butterfly parts.
The promotion took place outside a mall in Chengdu and featured a “release the butterflies” show. The plan in the event organizers’ minds must have been something like: Hundreds of butterflies flutter around the crowd, landing on shoulders and such, and then that in turn somehow turns into more money for us.
Unfortunately, the whole thing took an expectedly horrible turn when the butterflies grew tired of flying and landed on the stage. The audience hadn’t been satisfied with just a few butterfly-filled cute pictures. They rushed the stage to try and grab some colorful flying insects. Exhausted and defenseless against the onslaught, the butterflies were massacred in a manner that should serve as a lesson to us all.
Can’t we just go back to bizarre and/or seductive promotions and just leave these innocent creatures out of it? Please stop pimping butterflies.
by Alex Linder
[Images via NetEase]
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PrintThe decision to ban foreigners not resident in the Netherlands from the country’s cannabis cafes has led to an ‘explosion’ in drugs-related crime in the south of the country, the AD reports on Saturday.
The government’s decision to turn the cafes into members’ only clubs in the southern provinces last May led to a sharp rise in street dealing, the paper says. It bases its claim on police and city council figures.
In Maastricht, at the forefront of efforts to reduce drugs tourism, the number of drugs crimes has doubled over the past year while in Roermond they are up three-fold with at least 60 active street dealers, the AD says.
Dealers
People living in border areas report that drugs dealing has moved to other parts of their neighbourhoods and into residential areas.
Nevertheless, Maastricht is holding firm to the policy of banning non-residents from so-called coffee shops and has threatened several of the city’s 13 cannabis outlets with a three-month closure because tourists were allowed inside.
Currently, coffee shops are licensed to sell small amounts of marijuana and cannabis for personal use. And while possession is not legal, the police turn an official blind eye to people with less than five grammes.
Officials in Amsterdam and many other towns have already said they will not implement the ban on tourists and will instead take advantage of the legal provision for a ‘tailor-made’ approach to the marijuana trade.Tropical forests reduce peak runoff during storms and release stored water during droughts, according to researchers working at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama. Their results lend credence to a controversial phenomenon known as the sponge effect, which is at the center of a debate about how to minimize flood damage and maximize water availability in the tropics.
During nearly 450 tropical storms, a team of visiting scientists from the University of Wyoming measured the amount of runoff from pastureland, abandoned pastureland and forested land as part of a large-scale land-use experiment in the Panama Canal watershed initiated by STRI.
Data collected by STRI staff and analyzed by University of Wyoming students indicate that land-use history has complex, long-term effects. "We measured large differences in hydrologic response between watersheds with different land-use histories and land cover," said Fred Ogden, STRI Senior Research Associate and Civil Engineering Professor at the University of Wyoming. "Our ultimate objective is to better understand these effects and include this improved understanding in a high-resolution hydrological model that we are developing to predict land-use effects in tropical watersheds."
"The result for storm peaks is spectacular," said Robert Stallard, hydrologist at STRI and the United States Geological Survey who developed the statistics for data analysis. "Storm-water runoff from grazed land is much higher than from forested land. The results are clearest after big storms." On the other hand, forests released more water than grasslands and mixed-use landscapes during the late dry season, pointing to the importance of forests in regulating water flow throughout the year in seasonal climates.
Evidence to support the sponge effect was lacking for tropical forests, leading some to question its validity. "One of reasons why there isn't more scientific evidence for the sponge effect is that you have to take what nature dishes out," said Stallard, a staunch proponent of the sponge effect, who is often seen wearing Sponge Bob socks. "It requires a long-term institutional commitment to get good results. The USGS, STRI, University of Wyoming and the Panama Canal Authority have the resources to do that."
Severe drought forced Panama Canal authorities to impose draft restrictions on transiting ships in 1997. In 2010, a major December storm system, examined in this study, halted shipping in the canal for 17 hours. Land use in the watershed not only affects world commerce but also water availability for Panama's major urban areas. The study is particularly relevant to land use decisions throughout the tropics where more than 50 percent of forests are now "secondary" forests that have grown back after logging or on abandoned pastureland.
The 700-hectare Panama watershed experiment, also known as Agua Salud, will run for 20 to 30 years, making it the largest ongoing study of land use in the tropics.
"Our project aims to clearly quantify environmental services such as water flow, carbon storage and biodiversity conservation that decision makers will consider as they evaluate projects from forest restoration to watershed management," said Jefferson Hall, Smithsonian staff scientist and project director.
###
This research was supported by the Smithsonian Institution Forest Global Earth Observatory, ForestGEO; the U.S. Geological Survey, the U.S. National Science Foundation; the Panama Canal Authority; the National Environmental Authority of Panama, ANAM; the HSBC Climate Partnership; the Hoch family; Frank Levinson; the Fundación Alberto Motta and Roy and Caryl Cline.
The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, headquartered in Panama City, Panama, is a unit of the Smithsonian Institution. The Institute furthers the understanding of tropical nature and its importance to human welfare, trains students to conduct research in the tropics and promotes conservation by increasing public awareness of the beauty and importance of tropical ecosystems. Website: http://www. stri. si. edu.
Ogden, F.L., Crouch, T.D., Stallard, R.F., Hall, J.S. 2013. Effect of land cover and use on dry season river runoff, runoff efficiency and peak storm runoff in the seasonal tropics of central Panama. Water Resources Research. Online. doi:10.1002/2013WR013956The show must go on! Paul Rudd and Kate Arrington in Grace (Joan Marcus).
[Update Below] We didn't think bad theater behavior could get much worse than having a cellphone go off in the middle of a play but clearly we weren't thinking, or drinking, hard enough. Because last night a theatergoer vomited over the balcony and into the orchestra section during a performance of the new Paul Rudd play Grace. Still, the show must go on!
Theatergoer Lori Schwab, who was in the audience last night, sent us this account of the incident (the producers won't comment on it, but we have independently confirmed it happened):
Last night I was at the Cort Theater seeing the play Grace. In the middle of the show there was quite the ruckus. After hearing a loud gasp several people got up and left the theater, followed by several more. During all of this the actors carried on as best they could. At the end of the show, the cast came out for curtain calls, and just before making their call for $$ for Actors Equity fights Aids fund, Paul Rudd told us that someone in the balcony had vomited onto those in the orchestra.
What we want to know is how Rudd and co-stars Michael Shannon, Kate Arrington and Ed Asner decided who got to make that amazing announcement. Rock, scissors, paper? Regarding the reason for the vom, we hear the ralpher was inebriated (as opposed to not responding well to the show's use of flashing lights). Must have been some pre-show drink.
Meanwhile, we never want to hear another word from people complaining about Spider-Man jizzing on webbing audiences in his Broadway show.
Update: Daily Intel also had a tipster in the audience who reports the vomiting man appeared to have been elderly, not drunk, and may have passed out before throwing up. Apparently he "fell forward so that he was leaning/hanging over the balcony. Then as people were trying to get him back up and into his seat, he threw up all over the people below him in the orchestra and then collapsed on the floor of the balcony." Further, "The stench of the vomit was a little overwhelming, and many people were noticeably uncomfortable, and of course everyone who was vomited on left." Still, their tipster also confirms that:
The actors kept it together, but Paul Rudd was trying to see what was going on during it all, and Michael Shannon was noticeably agitated by what was happening and started speaking much louder than before while staring at the huge group in the balcony. At the end of the show, they all made jokes about it, Paul Rudd saying how as an actor being able to move people to tears or to laughter is amazing but moving them to puking is a whole different league. Then after the show, at the stage door, the actors said how they almost stopped the show because they didn't know the severity of the situation.
Update 2: And here is another report from the theatrical frontlines.The proposed cemetery site next to Trump National Golf Club Bedminster in Bedminster, N.J. (Bryan Anselm/For The Washington Post)
In rural New Jersey, the president’s business has proposed an unusual real estate project.
It wants to build a cemetery.
Or maybe not. Or maybe two.
According to plans filed with local and state authorities, the Trump Organization has proposed to build a pair of graveyards at the site of its tony Trump National Golf Club Bedminster course.
One would be small: 10 plots overlooking the first hole. It was intended — or so they said — for Trump and his family. “Mr. Trump... specifically chose this property for his final resting place as it is his favorite property,” his company wrote in a filing with the state in 2014.
In a 2014 filing with the state, Donald Trump said he wanted to build a small family plot in the middle of his golf course in Bedminster, N.J.
The other proposed cemetery would have 284 lots for sale to the public. There, buyers could pay for a kind of eternal membership in Trump’s club — even if it isn’t clear Trump himself would ever join them.
Those are the plans.
But Trump has been talking about cemeteries here for 10 years — and he has shown the same unpredictable decision-making style about his death that he has about so many things in his life. His plans have gone through at least five major overhauls. Trump has reconsidered his own burial spot at least twice.
Local officials were left puzzling, wondering what angle Trump was playing.
Did the world’s most famous Manhattanite really want to be buried in nowheresville New Jersey?
If not... well, why in the world was he pretending like he did?
“It never made any sense to me,” said Robert Holtaway, a longtime town official who heard Trump’s plans on the Bedminster Land Use Board. But, he said, “we don’t question motives. We’re there as a land-use board.”
The two latest cemetery plans have now both been approved by local officials. But construction has not begun on either one. The question of how to proceed — or whether to proceed — is now left to Trump’s sons Eric and Donald Jr., who have taken day-to-day control of the Trump Organization.
Both Eric Trump and a Trump Organization spokeswoman declined to comment about what they planned to do.
President Trump already has a family burial plot: His parents and his brother Fred are buried together at All Faiths Cemetery in Queens.
So it was a surprise, back in 2007, when Trump announced he wanted a mausoleum for himself in New Jersey.
“It’s never something you like to think about, but it makes sense,” Trump told the New York Post. He was 60 years old at the time. “This is such beautiful land, and Bedminster is one of the richest places in the country.”
[Do President Trump’s business conflicts violate the Constitution?]
The plan was big: 19 feet high. Stone. Obelisks. Set smack in the middle of the golf course. In Bedminster — a wealthy horse-country town 43 miles west of New York City — officials had some concerns about hosting a reality TV star’s tomb. The huge structure would seem garish, out of place. And there were ongoing worries that the spot might become an “attractive nuisance,” tempting curiosity-seekers to trespass on club grounds.
Trump offered a concession.
The tomb would be versatile.
It could also be a festive wedding... tomb.
“We’re planning a mausoleum/chapel,” Trump said, according to a news report from the time.
That didn’t do it.
“Give me a break. Give me a break,” Holtaway, the town official, remembered thinking. “Why would anyone ever get married in a building with no windows?”
An excerpt from minutes of a town land-use board meeting.
Trump withdrew the plan to be buried in New Jersey. But five years later, he was back with another one. Now, the mausoleum was out — but, instead, he had a plan to build a large cemetery with more than 1,000 graves, including one for him.
The idea, apparently, was that Trump’s golf-club members would buy the other plots, seizing the chance at eternal membership.
“It’s one thing to be buried in a typical cemetery,” said Ed Russo, a consultant who represented Trump here. “But it’s another if you’re buried alongside the fifth fairway of Trump National.”
The town was, again, skeptical. So Trump whittled it down to just 10 graves, enough for himself and his family members.
Which family members, exactly?
“Only the good Trumps,” Russo said, according to a video of the town land-use board. He did not elaborate.
The town approved.
The state approved, granting a cemetery license in late 2014.
Then Trump changed his mind.
Russo told the town that Trump might want to be buried somewhere in Florida, after all. Trump lived part time at his Mar-a-Lago Club before his election. (And, now, after the election as well.)
Then, with approval for the small cemetery in hand, Trump came back with a new plan, for a bigger cemetery. This time, the plan was for 284 graves. The cemetery would be run by a nonprofit organization, and Trump’s golf course would handle maintenance, grass-cutting and grave-digging.
Last year, New Jersey’s Bedminster Township approved Trump’s latest plan, to build a 284-grave cemetery for the public next to his golf course there. The plan still needs state approval.
This plan, on the surface, made little sense.
For one thing, it would be a very poor way to make money.
The cemetery business is bad in New Jersey, because the land is expensive, plots sell for cheap and cremation is stealing their customers.
You need volume to succeed. And the volume at Trump’s cemetery would be very low.
Trump’s cemetery — with people selected by a kind of membership committee — would handle just one to two burials per year, officials said. Cemetery plots in New Jersey cost, at most, a few thousand dollars each. The money, such as it was, would go to the nonprofit company.
But maybe the point wasn’t to make money. Could this whole thing have been a scheme to reduce the Trump Organization’s real estate taxes? After all, nonprofit cemeteries pay no taxes on their land.
That’s possible, experts said.
But, in this case, the savings would hardly be worth the trouble. That’s because Trump had already found a way to lower his taxes on that wooded, largely unused parcel. He had persuaded the township to declare it a farm, because some trees on the site are turned into mulch. Because of pro-farmer tax policies, Trump’s company pays just $16.31 per year in taxes on the parcel, which he bought for $461,000.
“It’s always been my suspicion that there’s something we don’t know” about the explanation behind the seemingly inexplicable cemetery plan, said Bedminster land-use board member Nick Strakhov. So why were they doing it?
“I did not ask,” Strakhov said. “It’s an obvious question.”
The land use board approved unanimously, after some inconclusive quizzing (Strakhov had to be absent and didn’t vote).
Now, the Trump Organization still needs to apply for state approval for this larger, public cemetery.
And it still needs to settle the larger question: Does President Trump still want to be buried |
outlined in the suspension letter, Rakun was drunk and carrying a bottle of liquor when he got out of the car. Because of that, off-duty Deputy Constable Christopher Ahumada, who was working parking lot security, stopped him from going farther.
In response, Rakun, “launched a barrage of obscenities” at the guard, including four racial slurs, according to the suspension letter.
He yelled at the guard: “I'm coming back Mother (expletive)” and “I'm a captain with SAPD, and I'll have your career tomorrow.”
Rakun's behavior violated department rules governing truthfulness, conduct and use of intoxicants, the letter states. Off-duty officers aren't supposed to get so drunk that they are unfit to report to work.
Even Rakun saying he was a captain, instead of a lieutenant, is mentioned in the document, citing that as one of his untruths.
Rakun was unavailable for comment. His lawyer, Karl Brehm, said the summary of events wasn't as clear as it might seem.
“Our position is that the investigation has more facts than are borne out in the letter,” he said.
Rakun told Helle that he didn't say any of the things attributed to him. Additional witness statements from the investigation support Rakun's version of events, Brehm and Helle said.
Rakun and his friends joined a bar crawl scavenger hunt hosted by Silo, Helle said. The event included the limousine, and Silo was the end destination. The bottle Rakun tried to take in the restaurant was part of the hunt, Helle said witnesses told investigators.
The owner of Silo declined to comment.
Statements also contradicted Ahumada's claims of racial slurs, Helle said.
Brehm hopes to meet with McManus to share Rakun's side of the story. Rakun decided not to meet with the chief before his final decision.
Because McManus said he considered the 2010 suspension when deciding Rakun's current punishment, Helle said he wants to make sure the lieutenant gets his due process.
“Each case has to be taken on individual merit, and on this one, there should be a second look,” Helle said.
In an emailed statement Friday, McManus defended the suspension, a decision he said was aided by recommendations from the advisory boards of civilian and sworn personnel. He declined to comment on the discrepancies brought up by Helle and Brehm.
“It would be inappropriate for me to comment on the specific facts of this case while the officer's case remains under appeal,” McManus said.
On Thursday, Ahumada stood by his statement and said Rakun was the person who hurled racial slurs that night. He didn't know Rakun was a cop or anything about his history. Ahumada, a six-year veteran of law enforcement, called Rakun's disciplinary record “upsetting.”
“Police officers are supposed to hold themselves to a higher standard,” he said. “We're entrusted by the public to carry a badge and a gun.”
mmondo@express-news.netSick pedophiles who rape kids will now face the death penalty after a new bill was passed in an Indian state.
The bill titled “the punishment method” unanimously passed in the Madhya Pradesh assembly on Monday.
It states that beasts who rape children younger than 12 should be “hanged till death.”
Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said: “People who rape 12-year-old girls are not human, they are demons. They do not have the right to live.”
He added: “There are people in society who can be set right only by severe punishments. (The bill) will deal with them. We will also raise awareness in society against such crimes.”
The bill also raises the minimum sentence for pedophile rapists to 14 years and for gang rapists to 20 years. It must now be approved by the president and federal government before it can be signed into law.
Campaigners warned that the death penalty may induce child rapists to also murder their victims to eliminate evidence — as they can be found guilty based on a child’s testimony.
Maydha Pradesh, in central India, has only the fifth-largest population of the Indian states but the highest number of rape reports.
Other crimes punishable by death in India include murder, abetting the suicide of a minor, drug trafficking and, in Gujarat only, manufacture and sale of poisoned alcohol which results in death.Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption The BBC's Sammy Darko says he has seen people being pulled from the rubble
A multi-storey department store has collapsed in the capital of Ghana, Accra, trapping dozens of people in the rubble.
Rescue efforts are continuing, with officials saying that at least four people died in the Melcom store.
The BBC's Sammy Darko, who has visited the scene, says 42 people have been pulled out alive.
Ghana's President John Dramani Mahama said he had suspended his campaign for next month's election.
The government has declared the area in the city's Achimota neighbourhood a disaster zone.
'Terrified'
There's so much noise that it's not possible to hear the trapped people asking for help Paa Kwesi Amissah-Arthur, Ghana's vice-president
Vice-President Kwesi Amissah-Arthur went to the site and co-ordinated rescue efforts at the building, which opened earlier this year.
As night fell, hundreds of rescuers continued to dig through the rubble, amid fears that more people were trapped.
Mr Amissah-Arthur said the building had collapsed shortly before the Melcom store was due to open for business.
Rescue efforts were being hampered by the large crowd that had gathered at the site, he added.
"There's so much noise that it's not possible to hear the trapped people asking for help," Mr Amissah-Arthur said.
In a statement on its Facebook page, Melcom said it had rented the building which housed its Achimota branch on a 10-year lease.
"This is indeed a very tragic incident," it said.
Image caption The building collapsed just before the Melcom store was about to open In pictures: Ghana shopping complex collapse
"We are doing everything possible to see that help reaches those who need it. Our heartfelt condolences and deepest sympathies goes to the families of those who may have lost their lives."
Our reporter says customers often queue outside the store before it opens and officials say they believe about 50 people may been inside at the time of the collapse.
Eyewitness Ama Okyere told the AFP news agency she was very close to the shopping centre when the building came down.
"I had to run for my life. I was so terrified. I believe there are lots of people trapped under this because this is a heavily patronised shopping mall in the area."
Family members tried to call relatives feared trapped beneath the rubble on their mobile phones, AFP reported.
Another witness, John Owusu, said he heard a bang before the building collapsed.
President Mahama, in a tweet moments after the building collapsed, said: "My prayers are with the workers, shoppers and others who are trapped in the rubble of the Achimota Melcom building."
He has cut short his campaign in the north of the country and has flown back to Accra to see the rescue effort.Since 1978, the United States and other nations have been pushing to eliminate the use of highly enriched uranium (HEU)—the kind of stuff that terrorists or a rogue nation might use to make an atomic bomb—from dozens of civilian research reactors around the world. However, achieving that goal will take far longer than officials had previously hoped, according to a new study by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Only a few years ago experts had hoped to eliminate the use of HEU in civilian research reactors by 2018. But that objective cannot be reached until 2035 at the earliest, the report concludes.
"Clearly there have been unexpected challenges, both technical and nontechnical, that have led to the significant extension of the timeframe," said Julia Phillips, a former vice president of Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, New Mexico, who chaired the report committee at a webcast press briefing today. A follow-up to a 2009 report, the new study was requested by Congress in 2012.
Currently, global stock piles of HEU for civilian research total 60 tonnes, enough to make roughly 1000 bombs, and nonproliferation experts worry that civilian supplies may be less secure than far bigger military supplies. But nations have made progress over the past decade in reducing civilian use of HEU, notes Phillips, an applied physicist. Since 2009, 28 civilian research reactors have either converted to safer low enrich uranium (LEU) fuel or closed. However, 74 such reactors are either still using or planning to use HEU fuels, the report says. And progress is sure to slow, Phillips says. "The long and short of it is that the easy conversions have been made and the more difficult ones remain," she says.
On the technical side, nuclear scientists and engineers have struggled to develop replacement fuels for research reactors that are based on safer LEU. Research reactors are generally relatively small facilities that focus on materials science, reactor design, and the production of radioactive isotopes for medical purposes. Such research generally involves exposing materials to fluxes of neutrons from the reactors' cores that are higher than those in larger commercial power reactors.
To generate those high neutron fluxes, research reactors have relied on HEU. Uranium atoms come in different types, or isotopes, depending on the number of neutrons in their nuclei. The isotope uranium-235 has 92 protons and 143 neutrons in its nucleus, and it can undergo a nuclear fission chain reaction. In contrast, the isotope uranium-238 has three more neutrons in its nucleus and cannot undergo nuclear fission. Any mixture of uranium with more than 20% uranium-235 is considered highly enriched. Research reactors typically use uranium enriched closer to or above 90%—a level known as weapons grade uranium. In comparison, power reactors use uranium enriched to about 4% uranium-235.
Researchers would like to switch the research reactors to LEU fuel, but to maintain the necessary neutron flux would require ensuring a very high density of uranium in the fuel. Researchers in Europe and Asia are developing a fuel in which granules of a uranium molybdenum alloy are dispersed within an aluminum matrix and then surrounded by an aluminum cladding. In contrast, the United States is developing a "monolithic" fuel that consists of a single ribbon of uranium molybdenum alloy clad in aluminum. In principle, the denser monolithic fuel could be used in all current research reactors, whereas the dispersed fuel could not.
However, progress with both fuels has been slower than expected. For example, early versions of the dispersed fuel exhibited a tendency to swell as the fuel was consumed. And the monolithic fuel presents significant manufacturing challenges. Development of both fuels will likely take another 10 to 15 years, the report estimates.
On the nontechnical side, Russia, which has 32 of the 74 research reactors still using or planning to use HEU, has expressed little interest in converting them to LEU. In fact, Russia has converted only one civilian research reactor to LEU, and that one with assistance from the United States. "This is not a priority with the Russian government," said William Tobey, an expert on nuclear nonproliferation at Harvard University and a member of the report committee at the press conference.
Given the prospects, the new report makes seven recommendations, including trying to engage in further collaboration with Russia, developing more detailed reporting on the conversion and closings of civilian research reactors, and planning for new facilities to replace the eight current U.S. civilian research reactors, the youngest of which is 45 years old.
However, one recommendation is sure to draw the most attention and controversy. The United States has designated 20 tonnes of 93% enriched weapons grade uranium for civilian research reactors. Given the prospect of waiting another 15 years for a LEU fuel, the committee recommends immediately diluting that entire supply to 45% enrichment, a level that still leaves it highly enriched, and using it to fuel the research reactors in coming decades. That step would make the fuel less of a proliferation threat, but would surely raise eyebrows, as the U.S. has previously rejected the idea of using such fuel. That interim approach would also require two conversions of each reactor instead of one.
A 45% fuel design has already been "validated" by bodies such as the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the panel notes, so it could be used in relatively short order. And committee members stress that the step would be only a stop-gap measure to improve nuclear security in the short run. "This is not instead of, but complementary to the ultimate goal of using low enrichment uranium in all reactors," said Paul Wilson, a committee member and nuclear engineer at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, at the press briefing.
Hanging over all of this is the continuing prospect that eliminating HEU from civilian research reactors may take even longer than the report suggests—especially if Russia decides not to collaborate.Instead of improved job quality, the rewards for task-oriented workers are pats on the back and the constant encouragement to aspire for something better.
And of course, consumers suffer as well: When you witness a great restaurant server or see a particularly effective janitor at work, you aren’t observing a freak talent, but someone who took the time to learn his or her job and improve on it. Now imagine if more “low-skilled” workers were given the compensation, job security and encouragement to do the same.
In my work as a college instructor, I see students who aspire to do “better” than low-skilled work. Many are the sons and daughters of restaurant workers and housekeepers, the first in their family to attend college, and they choose the university in the assured belief that with their education, they will avoid the types of jobs their parents hold. One student recently told me that the sole reason he is pursuing a degree is because he doesn’t “want to work in a job that requires no skills.”
As much as I want to reassure him that his education will guarantee him that, I cannot. The fact is, more and more college graduates are going to end up in jobs that don’t draw on the skills they paid so much to get.
That’s all the more reason we need to be doing a better job of making low-skilled jobs worth having, above all by raising the minimum wage, and significantly more than current measures propose.
Such efforts are subject to endless debate over whether raising the minimum wage means inflation, decreased employment for younger workers and a more competitive market for task-oriented jobs.
But the more difficult challenge is to redefine the language and perceptions that trap large segments of reliable workers in poverty. All work can be executed with skill, but denying that fact is useful to those who justify the poor treatment of, and unfair compensation for, millions of workers.
Convincing those workers that their treatment is temporary, that if they just keep working harder, learn to do their tasks more quickly, more efficiently, more fluidly, they will eventually surpass it — this is a myth we can’t keep telling.Schizoid personality disorder (, often abbreviated as SPD or SzPD) is a personality disorder characterized by a lack of interest in social relationships, a tendency towards a solitary or sheltered lifestyle, secretiveness, emotional coldness, detachment, and apathy. Affected individuals may be unable to form intimate attachments to others and simultaneously demonstrate a rich, elaborate, and exclusively internal fantasy world.[7][8]
SPD is not the same as schizophrenia or schizotypal personality disorder, but there is some evidence of links and shared genetic risk between SPD, other cluster A personality disorders, and schizophrenia. Thus, SPD is considered to be a "schizophrenia-like personality disorder".[4][9]
Critics argue that the definition of SPD is flawed due to cultural bias and that it does not constitute a mental disorder but simply an avoidant attachment style requiring more distant emotional proximity.[10][11] If that is true, then many of the more problematic reactions these individuals show in social situations may be partly accounted for by the judgments commonly imposed on people with this style. However, impairment is mandatory for any behaviour to be diagnosed as a personality disorder. SPD seems to satisfy this criterion because it is linked to negative outcomes. These include a significantly compromised quality of life, reduced overall functioning even after 15 years, and one of the lowest levels of "life success" of all personality disorders (measured as "status, wealth, and successful relationships").[12][13][14]
Schizoid personality disorder is a poorly studied disorder, and there is little clinical data on SPD because it is rarely encountered in clinical settings. The effectiveness of psychotherapeutic and pharmacological treatments for the disorder have yet to be empirically and systematically investigated.[7]
Signs and symptoms [ edit ]
People with schizoid personality disorder are often aloof, cold, and indifferent, which causes interpersonal difficulty. Most individuals diagnosed with SPD have trouble establishing personal relationships or expressing their feelings meaningfully. They may remain passive in the face of unfavorable situations. Their communication with other people may be indifferent and terse at times. Because of their lack of meaningful communication with other people, those who are diagnosed with SPD are not able to develop accurate impressions of how well they get along with others.[15]
Schizoid personality types are challenged to achieve self-awareness and the ability to assess the impact of their own actions in social situations. Ronald Laing suggests when injections of interpersonal reality fail to enrich an individual, his or her self-image becomes empty and volatilized, making the individual feel unreal.[15] When someone violates the personal space of an individual with SPD, it suffocates them and they must free themselves to be independent. People who have SPD tend to be happiest when in relationships in which their partner places few emotional or intimate demands on them. It is not people they want to avoid, but negative and positive emotions, emotional intimacy, and self-disclosure.[16]
Therefore, it is possible for individuals with SPD to form relationships with others based on intellectual, physical, familial, occupational, or recreational activities as long as there is no need for emotional intimacy. Donald Winnicott explains this is because schizoid individuals "prefer to make relationships on their own terms and not in terms of the impulses of other people." Failing to attain that, they prefer isolation.[17]
Although there is the belief people with schizoid personality disorder are complacent and unaware of their feelings, many recognize their differences from others. Some individuals with SPD who are in treatment say "life passes them by" or they feel like living inside of a shell; they see themselves as "missing the bus" and complain of observing life from a distance.[18][19]
Aaron Beck and his colleagues report that people with SPD seem comfortable with their aloof lifestyle and consider themselves observers, rather than participants, in the world around them. But they also mention that many of their schizoid patients recognize themselves as socially deviant (or even defective) when confronted with the different lives of ordinary people – especially when they read books or see movies focusing on relationships. Even when schizoid individuals may not long for closeness, they can become weary of being "on the outside, looking in." These feelings may lead to depression or depersonalisation. If they do, schizoid people often experience feeling "like a robot" or "going through life in a dream."[20]
It is speculated schizoid personality disorder may have ties to creativity.[21][22][23]
Phenomenology [ edit ]
The'secret schizoid' [ edit ]
Many schizoid individuals display an engaging, interactive personality contradicting the observable characteristic emphasized by the DSM-5 and ICD-10 definitions of the schizoid personality. Guntrip (using ideas of Klein, Fairbairn, and Winnicott) classifies these individuals as "secret schizoids", who behave with socially available, interested, engaged, and involved interaction yet remain emotionally withdrawn and sequestered within the safety of the internal world.[24][25][26]
Frequently, a schizoid individual's social functioning improves, sometimes dramatically, when the individual knows he or she is an anonymous participant in a real-time conversation or correspondence, e.g. in an online chat-room or message-board. Indeed, it is often the case the individual's online correspondent will report nothing amiss in the individual's engagement and affect.
Withdrawal or detachment from the outer world is a characteristic feature of schizoid pathology, but may appear either in "classic" or in "secret" form. When classic, it matches the typical description of the schizoid personality offered in the DSM-5. It is "just as often" a hidden internal state: that which meets the objective eye may not match the subjective, internal world of the patient. Klein cautions one should not miss identifying the schizoid person because one cannot see the person's withdrawal through the patient's defensive, compensatory interaction with external reality. He suggests one ask the person what his or her subjective experience is to detect the presence of the schizoid refusal of emotional intimacy.[24]
Descriptions of the schizoid personality as "hidden" behind an outward appearance of emotional engagement have been recognized since 1940 with Fairbairn's description of "schizoid exhibitionism," in which the schizoid individual is able to express a great deal of feeling and to make what appear to be impressive social contacts yet in reality gives nothing and loses nothing. Because he or she is "playing a part," his or her personality is not involved. According to Fairbairn, the person disowns the part he is playing and the schizoid individual seeks to preserve his personality intact and immune from compromise.[27] Further references to the secret schizoid come from Masud Khan,[28] Jeffrey Seinfeld,[29] and Philip Manfield,[16] who give a description of an SPD individual who "enjoys" public speaking engagements but experiences great difficulty in the breaks when audience members would attempt to engage him emotionally. These references expose the problems in relying on outer observable behavior for assessing the presence of personality disorders in certain individuals.
Schizoid fantasy [ edit ]
A pathological reliance on fantasizing and preoccupation with inner experience is often part of the schizoid withdrawal from the world. Fantasy thus becomes a core component of the self in exile, though fantasizing in schizoid individuals is far more complicated than a means of facilitating withdrawal.[24]:p. 64
Fantasy is also a relationship with the world and with others by proxy. It is a substitute relationship, but a relationship nonetheless, characterized by idealized, defensive and compensatory mechanisms. This is self-contained and free from the dangers and anxieties associated with emotional connection to real persons and situations.[24] Klein explains it as "an expression of the self struggling to connect to objects, albeit internal objects. Fantasy permits schizoid patients to feel connected, and yet still free from the imprisonment in relationships. In short, in fantasy one can be attached (to internal objects) and still be free."[24] This aspect of schizoid pathology has been generously elaborated in works by Laing,[15] Winnicott,[30] and Klein.[24]:p. 64
Schizoid sexuality [ edit ]
People with SPD are sometimes sexually apathetic, though they do not typically suffer from anorgasmia. Their preference to remain alone and detached may cause their need for sex to appear to be less than that of those who do not have SPD. Sex often causes individuals with SPD to feel that their personal space is being violated, and they commonly feel that masturbation or sexual abstinence is preferable to the emotional closeness they must tolerate when having sex.[31] Significantly broadening this picture are notable exceptions of SPD individuals who engage in occasional or even frequent sexual activities with others.[31]
Harry Guntrip[32]:p. 303 describes the "secret sexual affair" entered into by some married schizoid individuals as an attempt to reduce the quantity of emotional intimacy focused within a single relationship, a sentiment echoed by Karen Horney's "resigned personality" who may exclude sex as "too intimate for a permanent relationship, and instead satisfy his sexual needs with a stranger. Conversely, he may more or less restrict a relationship to merely sexual contacts and not share other experiences with the partner."[33] Jeffrey Seinfeld, professor of social work at New York University, has published a volume on SPD[29]:p.104 that details examples of "schizoid hunger" which may manifest as sexual promiscuity. Seinfeld provides an example of a schizoid woman who would covertly attend various bars to meet men for the purpose of gaining impersonal sexual gratification, an act which alleviated her feelings of hunger and emptiness.
Salman Akhtar describes this dynamic interplay of overt versus covert sexuality and motivations of some SPD individuals with greater accuracy. Rather than following the narrow proposition that schizoid individuals are either sexual or asexual, Akhtar suggests that these forces may both be present in an individual despite their rather contradictory aims.[34] A clinically accurate picture of schizoid sexuality must therefore include the overt signs: "asexual, sometimes celibate; free of romantic interests; averse to sexual gossip and innuendo," as well as possible covert manifestations of "secret voyeuristic and pornographic interests; vulnerable to erotomania; and tendency towards perversions,"[34] although none of these necessarily apply to all people with SPD.
Millon's subtypes [ edit ]
Theodore Millon restricted the term "schizoid" to those personalities who lack the capacity to form social relationships. He characterizes their way of thinking as being vague and void of thoughts and as sometimes having a "defective perceptual scanning". Because of this, some people with SPD may be prone to overlook the fine details of life.[20]
For Millon, SPD is distinguished from other personality disorders in that it is "the personality disorder that lacks a personality." He criticizes that this may be due to the current diagnostic criteria: They describe SPD only by an absence of certain traits which results in a "deficit syndrome" or "vacuum". Instead of delineating the presence of something, they mention solely what is lacking. Therefore, it is hard to describe and research such a concept.[3]
He identified four subtypes of SPD. Any individual schizoid may exhibit none or one of the following:[3][35]
Subtype Features Languid schizoid (including depressive features) Marked inertia; deficient activation level; intrinsically phlegmatic, lethargic, weary, leaden, lackadaisical, exhausted, enfeebled. Unable to act with spontaneity or seeks simplest pleasures, may experience profound angst, yet lack the vitality to express it strongly. Remote schizoid (including avoidant and schizotypal features) Distant and removed; inaccessible, solitary, isolated, homeless, disconnected, secluded, aimlessly drifting; peripherally occupied. Seen among people who would have been otherwise capable of developing normal emotional life but having been subjected to intense hostility lost their innate capability to form bonds. Some residual anxiety is present. Often seen among the homeless; many are dependent on public support. Depersonalized schizoid (including schizotypal features) Disengaged from others and self; self is disembodied or distant object; body and mind sundered, cleaved, dissociated, disjoined, eliminated. Often seen as simply staring into the empty space or being occupied with something substantial while actually being occupied with nothing at all. Affectless schizoid (including compulsive features) Passionless, unresponsive, unaffectionate, chilly, uncaring, unstirred, spiritless, lackluster, unexcitable, unperturbed, cold; all emotions diminished. Combines the preference for rigid schedule (obsessive-compulsive feature) with the coldness of the schizoid.
Akhtar's profile [ edit ]
Salman Akhtar (a psychiatrist) provided a comprehensive phenomenological profile of Schizoid Personality Disorder in which classic and contemporary descriptive views are synthesized with psychoanalytic observations. This profile is summarized in the table reproduced below that lists clinical features that involve six areas of psychosocial functioning and are organized by "overt" and "covert" manifestations. "Overt" and "covert" are not meant as different subtypes but as traits that may be present simultaneously within one single individual. Dr. Akhtar states that "these designations do not imply conscious or unconscious but denote seemingly contradictory aspects that are phenomenologically more or less easily discernible," and that "this manner of organizing symptomology emphasizes the centrality of splitting and identity confusion in schizoid personality."[34]
In 2013, Akhtar provided a clinical case study of a schizoid man as an illustration of his phenomenological profile.[36]
Clinical features of schizoid personality disorder[34] Area Overt features Covert features Self-concept compliant
stoic
noncompetitive
self-sufficient
lacking assertiveness
feeling inferior and an outsider in life cynical
inauthentic
depersonalized
alternately feeling empty, robot-like, and full of omnipotent, vengeful fantasies
hidden grandiosity Interpersonal relations withdrawn
aloof
have few close friends
impervious to others' emotions
afraid of intimacy exquisitely sensitive
deeply curious about others
hungry for love
envious of others' spontaneity
intensely needy of involvement with others
capable of excitement with carefully selected intimates Social adaptation prefer solitary occupational and recreational activities
marginal or eclectically sociable in groups
vulnerable to esoteric movements owing to a strong need to belong
tend to be lazy and indolent lack clarity of goals
weak ethnic affiliation
usually capable of steady work
quite creative and may make unique and original contributions
capable of passionate endurance in certain spheres of interest Love and sexuality asexual, sometimes celibate
free of romantic interests
averse to sexual gossip and innuendo secret voyeuristic interests
vulnerable to erotomania
tendency towards compulsive perversions Ethics, standards, and ideals idiosyncratic moral and political beliefs
tendency towards spiritual, mystical and para-psychological interests moral unevenness
occasionally strikingly amoral and vulnerable to odd crimes, at other times altruistically self-sacrificing Cognitive style absent-minded
engrossed in fantasy
vague and stilted speech
alternations between eloquence and inarticulateness autistic thinking
fluctuations between sharp contact with external reality and hyperreflectiveness about the self
autocentric use of language
Causes [ edit ]
Some evidence suggests the Cluster A personality disorders have shared genetic and environmental risk factors, and there is an increased prevalence of schizoid personality disorder in relatives of people with schizophrenia and schizotypal personality disorder.[4] Twin studies with schizoid personality disorder traits (e.g. low sociability and low warmth) suggest these are inherited. Besides this indirect evidence, the direct heritability estimates of SPD range from 50 to 59%.[37][38] To Sula Wolff, who did extensive research and clinical work with children and teenagers with schizoid symptoms, "schizoid personality has a constitutional, probably genetic, basis."[39] The link between SPD and being underweight may also point to the involvement of biological factors.[40][3]
In general, prenatal caloric malnutrition, premature birth and a low birth weight are risk factors for being afflicted by mental disorders and may contribute to the development of schizoid personality disorder as well. Those who have experienced traumatic brain injury may be also at risk of developing features reflective of schizoid personality disorder.[41][42][43]
Other researchers had hypothesized excessively perfectionist,[44] unloving or neglectful parenting could play a role.
Diagnosis [ edit ]
DSM-5 criteria [ edit ]
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders is a widely used manual for diagnosing mental disorders. DSM- 5 still includes schizoid personality disorder with the same criteria as in DSM-IV. A pervasive pattern of detachment from social relationships and a restricted range of expression of emotions in interpersonal settings, beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts, as indicated by at least four of the following:[5]
Neither desires nor enjoys close relationships, including being part of a family. Almost always chooses solitary activities. Has little, if any, interest in having sexual experiences with another person. Takes pleasure in few, if any, activities. Lacks close friends or confidants other than first-degree relatives. Appears indifferent to the praise or criticism of others. Shows emotional coldness, detachment, or flattened affectivity.
According to the DSM, those with SPD may often be unable to, or will rarely express aggressiveness or hostility, even when provoked directly. These individuals can seem vague or drifting about their goals and their lives may appear directionless. Others view them as indecisive in their actions, self-absorbed, absentminded and detached from their surroundings (''not with it'' or ''in a fog''). Excessive daydreaming is often present. In cases with severe defects in the capacity to form social relationships, dating and marriage may not be possible.[45]
ICD-10 criteria [ edit ]
The Classification of Mental and Behavioural Disorders of ICD-10 lists schizoid personality disorder under (F60.1).[1]
The general criteria of personality disorder (F60) should be met first. In addition, at least four of the following criteria must be present:
Few, if any, activities provide pleasure.
Displays emotional coldness, detachment, or flattened affectivity.
Limited capacity to express warm, tender feelings for others as well as anger.
Appears indifferent to either praise or criticism from others.
Little interest in having sexual experiences with another person (taking into account age).
Almost always chooses solitary activities.
Excessive preoccupation with fantasy and introspection.
Neither desires, nor has, any close friends or confiding relationships (or only one).
Marked insensitivity to prevailing social norms and conventions; if these are not followed this is unintentional.
Guntrip criteria [ edit ]
Ralph Klein, Clinical Director of the Masterson Institute, delineates the following nine characteristics of the schizoid personality as described by Harry Guntrip:[24]:pp. 13–23
Criteria for the schizoid personality Introversion
Withdrawnness
Narcissism
Self-sufficiency
A sense of superiority Loss of affect
Loneliness
Depersonalization
Regression
The description of Guntrip's nine characteristics should clarify some differences between the traditional DSM portrait of SPD and the traditional informed object relations view. All nine characteristics are consistent. Most, if not all, must be present to diagnose a schizoid disorder.[24]
More details about each of the characteristics can be found in the Harry Guntrip (Psychologist) article.
Controversy [ edit ]
The original concept of the schizoid character developed by Ernst Kretschmer comprised an amalgamation of avoidant, schizotypal and schizoid traits. It was not until 1980 and the work of Theodore Millon that led splitting the schizoid character into three personality disorders (now schizoid, schizotypal and avoidant). Since then, there has been debate about whether that is accurate or if these traits are different expressions of a single personality disorder.[46]
Some have also suggested that two different disorders may better represent SPD: one affect-constricted disorder (belonging to schizotypal PD) and a seclusive disorder (belonging to avoidant PD). They called for the replacement of the SPD category from future editions of the DSM by a dimensional model which would allow for the description of schizoid traits on an individual basis.[14]
Differential diagnosis [ edit ]
While SPD shares several symptoms with other mental disorders, here are some important differentiating features:
Comorbidity [ edit ]
Some people with schizoid personality features may occasionally experience instances of brief reactive psychosis when under stress. The personality disorders that most frequently co-occur with SPD are schizotypal, paranoid and avoidant PD.[19] The relationship between alexithymia (the inability to identify and describe emotions) and SPD seems to be strong but they are not the same condition.[52]
Schizoid individuals frequently act out with substance and alcohol abuse and other addictions which serve as substitutes for human relationships (see dual diagnosis).[29]:101 The substitute of a nonhuman for a human object serves as a schizoid defense. Providing examples of how the schizoid individual creates a personal relation with the drug, Seinfeld tells of an addict who called heroin his "soothing white pet," and of others who referred to crack as their "bad mama" or "boyfriend." He explains that "Not all addicts name their drug, but there often is the trace of a personal feeling about the relationship."[29]:p.101 The object relations view emphasizes that the drug use and alcoholism reinforce the fantasy of union with an internal object, yet enable the addict to be indifferent to the external object world. Addiction is therefore a schizoid and symbiotic defense.
Sharon Ekleberry suggests that marijuana "may be the single most egosyntonic drug for individuals with SPD because it allows a detached state of fantasy and distance from others, provides a richer internal experience than these individuals can normally create, and reduces an internal sense of emptiness and failure to participate in life. Also, alcohol, readily available and safe to obtain, is another obvious drug of choice for these individuals. Some will use both marijuana and alcohol and see little point in giving up either. They are likely to use in isolation for the effect on internal processes."[19]
Suicide may also be a running theme for schizoid individuals, though they are not likely to actually attempt one. They might be down and depressed when all possible connections have been cut off, but as long as there is some relationship or even hope for one the risk will be low. The idea of suicide is a driving force against the person's schizoid defenses. As Klein says: "For some schizoid patients, its presence is like a faint, barely discernible background noise, and rarely reaches a level that breaks into consciousness. For others, it is an ominous presence, an emotional sword of Damocles. In any case, it is an underlying dread that they all experience."[24]
Treatment [ edit ]
People with schizoid personality disorder rarely seek treatment for their condition. This is an issue found in many personality disorders, which prevents many people who are afflicted with these conditions from coming forward for treatment: They tend to view their condition as not conflicting with their self-image and their abnormal perceptions and behaviors as rational and appropriate. There is little data on the effectiveness of various treatments on this personality disorder because it is seldom seen in clinical settings.[7][53] However, those in treatment have the option of medication and therapy.
Medication [ edit ]
No medications are indicated for directly treating schizoid personality disorder, but certain medications may reduce the symptoms of SPD as well as treat co-occurring mental disorders. The symptoms of |
3. ): 12. Matsuda M DeFronzo RA Insulin sensitivity indices obtained from oral glucose tolerance testing. comparison with the euglycemic insulin clamp. Diabetes Care 1999 ; 22 : 1462 – 70. 13. 2003 European Society of Hypertension-European Society of Cardiology guidelines for the management of arterial hypertension. J Hypertens 2003 ; 21 : 1011 – 53. 14. Ferri C Grassi G Mediterranean diet, cocoa and cardiovascular disease: a sweeter life, a longer life, or both? J Hypertens 2003 ; 21 : 2231 – 4. 15. Hollenberg NK Martinez G McCollough M, et al. Aging, acculturation, salt intake and hypertension in the Kuna of Panama. Hypertension 1997 ; 29 : 171 – 6. 16. Leikert JF Rathel TR Wohlfart P Cheyner V Vollmar AM Dirsch VM Red wine polyphenols enhance endothelial nitric oxide synthase expression and subsequent nitric oxide release from endothelial cells. Circulation 2002 ; 106 : 1614 – 7. 17. Schramm DD Wang JF Holt RR, et al. Chocolate procyanidins decrease the leukotriene-prostacyclin ratio in humans and human aortic endothelial cells. Am J Clin Nutr 2001 ; 73 : 36 – 40. 18. Kennedy AJ Smartt J Simmonds NW Evolution of crop plants. London : Longman, 1995 : 472 – 5. Cacao, Theobroma cacao (Sterculiaceae). In:eds.
© 2005 American Society for Clinical NutritionAustralian Chloe McCardel was forced to abandon just a few hours into her attempt begun Wednesday to become the first person to swim from Cuba to Florida without the aid of a shark cage.
In an effort to raise money for cancer research (donation link here), McCardel set off this afternoon from Cuba en route to Key West, with support boats in tow, but 11 hours in suffered a debilitating jellyfish sting that cost her a shot at history. It would seem that this unaided version of a true marathon swim is becoming more-and-more challenging, especially as jellyfish populations explode (though, some experts dispute the significance of this population increase, but that’s perhaps outside of the scope of this post.)
This map tracking her progress shows that she was about a quarter of the way through the 104 mile swim before she was pulled from the water and taken by boat back to Key West.
The last person to try this feat was 62-year old Diana Nyad, who late last year completed her final attempt at 55 miles (over halfway) between the two countries. In four attempts, Nyad was derailed at least once by jellyfish stings herself.
In the late 90’s, another Australian, Susie Maroney, completed the swim, but with the aid of a shark cage.WASHINGTON — Furious last-minute negotiations between the White House and the Senate Republican leadership on Monday secured a tentative agreement to allow tax rates to rise on affluent Americans, but not in time for Congress to meet its Dec. 31 deadline for averting automatic tax increases and spending cuts deemed a threat to the economy.
While the Senate moved toward a vote on legislation to avoid the so-called fiscal cliff, the House was not going to consider any deal until Tuesday afternoon at the earliest, meaning that a combination of tax increases and spending cuts would go into effect as 2013 began. If Congress acts quickly and sends the legislation to President Obama, the economic impact could still be very limited.
Under the agreement, tax rates would jump to 39.6 percent from 35 percent for individual incomes over $400,000 and couples over $450,000, while tax deductions and credits would start phasing out on incomes as low as $250,000, a clear win for President Obama, who campaigned on higher taxes for the wealthy.A couple of days ago, Congress received notes of last month’s FBI interview of Hillary Clinton.
During the course of the interview, Hillary noted that former Secretary of State Colin Powell had encouraged her to use private e-mail shortly after she assumed that role.
However, an excerpt from Joe Conason’s forthcoming book on Bill Clinton titled Man of the World, notes that Powell also told her that private e-mail was not to be used to send and receive classified information during a dinner party at Madeleine Albright’s D.C. area home. Although Powell doesn’t recall the conversation, he did send Hillary a memo regarding the use of private e-mail for unclassified messages in early 2009.
Needless to say, Powell did not set up a private e-mail server as Hillary did. But no matter. It would appear that endorsing Barack Obama twice doesn’t get you very far with Hillary Clinton.
Of course, that FBI interview would result in no criminal charges against Hillary Clinton. But try as she might, the e-mail scandal (and the shenanigans with The Clinton Foundation) just won’t go away even with the mainstream media square in her corner. So long as that is the case then Trump has a chance to prevail in November.A Sandia National Laboratories mathematician is honored for his work creating methods for supercomputers.
Pavel Bochev had no idea who he would work with when he moved from Bulgaria to Virginia Tech in 1990 to pursue a Ph.D. in applied mathematics. His master’s thesis in his native country had focused on ordinary differential equations, which generally relate physical quantities to their derivatives, such as a rate of change.
But at Virginia Tech he met Max D. Gunzburger, now the Francis Eppes Distinguished Professor of Mathematics at Florida State University. Gunzburger researched computational fluid dynamics (CFD), which simulates the complex movements of fluids like gases and liquids. To solve these problems, he explored finite elements methods, a way to discretize, or divide, the domain being modeled into pieces, called elements. Solving equations for the physical processes in each element can capture behavior throughout the entire domain.
“I had very little experience in this area,” recalls Bochev, now a distinguished member of the technical staff in the Center for Computing Research at Sandia National Laboratories.
Studying with Gunzburger meant Bochev would have to switch his focus to partial differential equations (PDEs), demanding mathematical problems that contain multiple functions, such as physical quantities, and their partial derivatives.
“This was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made,” Bochev says, “as Max turned out to be an amazing teacher and mentor, and we remain close friends and collaborators to this day.”
It also started Bochev on a distinguished career in applied mathematics, highlighted with the 2017 Thomas J.R. Hughes Medal from the U.S. Association for Computational Mechanics.
Bochev completed his Ph.D. and spent a few years in academia before moving to Sandia’s Albuquerque, New Mexico, lab in 2000. Since then he’s expanded his research beyond CFD to computational electromagnetism, transmission and interface problems, drift-diffusion equations and Darcy flows, which describe fluid movement through a porous medium.
“One of the amazing things about being a numerical analyst in a national lab is that you have an inexhaustible supply of interesting problems to work on,” Bochev says. “The types of simulation required for mission problems often push our numerical methods beyond their theoretical boundaries and take them to uncharted territories.”
For these explorations, Bochev relies heavily on FEM, which he calls “the most mathematically advanced simulation technology for PDEs at our disposal.” It rests on solid mathematical foundations, giving scientists confidence in the resulting simulations, while offering “tremendous flexibility” for computation. For example, FEM provides multiple options to discretize a given PDE. Mathematicians can choose the best one, Bochev explains, “which for a given set of software and modeling requirements will yield the most robust and effective simulation tools.”
His biggest contribution to numerical PDEs, Bochev says, may be recent work on methods to solve equations governing transport. Multiple DOE projects are evaluating his approaches to address problems such as modeling atmospheric contaminants or subsurface flows.
“The problems that we look at come from climate applications, like simulations of the atmosphere, or coal-fired power plants emitting particles and pollutants,” Bochev says. “We apply this optimization idea to better simulate these processes by preserving physically motivated bounds on their solutions.”
Numerical PDE transport also resembles what its name implies – traffic. “Surprisingly enough, similar equations to the ones we use for transport simulations describe traffic flow on highways,” Bochev says. “These equations can explain why everyone slams on their brakes for no reason.” It’s a shock wave. So, the transport PDEs Bochev and his colleagues use are not just for atmospheric applications.
Everyone can envision a traffic jam, but it’s tougher to grasp many of the problems Bochev and other scientists at the national labs address. “DOE uses computer models to understand, predict and verify complex systems in high-consequence analyses that would be difficult or even impossible by other means,” he says. Moving to exascale computing, hundreds of times more powerful than today’s best machines, will let researchers explore in new ways difficult problems incorporating multiple time and length scales and multiple types of physics. They’ll use new discretizations that vary to better fit different parts of a simulation, such as in Earth system models or nuclear waste repository assessments, or in examining the nuclear stockpile’s integrity. This, Bochev notes, requires new numerical methods that address various challenges, such as maintaining the physical properties of a simulation’s components. “Stable and accurate discretizations are not necessarily property-preserving,” he adds.
Combining different numerical systems will also be challenging, a task Bochev compares to building with LEGOs. “Like the bricks have to stick together to build a contraption, this is what it takes to simulate a complex, multiphysics system,” he says. “You need the blocks, and they need to stick together to not collapse.”
Such heterogeneous systems grab Bochev’s attention. Specifically, he wants to use optimization and control ideas to build property-preserving solutions. “There’s a rich mathematical theory of optimization methods that could be leveraged to analyze such methods and establish rigorously their stability and accuracy properties,” he says. “We have developed and demonstrated this idea for the coupling of diverse numerical models.”
In building these models, Bochev also must consider what lies ahead in high-performance computing architectures, which are likely to be drastically different than today. “Understanding the interplay between, for example, programming models on the one hand and numerical algorithms becomes imperative to ensure sustained performance on next-generation platforms.”
Bochev gained new insights into strategies for these evolving computing platforms when he met Nat Trask, then a Brown University graduate student working on mesh-free and particle methods. Now a postdoctoral fellow at Sandia, Trask hooked Bochev on these techniques. “Nat’s enthusiasm for these methods was contagious,” Bochev says, “and I got really interested in this class of discretizations that in many ways is the opposite to FEM.” Now Bochev leads a new Sandia project, working with Trask and several other colleagues to build meshless methods for DOE simulations.
“We work in a field that is constantly being changed by trying to solve more complex problems and incorporate more rich behavior in models.” To keep up, Bochev and his colleagues must keep learning and building new numerical methods.
(Visited 441 times, 1 visits today)SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) — Border Patrol agents working about 100 miles north of the Mexican border say they have been given arrest quotas at odds with agency practices and threatened with punishment if they failed to meet the number.
Agents stationed in Riverside reported being ordered to make at least 150 arrests of suspected illegal immigrants in January, two of which must lead to prosecutions, said Lombardo Amaya, president of Local 2554 of the National Border Patrol Council.
“They were told if you don’t produce this, we will have to change your weekends off,” Mr. Amaya said, adding that he would discuss the matter Monday with the sector chief. “Sometimes, like in politics, this agency is about looking good.”
An agency spokesman in Washington, Lloyd Easterling, said quotas ran counter to agency practice, which does not set a minimum number of arrests.
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“If we had quotas to fill and met those quotas,” Mr. Easterling said, “then would that mean we would be able to stop doing our job? No. Our job is to secure the border and detect, deter and apprehend anyone who is involved in illegal activity between the ports of entry.”
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Jeffrey Calhoon, chief patrol agent for the El Centro sector, which covers Imperial and Riverside Counties, said he was not aware of any quotas.Presidential candidate Ted Cruz is drawing his sharpest distinction yet with donor-class favorite Marco Rubio, by releasing an in-depth, immigration plan.
In an in-depth immigration plan released Friday, presidential candidate Ted Cruz drew his sharpest distinction yet with donor class favorite Marco Rubio.
The new plan helps Cruz counter what he says is Rubio’s “blazingly, on-its-face false” argument that both Senators share similar positions on immigration.
Last week, Cruz attacked Rubio for joining Chuck Schumer and Barack Obama in fighting “tooth and nail to try to jam… amnesty down the throats of the American people.” Following the criticism, Rubio told reporters that Cruz “proposed legalizing people that were here illegally. He proposed giving them work permits. He’s also supported a massive expansion of the green cards. He supported a massive expansion of the H-1B program… so, if you look at it, I don’t think our positions are dramatically different.”
Greg Sargent of The Washington Post mocked Rubio’s response on Twitter, writing, “Marco Rubio to conservatives: Ted Cruz is every bit as soft on ‘amnesty’ as I am, so there!!!” Sargent described Rubio’s argument as a clear attempt to “distract from Cruz’s attack on [Rubio for] his support for Schum-o-bamnesty.”
When Rubio says that Cruz “proposed giving [illegal immigrants] work permits” he is referring to the fact that Cruz offered an amendment that sought to strip citizenship for illegal from Rubio’s bill. As Bloomberg recently wrote, “In painting Cruz as a supporter of legal status for undocumented immigrants, ‘the Rubio campaign is spinning,’ said Mark Krikorian, an immigration activist who was working to scuttle the 2013 bill.”
While Cruz has never introduced legislation that would provide amnesty for illegal immigrants and would increase immigration, Sen. Rubio’s Senate career is largely defined by his partnership with President Obama to do just that.
Sen. Rubio’s Senate career is largely defined by his partnership with President Obama to deliver amnesty and citizenship to illegals. Rubio’s 2013 signature immigration legislation would have expanded welfare for immigrants, dramatically increased annual rates of immigration, and provided citizenship to those who have illegally entered the country or illegally overstayed their visas.
Cruz’a new plan would prevent illegal immigrants from obtaining welfare, end birthright-citizenship which Rubio supports, briefly suspend a highly controversial and unpopular H-1B foreign worker program, and require the enforcement of U.S. immigration laws.
Obama’s Regulatory Amnesties
In his plan, Cruz pledges to “shut down President Obama’s unconstitutional amnesty on day one” of his presidency. “I will end the lawlessness with the stroke of a pen,” Cruz writes. In 2012, Obama offered work-permits to roughly 1 million younger illegal immigrants. In 2014, Obama offered work-permits to roughly 4 million older illegals. So far, courts have blocked Obama’s 2014 plan, but not his 2012 plan.
Cruz’s declaration differs greatly from the stated position of Marco Rubio, who has announced that his “ideal” plan is to keep Obama’s unconstitutional 2012 amnesty in place while he works to enact legislative amnesty. Rubio’s position on ‘dreamer’ amnesty for younger illegals is thus virtually indistinguishable from President Obama who has similarly said he would like to see his executive amnesty replaced with a legislative one. Obama has been perhaps the most high-profile backer of Senator Rubio’s main immigration proposal.
Welfare For Illegals
In his plan, Cruz announced that he would “prohibit illegal immigrants from receiving financial benefits.” Cruz states:
“On average, each household headed by an illegal immigrant in the United States receives over $14,000 in net government benefits per year, according to one study. This transfer of American taxpayer dollars to illegal immigrants entices further illegal entry. Under a Cruz Administration, illegal immigrants will cease receiving government benefits.”
Cruz declared that he will “enforce the public-charge doctrine” so that immigrants coming to the United States will not become a burden on U.S. taxpayers:
“Current federal law requires legal immigrants and their American sponsors to certify that they will be economically self-sufficient. Despite this existing legal requirement, which is known as the public-charge doctrine, an estimated 49 percent of households headed by legal immigrants receive some form of government assistance. This is both illegal and unacceptable. America is a land of opportunity, but should not provide the opportunity to be subsidized by the American taxpayer. A Cruz Administration will require all legal immigrants and their sponsors to demonstrate by compelling evidence that they have the educational and professional tools to provide for themselves and their families.”
By contrast, Rubio’s 2013 immigration plan would have suppressed the public charge law.
As the Federation for American Immigration Reform noted in its analysis of his bill, “[The Rubio-Schumer bill] S.744 requires that DHS waive the public charge law when determining which aliens are eligible for amnesty. (Sec. 2101, p.65) That law prohibits DHS from admitting any alien who is likely to become a public charge.”
Immigration And Americans’ Economic Well-Being
In his plan, Cruz has also pledged to “halt any increases in legal immigration so long as American unemployment remains unacceptably high.” Cruz writes:
“The purpose of legal immigration should be to grow the economy, not to displace American workers. Under no circumstances should legal immigration levels be adjusted upwards so long as work-force participation rates remain below historical averages.”
Today, the nation’s foreign-born population is at a record high of 42.4 million, and there are currently 94 million Americans outside of the workforce.
Yet every day, predominantly due to a change in immigration law enacted in 1965, the U.S. imports an immigrant population that could fill an overcrowded metropolitan high school. Every three years, the United States imports an immigrant population that the size of Los Angeles.
Each year, the autopilot 1965 immigration law adds at least 1 million immigrants, including roughly 600,000 workers, to the economy, where they compete for jobs against the 4.4 million Americans who turn 18 each year. In 2013, Obama used his power to spike the annual inflow up to roughly 2.1 million foreign workers.
Nonetheless, Rubio’s newly introduced I-Squared bill would triple the number of temporary workers admitted on H-1B visas, even though the controversial H-1B program has been used to import workers that have replaced Rubio’s own constituents. In Rubio’s home state of Florida, for example, Disney fired 250 employees and forced them to train their low-wage foreign replacements brought in on H-1B visas.
The H-1B White-Collar Guest-Worker Program
Many of Rubio’s donors benefit greatly from the H-1B program, such as Microsoft and Oracle founder Larry Ellison. Disney has even endorsed Rubio’s new I-Squared legislation, that will allow them to continue the cheap labor practice, which labor experts have described as, an “indentured servitude program.”
In contrast, Cruz pledges to “Suspend the issuance of all H-1B visas for 180 days to complete a comprehensive investigation and audit of pervasive allegations of abuse of the program.” Cruz explains that his loyalties lies to the American citizens, not big corporations who benefit from the cheap labor practice. “We need to ensure that our foreign-worker programs always serve American citizens first. I will always stand with the American worker.”
Ending Birthright Citizenship
In his plan, Cruz also pledges to, “end birthright citizenship.” Cruz writes:
“It makes no sense for us to be providing the tremendous incentive of automatic citizenship to the children of those who enter illegally. Most nations on earth do not do so, and neither should we. Birthright citizenship… was not meant to confer citizenship on the children of people who are here illegally; nor was it intended to confer citizenship on the children of birth tourists, a burgeoning industry that makes a mockery of American citizenship. As President, I will take immediate steps to pass legislation or a constitutional amendment to end birthright citizenship.”
According to 2008 census data analyzed by the Pew Research Center, one anchor baby is delivered in the United States every 93 seconds. According to a 2011 Rasmussen Reports survey, only 28 percent of likely U.S. voters believe that children born to illegal immigrants in this country should automatically be American citizens.
Unlike Cruz, however, Rubio has argued that the U.S. should continue its controversial and unpopular application of the 14th amendment that allows foreign migrants to appropriate U.S. citizenship for their children.
When asked by CNBC why he defends this unpopular application of the 14th amendment, Rubio explained that he supports it because U.S.-born foreign children “are people”: “Those are human beings and ultimately they are people, we’re not just statistics, they’re humans with stories,” Rubio said.
According to polls from Kellyanne Conway, more than two-thirds of all voters– Democrat and Republican– want to see illegal immigrants encouraged to return home by denying them access to American jobs and benefits. But Rubio’s immigration bill would have given green cards– and thus eventual citizenship, welfare and voting privileges– to illegal immigrants.
As CNN recently wrote, Rubio continues to support citizenship for illegals:
“On the campaign trail, Rubio says he’s open to the most controversial aspect of [the Gang of Eight] plan: a pathway to citizenship for the nation’s 11 million undocumented immigrants. Rubio laid out this week a list of criteria illegal immigrants would have to meet to earn citizenship — mirroring the controversial Gang of Eight bill that he has methodically been distancing himself from after it passed the Senate in 2013.”
Jeff Sessions told CNN that such a position should be disqualifying for any one seeking to be the Republican nominee for President. “Supporting citizenship for illegal immigrants should be disqualifying,” Sessions said.
“Just like we can’t have a GOP nominee who supports Obamacare, we can’t have a GOP nominee who supports amnesty.”The pre-event press conferences held on the Thursday ahead of each MotoGP round can vary a good deal in interest. For the most part, they are full of pleasantries and platitudes, both riders and journalists doing their best to look interested and not start playing with their phones. After the utterly entrancing race at Phillip Island four days ago, we expected this to be one of the less interesting ones, the only mild interest being the dismal air quality in Malaysia.
How very wrong we were. Yes, there was the discussion of the obvious, of how the championship chances of Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo, and of Danny Kent in Moto3 would play out. But there was also an explosion of interest once Rossi made accusations that Marc Márquez was trying to help Lorenzo win the championship, accusations he pressed home further once the press conference finished.
It first livened up once Andrea Iannone and Valentino Rossi were asked what they thought of the abuse which had been plastered all over the Facebook and Instagram feeds of Iannone after the race at Phillip Island, where Iannone finished ahead of Rossi and took valuable points in the championship. Iannone shook it off, saying that 90% were positive, and the rest were "just an opinion."
Rossi was much stronger in his condemnation of the behavior of people calling themselves his fans. "I think that in reality they are not my real supporters," he said. "Is a great shame, because these people are very stupid. Unfortunately, this is the time of the social network where everybody can say his idea, even if it's a very stupid idea. The people like to speak bad about other guys that are more lucky than them, with more talent, and more happy, because they do with their life what they want." Rossi pointed out that he held no grudge against Iannone for beating him. "He just did his race, and is normal that he try to beat me."
Beware the wrath of the fans
It is a theme that runs though motorcycle racing, and all forms of media. Fans, in their passion, in their enthusiasm, and in the anonymity offered by an online identity, throw themselves into debate with fans, and interaction with the stars of the sport they follow. They forget that on the other side of the conversation is a human being, a person of flesh and blood, someone who has feelings and passions and insecurities just like them.
Even when they are elite athletes: at least one MotoGP rider has told me that they have stopped posting on social media, because they were getting sick to death of the constant barrage of abuse they faced. When that happens, everyone loses. Social media offers a chance for fans to genuinely interact with their idols. When people abuse that and scare the riders or athletes (or writers or pop stars or whatever) off social media, then everyone loses. The stars are more reluctant to interact with fans, and social media becomes more of an echo chamber, fans reliant once again on second-hand opinions from intermediaries such as journalists.
It is worth bearing in mind that passionate and unreasonable reactions by fans is hardly something new. In Ancient Rome, charioteers wore colors to allow the spectators at the Colosseum to be able to distinguish one from another. Fans flocked to each color, to the Red, to the White, to the Green, to the Blue. Violence between the factions, as each group of fans were known, was commonplace, getting worse as the factions grew in importance in society. At the end of Empire, in Byzantium, the rivalry grew so great that it almost provoked a coup to overthrow Emperor Justinian, who in turn provoked a riot between the Blue and the Green, backed by the military. When the dust finally settled, 30,000 lay dead. Things are not quite so bad between fans nowadays.
Tossing in a hand grenade
The press conference really ignited once Valentino Rossi was asked a question about the race at Phillip Island. Could we see a repeat of the thrilling race in Australia, came the question. After noting that it was indeed a great battle, the Italian produced a curious claim. "If we can see another race like this, especially we have to speak with Márquez," Rossi said. "Because during the race, was more difficult to understand, but after when I saw the race later, it was very clear that he play with us very much. Because mainly I think his target is not just to win the race, but also help Lorenzo to go far and try to take more points on me. So I think from Phillip Island it is very clear that Jorge have a new supporter that is Marc. So this change a lot, because for sure Marc have the potential to go away alone, and maybe can for sure be another type of race."
Both Lorenzo and Márquez looked on in a mixture of surprise and bemusement. Could Rossi really be implying that Márquez had deliberately assisted Lorenzo? At first, they didn't seem to take it seriously. When asked if he thought that Márquez had helped him, Lorenzo played along with what he thought was the joke: "Yes! Mainly in the last lap, a lot." That was the lap Márquez passed him and took the win.
Marc Márquez' initial reaction was to go back to the question about what a great race Phillip Island was. It took a supplementary question from one of the keenest journalists in the room to bring him back to the subject. Márquez was clear about whether he had played with Iannone and Rossi in an attempt to help Lorenzo win the championship. "Of course not." He had ridden his own race, dictated by the conditions and his tires. He pointed out the inconsistency of Rossi's charge. "If I want to help Lorenzo, I wouldn't pass him on the last lap, and I wouldn't push to the limit, and I wouldn't take the risk."
Márquez went on to repeat exactly what he had said after the race itself: that he had been struggling with the front tire overheating when he made his charge forward in the middle of the race. "In the middle of the race I try to push and I try to open a gap, but was not possible," he said. On Sunday, he had explained it as follows: "In the race, the temperature was coming up, and in the beginning it was difficult to find especially the front feeling. But then I come back, I try to catch Jorge, I overtake him, I try to push but then I saw that the front tire was moving a lot with this temperature and then I say OK, it's time to cool down again, and try to manage to the end. But always [the front] was closing, I had some moments, but my plan was on the last three laps try to push a little bit more."
Doubling down
If anyone was in any doubt that Rossi was serious, when he spoke to the assembled Italian media, he went on to repeat and expand on his claims. To add weight to them, he produced a set of timesheets from the Phillip Island race, complete with his annotations. The entire transcript of what he said is up on the official MotoGP.com website, but it boils down to a number of claims: that Márquez clearly had the pace to beat everyone, but held back to hold up Rossi and Iannone, while allowing Lorenzo to escape; that Márquez kept overtaking him on the straight, knowing he would struggle against the Ducati of Iannone; and that Márquez was doing this on purpose to spite Rossi.
Why would Márquez do a thing like this? Here too Rossi had his reasons lined up. Márquez is angry at him, Rossi claimed, because of what happened at Argentina and Assen. Márquez believes he intentionally moved from his line at Argentina, Rossi said, causing him to crash. Márquez believes Rossi stole victory from him at Assen, the Italian said, when Márquez hit him in the side and forced him to cut across the dirt.
More than that, Rossi claimed, Márquez was motivated by ego. He does not want Rossi to win the championship because he has been unable to win it this year. He is aiming at Rossi's record of championship victories, and if Rossi doesn't win in 2015, that is one less title for Márquez to win in the future to match him. As an example for this claim, Rossi pointed to Laguna Seca in 2013, where Márquez cut across the inside of The Corkscrew to pass Rossi, an echo of Rossi's iconic pass on Casey Stoner in 2008.
The case for the prosecution
Is there any merit to Rossi's claims? Without knowing the exact details of when and where he believed Márquez was slowing up, it is hard to judge. And the chances of any journalist actually sitting down with Rossi to analyze the lap and sector times, and the race, and get his perspective of it are zero.
What we can do is analyze Rossi's claims and Márquez' response. Márquez' race was indeed peculiar, his times bouncing up and down, from the slowest lap of the leaders (a 1'30.943 on lap 6, as he got involved in a dogfight with Rossi and Iannone) to a string of low 1'29s, culminating in the lap record on the final lap. From lap 13, Márquez chased down Lorenzo, finally overtaking him on lap 18. He led for two more laps, before being caught again by Lorenzo and giving up the lead. Márquez rhythm was unusual, the Spaniard usually much more consistent once he gets to the front of the race.
Márquez says the variance was down to the front tire overheating. "We saw on the data with the team that the Honda is pushing a lot the front tire. This race, this was the softest compound that we have, but it was the only tire that we had able to race," Márquez explained. He had pushed in the middle of the race to catch Lorenzo, but once he got past, the tire was moving around too much, and he had to back off a little.
Was it really the tires?
Is the tire claim credible? It is true that the Honda RC213V loads the front tire a lot more than any of the other bikes on the grid. This is down to the lack of engine braking available, the engine too aggressive to manage it properly. Riders have to use the front tire only to get the bike stopped, and that uses the front a lot. Though the situation has improved immeasurably in the second half of the season, the first half saw Honda riders crashing out left, right and center, the front giving up the ghost once it had too much heat in it.
The combination of tires and temperature actually worked against the Honda at Phillip Island. Bridgestone's asymmetric front tire was a brilliant solution to a complex problem, finding grip at a track with wildly varying temperatures and an awful lot of very fast left handers. To cope with that, and learning lessons from last year Bridgestone used extra soft rubber in the center of the tire and on the right, saving the soft rubber (one step harder than the rubber on the right) for the left edge. This meant that the front did not cool down too much in the straights and in the couple of right handers which grace Phillip Island, while still being able to withstand the loads placed on it by the long lefts.
That extra soft rubber in the middle was the part causing he problem for Márquez. Braking extremely late into the Honda Hairpin and MG Corner, or the fearsome right hander of Doohan at the end of the straight, puts a lot of stress on what is very soft rubber. If the temperatures had been a degree or two colder, or the wind had been a fraction harder, that may have cooled the tire enough to keep it perfectly within its operating range. If the temperatures had been a little warmer, then the Hondas could have considered running the symmetric soft tire, giving them a little more support in braking.
Is it possible to overheat a tire and for it to come back? As long as you don't totally cook it, you can. Bradley Smith did the same at Brno back in August, after pushing too hard on a softer tire. After dropping back for a few laps, he could push on again, the tire coming back to him
And the motive?
Those are the facts from the race, but what about motivation? Rossi is absolutely correct that Marc Márquez has turned against him this year, what seemed like a master-pupil relationship quickly going sour. Rossi puts the start of the decline at the race in Argentina, though to outsiders, it was not that visible. Assen, though, was different: Márquez had been lining up the move he tried to pull on Rossi all through practice, and when he and Rossi arrived at the GT Chicane together, he believed he had the race in the bag. He was bitter about having the victory taken from him, unable to understand that the move had failed to come off, and believing that Rossi should have been penalized for cutting the chicane.
Rossi is also right to note the scale of Márquez' ambition, though it is also true that every time he has been asked about the record books, Márquez has denied that they mattered much. The only thing that matters to him is winning races, Márquez says, and winning championships by winning races.
It is precisely this characteristic that renders Rossi's claim that Márquez was trying to let Lorenzo get away and take the win so improbable. Marc Márquez loves winning, or to put it more precisely, he hates losing, despises it with every fiber in his being. Márquez is always able to put a positive spin on losing, celebrating a great race as vigorously as anyone else. But you can be sure that the feeling is very different indeed, if he ends up just behind another rider, instead of in front.
One incident comes to mind that illustrates Márquez' attitude to winning. At the first Superprestigio in Barcelona, at the beginning of last year. Márquez had tried to prepare for victory. He invited American dirt track champion Brad Baker over, and the two trained together and got along very well. The final came down to a straight duel between the two, Baker and Márquez the quality of the field. But Márquez lacked the experience of the American, and crashed trying to keep up with him. On the podium, they were both all smiles, and Márquez expressed his disappointment, but said he was happy at having been competitive.
Losing really sucks
Behind the scenes, it was a very different story, however. One of the people involved in the event told me afterwards that after Márquez rode his bike back out of sight of the crowd before the podium celebrations started, the young Spaniard was fuming. Furious at himself for having made a mistake, but above all, furious at having lost, at the event he organized, in front of the crowd which had come to see him win.
He took that loss very seriously. He changed his training routine, modified the bike, and at the following Superprestigio, he was faster than the Americans he had invited. He was helped by the fact that Brad Baker managed to crash and injure himself during the heats, but he still beat Jared Mees. He was not going to lose again.
Remember the image of Márquez after he crashed at Aragon? Standing over his bike, screaming abuse at it in frustration, because the front end had let him down again. Márquez believed he could have beaten Jorge Lorenzo there. But he crashed.
Would Marc Márquez let anyone else ever beat him? "I will only help if it's my teammate," he said in the press conference. "If it's not my teammate, I will push for the victory."
That is what he did at Phillip Island, |
tour of the Robotic Workstation where the crew commanded Canadarm2 to capture and dock the Dragon:Wall-E is generally referred to as a children’s film, and I’m not going to argue: it’s an excellent children’s film—a classic, absolutely. I also happen to think that it’s an even better movie for adults, for whom its lessons are more poignant, possibly more resonant, and more necessary. Pixar has a knack for producing films which consistently operate on two different levels: one which speaks to a young audience without condescension or pandering, and one which reflects adult experience, rather than just exploiting nostalgia for idealized conceptions of childhood or simply spiking the cinematic punch with snarky, Grown-Ups Only pop culture references and in-jokes.
Movies like Wall-E and Up deftly evoke complicated emotional responses in adults in a way that most children’s films don’t, speaking to adults on their own level through smart, subtle storytelling that’s often amazingly, heartbreakingly simple. Consider the opening sequence of Up, for example, which has the power to make grown men break down and sob as if they’ve just been kicked in the heart, but doesn’t seem particularly traumatic for small children at the same time; it’s not that kids don’t “get it”—they just don’t necessarily react to the sequence in the same way that adults, carrying a little more emotional baggage into the theater, tend to respond.
Wall-E is Pixar’s most sustained and arguably most successful experiment in employing this radical narrative simplicity. For the first twenty minutes of the movie, there’s basically no spoken dialogue, only recorded human voices echoing around a long-abandoned Earth. During the making of the movie, the Pixar team studied and drew inspiration from silent films, particularly those of Chaplin and Buster Keaton, and the influence is palpable throughout the movie, but especially in these opening scenes.
The irony, of course, is that the era of the silent film greats was defined by the limits of available technology—these artists were driven to perfect a unique mode of expression because of the challenges they faced in the early days of cinema. Wall-E himself is literally a product of technology, the discarded creation of a society with no such limits, but also no vision, which eventually self-destructed in a downward spiral of mindless consumption and apathy. In Wall-E’s reality, there isn’t any dialogue because there’s no longer anyone to talk to, to talk with. Oddly enough, when we eventually get a glimpse of human existence later in the movie, there’s still no dialogue—plenty of noise, prerecorded messages, automated announcements, and verbal commands, but no conversation, and certainly no meaningful interactions between people.
Wall-E shares a kinship with Keaton and Chaplin that goes beyond his movements and mannerisms—in short, he is an artist. The opening scenes of the movie establish the fact that he possesses a remarkable capacity for aesthetic appreciation. His function, as a robot, is to clean up the planetful of garbage left behind by humanity—a mindless, thankless task, or it would be, if he wasn’t able to spend his days sorting through the rubble, collecting objects which appeal to his natural curiosity and sense of beauty. His prized possession, of course, is a beat-up VHS tape of Hello, Dolly! —his (and our) only link to a vibrant, thriving human past. In a sense, Wall-E is the last holdout of romanticism, stranded in an isolated industrial wasteland—and where Keats had a Grecian urn and Wordsworth had all sorts of abbeys and daffodils to inspire him, Wall-E’s experience of the sublime stems from a random 1969 Barbra Streisand musical…and that is genius.
I love that we’re never given any background on Hello, Dolly!, no belabored exposition on what it was and why we should care, no cute backstory about Wall-E finding his precious video cassette—all that matters is the feeling it evokes, within the context of the story. It’s such a fascinating choice for such a central plot device—a bloated, big-budget spectacle that was both one of the last great Hollywood musicals (directed by none other than the legendary Gene Kelley), and also a box office disappointment which helped usher in the end of an era, as cheery showtunes and sequins failed to impress late 60s audiences more interested in edgier fare. The movie version of Hello, Dolly! isn’t iconic enough to be instantly familiar to most audiences, but that fact makes it such a brilliant choice in a movie that urges you to look at the world differently, to appreciate the inherent value of creation and expression wherever you can find it.
Through Wall-E’s eyes, a campy Sixties musical suddenly becomes a lightning rod of varying emotions: joy, longing, passion…it brings Wall-E and EVE together, reunites them when they’re separated, and even serves as a call to action in a robot revolt in the second half of the movie. When the captain of the Axiom starliner views the recorded video of Earth stored in EVE’s memory, he’s initially discouraged—until the clip of “Put on Your Sunday Clothes” magically appears, steeling his resolve and inspiring him, finally, to return to Earth. The lesson is driven home again and again: singing, dancing, music, and art have the power to connect, to further our understanding of the world; art is how we communicate—it can inspire revolution, redemption, and change for the better.
More than anything else, Wall-E is a movie about the importance of appreciating and creating art—without it, we are cut off from each other, and from ourselves. As far as depictions of dystopian futures are concerned, the movie is rather gentle—nothing about the cushy Axiom is likely to traumatize small children… but at the same time, its indictment of a culture entirely devoted to the mindless consumption of “entertainment” with no artistic merit or intellectual value is chilling the more you think about it. And the movie really, really wants you to think about it.
When you get right down to it, Wall-E can be considered Pixar’s mission statement; it’s basically a gorgeous, animated manifesto. Over and over again, it drives home the point that civilization and self-expression go hand in hand—humanity is defined by its ability to move beyond mere survival into the realm of art: it’s no coincidence that, after meeting Wall-E, the captain’s crash course in the history of the world moves from learning about basics like “soil,” “earth,” and “sea” directly into “hoedown” and “dancing”: this is a natural progression, according to the movie’s logic. Wall-E spends 700 years on his own (Hal, his adorable cockroach friend notwithstanding), but as soon as he encounters EVE, he immediately attempts to reach out to her by building a sculpture in her image–that gesture alone betrays more passion and humanity than any of the any of the actual humans in the movie are capable of mustering, until the very end. And this is why I think adults may have more to learn from Wall-E than kids do….
George Carlin famously said, “Scratch any cynic and you’ll find a disappointed idealist.” For me, more than anything else, Wall-E is a movie that speaks directly to the cynics, the apathetic, and to anyone who has lost touch with the fundamental urge toward creativity and expression, with the sheer joy and heights of emotion that art can bring. Just watching the closing credits is inspiring, as they move through the style of cave drawings, Greek and Roman art, Seurat, Van Gogh, all the way up through 8-bit video game-style graphics. It drives home the message that the world is full of inspiration, sometimes where we least expect to find it. It’s clear that the folks at Pixar see themselves as participating in this grand tradition that includes everything from ancient graffiti to Renaissance masterpieces to Modern Times, and 2001, and even Hello, Dolly! Every aspect of this movie is imbued with the power of its creators’ convictions: Wall-E is Pixar’s luminous love letter to the creative process…one which will hopefully continue to inspire adults and children alike for many years to come.
Bridget McGovern is the non-fiction editor of Tor.com. She is making it her mission in life to mount an all-robot production of Mame, just as soon as she finishes building her Bea Arthur-bot. You can follow her on Twitter.by
Fidelity recently polled nearly 600 high net worth investors to gain a better understanding of their thinking about the market and where they plan to invest in 2014. Notably, 43% of investors said they are planning to increase their investment in ETFs over the next 12 months.
Fidelity created this graphic that highlights 5 reasons investors use ETFs (or don’t use them).
Other key findings of the Fidelity study include:
Despite the small gains this year in the DJIA (1.6% as of June 5, 2014), 55% believe it will end the year up 5% or more.
When it comes to the U.S. economy, investors continue to feel cautious. The majority (71%) feels it’s headed in the right direction vs. 29% who say it’s stagnant or headed in the wrong direction.
62% of investors also believe a market correction—when a major index declines by at least 10% from a recent high—is likely to happen in 2014.
The indicators that would motivate the most investors holding cash to re-invest into the market are a stronger U.S. economy (28%) and higher interest (12%). 25% report holding no cash on the sidelines.
Over half (59%) of investors prefer to grow their portfolio by investing in domestic equities vs. 18% in international equities.
Over a third (35%) invest in ETFs for broad market exposure (indexes), while 27% of investors don’t invest in ETFs because they need to learn more.
Advantages of ETFs
ETFs have several features that are advantageous to investors:
ETFs are generally transparent regarding their holdings.
ETFs can be bought and sold during the trading day. This offers additional opportunities for investors.
Stop orders can be used to limit the downside movement of your ETFs.
ETFs can also be sold short just like stocks.
Many index ETFs carry low expense ratios and can be quite cheap to own.
Many ETFs are quite tax-efficient.
ETFs can provide a low cost, straightforward way to invest in core market indexes.
Disadvantages of ETFs
ETFs can be bought and sold just like stocks. In some cases this could serve to promote excessive trading that could prove detrimental to investors.
ETF providers have introduced a proliferation of new ETFs in response to their popularity. Some of these ETFs are excellent, some are not. Many new ETFs are based on untested benchmarks that have only been back-tested. Additionally there are a number of leveraged ETFs that multiply the movement of the underlying index by 2 or 3 times up or down. While there is nothing inherently wrong with these products they can easily be misused by investors who don’t fully understand them.
Trading ETFs generally entails paying a transaction fee, though a number of providers have introduced commission-free ETFs in order to gain market share.
ETFs have proven to be a great innovation for investors. If used properly they are a great addition to your investing toolkit. Like any investment make sure you understand what you are investing in (and why) before you invest.
Please contact me with any thoughts or suggestions about anything you’ve read here at The Chicago Financial Planner. Don’t miss any future posts, please subscribe via email. Please check out the Hire Me tab to learn more about my freelance financial writing and financial consulting services.Why HK people don’t support CY Leung as chief executive
Hong Kong is a city that enjoys freedom of thought, expression and belief, creating a diversified society that supports its growth as an international metropolis.
However, these freedoms that we value are being eroded as the government stresses the importance of patriotism, that the interest of the motherland should override our individual freedoms.
Jeffrey Lam, a pro-Beijing member of the Legislative Council and the Executive Council, stressed this point in his remarks during a talk show on Commercial Radio on Sunday.
He said since Hong Kong is a special administrative region of China and Leung Chun-ying is the city’s chief executive appointed by China, Hong Kong people should support Leung to rule the city according to law.
“It’s unfair to society if we don’t support him in ruling Hong Kong just because we don’t like him,” Lam said.
It’s not surprising that a pro-Beijing politician will seek to support the legitimacy of Leung’s rule in Hong Kong.
But from the point of view of the people who cherish their freedom, Lam’s reasoning smacks of an unwelcome intrusion into their individual right to support or oppose Leung as chief executive.
In fact, many Hong Kong people are becoming increasingly disappointed and frustrated with Leung’s administration of the city for the past three and a half years.
The core reason for his unpopularity is his abuse of power. And his abuse of power is seen in his administration’s focus on marginalizing the opposition, and efforts to cement Beijing’s influence over every aspect of Hong Kong life.
We don’t need to go too far. Let’s just have a look at the news headlines last Friday:
1) Leung appoints two pro-Beijing and anti-Occupy campaign lawyers as council members of Lingnan University.
2) The governing body of Chinese University of Hong Kong refuses to issue a statement upholding the school’s academic independence.
3) Hong Kong Post Office insists on covering the Royal cyphers on some vintage postboxes across the territory, saying the insignias of British colonial rule are not appropriate to show in Hong Kong now.
4) Pro-Beijing lawmakers dominate the chairmanship of Legislative Council panels.
Let’s take the appointment of university council members as an example. It is true that under Hong Kong law, the chief executive is the chancellor of all government-funded universities, a situation that harks back to the colonial era.
But why was there no controversy over such appointments before 1997?
Because before the handover, the governor had seen to it that the independence of the individual universities, their academic freedom, was respected.
In the current case, it is as plain as the nose on CY Leung’s face that he is bestowing these appointments as political rewards for his supporters.
The two new Lingnan University council members have shown their loyalty to the chief executive by opposing last year’s Occupy protests. One of them is a lawyer responsible for filing an injunction to clear an “Occupy zone” in Mong Kok.
With their appointments, the new council members will be in a position to help ensure that CY Leung critics do not get the upper hand in influencing the direction of the university.
It is this predilection to abuse power that has prompted the Hong Kong Federation of Students to call for a referendum seeking to abolish the system that makes the chief executive the chancellor of government-funded universities.
The objective is to uphold academic independence and academic freedom, for which CY Leung has shown little respect.
CY Leung may deny it, but it is clear to many that the rejection of the appointment of Johannes Chan as a pro vice chancellor of the University of Hong Kong is the result of his political intervention.
Chan’s case has opened a Pandora’s box of similar academic appointments and interventions, leading to the belief that CY Leung is actively monitoring the affairs of educational institutions, which have become hotbeds of opposition, to ensure that critics are marginalized and Beijing’s authority is promoted on campuses.
This political intervention is reflected in the number of pro-Beijing politicians and scholars who have been appointed council members in local universities.
Another evidence of this abuse of power is the plan of the Hong Kong Post Office to remove all the vintage postal boxes with the British royal cyphers.
This decision, obviously with the imprimatur of CY Leung, is quite puzzling because the 59 vintage postal boxes have been here for so many decades and doing no harm to anyone at all.
The post office said it is “politically incorrect” to keep the royal insignia when the city is now under Chinese rule.
The government, represented by the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau, told Hongkong Post that it is not appropriate to show the royal cyphers now.
People cannot help but wonder: Why is it now appropriate to remove those insignias? Why didn’t the government do so right after China resumed sovereignty over Hong Kong on 1 July 1997?
The truth is that the postal boxes have been a part of Hong Kong history, and we have the duty to preserve such historical reminders. Only the most insecure of governments will think that those postboxes represent a challenge to their legitimate rule.
But while they may not be throwing a challenge to Beijing, those innocent postal boxes do remind people of the good old days under the British rule, when the city was being administered by British-appointed governors who did their best to improve our economy and livelihood.
And as they remind remind us of the pleasant days of yore, they offer a stark contrast to the current state of affairs where the chief executive is more interested in playing political tricks with Beijing authorities than promoting the welfare of Hong Kong people.
Still, there will be politicians like Lam who not only profess undying loyalty to CY Leung but also exhort other people to support him, regardless of how he uses his authority and power.
But Hong Kong people know better than that. They know how to think independently. And though they may accept Beijing’s rule over Hong Kong, they don’t necessarily support CY Leung.
Those are two completely different issues.
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SC/AC/CGWay back in September of 2011 I published a badass TR list about weird (and perhaps intentional) analogues in the DC and Marvel universes. You know — Red Tornado and Vision, Millennium and Secret Invasion, Black Canary and Mockingbird, those sorts of things. And that list was awesome.
But it was hardly complete. Marvel and DC have a whole horde of character analogues (and in a few instance, location analogues) that prove that great minds either think alike… or that great minds look at what the competition’s doing and then do the same thing but change the name. Now, these analogues aren’t as time-sensitive as most of the pairs on the previous list; meaning one company didn’t hear about the other premiering something and rush to create a counterpart. Instead, these are 18 characters (and two places) introduced at various times in both companies’ histories that just so happen to fill very similar roles in the Marvel and DC universes.
10) Squadron Supreme and The Extremists
I wanted to include these guys first on the list because these guys were intentionally created to be Marvel versions of DC characters and vice versa. They stand in for each other when the parent companies don’t feel like doing a crossover, which is almost always. And since both Marvel and DC are doing it, no one makes too many grumbly noises. Squadron Supreme (on the left) has popped up in Avengers, Defenders, Quasar, and Marvel Zombies, and includes analogues of Superman (Hyperion), Batman (Nighthawk), Wonder Woman (Power Princess), Green Lantern (Doctor Spectrum), the Martian Manhunter (the Skrullian Skymaster), the Flash (Whizzer), and Aquaman (Amphibian). The Extremists (X-tremists — get it? sigh) haven’t shown up in the New 52 yet, but consisted of Lord Havok (Doctor Doom), Gorgon (Doctor Octopus), Tracer (Sabretooth), Dreamslayer (Dormammu), Carny (Arcade), and Doctor Diehard (Magneto).
9) Flashpoint and House of M
Arguably, two of biggest events to hit the Marvel and DC Universes in the last seven years have been House of M and Flashpoint, respectively. In 2005’s House of M the world was re-created by one ultra-powerful person (Scarlet Witch) to right a family wrong (her dead kids). The aristocrats have taken over (Magneto), but a large resistance movement exists (led by Luke Cage, a Marvel character with no fixed costume), and the conclusion leaves the Marvel Universe with a new status quo (no more mutants). 2011’s Flashpoint fromt DC follows the same path: The world is recreated by one ultra-powerful person (Flash) to right a family wrong (his dead mum). The aristocrats have taken over (Aquaman and Wonder Woman), but a large resistance movement exists (led by Lois Lane, a DC character with no fixed costume), and the conclusion leaves the DC Universe with a new status quo (the New 52).
8) The Punisher and Wild Dog
After my previous list, someone mentioned the similarities between The Punisher and DC’s Vigilante, but I think the links between The Punisher and the forgettable Wild Dog (although he did show up in Booster Gold) are stronger. Both are non-powered, gun-based vigilantes with iconic, but simple shirts; the Punisher has a shirt with a skull, Wild Dog has a shirt with a dog. Both are ex-Marines, the survivors of disasters that wiped out most of their friends. Both had their loved ones killed by the mob, which triggered them to start mowing down thugs and taking no prisoners. But the Punisher was created in 1974, while Wild Dog premiered in 197, when the Punisher was really popular. Go figure.
7) The Savage Land and Dinosaur Island
Problem 1: Dinosaurs are extinct. Problem 2: We really want to have our comic book heroes interact with dinosaurs. For both DC and Marvel, the solution was the sam — just make a place where dinosaurs didn’t die. Other alternatives could have been examined, and neither company is adverse to time travel, but no, both DC and Marvel have a special jungle place where you can go and fight dinosaurs. DC created Dinosaur Island in 1960, four years before Marvel introduced the Savage Land, but it’s possible both companies genuinely needed a place for superheroes to fight dinosaurs.
6) Nova and Green Lantern
Lets say you have two regular Joe guys and you want to make them heroes. Oh, and lets say that you’re an intergalactic military-style peacekeeping force, or “corps” that wields energy weapons that come from a single power source on a single home planet. Still with me? And once you give those regular Earth Joes the powers of flight, invulnerability, and energy channeling, in each case by a dying member of the corps, they go off and become the most famous of their respective groups. Oh, and both groups boast living planets in their memberships. Now, which one is which again? Nova was first introduced at Marvel in 1976, back when Green Lantern was doing pretty well for himself. Go figure.
5) Super Soldier Serum and Venom
What? Super steroids are common in both Marvel and DC? Of course! They both started out as ways to develop better good guys (Captain America and Hourman), but once the secret’s out everyone and their mama wants a taste. What gets in my head is that both of these are used pretty much as a chaser to every single poison/toxin/serum/potion/beverage in comics. Venom just showed up in Batman: The Dark Knight as a mixer with Scarecrow’s fear toxin. Tweak the super soldier serum and you get Sentry, Taskmaster, Man-Thing, and Union Jack. There’s no way DC intentionally created Venom as a rip-off of the Super Solider Serum, but they both end up fulfilling the same roles — a mysterious liquid that bestows powers that everybody wants.
4) Mr. Mxyzptlk and Impossible Man
Annoying is surprisingly easy to duplicate. Impossible Man is one of those “I can pretty much do anything I feel like” characters who bugs the hell out of the Fantastic Four — for no other reason than being bored. He lives on a planet of people just like himself and possesses no physical limitations. Now let’s look at Mr. Mxyzptlk: he’s an interdimensional imp from a dimension of beings like him, does whatever he wants because nothing can hurt him, and spends his time annoying Superman just because he can. And they both have an affinity for purplish boots and gloves. Of course, Mr. Mxyzptlk started buggin Superman in 1944, and Impossible Man didn’t start harassing the Fantastic Four until 1963.
3) Howard the Duck and Detective Chimp
Talking animals can be funny, but if you’re going to put them into your comic you should make them be serious some of the time. Both of these cigar-chompin’ anthropomorphs went from being jokey characters to hard-nosed badasses, hooking up with groups like Shadowpact and the Defenders. What’s interesting is that both of them have skills that preoccupy comic characters: crime-solving and kung-fu. Detective Chimp was the first character created back in 1952, but had spent more than a decade in total obscurity before Steve Gerber introduced Howard the Duck in 1973. But Howard’s run ended in 1979, and Detective Chimp only resurfaced in the DC universe during the ’80s.
2) John Constantine and Pete Wisdom
I think that the details are significantly different (one is a mutant, one is not), but both pictures are painted with the same broad strokes. Forget biography, as Wisdom is thoroughly entrenched in X-Men continuity and Constantine isn’t, but go broad. Who’s the British magician with a bad, devil-may-care attitude and an extremely disturbing relationship with the occult? When a DC writer needs a street-smart mage, he can turn to Hellblazer (well, he couldn’t before September of last year, thanks to the division of DC and Vertigo). When a Marvel writer wants the same effect, he reaches for Wisdom. DC called first dibs, though, as John Constantine first cameo’d in Alan Moore’s run on Swanp Thing, while Marvel didn’t summon Pete Wisdom until 1995 for Excalibur.
1) Man-Thing and Swamp Thing
This one almost doesn’t seem fair. Bloggers have written about the publishing history of both these swamp monsters, and the question of “Who Had the Idea First?” may never be satisfactorily answered (their first appearances were both in 1971, within two months of each other, and anyway similar swamp monsters had made appearances in both company’s comics decades before either). What gets to me is that later writers assigned added importance to both of them. While they both could live out their days as mopey denizens of the bayou, both have been elevated to god-like statuses in their respective universes. Swamp Thing has become the avatar of the Green, basically the king of all vegetation in the DC universe. Man-Thing is no slouch either: writers have transformed him into the “Nexus of All Realities,” making him the focal point of the Marvel universe. Not bad for a couple of walking houseplants.15 Dec 2013 Virex: a Vim-flavored Regex playground on the web coding
/ vi [RE] / x a tool for exploring regular expressions in vim
I’ve been goofing around with Vim and Erlang lately, and since two great tastes taste great together, I made you a thing! My latest toy - Virex, where you can experiment with Vim’s regex on the web. It’s like Rubular but for Vim regex. Have fun!
I’ve been having a lot of fun mucking around with learning and tweaking my Vim-related toolset ever since I started working at Case Commons, so when a coworker asked why there wasn’t anything like Rubular for Vim’s regex, I jumped at the excuse to throw this together.
Using Virex is slower than just experimenting in Vim locally, natch, but it was fun to build and it comes in handy when you’re out with your friends arguing about regular expressions in Vim with only your phone handy for trying to prove your point. (SHUT UP, this happens.)
The interesting part turned out to be thinking about security, which is what the rest of this post will mostly be about.
Erlang is handy for sending messages between processes (shocking, n/n?)
I wanted to delegate the user-input test strings and regex patterns directly to Vim rather than try to reimplement Vim’s regex perfectly, while avoiding sending anything through the shell (danger zone like whoa, obvs). Erlang’s open_port/2 function was the perfect solution.
(Okay, I admit, I also really just wanted an excuse to play with Erlang some more. No Starch Press offered to send me free books to review a few months ago, and on a whim I asked for a copy of Learn You Some Erlang for Great Good!. I’ve been having a lot of fun exploring Erlang on the side ever since the book arrived.
It’s a pretty fantastic book, overall - concepts are explained clearly and thoroughly, in a way that I find very intuitive. My only caveat is that I found some of the examples used by the author distractingly offensive - I was really put off by bound variables being illustrated by a sadface dude in a suit standing next to a smiley lady in a white dress. Also, binary gender examples much? So, problematic. But “I like things, and some of those things are problematic.” It’s definitely also clear, thorough, and informative.)
Waaah don’t shell out via Vim please
So, great, user input is bypassing the shell when being sent directly from my Erlang server to Vim. But wait, it’s possible to shell out from Vim in various ways! Oh noes, we can’t have that.
I’m highlighting matches by using Vim’s regex substitution, %s/PATTERN/REPLACEMENT/g. The risky aspect of this is that the REPLACEMENT section can take any vimscript expression, so I don’t want users to be able to escape the PATTERN section and potentially get arbitrary code executed that could let them shell out and cause trouble.
This led to a truly absurd bit of Erlang that rejects any user-input pattern with a forward slash preceded by an odd number of contiguous backslashes. Tsk tsk, don’t go trying to escape my slash and causing trouble.
Regular Expressions Denial of Service attacks
The other big security risks I fretted over were Regular Expressions Denial of Service attacks. Regular expressions are pretty powerful, and can be written to run dangerously slowly and consume large amounts of memory.
I had a lot of fun testing Virex with this list of Evil Regexes I found on Wikipedia and this fabulous post Dave sent me, In search of an exponential time regex.
The biggest ReDoS problem Vim’s regex seems to be susceptible to is greedy quantifiers along the lines of \(.*\)\{1,32000\} - that hung forever. Bummer.
After a bit of poking around, I determined that \{99,\} and \{,99\} were safe, but \{999,\} and \{,999\} are not. So, Virex rejects repetitions that are 3 digits are longer.
Here’s the function I’m using to test whether a user-input regex pattern is safe:
safe ( Pattern ) when erlang : length ( Pattern ) > 80 -> false ; safe ( Pattern ) -> DangerousRegex = " \ {-?[0-9]{3,}|[0-9]{3,} \\\\? \ }|([^ \\\\ ]|^)( \\\\\\\\ )*/", re : run ( Pattern, DangerousRegex ) =:= nomatch.
As you can see, I’m limiting patterns to 80 characters on basic principle - if you need to test a longer regex than that, you can do it when you get home.
If the pattern is short enough, that long regex I’ve got there does two other checks - it makes sure that no quantifiers have repeats that are 3 digits are longer, and that no forward slashes are immediately preceded by an even number of backslashes.
(Why so many backslashes? Blame Erlang. I feel like half the time I spent on this little project was focused on making sure I was escaping characters properly as they went through Erlang, Vim, and oh god you got your regex in my regex.)
So.
To sum up - Virex is a webmachine app, with nginx acting as a reverse proxy and serving the static content, which sanitizes the user-input regex patterns and sends them off to Vim to test them out. Alex Feinman designed that awesome logo for me. The source code is here.
I adore Erlang’s syntax, and I had a lot of fun exercising the paranoid portion of my brain and exploring evil regexes - hopefully I caught them all. If you can think of anything else I ought to test for, please let me know! (Ideally via twitter or pull requests, not by crashing my server, thankyouverymuch. ^^)Thailand’s ruling junta has proposed that military commanders should automatically be members of an unelected senate — and insist that the arrangement does not constitute another coup d’état.
The generals — who seized power in May 2014 — have put forward a draft constitution, on which the country will vote on Aug. 7.
The State Council for Peace and Order on Tuesday proposed that the new charter should include a provision that would mean that the country’s five top military generals and the police chief would be ex-officio members of the upper house, Thai PBS reports. The rest of the members of a 250-member senate would be appointed by a selection committee.
According to the Bangkok Post, junta member General Prawit Wonsuwan said the military chiefs would even help prevent a future coup.
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“MPs can explain to those military commanders about the administration of their parties,” Prawit said. “We want to do this for only a period of five years, for the most effective and transparent transition and for our future.”
[Thai PBS, Bangkok Post]
Write to Simon Lewis at simon_daniel.lewis@timeasia.com.EDMONTON – In an attempt to increase organ and tissue donor rates in the province, the Alberta government launched an online registry on Tuesday so that people can easily record their consent to donate.
Over the last decade, organ and tissue donations have dropped nearly 40 per cent in Alberta.
“One of the greatest gifts we can give each other is donating our organs and tissues,” said Minister of Health Fred Horne.
“With more than 500 Albertans waiting for an organ transplant and many more waiting for tissues, registering your consent to donate on the new donor registry can make a profound difference in someone’s life.”
“In just a few minutes, with nothing more than your health number and birth date, you can arrange to donate all or some of your organs and tissues,” explained Premier Dave Hancock.
“Changing a life can be just that simple.”
According to the province, one organ and tissue donor can save up to eight lives and improve the lives of up to 75 other people.
Family members of organ donors as well as recipients were in attendance at Tuesday’s announcement.
Mandy shared how her family had discussed their wishes should they pass away, so that when her father passed away unexpectedly, they knew what he would have wanted.
“It was really, truly an extension of who he was in real life,” she said.
“He was very community oriented, and he would do anything for anybody.”
“To really drive home the impact of what one person can do for a community or for a nation, my father was able to greatly improve if not save the lives of 27 individuals,” said Mandy, and the crowd broke out in applause.
“It was really heart-warming to get letters and cards from recipients explaining how my father’s gift to them had greatly improved their lives,” she added.
“Have that discussion. Make your wishes known and help improve the lives of others.”
Provincial officials stressed the need for potential donors to tell their family about their plans and make their wishes known. A family member must sign an organ and tissue donation consent form, even if the person that has died has signed the back of his or her Alberta Health Card or registered online.
The provincial government passed Bill 207 (the Human Tissue and Organ Donation Amendment Act) in November 2013.
READ MORE: Alberta passes organ donation bill
The Act established a single agency to co-ordinate organ and tissue donations in Alberta as well as created a consent-to-donate registry. Albertans who want to donate their organs and/or tissue can make those wishes official either online or at a registry when they renew their driver’s license or other identification. Upon written consent, the registry agent can then transmit that information to the Alberta Organ and Tissue Donation Agency to be included in the online registry.
Alberta Health previously said it hoped to have the new agency up and running by 2015.
“Organ and tissue donation saves lives and we need to make sure Albertans know how important it is,” said Calgary-Foothills MLA Len Webber, who introduced Bill 207 as a Private Member’s Bill.
In March, Webber left the PC Caucus to sit as an Independent MLA.
Until now, Alberta did not have a provincial organ and tissue registry.
Currently, the province has the lowest rates of organ and tissue donation in the country.
“Alberta has fallen from roughly 18 or 19 per million population to less than ten per population,” explained Lori West, director of the Canadian National Transplant Research Program (CNTRP), “whereas many of the other provinces in the country have increased their organ donation rates.”
“The reasons for this are not entirely clear, but we believe that they may have to do with the organizational aspects of the donation system in Alberta,” West said prior to Bill 207 being passed.
West believes the creation of a provincial registry is one step that would help boost donation rates across the province. She also says educational campaigns to raise awareness among the public as well as healthcare workers, and the online organ and tissue registry will help.
Alberta Health previously announced plans for new public awareness campaigns.
For more information on becoming an organ and/or tissue donor or to register, click here.
Follow @Emily_MertzBUCHAREST (Reuters) - A lawmaker from Romania’s ruling Social Democrats proposed extending a draft bill granting prison pardons to include corruption offences, weeks after protests forced the government to abandon plans to decriminalize some graft charges.
Romanians light up blue pieces of paper and pieces of yellow star shaped fabric thus forming the European Union flag during a protest against the government, in Bucharest, Romania, February 26, 2017. Inquam Photos/Octav Ganea/via REUTERS
It is unclear whether the Social Democrat party, which together with junior partner ALDE holds a large parliamentary majority, would support the amendment presented by Senator Serban Nicolae, who said it was a personal not party proposal.
The government says the bill is needed to ease pressure on |
idea of what you want to do changes everything.
Have you ever had a day where as soon as you woke up, there were already missed calls, text messages and emails screaming for your attention -- and you felt like you were struggling to stay afloat before breakfast? Oh, that sounds like every day, you say? That needs so stop.
If you like, you can meditate. You know, cross-legged, a candle, with some nice music playing in your ridiculously expensive Beats headphones.
But if that's too much, you can just "take 10."
Take 10 quick breaths, think about your main objectives for the day, and then get moving. This seems too simple to have an effect, but it's not. If you're used to getting up already in battle mode, then you've probably forgotten how it feels to have a moment to yourself.
Take a few of those minutes back and refocus yourself. It really helps.
You can also use that time to create a better to-do list. Here's how to create a to-do list that practically does itself.
3.) They train their bodies.
Working out is probably the highest leverage tool in your arsenal that can make you feel predictably better and keeps you both physically and emotionally healthy year round. If you want to have the mental energy to take on a large workload, and you have a full calendar of to-do's that people want from you -- you have to be in the gym.
Period.
Training yourself physically not only gives you benchmarks to hit on a regular basis, but it also creates a predictable backbone in your daily life that you can count on, even if everything goes wrong. Mentally, that's very comforting.
Trust me, I know that integrating these habits into your life won't be easy at first. But if you're not healthy, your business can't thrive anyway. Consider them a long-term investment in your business.
This article was originally published at Rich20Something.A new Morning Consult poll finds nearly half of GOP voters disagree with Senate Republicans’ unprecedented stance of refusing to hold hearings for President Obama’s nominee to fill the vacancy on the Supreme Court.
In a national survey of 621 Republican voters taken since Merrick Garland was tapped Wednesday to replace the late Justice Antonin Scalia, 43 percent said the Senate Judiciary Committee should hold hearings on his nomination. About one-third of GOP voters (34 percent) said the committee should not hold hearings and about one-fourth (23 percent) didn’t know or had no opinion.
Among all voters polled, 48 percent said the Judiciary panel should hold hearings. More than half of Democratic voters (56 percent) said there should be hearings, and 42 percent of independents agreed.
The poll was conducted March 16-18 among 2,011 registered voters with a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percent.
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When it comes to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s view that the next president should nominate Scalia’s successor, less than half of voters (41 percent) agree with him, although 74 percent of Republicans do. By contrast, 72 percent of Democrats say Obama is entitled to select the nominee. Less than half of independents (38 percent) say Obama has the right to nominate a successor.
Related: In 2016 Field, Voters Want Clinton, Trump to Select SCOTUS Nominee
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Even supporters of the most conservative presidential GOP nominee, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, aren’t unilaterally opposed to nomination hearings. More than one-third of Cruz supporters (37 percent) say hearings should be held. Even more supporters for real estate mogul Donald Trump (44 percent) want hearings. More than half of supporters for Ohio Gov. John Kasich (54 percent), the other GOP candidate in the presidential race, say there should be hearings.
Republican voters are almost evenly divided on whether the Senate should actually vote on Garland’s nomination to the highest court in the land. More than one-third (36 percent) say the Senate should vote, while 40 percent of Republicans said there shouldn’t be a vote.
Almost half (47 percent) of all voters polled agreed there should be a Senate confirmation vote. About two-thirds of Democrats (62 percent) back floor action on the nomination, compared with 39 percent of independents.
Again, supporters of Cruz and Trump weren’t universally opposed to a vote on Garland. Cruz supporters were the least likely (30 percent) to support a vote for Garland, followed by Trump supporters at 31 percent and Kasich supporters at 52 percent.
The question becomes more typically partisan when it comes to whether Garland, widely considered a centrist and a moderate by both parties, should be confirmed. Only 19 percent of Republican voters said he should be confirmed as the next Supreme Court justice, compared with 59 percent of Democrats and 28 percent of independents.
Just over a third (37 percent) of all voters think Garland should be confirmed.
And among the GOP candidates, just 12 percent of Cruz supporters and 17 percent of Trump supporters agree that Garland should be appointed. Almost twice as many Kasich supporters (36 percent) say Garland, the chief judge on the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, should be confirmed.
It’s notable that the people who don’t know or care what happens to the Supreme Court nominee outnumber those who want the Senate to sit on its heels. For example, 39 percent of voters said they don’t know or have no opinion on whether the Senate should confirm Garland, compared with 24 percent who said the Senate should not confirm him. About one-third of respondents (31 percent) don’t know whether the Senate should even take a vote, while 23 percent say the Senate should not vote. Also, almost one-half of voters say they have heard “nothing at all” about the choice of Garland (19 percent) or “not much” (29 percent).
See the toplines and crosstabs here.
—Fawn Johnson contributedDALLAS – A former fund raiser for the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development (HLF) testified Friday that money from the foundation went to Palestinian charities controlled by Hamas.
Mohamed Shorbagi said he knew this through Hamas literature, a London-based Hamas website and word-of mouth.
Shorbagi pleaded guilty in August 2006 to providing material support to Hamas by routing money to HLF. According to his plea agreement, he "made regular monetary contributions to the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development (HLF) on behalf of himself and others, knowing that HLF then supplied some or all of that money to HAMAS, including donations made after October 26, 2001."
He agreed to testify for the government in hopes of reducing his seven-year prison sentence. But that doesn't mean he has changed his views.
Under questioning from federal prosecutor James Jacks, Shorbagi unapologetically stated that he is an Islamist, a supporter of Hamas and Sharia law. As a former HLF insider, his testimony could help the government's case against HLF and five former officials. They are accused of illegally sending millions of dollars through Palestinian charities, called zakat committees, controlled by the terrorist group.
In Palestine, most organizations are run by either Hamas or the secular Fatah movement, Shorbagi said. Based upon the charities and individuals who received HLF money, Shorbagi concluded they were connected to Hamas. "When you know money goes to Mahmud Zahar, you know money goes to Hamas."
Some of those organizations were charities that distributed food and others were schools where children were taught Islamist ideology.
Shorbagi became the imam for a mosque in Rome, Georgia in 1993. Among his responsibilities was the collection of zakat, or charity, at the mosque. He said he sent all the money collected to HLF. Haitham Maghawri, a named defendant in the case who lives abroad, and defendant Mohamed El-Mezain were his main contacts.
By sending money to HLF, he said he felt he was helping organizations that had "clean hands." He defined "clean hands" as not being a corrupt organization like those run by the Palestinian Liberation Organization, which ran the Palestinian Authority. In his view, Hamas would use the money for the appropriate behaviors that he wished to support.
Shorbagi was asked whether HLF changed its behavior after Hamas was designated a terrorist organization in 1995 and 1997. He replied that defendant Shukri Abu Baker, HLF's former executive director, set up an office in Gaza to distribute money rather than HLF sending directly to individuals. The recipients of the HLF funds were still tied to Hamas, he said. In addition, HLF continued to advertise in publications by the Islamic Association of Palestine (IAP), another U.S.-based charity that Shorbagi said was part of Hamas.
Exhibits already in evidence show that the IAP and HLF were parts of a "Palestine Committee" in America created to help Hamas both politically and financially. The IAP played a propaganda role, publishing the Hamas charter, communiqués from the group and other articles in support. In addition, HLF and IAP had an agreement to work together on fund raising.
In civil litigation, a federal judge has found that IAP "desired to help Hamas' activities succeed, and … engaged in some act of helping those activities succeed."
To help Hamas succeed, Shorbagi said he turned to the owner of a successful carpet company where he worked in Rome. The owner of Alexandria Carpet provided donations ranging from hundreds to thousands of dollars at a time, which Shorbagi routed to HLF.
When HLF officials learned that Shorbagi's boss had made a donation to another organization, Shorbagi testified they weren't happy. "HLF was supposed to get his money to Gaza," he said. At one point, defendant Ghassan Elashi suggested creating a fund using his boss' money that HLF could invest and profit from the interest.
Jurors seemed attentive during Shorbagi's testimony, which began Thursday afternoon. A soft-spoken man with a slight accent, Shorbagi told jurors that he came to America after he was 18 and attended several colleges. He became involved with an organization known as the Muslim Arab Youth Association (MAYA).
MAYA helped Muslim students preserve their identities as they came to America from conservative Middle Eastern countries and faced "culture shock," he said.
Most of the people who spoke at MAYA events were from the Muslim Brotherhood, Shorbagi said.
At some of the MAYA conferences, Shorbagi said he attended unadvertised, closed-door sessions. One such closed meeting in 1992 was described as "a meeting from Hamas inside." Shorbagi testified that he saw defendants Elashi and Baker at the event, which featured Hamas leader Mousa Abu Marzook as the speaker.
Marzook discussed "how Hamas was becoming a major player in the Middle East." He talked about how they needed to help Hamas grow in political power. At another meeting in 1994, Shorbagi saw defendants Mohamed El-Mezain, Baker and Elashi. Marzook introduced the Hamas political leader, Khalid Mishaal, as the speaker. Mishaal spoke about how Palestinians were sacrificing all they had "so we need to keep up with that."
Defense attorneys had just started cross examining Shorbagi when court recessed for the weekend. The early questioning emphasized that Shorbagi's sentence already has been reduced, and could be trimmed more in exchange for his testimony.
In other testimony, prosecution expert witness Matthew Levitt returned to the stand Thursday over defense objections. Levitt was the trial's first witness, offering jurors a primer on the Middle East and Hamas.
It was clear, Levitt said Thursday looking at telephone records and documents found inside HLF offices, that the defendants had access to private contact numbers for top Hamas officials.
El-Mezain, for example, had the personal telephone number for Marzook, the Hamas deputy political chief. And a document found at HLF had Hamas letterhead and an office number. That number "was not made public to the world," Levitt said. "It does clearly establish a connection between Hamas and this phone number."
The defense did not cross examine Levitt after his second appearance.
On Wednesday, Steve Simon, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and a deputy at the National Security Council (NSC) during the Clinton Administration, testified about U.S.-led efforts to peacefully resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the 1990s. Middle East security and peace is important to U.S. interests and foreign policy, he said, explaining that America has a keen interest in facilitating talks between Palestinians and Israelis.
Those efforts led to the Oslo Accords, which were "followed by a lot of terrorist violence by Palestinian groups that were looking to bring the peace process to a halt if they could," Simon said. Hamas was one of these organizations.
Shorbagi's cross examination is expected to continue when court resumes Monday morning.“I ran a half marathon in Chicago—in January.” There is a statement that captures attention over those post-run beers and post-run brunches, and one that will frighten away those ‘I hate running’ hecklers at your office party or family gatherings. Run in the F^3 Lake Half Marathon, presented by REM-Fit, and you will always have a story to tell your running and non-running friends.
The F^3 Lake Half Marathon, now one of Chicago’s premier running events and a bucket list experience for people traveling from 24 states (plus 3 Canadian Provinces!) and all over Illinois, arose from simple beginnings. In 2009, F^3 Events founder Kimberley Stedman originally planned a small run with friends along the Chicago Lakefront Trail, but soon found herself among more than 100 runners looking for a chance to blow out some off-season rust, tapping into a need for Chicago runners to fill the winter racing drought that stretched between Thanksgiving Day to early spring. That original crew identified as “a grass roots gaggle of runners who like to run and drink en-masse.” Although the upcoming 8th annual running of the race expects 3,000 participants, it still maintains a feeling of conquering a run with your best running friends. And those participating also receive some fantastic swag and a memory filled post-party to go along with it.
The huge growth of the race since that first year allowed it to move from the north end of the Lakefront Trail down to Soldier Field in 2015 and a course that runs out and back on the path offering a spectacular view of the Chicago skyline as runners head back toward Solider Field for their finish.
And if there’s anything consistent about Chicago weather—even in late January—it’s a miserable unpredictability. Race day can bring conditions that are like a frozen tundra; slushy and soupy; or the bliss of unseasonable warmth. That sense of anticipation and suspense is only one of many reasons the F^3 belongs in your running resume.
Here are five the best reasons to make 2017 the year you run the F^3 Lake Half Marathon presented by REM-Fit.
1: Capitalize on Your Summer Fitness!
The summer of 2016 required just as much grit to train through as does the winter, but training through those seemingly endless days of heat and humidity brings the benefit of added fitness as the weather cools down. Keep that momentum going and cash in those hard-earned training gains by putting Chicago’s original winter endurance event on your calendar during the post-holiday lull. Since the race is held outside in the elements, the commitment will motivate you to get out the door and keep running though the cooler months. You’ll keep soaking up that vitamin D, your heart will grow stronger, you’ll burn more calories, and you’ll have built-in motivation to avoid over-eating and drinking too much at all those obligatory Holiday parties.
2: For Chi-Town
From the expletives in its long-form name (think about it) to the Chicago imagery in its swag and branding to the balance of rugged perseverance and having a good time, the F^3 Lake Half Marathon has Chicago blood coursing through its veins. Here’s another fun factoid: this event is entirely produced and managed by a group of nine women who all live in Chicago. In addition to its Chicago temperament, the race also has a Chicago heart. The official charity partner of F^3 is Garden Center Services, a local non-profit providing residential, vocational, and therapeutic services to Chicago adults with intellectual/developmental disabilities. So when you run in the F^3 Lake Half Marathon, you run with and for Chicago and at a grass-roots event created by Chicago.
3. Avoid Sticker Shock
The F^3 Lake Half Marathon provides a high-quality race day experience with amenities including gear check and restrooms inside Soldier Field’s United Club, a great post-party, multiple pieces of high quality swag—all for a registration fee as much as 60% less than many of the races that tour the country. F^3 has also partnered with Chicago Endurance Sports as well as Chicago Area Runners Association (CARA) which offer discounts on registration.
4. Earn Bragging Rights for Life
As has already been alluded to: your friends will think you’re tough, because you are! There is no other event like the F^3. If you’ve never run a half marathon before, this may be a golden opportunity! You never forget your first half-marathon, and if that first experience has a little more swagger than the typical late spring or mid-summer race - then your friends and family may join you in spinning yarns of your glory as well. If you sign up to train for the F^3 Lake Half Marathon with Chicago Endurance Sports’ (CES) Winter Warriors program you can register for the race for only $45!
5. Crush Your Spring Marathon
The F^3 Lake Half Marathon is Jan. 28, 2017, and is perfectly positioned fitness check as you ramp up into the spring marathon training cycle. Whether you are headed to your first Boston, trying to PR, or aiming to run your 100th marathon, a late January gut check will set you on the right course for a strong spring training season! The 13.1 mile distance is long enough to check your level of endurance, but manageable enough as a barometer of your speed. The timing of the race is ideal for calibrating your training through February, March, and April. And what better way to kick of a challenging training cycle than an epic post-race party with hundreds of new friends?Sen. Bernie Sanders' (I-Vt.) bid for the presidency has been a long time in the making.
The firebrand politician, who will turn 74 in September, came from humble beginnings in Brooklyn. He's been demolished in several political races in his life, and every time he has won one — whether for mayor, the House of Representatives or the Senate — the establishment widely assumed the victory to be a short-lived stroke of luck.
And yet he has prevailed, winning reelections against the predictions of his critics and garnering national attention, despite lacking the kind of charisma one would expect of a politician stigmatized for identifying as a democratic socialist.
Now, as his campaign for president ramps up, he's already making a splash. He's in Iowa talking about the yawning gap between the rich and the poor. He's on Sunday morning talk shows talking about free college and health care. He is waging a rhetorical war against "the billionaire class," whom he believes Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton will side with at the expense of the middle class.
As he goes about building his campaign for president, it's worth taking a look at where he's from, and how he got here.
The beginning: Sanders was born in 1941 and raised in a poor Jewish family in Brooklyn. His father, a Polish immigrant who was the only member of his family to survive the Holocaust, was a paint salesman who struggled to make ends meet. According to the New York Times, he slept in the living room with his brother in his family's one-bedroom apartment in Flatbush, and, he told the New York Times, "money was always a source of friction." His mother, who always hoped to escape that apartment, died at the age of 46.
Sanders' taste for attempting long-shot political races on a radical platform emerged early in life. In high school, he ran for class president on a "platform to provide scholarships to war orphans in Korea," according to the University of Chicago Magazine. He came in third place.
In the '60s at the University of Chicago, where he transferred after a year at Brooklyn College, he studied psychology and took on leadership roles in the radical political scene. "When I went to the University of Chicago, I began to understand the futility of liberalism," he told the Los Angeles Times in 1991. According to Chicago magazine, he helped lead a sit-in against racially segregated campus housing, and worked as an organizer for the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. In 1963, he took his first trip to the nation's capital to march in Martin Luther King Jr.'s seismic "March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom."
Courtesy of Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library Bernie Sanders speaks to fellow students at the 1962 sit-in.
After college, Sanders lived briefly on a kibbutz in Israel, and then went on to buy "85 acres of woodlands in Middlesex, Vermont, for $2,500" with his college girlfriend, who would eventually become his first wife, according to Chicago magazine.
Entering the fray: In Vermont, Sanders maintained his radical political vision while making his first attempts at public office. As the New York Times Magazine notes, his early political career was as notable for its ambition as it was for its failures:
He was an early member of Vermont's Liberty Union party, an offshoot of the antiwar movement in Vermont. He ran as the party's nominee for the Senate in a special election in 1971 and finished with 2% of the vote. The following year, he ran for governor and received 1%. He would run two more times for statewide office that decade as a third-party candidate and never come close.
Things took a turn for the resolute socialist during the Reagan era. As the country embraced a man who sought to identify communism as the world's greatest evil, the largest city in Vermont turned to a man who was driven by faith in socialism as a force for a more virtuous society.
In 1980, Sanders ran for mayor of Burlington, Vermont. It was in this campaign that Sanders' political strengths finally came to the fore: the ability to win the trust of voters by tirelessly going door-to-door, and understanding the concrete problems that afflicted them, no matter how minute. He managed to eke out a win over the incumbent mayor by a dozen votes, according to the New York Times Magazine.
Donna Light/AP Sanders, shortly after becoming mayor of Burlington in 1981
As mayor, Sanders pursued initiatives true to his enterprising socialist sensibility, but he won over his constituents by effectively attending to less glamorous everyday issues, like filling potholes. Burlington residents could — and did — call him on his phone in the middle of the night about any kind of grievance. Sanders quickly developed a reputation as almost superhumanly industrious, and a champion of useful initiatives for working people like expanding dental care access. He was reelected twice.
Donna Light/AP Sanders greeted voters at a Burlington polling place, March 1, 1983
Bernie goes to Washington: Sanders then set his eyes on Congress. He failed to win on his first attempt, but in 1990, he was elected to be Vermont's sole representative in the U.S. House of Representatives. As an independent, he initially alienated most of the Democrats with his fiery rhetoric about the systemic corruption of the party system, but soon he learned how to play the game.
In the House, where he spent the better part of two decades, he co-founded the Congressional Progressive Caucus, which convened the most left-leaning Democrats in the lower chamber. Sanders' brazen political style and strong base in Vermont proved an asset for the party he never joined but grew to work with productively. As the University of Chicago Magazine put it:
Though he was the House's only member unaffiliated with the Democrats or Republicans, after the Democrats lost control of the body in the 1994 election, he proved enormously useful as a leading spokesman against what they saw as the ravages of Newt Gingrich's Republican revolutionaries.
In 2006, Sanders made a leap to the upper chamber, winning a seat in the Senate with a 33-point victory over his Republican opponent.
AP Willie Nelson, right, appears at a rally in support of Rep. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., left, at a farm in Charlotte, Vt., Tuesday, Aug. 8, 2006.
In the Senate, Sanders has continued to play the role of left-wing gadfly as an independent, but has voted with the Democrats. In 2010, he famously lambasted the deal that the Obama administration struck with the Republicans over extending the Bush tax cuts in a marathon filibuster that lasted more than eight hours. The speech went viral, and was promptly dubbed "the filibernie."
Sanders hasn't been a pure agitator. He has, for example, negotiated bipartisan deals on veterans' benefits, and successfully secured a special waiver to allow Vermont to pursue an experiment in single-payer health care when Congressed passed the Affordable Care Act. But Sanders does not yet have any major piece of legislation to his name.
What's next: These days, Sanders is back in campaign mode. He's railing against the banks, and he's championing the everyman. The mainstream media may think he's out of touch — this is a man whose Capitol Hill office hosts a photo of Eugene Debs, the 20th century socialist who ran for president five times and never had a chance. But Sanders has proven time and again that labels tend to fade from view when the public finds a figure trustworthy and compelling.
The hunger that's driven Sanders since his Brooklyn days still drives him. And there are more than a few signs that the public is craving something different than the usual fare.Lots of cool stuff went down in San Diego at Comicon... parties, panels, parties, signings, parties, meals with friends, and much much more.Too much to relate here, at least. But I can mention a few highlights.For me, one of the highlights was the appearance of a couple of copies of THE WORLD OF ICE & FIRE.The worldbook won't be released until October, so it wasn't for sale at San Diego, but Bantam had a couple of advance copies hot off the presses at the Random House booth, for lucky fans to open, peruse, and drool over. Not mock-ups, either. This is the real book.Alas, the crowds at Comicon make it impossible for me to walk the floor anymore without a cordon of security, so I never made it to the Random House booth... but I was able to snag one of the samples and take it home with me.It's everything I hoped for! A bloody gorgeous book. Wait till you see it.Years back, when my editors at Bantam first approached me about doing a concordance for Westeros and its history, I was initially reluctant. I had seen a number of these 'worldbooks,' and, well, some were pretty good, but others were awful, cheaply made collections of previously published material with lots of bad art. If we do one of these, I declared, I want it to be the best one ever published. A coffee table book, big and beautiful, with lots of original content, histories and tales never previously published anywhere, plus maps and heraldry and family trees, all of it lavishly illustrated by some of the best fantasy artists in the world.That's what we got. It took WAY longer than we thought it would, and required much more time and effort from everyone concerned, but I think the end result is worth it, and hope you all will agree. Hey, even Robby the Robot loves the book.Will THE WORLD OF ICE & FIRE answer every question you ever had about Westeros and its history? Hell, no... I need to save SOMETHING for the novels and the Dunk & Egg stories. But it will answer a lot of questions, including some you never knew you had, and there are long meaty histories of all the major regions and great houses of the Seven Kingdoms, plus the Lands Beyond -- the Nine Free Cities, the Summer Isles, the grasslands of Essos, even the Further East, beyond the Bones.And the art... the art will knock you on your ass... Justin Sweet, Magali Villenueve, Marc Simonetti, Michael Komarck, Jae Drummond, Chase Stone, Ted Nasmith, and many many more.My thanks go out to all the great folks at Bantam, in particular my editor Anne Lesley Groell and production manager Erich Schoenweiss, who labored long and hard to bring the worldbook to fruition. Also, a lot of credit goes to art director Dave Stevenson, and to Delia Greve and Rosebud Eustace at Becker & Mayer... and of course to my collaborators and partners in crime, Elio Garcia and Linda Antonsson, without whose efforts THE WORLD OF ICE & FIRE could never ever have happened.I wanted to give my fans the best fantasy concordance ever published. I think we did.If you want to see for yourself, Amazon is offering it at a considerable presale discount right nowand, of course, it is also available for preorder at many other online booksellers, and your favorite local bookstore.I'm very proud of this one. Maybe you can tell...Premier Brian Gallant's office has put out word he will pay a visit to Lieutenant-Governor Jocelyne Roy-Vienneau on Monday.
A media advisory says Gallant will meet her at Government House then speak to reporters at 11:30 a.m.
That's normally the ritual a premier follows when he is calling an election, though Gallant spokesperson Tina Robichaud was coy in an email to CBC News.
She said the meeting is "to discuss how the provincial government has moved New Brunswick forward and the upcoming speech from the throne," which is scheduled for Tuesday when the legislature is set to begin a new session.
Mandate 'accomplished'
Robichaud's statement goes on to list a number of Liberal initiatives the party promised in 2014 and says the government has "accomplished that mandate."
It says Gallant "will have more to say on Monday about our future plans to advance the priorities of New Brunswickers."
The mention of the throne speech suggests Gallant won't call an election Monday. An election call dissolves the legislature, which would mean no throne speech.
New Brunswick has a fixed-date election law, which has set the date for the next election on Sept. 24, 2018. But the law is not binding.
Many Progressive Conservatives have been speculating that Gallant would call an early election this fall. The Liberals have already nominated 17 of their 49 candidates for the vote.
Other possibilities
But there are a few other conventional explanations for why Gallant would visit the lieutenant-governor and issue an advisory in advance.
It's possible he will officially ask her to prorogue the 2016-17 session of the legislature so the new one can begin, though prorogation happens every fall the same day as the throne speech, without a set-piece involving a request from the premier.
Another potential explanation is that at least one of the four Liberal MLAs who have announced they're not running in the next election has decided to resign early, requiring a byelection call.
But there's usually no media event organized for that, either.
Blaine Higgs, the Opposition Progressive Conservative leader, said his party would spend the weekend preparing, just in case.
"We will see on Monday what this is about, but we must proceed over the weekend as if it is to call an election," he said in a statement.EMERSON, MAN. — Municipal officials in Emerson, Man. are calling for help after around two dozen refugees illegally crossed the Canada-U.S. border on the weekend.
The Reeve of Emerson-Franklin, Greg Janzen, said around 20 refugees were caught crossing into the border town by foot Saturday morning.
“This isn’t normal anymore. In the last nine months this has not been normal,” Janzen said.
Janzen said the town had to open their doors to the refugees while they were being processed Saturday.
RELATED: Ghanaian community in Winnipeg comes together to help frostbitten refugees
They stayed at the town’s community complex for around 12 hours, until border officials could properly deal with the situation, said Janzen.
“This is the first time that I know, that we’ve had that many people come in one day.”
Janzen said residents are growing concerned for their safety.
“Everybody is locking their doors now.”
According to one town councillor, the refugees are entering through the old abandoned border crossing to Noyes, Min.
RELATED: ‘It brings back memories’: former refugee living in Winnipeg on Trump’s travel ban
Councillor Doug Johnston said that old crossing backs up into the heart of Emerson.
“When that happens it creates security issues. Now they’re in town, if they get lost, they’re going to go to households,” Johnston said.
Also serving as a volunteer firefighter, Johnston said the town normally gets up to two medical calls a year regarding refugees illegally entering the country.
Out of the 100 calls firefighters received in the past 12 months, more than 20 per cent have been related to refugees.
“When your pager goes off, you know what it’s for.”
RELATED: Syrian refugee family celebrate 1 year anniversary of being welcomed to Winnipeg
A town council meeting has been set up for later this week. Officials said they hope they can get more support from police to address the problem, before it gets worse.
“Are we going to get more? The numbers show we’re going to get more every week,” Janzen said.Thanks to wall-to-wall coverage of just a few topics by the mainstream entertainment news media, this past September will be remembered for hurricanes, NFL protests, Medicare-for-all legislation co-sponsoring (posturing?) and saber-rattling tweets from the world’s most powerful ignoramus. One important event obscured by Hurricane Irma coverage in particular was the People’s Convergence Conference held in Washington D.C., Sept. 8th-10th. At the conference, organizational leaders and activists on the progressive left, including Dr. Jill Stein, Dr. Cornel West, Kashama Sawant and many others joined together to discuss next steps for the movement to build a new “People’s Party” to represent the needs of the majority of Americans. The conference was arranged through a partnership between the Progressive Independent Party (PIP), the Justice Party, Socialist Alternative and the Draft Bernie for a People’s Party movement. Three progressive themes emerged from the conference which could change the way the left thinks about politics: coalition, electoral reform and economics.
Progressive Coalition: “How do we come together?”
Each organization involved with the planning of the People’s Convergence Conference had two goals in mind: (1) to bring the progressive left together and (2) to discuss the future direction of the progressive movement. By all accounts they accomplished those goals. “We all acknowledge the sense of urgency to work together for the protection of our planet, the restoration of democracy, and to provide voices for the people of this country in our government,” Araquel Bloss said of the commonality between the different groups attending the conference. This sense of urgency compelled Bloss to found the Progressive Independent Party in early 2016 as a way to keep the coalition inspired by Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign together.
The awareness of the need for progressive organizations to work together and form a broad coalition based on unifying issues is spreading across the movement like wildfire. Such an alliance amongst progressive and independent third party voters could create an electoral juggernaut that would not simply compete with the corporate Democratic Party, but replace it in our two party system. If both current major parties are fully owned and operated by wealthy and corporate interests, which they appear to be, then they are essentially a single party. This means there is a wide open political landscape for a new “People’s Party” to represent the interests of the vast majority of Americans who are neither wealthy nor incorporated.
Many progressives believe there already exists such a entity: the Green Party. However, for as many electoral gains as they’ve made over the past three decades, which are not to be dismissed, the most-viable party on the left has remained effectively non-viable. This is not meant to fault party members or its leadership, but to recognize the limitations for any third party in the American electoral system. It’s time for a substantial change in strategy, one which draws upon the energy of progressive activism and combines the resources obtained by many groups under one cohesive, issue-based umbrella. “As I told Dr. Jill Stein and Darryl! Moch, co-chair of the national Green Party,” Bloss recalls, “I hope everyone sees this as an evolution of the Green Party, an evolution of Draft Bernie, an evolution of the Justice Party, Socialist Alternative and PIP, and that their history will be honored and will be a piece of the next history that is written. They are an important part of this movement moving forward and they shouldn’t see that as a loss but as a gain of a bigger family…I think that’s the best way for us to create solidarity in a positive, cooperative relationship.” That is the coalition approach that has seen success in many countries abroad. One such example is the Broad Front Party in Uruguay, a coalition party made up of formerly factional leftist groups which replaced their country’s ruling party in 2004.
Coalition-building has always been PIP’s main objective, and since 2016 they have been able to build ever-stronger relationships with key allies such as the Justice Party, Socialist Alternative and the Draft Bernie movement. Now the largest progressive player, the Green Party, has joined the call for cooperation beyond partisan divides. In fact, PIP’s steering committee recently voted to invite the national Green Party and the Justice Party to become founding members of the coalition’s “spokescouncil” (GP USA has yet to vote on whether or not to accept the invitation)*. Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein said during the conference’s final plenary, “As far as I’m concerned, you don’t have to be a Green for us to work effectively together…Let’s push downstream the question of parties and what our labels are, we don’t need to agree about that to start working together.” This sentiment was echoed by Brian Jones, executive director of the Justice Party, “There were conversations with the Green Party, the Justice Party, PIP, the Draft Bernie people, and [other] representatives from different groups, talking strategy about how specifically we can work together and transcend labels, to some degree.” This was music to the ears of many progressive activists in attendance, including Steven Grumbine of Real Progressives, “People are starting to put issues ahead of party allegiances and personalities…you’ve got the teams all willing to lay down some of their identity to join together as one |
’t see these children sleeping on the streets, they are being deprived the most basic of opportunities – the chance to wake up in a place they can call their home. This is an utter scandal. But we can do something about it. Homelessness isn’t inevitable, it is caused by our chronic shortage of affordable homes.
But homes can’t be built overnight, which means right now we need your help. This Christmas, as a result of public donations, Shelter advisers will be there to answer calls from families desperate to escape their emergency accommodation. We do all in our power to provide legal, practical and moral support to every family who needs us, and we simply will not rest until every homeless child has a place to call home.
Sign up for your free Guardian Housing network newsletter with news and analysis sent direct to you on the last Friday of the month. Follow us:@GuardianHousing1592 points · 439 comments
Boy! Protest voters angry bout a speech at Goldman Sachs sure showed America! Particularly the new Secretary of Treasury from Goldman Sachs.
63 points · 8 comments
Hilary Clinton surprise appearance just now to intro Katy Perry at UNICEF Snowflake Ball
502 points · 162 comments
Jake Tapper on Twitter: Going back to '76, no new president has waited this long post-victory to hold a press conf. President-elect Obama waited 3 days in 08
271 points · 84 comments
How Donald Trump's Reddit Followers are "Tearing Reddit Apart"
131 points · 23 comments
Trump Company Violated Cuban embargo in 1998 - No statute of limitations for impeachment.
156 points · 15 comments
90% of Teachers See Negative Trump Effect in Schools
83 points · 3 comments
Senator Ben Cardin on Twitter: Hoping to avoid a Constitutional crisis, I've introduced #EmolumentsClause resolution. No President is above the law
131 points · 20 comments
#HRCInTheWild helps passionate Clinton supporters keep tags on the people's candidate.
30 points · 1 comment
Democrat Foster Campbell raises $2.5M as Louisiana Senate runoff looms
37 points · 11 comments
Ken Jennings: "When you're a good Mormon but Satan says you can have apps AND a main course AND dessert"Close to signing day, Notre Dame pulled a scholarship offer from Forsett. Notre Dame coaches later contended they had not offered Forsett a scholarship. Notre Dame's running backs coach at the time, Buzz Preston, later said that Notre Dame was looking for a taller running back. [6] The Texas Longhorns decided not to offer Forsett a scholarship because of his size. [3] Forsett's coach Mike Barber, a former NFL player, distributed Forsett's game tape to colleges across the country. [6] Coach Jeff Tedford offered Forsett a scholarship after watching Forsett's game tape and receiving a tip from Cal great Chuck Muncie, and made Forsett one of the last signings of Cal's 2004 recruiting class. [2]
As a starter his senior year, Forsett rushed for 1,546 yards on 305 carries, and scored 15 touchdowns. He opened the season with 156 yards rushing and a touchdown against Tennessee. His 15 touchdowns led all rushers in the Pac-10, and his 1,546 rushing yards finished second, behind Oregon tailback Jonathan Stewart. Forsett's efforts earned him a selection to the All-Pacific-10 Conference first team. [7] Forsett ended his college career on a high note, rushing for 140 yards and 2 touchdowns in a 42-36 Cal victory over Air Force in the 2007 Armed Forces Bowl.
During his sophomore year, Forsett became second on the Cal depth chart at running back. He filled in when Lynch was injured in the early season and ran for 235 yards against New Mexico State, good for the fourth highest single game rushing effort in school history. [2] In Forsett's junior year, he continued his role as backup. He ran for over 100-yards against Oregon when injuries sidelined Lynch and in Cal's rout of Texas A&M in the 2006 Holiday Bowl. [2]
With a deep depth chart at running back, it appeared Forsett would redshirt his freshman year, but an impressive performance in fall camp kept him on the active roster. In the season opener, Forsett had 34 yards rushing and a touchdown in Cal's victory over Air Force. Forsett played mostly as a backup during his first three years behind J.J. Arrington and Marshawn Lynch. Nevertheless, he managed to amass a good amount of playing time. During his freshman year, Forsett was used primarily on special teams, returning one kickoff for 11 yards but usually blocking for Marshawn Lynch. On coverage units, he made 3 tackles and blocked a punt in the endzone for a touchdown against Washington. [3]
Pre-draft measurables Ht Wt 40-yard dash 10-yd split 20-yd split 20-ss 3-cone Vert jump Broad BP 5 ft 8 in
(1.73 m) 194 lb
(88 kg) 4.62 s 1.51 s 2.62 s 4.46 s 6.96 s 31 in
(0.79 m) 9 ft 9 in
(2.97 m) 26 reps All values from NFL Combine and Pro Day[10]
First stint with Seahawks Edit
Forsett with the Seahawks in 2009.
Forsett was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the 7th round in the 2008 NFL Draft. He scored his first NFL touchdown on August 16, 2008 in a preseason game against the Chicago Bears, during which he also gained 261 all purpose yards, with 136 rushing and 125 return yards. The total was 55 yards more than the entire Chicago Bears' offense for the night. One game into the regular season, Forsett was waived by the Seahawks on September 5, 2008.
Indianapolis Colts Edit
A day after being waived by the Seahawks, Forsett was claimed off waivers by the Indianapolis Colts on September 10, 2008. He was waived on October 8.
Second stint with Seahawks Edit
A day after being waived by the Colts, Forsett was re-signed to the practice squad of the Seattle Seahawks on October 9, 2008. Forsett was then signed from the practice squad on October 14, 2008 and became the return specialist. For the 2009 season, he was slated to compete with Julius Jones and Edgerrin James for touches in a crowded Seahawks backfield. After the release of Edgerrin James, Forsett became the teams No. 2 back which gave him an opportunity to get more touches and make a bigger on-the-field impact. On November 15, Julius Jones, the starting running back for the Seahawks, left a game against the Arizona Cardinals with a bruised lung. Forsett filled in for Jones, rushing for 123 yards and his first regular season touchdown. He started as the primary running back on November 22 game against the Minnesota Vikings, scoring his second touchdown on a 9-yard run. With the Seahawks' running game struggling, Forsett also caught 8 passes for 80 yards. On November 29 against the St. Louis Rams, he rushed for a career-high 130 yards and two scores. With the return of Julius Jones in week 13 against the San Francisco 49ers, Forsett was relegated back to the position of 2nd-string running-back. He saw only 8 touches, rushing for a net gain of 9 yards, reception of 25 yards, and one touchdown. When asked if Forsett will be elevated to the position of the primary running back for the Seattle Seahawks, Coach Jim Mora responded,"You'll see them both and we like them both." But Mora confirmed that Forsett will see more touches, "Are we going to see more of Justin? The answer is yes, absolutely."
In the 2010 season, Forsett had 523 yards on 118 carries, with 2 touchdowns. In 2011, Forsett was only able to amass 145 yards on 46 carries, with 1 touchdown.
The Seahawks did not re-sign Forsett after his contract expired following the 2011 season.
Houston Texans Edit
Forsett signed with the Houston Texans on June 2, 2012. In the Texans' final 2012 NFL preseason game, played against the Minnesota Vikings, Forsett broke Arian Foster's preseason record of 110 yards rushing. On Thanksgiving Day, November 22, 2012, Forsett scored an 81-yard touchdown, the longest running play in Texans history. Replays showed that Forsett was down by contact before making a first down, but the play was not reviewed due to Lions coach Jim Schwartz throwing the challenge flag on an automatically reviewable scoring play. Forsett has admitted he was down by contact.[11] The Texans would eventually win the game against the Detroit Lions in overtime 34-31.
Jacksonville Jaguars Edit
Forsett signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars on March 15, 2013.[12]
He was placed on injured reserve on December 9, 2013 due to a foot injury. He was released on March 11, 2014.
Baltimore Ravens Edit
Forsett signed a one-year deal with the Baltimore Ravens on April 4, 2014.[13] Initially signed as a likely third stringer behind Ray Rice and Bernard Pierce, Forsett was thrust into the starting role at the beginning of the season due to the suspension and subsequent release of Rice, and injuries to Pierce. Forsett performed well enough to keep the starting job even after Pierce was healthy again.
2014 Edit
In the 2014 season opener against the Cincinnati Bengals, Forsett carried the ball 11 times for 70 yards and rushed for a touchdown, which was the first of the Ravens' season. He also caught 5 passes for 14 yards. Despite Forsett's decent debut, the Ravens lost 23-16.
In Week 4 against the Carolina Panthers, Forsett carried the ball 14 times for 66 yards and a touchdown. He also caught three passes for 31 yards. The Ravens blew out the Panthers 38-10.
In Week 5 against the Indianapolis Colts, Forsett carried the ball a mere 6 times and ran for 42 yards. He also caught 7 passes for 55 yards. Forsett scored the Ravens' only touchdown of the game on an 11-yard rush.
In Week 13, the Ravens played the San Diego Chargers. Forsett passed the 1,000 rushing yards mark for the first time in his career. He carried the ball 24 times and ran for 106 yards.
In Week 14, Forsett carried the ball 13 times for 71 yards and a touchdown. He also caught 2 balls for 7 yards, as the Ravens beat the Miami Dolphins 28-13.
In the season finale, the Ravens played the Cleveland Browns. They won 20-10 and clinched the final playoff spot in the AFC. Forsett contributed to a good ground game, carrying the ball 17 times for 119 yards. He also caught 2 passes for 17 yards.
In the Divisional round of the playoffs, against the New England Patriots, Forsett carried the ball 24 times for 129 yards. He also had 2 receptions for 17 yards, including a 16-yard touchdown catch.
Forsett finished the season with career highs in carries (235), rushing yards (1,266) and touchdowns (8). He fumbled one time, and recovered it. He also caught 44 passes for 263 receiving yards. He also played in the 2015 Pro Bowl as an alternate.
2015 Edit
On March 12, 2015, Forsett re-signed with the Ravens on a three-year deal worth $9 million.[14]
In the Ravens season opener against the Denver Broncos, Forsett had a 20-yard fourth quarter run to put the Ravens in position for a game-winning touchdown. However, they could not capitalize and lost the game.
In Week 2, Forsett ran the ball 15 times for 68 yards in a 37-33 loss to the Oakland Raiders.
Forsett broke out in a Week 4 Thursday Night Football matchup against the division rival Pittsburgh Steelers, running the ball 27 times for 150 yards and helping the Ravens win their first game of the season.
The next week, Forsett ran the ball 21 times for 121 yards and scored a touchdown, as well as catching four passes for 49 yards, but the Ravens lost to the Cleveland Browns.
Forsett ran for 62 yards the following week against the San Francisco 49ers, scored the opening touchdown in a primetime game against the Arizona Cardinals, ran for 69 yards against the San Diago Chargers and had 53 yards against his former team, the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Ravens won only one of those games.
In a Week 11 game against the St. Louis Rams, Forsett suffered a season ending broken right arm after he was picked up and slammed down by St. Louis defensive end Aaron Donald.[15] On November 27, 2015, he was placed on injured reserve. Forsett finished the year having played and started 10 games, rushing 151 times for 641 yards and two touchdowns.
2016 Edit
On September 3, 2016, Forsett was released by the Ravens.[16] Two days later, Forsett re-signed with the Ravens[17] but was released again on October 4, 2016.[18]
Detroit Lions Edit
On October 11, 2016, Forsett was signed by the Lions.[19] He was released by the Lions on December 3, 2016.[20] He appeared in two games for them and had 13 carries for 38 rushing yards.[21]
Denver Broncos Edit
Forsett with the Broncos in 2016
Forsett was claimed off waivers by the Broncos on December 5, 2016.[22] This reunited him with Bronco's head coach Gary Kubiak for the third time in his career with a third different team. He previously played for Kubiak under the Texans and Ravens. On December 11, 2016, he made his debut for the Broncos and finished the 10-13 loss to the Tennessee Titans with six carries for 17 rushing yards and three receptions for 18 receiving yards.[21]
Retirement Edit
On May 3, 2017, Forsett announced his retirement from the NFL.[23] Forsett stated through social media: “I’m officially announcing my retirement from the game I love. It’s been an amazing ride and I’m grateful for every moment. My career has brought so many great people into my life, and I asked some of them to join me in saying goodbye.” [24] Forsett completed his NFL career with 3,890 rushing yards, 1,351 receiving yards and 20 total touchdowns. He retired as a Baltimore Raven.[24]Last summer, Matt Anderson cut his finger on a knife while doing dishes. He’s a college student, and his roommate, a biology major, suggested that he go to the emergency room. He had recently used the same knife to cut raw meat and thought Anderson’s finger might get infected.
Anderson estimates he got to the emergency room around 11 pm. A nurse saw him shortly after midnight and cleaned his wound. A doctor came by a little later to apply liquid stitches to his finger. Anderson went home around 1 am.
“I saw a nurse for maybe five to 10 minutes and a doctor for maybe five minutes tops,” he says.
A few months later, the bills arrived at his parents’ house: $2,782 in total.
One reason the fees were so high? Because the clock ticked past midnight as Anderson waited to see a doctor, Tri-County Emergency Physicians (the doctor group that appears to staff the emergency room) billed his insurance for two days rather than one. The rest of the bill came from Chestnut Hill Hospital, which owns the emergency department.
Neither provider responded to repeated emails and phone calls requesting comment.
The hospital bill has gone into collection, as Matt’s father, Todd Anderson, attempts to negotiate for a lower price. Their insurance plan has a $4,000-per-person deductible, which means the family is responsible for the entire thing.
“My son is 19, he’s trying to do everything right and build his credit, and now I’m worried this will go against [him],” Todd says. “He still feels very guilty right now. He told me he has 25 meals on his card for the semester, and maybe he could use those to get some money to pay for it.”
Many Republican health care plans to replace Obamacare emphasize the role of consumers’ shopping for the best health care deals as a way to rein in health care spending.
“People will tell you Americans won’t shop for health care. We’re the best shoppers in the world,” Rep. Phil Roe (R-TN), co-chair of the GOP Doctors Caucus, says. “We’ll drive across five lanes of interstate to get cheaper gas. I’ve learned how to shop, and people will learn how to do that.”
The Andersons’ story is a cautionary tale in how difficult it is for patients to shop for care in a health care system that rarely reveals its prices. It shows that significant reforms in price transparency would be absolutely crucial to making such a plan work.
A $2,782 bill for a 20-minute emergency room visit, explained
The Anderson family has received two separate bills for Matt’s emergency room trip. One was from the hospital itself, Chestnut Hill Hospital. That one was initially $1,036, but their health insurer negotiated a discount, bringing the price down to $772.
That first item — a $704 charge for a “limited ED visit” — appears to be what hospitals typically refer to as a facility fee, essentially the price of walking in the door of an emergency department.
Hospitals charge facility fees to cover the cost of keeping an emergency room open at all hours. Hospitals need to be ready “every day of the year, and stand ready to treat whoever walks through our door, be it a gunshot victim or a patient with a stroke,” John Murphy, chief executive of the Western Connecticut Health Network, wrote in defense of his hospital’s $622 facility fee, which Vox reported on previously.
But facility fees can often be quite hefty, as in these cases — and rarely provided to patients before they receive medical care.
“I called the walk-in clinics in the area after, who said they would have charged $150 or $225 for something like this,” Todd Anderson says. “I wish they would have said, ‘You can get treatment elsewhere,’ [and] explained how much it was going to cost.”
An extra $873 charge because the clock ticked past midnight
The Chestnut Hill Hospital bill was high, but on its own, Todd Anderson says he wouldn’t have been as angry — he probably would have paid it and moved on. What baffled him the most was a separate bill his insurance received from Tri-County Emergency Physicians, a group the hospital appears to contract with.
This group sent the Andersons’ insurance a bill for $1,746, which includes two $873 fees. Anderson says when he asked Tri-County why it was billed twice, the group said it was because the visit stretched over two days. There was the hour between 11 pm and midnight on one day, and the hour between midnight and 1 am on the second day.
The group did not respond to my phone calls, but the claim that Tri-County Emergency Physicians filed with the Andersons’ health insurance backs this up.
“I called them and said, ‘You double-billed me for one day, and the hospital already charged me for that day,’” Todd Anderson remembers. “It was a three-minute procedure. That can’t possibly be correct.”
So far, he says, he has had no luck getting the price lowered.
Obamacare tackled some problems in the health care system — but not this one
The Affordable Care Act largely focused on expanding access to coverage, and on that measure, it has been successful. About 20 million more people have health insurance as a result of the health overhaul.
But the law stayed away from any sort of price regulation — or even price transparency — that would have prevented a situation such as the one the Andersons experienced. These types of bills are still completely legal in the American health care system. This is very different from international hospitals, where how much they can charge for specific procedures is regulated by government.
“The ACA did a great many things, but it didn’t do anything with costs,” says Renee Hsia, an expert in emergency medical billing at the University of California San Francisco. “You can imagine the hospital associations lobbying against that. It’s not in their interest to change the system even though it’s dysfunctional.”
High prices are at the core of one of the main critiques of the Affordable Care Act: that the premiums and deductibles are so high. It’s big bills like these that drive up the cost of insurance, encouraging insurers to shift more of the costs onto patients.
Recently, some experts have begun to argue that any health care effort from Republicans or Democrats will struggle to succeed if it doesn’t take steps to eliminate bills like these.
“You cannot do this without focusing on price,” Bill Hoagland, who spent decades working for the Senate Budget Committee, said at a recent event hosted by the Kaiser Family Foundation. “It is the cost issue that drives us crazy. I don’t know how Republicans put together a package that reduces the deficit that doesn’t focus on price. Doctor costs, hospital costs — that is where we have to focus our attention.”GENEVA: India today strongly rejected the criticism by the UN human rights chief over its handling of Rohingya Muslim refugees, human rights situations in Jammu and Kashmir and observation relating to the killing of journalist Gauri Lankesh, saying it was "perplexed" at the remarks.
UN human rights chief Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein, in his comments at the 36th Session of the UN Human Rights Council yesterday, had criticised India on the issue of deportation of Rohingyas as well as on religious intolerance and threat to rights activists.
In a strong reaction, India said it was surprised that individual incidents are being "extrapolated" to suggest a broader societal situation.
"We are perplexed at some of the observations made by the High Commissioner in his oral update. There appears to be inadequate appreciation of the freedoms and rights that are guaranteed and practised daily in a vibrant democracy that has been built under challenging conditions," Ambassador Rajiv K Chander said.
Chander, India's Permanent Representative to the UN, Geneva, made the statement in response to Hussein's comments.
Rejecting the observations by Hussein, Chander said, "Tendentious judgements made on the basis of selective and even inaccurate reports do not further the understanding of human rights in any society."
Like many other nations, India is concerned about illegal migrants, in particular, with the possibility that they could pose security challenges, he said, adding that enforcing the laws should not be mistaken for lack of compassion.
Some 40,000 Rohingyas have settled in India, and 16,000 of them have received refugee documentation, the UN estimates.
India's Minister of State for Home Affairs, Kiren Rijiju, on September 5 had said Rohingyas were illegal immigrants and stand to be deported.
"It is also surprising that individual incidents are being extrapolated to suggest a broader societal situation. India is proud of its independent judiciary, freedom of press, vibrant civil society and respect for rule of law and human rights," Chander said.
He said a more informed view would have not only recognised this aspect but also noted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself publicly condemned violence in the name of cow protection.
"India does not condone any actions in violation of law and imputations to the contrary are not justified," he said.
On observation relating to the issue of human rights situations in Jammu and Kashmir, he said, "It is a matter of regret that the central role of terrorism is once again being overlooked."
The Indian envoy said assessments of human rights should not be a matter of political convenience.
"India believes that achieving human rights goals calls for objective consideration, balanced judgements and verification of facts.
"Our Government's motto of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas' that is All Together and Development for All, is a true reflection of our commitment to achieve inclusive development in the spirit of leaving none of our citizens behind," Chander added.'Heneral Luna is a provocative, well-meaning piece of Philippine cinema that can also be dangerous for its promotion of hyper-nationalism as the prime solution for the country’s woes'
Published 12:52 PM, September 23, 2015
As a citizen of an irreversibly globalized world, I often find myself cringing each time I watch a film that views “nationalism” as sacrosanct and endorses it. In my opinion, nationalism is like an alcoholic beverage — beneficial only when it is moderate. Too much of it can be counterproductive to the nation itself.
While there are several definitions of nationalism, I refer to it here loosely as one’s loyalty to his or her own nation of birth which is sparsely grounded on language, ethnicity or culture. In this context, nationalism is dangerous because it instigates a structure of social dominance which could eventually incite dangerous domination of others by the arbitrary favored group.
Nationalism can be dangerous because it goes beyond the realms of reason and tends to pit nation against nation (e.g., China-Philippines, Israel-Palestine) for superiority and ethnocentric survival. This makes nationalism hardly any different from racism.
And don’t get me started about the perils of economic nationalism a.k.a. protectionism.
Dangers of hyper-nationalism
Here lies my problem with Heneral Luna, a provocative, well-meaning piece of Philippine cinema that can also be dangerous for its promotion of hyper-nationalism as the prime solution for the country’s woes.
While admittedly, the invocation of national unity is something else and could help inspire the country’s energy towards a unified goal, this motivation can easily be misconstrued as a call for blind nationalism — which is a thoroughly different thing.
While I’m not sure how much “creative license” director Jerrold Tarog allowed himself in his cinematic adaptation of the life of one of our country’s greatest military generals, it’s plain to see that Heneral Luna’s brand of nationalism is collectivistic. It tends to be fascistic and authoritarian just like Adolf Hitler’s and Ferdinand Marcos’. And having experienced such system first hand, we know enough to know just how damaging that can be to the country.
I am not trying to discount Heneral Luna’s achievement in terms of technicalities and innovation though. Its cinematography is awe-inspiring. Its form suits its content and doesn’t distract from it.
Heneral Luna is certainly an upgrade from the usual historical-biopic films we’ve had in the recent years such as Bonifacio and El Presidente, both of which failed to humanize their protagonists by portraying them like flawless saints of blind patriotism, and in the process, denying them their audience’s empathy.
Tarog’s direction and storytelling allowed us to see General Luna’s own human frailties – his sightless idealism and tendency to see the world as black and white as evidenced by his reluctance to compromise. Truth be told, it isn’t the lack of unity during that period that killed Luna as intimated by the movie, it’s his naïveté and stubbornness.
Filipino nationalism has always been an intricate and variegated phenomenon that remains an enigma even for us Filipinos up to this day.
Maybe the problem is that we, as a nation, try too hard to become something we are not. Maybe the solution to our dilemma is quite simple: the acknowledgment and acceptance of our national diversity. Perhaps that should be our take-off point, and from there, slowly try to unkink the knots along the road towards a united vision. And while national unity sounds pretty damn good, it is simply a means to an end, not an end in itself.
Finally, love is never selfish. And though any form of love regards others, love regards the self as well. I would like to believe that our love of country is a two-way street. That if we love our nation, she will reciprocate that love and will never ask us to sacrifice our happiness for her. And if this is truly the case, then there’s no way our beloved nation will ever ask us to die futilely for her. – Rappler.com
Jan Albert Suing, 25, a Kapampangan living in Makati City, is a graduate student from the University of the Philippines Diliman and works for CSRSDI as a policy research associate.At Giz, we're in the habit of introducing new products every day, and in the world of gadgetry, specialty kitchen products are a dime a dozen. Today, though, I was taken by surprise by the simplest of inventions: a flat, barbecue-style toaster. When I spotted the Fagor TP-2006 X (with "acoustic warning device") on Appliancist today, not only did the form of it surprise me, but—after a little Googling—so did the fact that the flat toaster is not a new concept:
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That's not to say it's common, perhaps because however cool or useful it is, it's decidedly more dangerous than other two standard toaster types. It would beat hell out of the Black & Decker my wife and I got for a wedding gift, but then so would a lighter held perpendicular to a piece of bread at 6 inches. There is a crumb tray that you can slide out, but that still doesn't prevent jackasses from trying to fry a burger on its grill—surely that's one of the many reasons this format is not favored. That and the fact that the heat dissipation must be crazy, and right up in your face. Still, somehow, I want one.
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You know we've written about toasters, toasters and more toasters, but tell me, have you ever heard of a flat toaster? [Fagor via Appliancist PLUS Toaster Pics; Web Marketings; Nomura; Zannell]Hey all,
In January of this year I began self-publishing Revenger. I have written, drawn, and printed 5 issues thus far. Those 5 issues contain a full story which is going to be published by Bergen Street Press in the coming months.
For the 6th installment of Revenger I am doing a one-shot story that is set many years after the first arc. Revenger is older, more scarred, and meaner. In this story she is trapped by some evil hillbilly-freedom-worshippers and she has to shoot and claw her way out.
Revenger is trapped cover
This story ballooned to 42 pages. Longer than I anticipated, and more expensive to print than I anticipated. So I decided doing a quick and dirty Kickstarter was in order to raise the printing costs. And to ensure a timely release.
As I write this the comic is 90% inked. I've been working furiously on this thing for the past 2 months. All that needs to happen is to wrap up inking, apply some more zip-a-tone and do the colors.
Most of the rewards will include a digital copy of "Revenger is Trapped". This will be fulfilled by my buddies at Comixology. They have been big supporters of Revenger through their Comixology Submit program.
digital fulfillment by comixology
If you have been following me at all this year, you know that I get shit done. I currently have no day job and comics is pretty much all I think about and do.
If you can throw me a few bones to see another Revenger comic in the world, then you rule. Please tell your comic-book reading friends about this project. It is a good jumping on point for new readers. This is a one-off story and you don't need any previous knowledge to enjoy the blood and violence.
Keep Punching,
Chuck Forsman
Budget breakdown:
$1300 Printing
$300 Shipping
$200 processing fees
"Revenger maintains a connection to Forsman’s introspective previous works by showing how past trauma haunts the lead heroine, but it also gives him the opportunity to stage forceful fight sequences that are unlike anything he’s done before."
–Oliver Sava, AV ClubBetter luck next time, guys.
A joint European/Russian mission to Mars appears to have failed, after NASA released images showing what looks like a crash site where the Schiaparelli spacecraft was supposed to have landed.
The plan was for Schiaparelli, launched in March this year, to land on Mars Oct. 19 after a six-minute descent slowed by thrusters and a parachute, but the European Space Agency lost contact with the lander before its scheduled touchdown. It now appears that the spacecraft’s thrusters shut off too soon, and the ship crashed. According to the agency website:
Estimates are that Schiaparelli dropped from a height of between 2 and 4 kilometers, therefore impacting at a considerable speed, greater than 300 km/h.
The NASA Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, which has been circling Mars since blasting off Earth in 2005, transmitted images of the intended landing site. Compared to earlier photos of the same area, two new features have appeared, which the European space agency thinks are the remains of Schiaparelli and its parachute, about a kilometer away.
NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS A pair of before-and-after images taken by NASA on May 29 and Oct. 20. The bright feature in the second image is the parachute used in Schiaparelli’s descent; the fuzzy dark patch about 1 km north of the parachute is the spot where Schiaparelli itself crash landed.
Higher resolution photos taken next week may be able to provide more detail.
The goal of the ESA’s “Exomars Programme” is to determine once and for all if there ever was (and if there still is) life on Mars. Schiaparelli was a demonstration vehicle, designed to test to the technology that will land a rover on Mars in 2020.My Jesus Cheetoh
Hello. My name is Dorothy Dursley of Rio Rancho, NM, and I have a story I have GOT to share!
I've had a weight problem for a long time. I've tried everything - Weight Watchers, Atkins, Slimfast, you know the drill! I just haven't been able to keep the pounds off!
Then, last February, I found myself full of remorse as I pulled down yet another bag of Cheetohs. I said "Jesus, I know you want me to lose weight somehow. Please, Lord, give me a sign to help me find the courage to do what I need to. I'm so weak - HELP ME, JESUS!!"
And that's when the Miracle happened. I opened the bag, full of guilt, and pulled out a Cheetoh, and THERE WAS LORD JESUS STARING ME IN THE FACE!!!
Here are some pictures of this Blessed Message. Praise Jesus, I have not eaten one Cheetoh since then.
PRAISE HIM!
Love, Dorothy
Share This Message of Love With Your Friends!As currently implemented, mesh presents a number of problems for those wishing to design or wear mesh clothing. As anyone who has designed or purchased mesh clothing is aware, getting it to fit our avatar shapes in all their rich variety is no easy task. Purchasers can only modify the clothing to a limited extent before they may have to start modifying their shape to fit the clothes, while clothing designers are faced with no alternative but to provide outfits in a range of sizes and / or with various alpha layers to hide body part that might otherwise show through the mesh clothes and ruin their appearance. Hardly ideal situations.
Because of these issues, Maxwell Graf presented a means by which mesh clothing could be made to fit any avatar shape through the development of a Viewer-side parametric deformer. He even opened a JIRA on the idea which gained a lot of support from designers and consumers alike. Sadly, after showing a considerable amount of interest in the idea themselves, Linden Lab downgraded the JIRA to a status “Someday / Maybe”.
While not actually killing-off the idea, the downgrading did mean that any potential solution defined by the Lab would not be forthcoming while they dealt with other, more pressing issues – and even then, they might not commit resources to development of a solution at all. When the downgrading occurred, it was widely reported – but there the matter might have rested were it not been for a comment made by one Karl Stiefvater, better known to many at one time as Qarl Linden.
“Anyone wanna fund an ex-linden to do it?”
Qarl made this apparently throw-away comment on the NWN blog. Cutting a long story short, the comment caught Maxwell’s attention and started a series of wheels turning. As a result, the Mesh Parametric Deformer Project was born, wherein if $5400 could be raised, Qarl would produce code to a given requirement that would provide a compromise solution to the clothing issue, and this code would be made available for adoption into SL Viewers. The project was set-up with the aim of raising the funding in 60 days, or of rolling forward until such time as this target was reached.
As it turned out, the project didn’t require even the initial 60 days; the target figure was achieved on the 24th October, just 20 days after the project was first announced.
However you look at it, this is an impressive achievement – and one which may have far wider implications for code and Viewer development in the future. So – whither next for the project?
Before answering that question, let’s deal with the issue of precisely what a parametric deformer is. Speaking recently on Designing Worlds, Maxwell Graf described it thus:
“[It’s] an invisible ‘cage’ that hovers slightly above all of the different points of your body in Second Life. What would happen is, when you put on an item of clothing that is made up of mesh polygons, it would slightly shrink-wrap to fit that cage, and the cage in turn would keep it a specific slight distance away from your body at all times, no matter where your body happens to move. The end effect of this would be that it would appear that whatever clothing you put on would shrink to fit your shape, no matter what that shape happened to be.”
This, he goes on to explain, solves a number of problems for both the user and the creator, “Primarily, the cage deformer, in a single layer, will make your clothing fit from a user standpoint, hopefully without an alpha map.
“From a creator standpoint, it will eliminate the need to do multiple sizes. It will [also] give you the option of rigging and adjusting the weights on your clothing or not – because this feature will be able to be turned on and off. So |
the last eight years of my tax returns. That is the standard that has been set for years...
Now there is a new request. To release transcripts of speeches that were given. When everybody agrees to do that, I will as well. It is important we all abide by the same standards. So let's do the tax return standard first, because that has been the standard for a long time.
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: That's been your position for several weeks. Do you regret at all giving those speeches?
CLINTON: No, I don't. I like everybody who served as Sec. of State have a unique perspective. That is why Madeline Albright, and Colin Powell, and Condi Rice. When you leave the Secretary of State office, people from all kinds of perspectives want to know what you think is going on in the world. I think that is actually a useful conversation, like all my predecessors, I gave speeches to a wide variety of groups. It was predominantly about what is going on in the world.
The most common question I was asked was to talk about the raid that went after Osama bin Laden.Editor's Note: Don't know who Doug Marrone is, or what the NFL thinks of him? Here's a glimpse, which originally appeared in October 2015.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- An ivy-covered house in a gated Florida community is the perfect place to disappear. As Doug Marrone drags his trash cans off the curb, a neighbor in an Infiniti stops, not to badger him about clock management, but to ask about a recent family trip to Europe. When he walks into the gym to watch his daughter Maddie play volleyball, he's no longer followed by a hundred sets of eyes. Here, he is not The Man Who Left Buffalo, he's like just about every other coach and player in Jacksonville: anonymous.
Helen Marrone would prefer to keep it this way, which is why she didn't sleep the night before. It is mid-July, months removed from the day Marrone stunned the NFL and walked away from a head-coaching job on a winning team, and she cannot figure out why in the world he'd agree to an interview. Their kids have finally stopped crying themselves to sleep, and the venom toward a man who took a $4 million opt-out clause to leave Buffalo has slowed to a trickle. She slips into the room every so often to hear what he's saying. "You're panicking," Marrone tells his wife.
She knows he's not good at this stuff. And that's probably one of the reasons Marrone is where he is right now: an assistant coach for one of the NFL's worst teams, less than a year after he led the Bills to their best record in a decade. He is awkward around a microphone, and his demeanor comes across as gruff. He cuts an intimidating figure, an old lineman in a 6-foot-5, 270-ish pound body.
But on this summer day, he looks like a dad who's just come back from the beach, dressed in jeans, flip-flops and a salmon-colored button-down shirt. It isn't one of Marrone's favorite shirts, but Helen urged him to wear it. She wants him to make a good impression. Deep down, so does he. He grew up believing that good coaches needed to know players and football, not the secrets to scoring personality points, but here he sits, near the couch cushions he meticulously vacuumed a few hours earlier, trying to prove he's not a money-grubbing ogre.
"It's funny," Marrone said. "When we were sitting here, I said, 'You know what?' My goal in the interview -- you're going to write what you write, I can't control that -- by my deal was, I just hope when you leave here, you're like, 'F---, this guy's not a bad guy.'"
Marrone chats for hours, so relaxed that he occasionally talks with his mouth full of hummus and chips. He gives off the vibe of a man comfortable and at peace.
But later that night, Marrone calls. He says he wishes he'd never talked at all.
The people of Buffalo believe that Doug Marrone quit on his team. What's the penance for that? Is it a year in purgatory, slogging behind the scenes in a smaller office with fewer responsibilities? Is it a hundred helpings of pride, swallowed every time one of his old players gushed about what new coach Rex Ryan is and Marrone wasn't?
Buffalo and Jacksonville met Sunday in London, and Ryan appeared to be taunting Marrone when he selected his captains for the game, all offensive linemen, in honor of the Jags' O-line coach. Ryan was not laughing at the end, however, when Jacksonville pulled out a 34-31 victory.
Marrone ran out with the offensive line during their warmups Sunday and exited when they were done. He never walked over the to the Bills' side of the field. He quietly slipped out of Wembley Stadium in his Jaguars' hoodie when it was over, declining to talk to the media. He didn't want to make the game, or the week, about him. Maybe late Sunday he was chuckling that Bills fans are restless again, frustrated over a 3-4 start, and several players are now complaining about their roles in Ryan's regime.
Or maybe Marrone stared across the field and wondered what could've been.
There are only 32 head-coaching jobs in the NFL, and it's exceedingly rare for a man to leave one of those coveted positions voluntarily, especially after a winning season. Nearly a year later, Marrone still won't talk about why he quit. He hasn't even told his parents.
In Buffalo, Marrone faced calls for his firing even as he led the team to a 9-7 record. Jared Wickerham/Getty Images
The obvious guess is that Marrone, weary of constant criticism and unsure about his new bosses, took advantage of an uncommon clause in his contract when the Bills changed ownership, assuming he'd snag one of the open jobs in New York, Chicago, Atlanta or San Francisco. His name was hot back in early January. He was considered the front-runner for the Jets job.
But just before his interview, the New York Daily News ran a column citing anonymous sources who called Marrone a control freak and a phony who belittled his staff. Then an ex-assistant on his staff at Syracuse piled on in a radio show, and suddenly Marrone's name was toxic.
"He's obviously not Rex Ryan," said former NFL exec Bill Polian, an ESPN analyst who considered taking a front-office job with the Bills this past winter before Marrone left and who believes firmly that the bad publicity doomed Marrone's chances. "But he's not Lex Luthor, either, and that's how he was depicted."
Asked if he thinks the Jets were spooked by the Daily News column, Marrone said, "I hope people are stronger than that.
"Would it help the article if I say, 'Yes'? Here's why I struggle with that answer. If I say yes, then I've lost a lot of faith in human beings. I know that sounds really deep, but I mean that. If it was because of that, I wouldn't want those jobs anyway. Because when the s--- hits the fan, it's not going to work. So I don't even want to go that way. Once I do that, then I lose faith in everything."
Ex-NFL execs Charley Casserly and Ron Wolf, who advised Jets owner Woody Johnson on the coaching search, deny that the reports had any impact. (Johnson didn't reply to interview requests through the Jets.) "Woody picked the guy who was the best coach for the Jets, who, personally, I thought was the best coach for the Jets," Casserly said. "I think Todd [Bowles] is a great hire. A tremendous hire.
"That said, I think Doug deserves to be a head coach in the NFL, and I'd hire him in a minute."
The worst feeling Marrone has ever had did not come on a football field or in a rejection letter. It took place in an elegant, expensive restaurant in Miami Beach.
Marrone was a young lineman for the Miami Dolphins. He'd grown up from meager beginnings in the Bronx and was the first person in his family to graduate from college. He strutted into that restaurant with the confidence that he'd finally arrived.
Then he was handed a menu. It had no prices. There were eight forks around his plate. Marrone didn't know what to do with the forks, and to this day still can't pronounce the word "sommelier." He'd never felt so out of place.
He hated the feeling so much that years later, when he became head coach at Syracuse, he sent his players to etiquette classes. He wanted them to know how to tie their ties and that eating with a napkin tucked under your collar is unacceptable. He wanted them to never feel like they didn't belong.
In Buffalo, Marrone never seemed to fit in. He came across as paranoid, abrasive and thin-skinned. He seemed puzzled that the city didn't get behind him in 2014, in the midst of a rare 9-7 season. Sports-radio types were talking about the possibility of him getting fired in the last weeks of the year.
Marrone has a tendency to be harsh and brutally honest with his players, regardless of fragile egos. He is considered old-school, and the players who "get" him are often the ones who've hung around the league for a while. In conversations with various NFL insiders, Marrone's personality was often compared to that of Bill Belichick, Bill Parcells and Woody Hayes. But those coaches made up for their lack of warmth with championship rings.
Kyle Orton, a former Bills quarterback who retired after last season, is a Doug Marrone fan. Orton despises talking to the media, but he made a point to return a call this summer so he could praise his ex-coach. Bills defensive tackle Marcell Dareus, on the other hand, is open about being glad that Marrone is gone. He says his ex-coach is anal-retentive and treats his players like children.
"He was always like he was walking on eggshells," Dareus said. "It seemed like he was nervous all the time. That just doesn't go well with players, especially because we're supposed to be following you."
But other players confirm that Marrone has a beating heart. There's the linebacker at Syracuse whom Marrone helped clear up his immigration status. There's a punter Marrone visited when the kid was battling cancer.
Rob Long was a team captain and an All-Big East selection at Syracuse when Marrone arrived in 2009, tasked with restoring glory to a program that had gone 5-37 the previous four years under Greg Robinson.
Long struggled his senior year, and in the middle of a late-season loss to Connecticut, Syracuse special teams coach Bob Casullo lit into him on the sidelines after several mistakes. The public dress-down seemed to last forever. A few days later, Marrone fired Casullo. He never explained why.
Two weeks later, Long went to the doctor and discovered he had a tumor in his brain. Though he wouldn't play in the Pinstripe Bowl, and his college career was over, Marrone would check in on him during his radiation and chemotherapy.
"He was a good guy to me," Long said. "I'm sure you've seen his press conferences. They're not something to throw on YouTube and watch a thousand times. He's very plain and monotone. [But] there is a lot of personality there, a lot of drive to be the best he can be. He's a very good football coach, the best that I ever played for."
This past winter, Long was in his car when he heard a former Syracuse assistant talking about Marrone on the radio. The assistant called Marrone "self-centered, selfish and greedy." The assistant was Bob Casullo.
At Syracuse, his alma mater, Marrone led the team to its first bowl victory in nine seasons. Andrew Weber/US Presswire
In his interview this summer, Marrone insisted he did not leave Buffalo thinking he had the Jets' job in the bag. "I wouldn't be that egotistical," he said. "I know anything can happen in this league."
His opt-out clause gave him a three-day window after the season ended to decide whether to stay or to go and collect $4 million with no offsets. On the first day of the window, Marrone says, he believed he was staying. He met with the team and had the Bills' schedule for the next six months mapped out. But by Day 2, he had doubts. He won't say what caused them, only that the concerns arose after meetings with Buffalo's management.
A week before Marrone quit, he sat down for Christmas Eve dinner with Bills president Russ Brandon. The conversation was casual, and Brandon assumed the two would be sharing a few more holiday meals.
Brandon is surprisingly effusive in his praise for Marrone. He says the Bills played hard for the coach despite a bizarre 2014 season fraught with challenges. In March, owner Ralph Wilson died. Then star linebacker Kiko Alonso tore his ACL, ending his season. Then a historic storm slammed Buffalo in November, dropping seven feet of snow and forcing the team to play a home game in Detroit.
"With all this going on, Doug stood at the face of adversity and led our franchise," Brandon said. "Everyone had an excellent relationship, and everyone was striving to turn the ship around."
So why would Marrone leave? "I can't answer that question," Brandon said. "That was his decision."
Marrone, for his part, says he was never unhappy. He scoffs at the reports that he stormed out of the war room during the 2014 draft when the Bills surrendered a first-round pick to select receiver Sammy Watkins. Marrone said he simply got up to tell his assistants, who were in another room, about the pick. He downplays the significance of a sideline argument last year between him and general manager Doug Whaley: Coaches and GMs don't always see eye to eye, he says.
One of Marrone's former assistants, Fred Pagac, believes Marrone decided to leave after he failed to win contract extensions for his staff. "He felt he was a lame-duck coach," Pagac said. "This is my opinion. I don't know really what he felt. He had that out clause in his contract, and he did it."
With a serious face, Marrone now says he has no regrets. Coaches are supposed to say these kinds of things, but Marrone is steadfast that it's true. "It's a decision I made for me and my family," he said. "It was the best decision for me."
One of the hardest things Marrone had to do this past winter was listen to his kids as they cried at night. They couldn't understand why they had to leave their friends in Buffalo. Marrone figures they've been upset about moving before, but this is the first time he's been around to hear it. He is spending more time with them, trying to make up for all the years he was a head coach. Now he takes his kids fishing on a lake near the house he bought.
He could've sat out this year with his money. That would've been the prideful thing to do. But there he was in January, his ego battered from the rejections, talking to head coach Gus Bradley about football and culture.
The Jaguars' staff liked to bust his chops over the summer about his downsized office and about whether certain tasks might be beneath him. Marrone engaged in the banter. He appreciated the slower pace and being one of the guys.
"I don't know if Doug Marrone could ever take a year off," Bradley said. "He's so passionate about the game and passionate about being a part of the team. I think that's what drives him. He wants to be a part of something special."
One day, during a summer workout, Bradley watched Marrone with the players. He stopped him at the end to tell him he's a good teacher. Marrone was taken aback and maybe a little embarrassed. But Bradley went on. "I'm gonna tell you, you're really good, man," he said.
Marrone knows he might be putting his house on the market at some point. He wants to be a head coach again. "But it's obviously not something I'm actively going out and looking for," he said. "With my situation in Jacksonville, I feel it's a great opportunity that Gus and Dave and [owner] Shad [Khan] gave me. To work with this group of young linemen and be part of this offense... I'm excited about that. But I think the head-coaching stuff was something I was good at."
The Jaguars' season is anything but special. They are 2-5 and miles away from preseason dreams of the team's first winning season since 2007. One of the few bright spots has been the steady improvement of Marrone's offensive line, which in the past was the weakest link on the team. They've made defensive stars Ndamukong Suh and J.J. Watt look mortal, and in September went an entire game without allowing a sack for the first time since 2013.
"His players like him," Jaguars center Stefen Wisniewski said. "He's a grinder. He always puts the work in. He's smart. We know we can trust him. When guys see that, they'll go to battle for a guy."
Here, Marrone doesn't have to score personality points. He's burrowed into his hole, coaching his linemen. He just needs success. He's no longer thinking about the players who bashed him after his departure. Underneath his big, rough exterior, the words cut through him. His friends would always encourage him to open up, a la Rex. Maybe if people knew him, they'd like him.
But in the end, Marrone is who he is.
When the interview is over, he promises that in 14 years, when he's 65, he'll meet over beers and spill it all about why he left Buffalo. He walks outside, to the palm trees and the friendly neighbors, and says goodbye. Here, far away from the New York heat, he hopes he's got them thinking:
"F---, this guy's not a bad guy."
ESPN staff writer Mike DiRocco contributed to this story.Zach Veach had called Ed Carpenter Racing simply to check in on a fellow injured driver.
But, since he was on the phone and there was a temporary vacancy, Veach figured he may as well let general manager Tim Broyles know he was available and “more than happy to help out” if there was a need.
Carpenter and Broyles eventually took him up on the offer, meaning the 22-year-old from Ohio will make his IndyCar debut five weeks earlier than expected. He is filling in this weekend at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama, while JR Hildebrand recovers from a broken left hand sustained in a last-lap accident at Long Beach.
“It’s like being thrown into the fire a little bit,” Veach said, “but it’s a good fire to be in.”
Veach, who was already slated to run the Indianapolis 500 for A.J. Foyt Racing, was offered a ride in the No. 21 Chevrolet for Sunday’s Indy Grand Prix of Alabama earlier this week. Filling in for an injured driver is not the way he wanted to land his first IndyCar shot, but it was coming soon anyway.
This gives the young driver a chance to get acclimated to the Indy cars before getting behind the wheel at the signature race next month. He won the 2014 Indy Lights race at the 17-turn, 2.38-mile permanent road course in Alabama.
“In a way, I’m very thankful I can make my IndyCar debut before the Indianapolis 500,” Veach said. “It’s good to get familiar with the engine and the characteristics of the car itself as well as getting used to pit stops. I definitely think I’ll be a lot more prepared going into the month of May with this opportunity.”
Broyles had seen Veach come up the ladder from lower series to Indy Lights, where he had six wins and six poles in three seasons. This is just the next rung. Spencer Pigot, who will be Veach’s teammate at Barber, was the 2015 Indy Lights champion.
Veach’s first run in an Indy car, perhaps not so coincidentally, was in the No. 21 Chevy during a testing session at Sonoma Raceway last September. Clearly, Broyles and Carpenter liked what they saw.
They still do. Broyles said Veach has been asking the right questions and making good observations.
“He’s one of those guys that you can’t base his experience on his age,” Broyles said. “His experience probably outweighs his age. He’s very mature, and he does have a pretty good understanding of how things operate in the IndyCar series. He’s been around it enough and he’s watched and he was paying attention.”
Veach said he plans to be a sponge this weekend, soaking up advice from the team and other drivers. He got a mid-week call from friend James Hinchcliffe, the winner at Long Beach, with a track tutorial.
“He painted a pretty clear picture for me,” Veach said.
Broyles said the team’s goals still include remaining competitive and making it at least out of the first round of qualifying, but they also want the rookie driver to stay on the track and avoid contact when possible.
“Mainly just giving him laps and keeping his nose clean,” he said.
—
More AP racing coverage: http://www.racing.ap.orgThe annual Terry Fox run will be taking place in a number of communities in Toronto on Sunday.
The run kicks off at 9 a.m. from a number of areas across the city, including High Park, City Place, Beaches, Liberty Village, Scarborough, Ward’s Island and Upper Canada College in Forest Hill.
The route will accommodate runners, cyclists, skate boarders, strollers and walkers at a distance of either five or ten kilometres. This is a non-competitive event and the participants are able to go at their own pace.
There will also be a Kids Fun Zone that opens up at 9:30 a.m.
All participants are asked to bring refillable water bottles, blankets for a picnic and lawn chairs for those resting at the event.
READ MORE: Skateboarding amputee grandmother raises money for cancer at Terry Fox Run
Donations can still be made online at http://www.terryfox.org/
All donations and proceeds will go towards research in fighting and finding a cure for cancer.
We hope to see you all at tomorrow's Terry Fox Run. Be a part of something truly special. Register today at https://t.co/UmA1t86XAP pic.twitter.com/ogBVLmPtEl — TerryFoxFoundation (@TerryFoxCanada) September 17, 2017SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Colorado Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki is expected to miss a couple of days with a bruised left calf after being hit by a pitch in the Rockies' 6-4 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday night.
Tulowitzki fell to the ground and clutched his leg after Arizona starter Wade Miley hit him with a fastball with two outs in the fourth. He limped to first before leaving the game.
X-rays were negative, but it was a scary moment for the Rockies, who have seen their three-time All-Star suffer numerous injuries.
"It hit him on the outside of the leg, so it didn't hit the bone or anything," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. "He won't be in there (Thursday), but I don't think it will be long."
Miley said he was trying to work Tulowitzki inside and it cut too far.
When asked whether he thought Miley might have been intentionally throwing at Tulowitzki after Arizona slugger Mark Trumbo was hit in the top of the fourth, Weiss said, "I don't know."
Miley went five innings, allowing one run on four hits, including Michael McKenry's RBI double. He struck out five.In Revenge of the Sith, Samuel L. Jackson's bad-ass warrior Mace Windu was about to win a duel with Emperor Palpatine, until Anakin Skywalker lopped off his hand with a lightsaber and he was hit by Force lightning and thrown out a window. But according to the actor, Mace Windu is still very much alive in the Star Wars universe, and his argument isn't all that ludicrous.In a recent live chat with EW, the actor gave his answer as to whether his character could still be alive:
"Of course he is! Jedi can fall from amazing distances. And there's a long history of one-handed Jedi. So why not?"
It doesn't seem like this is canon at all, since he's listed as "deceased" in all the records of the canon that we know of. And he hasn't checked with any of the creative minds that are currently in control of the Star Wars universe, but he has shared his theory with the man who was in charge at the time that Revenge of the Sith came out.
"George doesn't have anything to do with it anymore," he said. "[But] George is like, 'I'm okay with that. You can be alive.'"
In a sense, Jackson is right; we never actually saw his character die, which in genre movies usually means a character is alive, and if losing a hand were a fatal blow, there wouldn't be any Jedi left. Of course, we never saw him in any of the movies that took place later in the timeline, which include the entire original trilogy and The Force Awakens. But Jackson explains this absence by speculating that Windu is in hiding, Obi-Wan-style.Former UKIP leader Nigel Farage is prepared to “don khaki, pick up a rifle and head for the front lines” if the government does not deliver a good Brexit deal for Britain.
Read more
Addressing an audience at a £63 (US$82) per head event at Southampton Concorde Club on Sunday, Farage said if a good ‘divorce’ is not delivered, “there will be widespread public anger in this country in scale and a way we have never seen before.”
“If that happens, much as I’m enjoying myself … I enjoy my trips to the [United] States with [Donald] Trump and the White House and everything else. I’m enjoying my life,” he added.
“But if they don’t deliver this Brexit that I spent 25 years of my life working for, then I will be forced to don khaki, pick up a rifle and head for the front lines.”
Farage was then engulfed by cheers from the crowd.
Jason Hunter, who was at the event, posted a video of Farage’s speech on Facebook.
“Sorry to share a Nigel Farage speech folks … but when he talks of ‘donning khaki, picking up a rifle and joining the front lines’ just after threatening widespread disturbances across the UK ‘like we’ve never seen before’ if the Tories don’t leave the EU … That’s as close to threatening anarchy and incitement to riot that I think i’ve EVER heard from a so called ‘politician,’” Hunter wrote.
Farage has previously warned of widespread public anger if Brexit is not delivered.
Earlier this year, he threatened to lead a 100,000-person march on the Supreme Court as it heard the government’s challenge to the Article 50 court case brought by Gina Miller.
Read more
“I think it’s legitimate to say that if people feel they have lost control completely, and we have lost control of our borders completely as members of the EU, and if people feel that voting doesn’t change anything then violence is the next step,” he told the BBC in May 2016.
“I find it difficult to contemplate it happening here, but nothing is impossible.”
A week after pro-EU Labour MP Jo Cox was shot and stabbed to death by neo-Nazi Thomas Mair, Farage claimed he had won Brexit “without a single bullet being fired.”
At the time, Farage insisted claims he hinted at violence were ridiculous.
“I don’t think it’s very likely at all we’ll ever see violence on the streets of this country,” he said.
At the time, a spokesperson for Farage told the Independent taking Farage’s words “out of context” would be “unfair” and insisted UKIP was “opposed to any kind of violence.”
On his most recent comments, his spokesperson told the Mirror: “It was a metaphor. Get a life.”Why do we drive on a parkway, but park on a driveway?
You’ve probably heard this question before, and while it may bring up distasteful thoughts of bad comedians and worse Internet memes, it turns out that the answer is actually very instructive. The etymological origins of the parkways on which we drive are closely tied to the beliefs and social movements that gave rise to them; that history has a lot to tell modern-day environmentalists about the complex and counterintuitive relationship between human environmental discourse, and the real interactions between the environment and human societies.
According to Clay McShane’s Down the Asphalt Path, parkways originated in a 19th century reform movement that sought to improve the lives of urban-dwelling Americans by protecting them from miasmas: harmful, sickness-causing vapours that were thought to lurk in urban air. Miasmas were believed to originate from industry, horse manure and other various forms of urban pollution, so the language and strategies used by those who sought to eradicate them has a lot in common with that of environmental campaigners from one hundred years hence. The proposed solution was to clear the air by introducing natural spaces into the city to facilitate air flow. Land was set aside for parks. New detached houses were built on the grounds where old-fashioned row housing had not previously allowed sufficient air flow. Dwellings were built on larger lots with gardens.
While these developments almost certainly made cities nicer, they also made them much less dense. The space required to accommodate the new parks, front yards and detached houses could be found in the hinterland of the growing American cities. Tram networks were built to cover the longer travel distances this entailed. There still remained an upper class that wanted to take their carriages into town from far-flung suburban estates, which necessitated the construction of new roads, often built for speed, on which they could do so. As a result, the new parks became dissected by high-speed horse paths, and the concept of a parkway, literally a way through the park, was born.
As decades wore on and the upper-class replaced their carriages with cars, parkways became less "park" and more "way." The parkland around the thoroughfare dwindled until it was just a narrow grassy strip separating the traffic from the working-class houses it passed, and then disappeared altogether. While the first car-only highways would not be built in the United States until just before the Second World War, the parkways were a testing ground for a huge number of features that we would normally associate with such roads. Flying interchanges, physical dividers and on and off ramps were all first seen on the parkways. The parkways provided the prototype for the American Interstate system, and influenced the design of other early highways such as the German Autobahn and the Italian Autostrada.
This trend was not restricted to cities and, as far as environmentalists are concerned, has literally paved the way for car culture. The famous road through California’s redwood forest was strongly backed by conservationists who wanted to protect the Redwoods from logging by bringing the public from nearby cities to appreciate the forest. Tourist guides advocating the appreciation of other natural wonders were principally published by car, fuel and tire companies. Even Henry Ford himself made a strong conservationist argument for widespread car ownership in his autobiography.
Of course nobody fears miasmas anymore, and the quaint road through the redwoods has been made obsolete for all but nostalgic tourists by the construction of a massive divided superhighway. Conservationists are now in general agreement that the expanded mobility and lower-density living afforded by the automobile has come at a heavy environmental price, but we should still reflect on the fact that many of the beliefs and ideals which informed the early formation of car culture came from a very similar desire to preserve the environment.
The implications of this are important when we consider the kinds of visions that are commonly promoted by environmentalists today. Early twentieth-century road construction was supported by a vision of bringing nature into cities and bringing city-dwellers into nature. Now, as we look to the environmental challenges of the next century, we should think critically when that recurs. Are ideas such as earth-ships, eco-tourism and radical self-sustaining eco-communes really going to help us preserve the planet? Or are they just going to be a greater impetus for humans to appropriate yet more of the wilderness for their ever-sprawling lifestyles? Perhaps instead we should promote environmental visions that emphasize humans living in efficient, pleasant and healthy high-density environments. If not, we risk creating a future in which we wind up building a lot more parkways.Mars gets fierce night-time snow storms, say scientists The polar weather on the red planet is surprisingly aggressive, new research suggests, with violent and nocturnal blizzards.
Image: Snow on Mars contains far less water than on Earth - and skiing is sadly not an option
There are snow storms during the night at the poles on Mars, according to a new study into weather on the red planet.
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Low-lying Martian clouds were previously thought to gently snow upon the planet's plains, with the ice-water particles slowly sinking to the ground due to the planet's extremely thin atmosphere.
But findings reported in Nature Geoscience suggest that snowfall on the red planet is a far more tumultuous and aggressive event.
It says particles swirl in fierce storms and are deposited on the ground in a matter of minutes, unlike the hours snow storms can last for on our own planet.
Snowfalls on Mars contain much less water than on Earth - they dump heavily on the planet's surface and only occur at night, according to the scientists.
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"It's not as if you could make a snowman or ski," said Aymeric Spiga, an expert on the dynamics of planetary atmospheres at Universite Pierre Curie in Paris.
A sidereal day on Mars - the length of time it takes for the planet to rotate once on its axis - is slightly longer than on Earth.
On Mars, a day lasts 24 hours, 37 minutes, and 22 seconds - compared to 23 hours, 56 minutes and 4.1 seconds on Earth.
"Standing on the surface of Mars you wouldn't see a thick blanket of snow - more like a generous layer of frost," said Dr Spiga.
Most of the red planet is just that: Red.
But NASA's Phoenix lander, a stationary robot which scraped below the dusty surface at the planet's poles, discovered water in 2008.
The robot also analysed the weather and showed how water-ice clouds cooled during the night, making them unstable.
"We have shown that the precipitation of snow below the clouds is transported by very violent, descending winds," said Dr Spiga.Heaps of ABC TV shows and movies will be coming to Netflix soon, thanks to a new deal with Disney. That includes all of Lost, all of Scrubs, the first two High School Musicals, and whole lot more.
In no way does this mean you should go back and rewatch Lost, but more Netflix stuff is exciting nonetheless. The deal will bring some episodes from current series to Netflix, too—Netflix did say they were willing to put down some serious coin for new TV—though they'll appear no earlier than 15 days after they first air on telecast. But the old stuff is the real bounty, anyway. According to the release we can look forward to:
• Prior season episodes of current ABC hit series "Grey's Anatomy," "Desperate Housewives" and, for the first time on Netflix, "Brothers & Sisters," all of which are among the network's most successful and popular TV franchises in recent years. • Every episode of recent ABC favorites "Lost" and "Ugly Betty," the latter making its streaming debut at Netflix. • Each season of several hit series from ABC Studios, including "Scrubs" and "Reaper," which are both new additions to Netflix. • A host of content from the Disney Channel, including the hits "Phineas and Ferb" and "Good Luck Charlie," which are also new to Netflix; updated and expanded offerings of "The Suite Life on Deck" and "Wizards of Waverly Place;" and library offerings from the smash hits "Hannah Montana" and "The Suite Life of Zack & Cody." • A wide range of content from ABC Family, marking the introduction of ABC Family content streaming from Netflix. Included are the hit series "Greek," "Make It or Break It," "The Secret Life of the American Teenager" and "Melissa & Joey." • Disney Channel and ABC Family movies such as "High School Musical," "High School Musical 2," "Camp Rock," and "Beauty & the Briefcase," as well as new releases "Avalon High," "Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam" and "Revenge of the Bridesmaids"...
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Things will really get exciting if they start adding the old school Disney Channel Movies into the mix. If I'm able to stream Johnny Tsunami to my tablet, 12-year-old me will consider the future a huge success. Oh, and gimme Twin Peaks and My So Called Life too. [Business Insider]The first Native American to head the Indian Health Service was a rarity, one of the earliest Indian doctors in the country, and it was a bit lonely.
“I only knew of two Indian physicians accidentally, the famous Dr. Taylor McKenzie, the late great Navajo leader, Taylor McKenzie and another individual whom I didn't know but knew of, named Thomas St. Germaine Whitecloud, a member of the Lac du Flambeau Chippewas,” Dr. Everett Rhoades said.
“These individuals were so outstanding and I did feel a little bit isolated, that's too strong a word, but isolated in a medical career,” Rhoades said. “A few other students began to appear, a classmate of mine, Dr. Jim Hampton, a member of the Chickasaw tribe and another individual who was Cherokee. And it occurred to me that this was a very very small number.”
Rhoades is a member of the Kiowa Nation and a very active octogenarian. He was the first Kiowa to receive a medical degree, and it may have just been in his blood.
“I did happen to have a grandfather who was a physician. He came from Stamford, Connecticut to the Kiowa, Comanche and Apache reservation in about 1892, and married my Indian grandmother,” Rhoades said.
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right up to the TV for it to work. Again, the batteries are considered dead by most, long before LED’s stop blinking. So the levels demonstrated in experiments like that are artificially too low. Using a Power Supply to detect, where a battery operated device stops working is wrong and misleading at best. A power supply has 0 ohm impedance and can supply high current at a constant voltage. A typical AA battery has internal resistance called ESR (Equivalent Series Resistance) which is vastly different than an ideal power supply. Most electronic engineers are not very familiar with intricate details of the inter-workings of batteries and its equivalent circuit models. Batteries have an internal impedance or resistance (ESR) that plays a major role in operation of a battery in a system. To Quote from Wikipedia: In use, the voltage across the terminals of a disposable battery driving a load decreases until it drops too low to be useful; this is largely due to an increase in internal resistance rather than a drop in the voltage of the equivalent source (source: Wikipedia). In other words, when a battery is perceived to be dead in a device, it is most likely NOT because the battery is fully depleted of energy, rather it is largely due to voltage drop across this internal resistance of the battery. I will get into more details below. The third aspect may be the difference in definition of the voltages being quoted. There are two distinct ways of looking at voltages that people discuss but sometimes mistakenly interchange. One is the Open Circuit Voltage (referred to voltage at no load condition) and the other one is the Closed Voltage Circuit (referred to voltage under load condition). The two numbers that are quoted from the CEO and your question is an example of this incorrect interchange.
To fully appreciate the totality of the picture, Let us talk about ESR (Equivalent Series Resistor). To understand how ESR interacts at a circuit level, let’s go to Wikipedia:
A practical electrical power source which is a linear electric circuit may, according to Thévenin’s theorem, be represented as an ideal voltage source in series with an impedance. This impedance is termed the internal resistance of the source. When the power source delivers current, the measured voltage output is lower than the no-load voltage; the difference is the voltage drop (the product of current and resistance) caused by the internal resistance.
A battery may be modeled as a voltage source in series with a resistance. In practice, the internal resistance of a battery is dependent on its size, chemical properties, age, temperature, and the discharge current. It has an electronic component due to the resistivity of the component materials and an ionic component due to electrochemical factors such as electrolyte conductivity, ion mobility, and electrode surface area. Measurement of the internal resistance of a battery is a guide to its condition, but may not apply at other than the test conditions.
In use, the voltage across the terminals of a disposable battery driving a load decreases until it drops too low to be useful; this is largely due to an increase in internal resistance rather than a drop in the voltage of the equivalent source.
To learn more, please, visit Energizer’s technical Bulletin at http://data.energizer.com/PDFs/BatteryIR.pdf. The data from this bulletin shows that the typical effective resistance of fresh Energizer alkaline cylindrical batteries will be approximately 150 to 300 m-ohms at room temperature. It further shows that at very cold temperatures, this initial internal resistance value could be as high as 900 m-ohm, or roughly 1 ohm. This resistance further increases as the battery is used. Therefore the ESR value of a fresh new AA battery has an approximate range of 150 m-ohm to 900 m-ohm depending on temperature, chemistry, types and brands of batteries. While a resistance of 1 ohm may be considered insignificant and ignored by some people, we will see that it plays a major role in the final analysis as highlighted above in the Wikipedia description in the paragraph above.
For the sake of this analysis, assume 0.5 ohm as the internal resistance, which is a typical value for a battery at 1.3v (Open Circuit Voltage). If a device draws 400mA of current, the drop across this internal resistance is around 0.2v. This means that the device would see only 1.1V at the terminal of the battery.
The third aspect of the question is that when Batteroo’s CEO talks about batteries stop functioning at 1.3V, if you place that battery in a device described above, under load, the terminals of the battery would provide only 1.1V to the device and that is where the questioner agrees the device stops functioning. This is most likely the source of the discrepancy between what you stated as the low range of operation of devices vs. what is quoted as the open voltage of the batteries by the company.
Going back to your question that there are devices that operate at 1.1V but based on what we just showed this device will not function because it needs to have current supplied from a battery with terminal voltage of 1.1 V. This means that the device would not be functioning properly around 1.3 V open voltage circuit (i.e. open circuit voltage of 1.3 v minus about 0.2v drop across ESR would produce a battery terminal voltage of 1.1 v seen by the device) …. Therefore the battery open voltage circuit must be 1.3 v or higher.
This is an important point which plays a significant role and has been missed and ignored. In other words, once a device with the operating point of 1.1v stops working, and the battery is pulled out and measured without load, the meter would show 1.3V. This has been a source of confusion for some people that hopefully is cleared.
To emphasize the point, ignoring the internal resistance of the battery leads to wrong conclusions. For example, some who ignored the ESR, would wrongly assume that a device that has an operating cut off voltage of 1.1V, can be serviced by a battery at 1.1V Open Circuit Voltage. It is noteworthy that the internal resistance of the battery increases to over 1.5 ohm in a non-linear fashion at room temperature (depending on many factors, and could be significantly higher at colder temperature.
Question 2: I measured a used battery voltage using volt-meter and showed 1.2v. This toy can work all the way down to 1.1v but it is not working. Why?
Answer: The fact that your battery is not working indicates that the closed circuit voltage is seen by the toy when is turned on is less than 1 volt. This suggests that your voltage drop across the internal resistance (ESR) is greater than 0.2 volts.
This 0.2 voltage drop is multiplication of load current and the ESR value of battery which indicated that the battery has high ESR and/or your toy is drawing a few hundred milliamps of current…
Let us say your toy is drawing 300 ma and the battery ESR is about 0.7 ohm, then your toy sees the terminal battery voltage to be under 1 volt; (i.e. open circuit of 1.2v minus the voltage drop across ESR 0.7 ohm times 300 ma is equal to closed circuit voltage of about 0.99 volt which is under 1 volt)
Question 3: The relationship between current and voltage makes it impossible for a boosted battery to deliver such great gains, up to 8x. Besides the example below, there’s this one from Reddit: “In order to increase the voltage supplied to the target electronics, you would have to draw more current. Therefore as the battery voltage droops, the current draw will increase. Alkaline battery capacity is greatly affected by the current the cell is subjected to, with effective capacity dropping off a cliff as the current consumption increases.”
Answer: Every system, boosted or not, has voltage and currents relationship and to say: “The relationship between current and voltage makes it impossible for a boosted battery to deliver such great gains, from 5x to 8x” is meaningless. However the most important aspect of extending the life of the battery has to do with how much of the energy left in the battery and how much of that energy can be harnessed after the battery is considered dead, depending on the specifics of devices and load conditions. Obviously to get these types of gains implies that there is significant amount of energy left in the battery as it is discarded. That could be improved by better device design that allow the circuitry to work at lower voltages, and there are devices in the market that are better than others and therefore the mileage would vary based on such factors.
It is true that as the voltage drops, there is some increase in the current. However that current is being consumed from the energy that was in the battery and was going to be discarded at the point it was perceived to be dead.
Question 4: How does flash light benefit from Batteriser?
Answer: There are two types of devices, one with Passive load and the other with Active load:
Passive loads such as Flashlights that draw the current out of the battery until it is depleted, but the intensity of the light becomes too low for it to be useful. We measured the intensity of the light from a flashlight on a side by side comparison of, with and without Batteriser. They both started at 60 lux and after two hours, the flashlight utilizing the Batteriser maintained its 60 lux light intensity while the flashlight without Batteriser decreased its intensity to 25 lux. Active Loads such as electronic devices that usually have a cut off voltage.
Question 5: There are some well-built devices have dc-dc conversion (or similar power management) built in, so Batteriser wouldn’t help. For example, this comment was made on Reddit: “For something like a GameBoy, it actually DOES include a good switching power supply, which is why it got great runtime out of those batteries. The DMG01 was quite happy down to nearly 3V (less than 0.8V per cell, anyway).”
Answer: The question above is an actual proof of why the Batteriser is going to extend the life of the battery. The assertion that a GameBoy device is benefiting from a DC-DC and getting “great runtime” is a validation of the concept of the Batteriser. There are systems that have or may have designed these types of converters inside their electronics. Such devices are usually expensive and putting the added cost of the electronics is offset by the competitive advantage gained relative to their competition. As well, this example implies that the system must have 4 AA batteries. There are regulators in the market that would boost voltages at these levels. Batteriser uses a boost circuitry that can work down to 0.5v. You will not find any solutions in the market that allows systems with single battery boosting capabilities. Batteroo had to design a custom IC that allows boosting of the voltage from 0.5V and currents of over one Amp steady state at very high efficiency. In many systems that use one AA battery, there is no solutions in the market to provide the same benefits of extended life.
Question 6: In low-drain devices like (I assume) a TV remote, the actual shelf life of the battery will be over before the Batteriser delivers noticeable gains. For example, this comment on Macworld: “Since most batteries (excluding some lithium types) have shelf lives of say 5 years or less, then taking a low drain application scenario where the batteries will naturally last two years or more (i.e. a remote…), then boosting the battery life by the claimed 8X would mean your 5 years shelf-life battery would be “good-to-go” for up to 40 years! Doesn’t take an engineer to tell you “it ain’t gonna happen!!”
Answer: Batteriser does work with voltage and current, regardless of the chemistry. We have seen improvement even with lithium battery. For those folks that change a battery every 5 years, we recommend not to utilize Batteriser technology. However if you are like most of us living in an average household having 25 battery operated devices and having to continuously change batteries, Batteriser would certainly be a good choice to extend the time between battery changes by 8x depending on the end device.”
Hopefully, this article will put an end to all the guessing and skepticism coming from the market. All the official testers and researchers found the product to be extremely effective. Only those who have not seen or tried the product are claiming the product can’t work. The Batteriser team suggests all skeptical hobbyist or engineers should buy the product and try for themselves, starting at only $2.50 per unit.CNN took on The New York Times‘ scathing review of Tesla’s Model S by driving the same route with no problems and determining that the trip “wasn’t that hard.”
Electric car manufacturer Tesla and The New York Times‘ John M. Broder have been at war for the last week after the paper’s review devastated the company’s reputation and affected its share price. Broder asserted that the car’s battery couldn’t meet the demands of a trip from D.C. to Boston, claiming he had to drive well below the posted speed limit and eventually have the car towed.
The motor company fired back by posting data logs showing that Broder passed by charging stations, created a “no-win scenario” for the car, was actually driving 54 mph when he said he was driving 45 mph and turned the temperature up to 72 F when he had claimed to turn it down. Tesla maintained that the battery never ran out of energy and towing the vehicle was completely unnecessary.
CNNMoney’s Peter Valdes-Dapena attempted to put the matter to rest by taking a road trip with the Model S on the same route from D.C. to Boston.
“As you can tell from the dateline, I made it to Boston,” Valdes-Dapena wrote. “The final stretch, about 150 miles from Tesla’s Milford, Conn. Supercharger station located on Interstate 95, was a piece of cake.”
“I followed Tesla’s recommendations and kept the cruise control pegged to between 60 and 65 much of the way and kept the climate control at 72 degrees. And I minimized stops,” he explained. “I had expected this leg of the trip to feel ridiculous. I had expected that, all the way from Newark to Milford, I’d have one eye on the rearview mirror watching fast-approaching cars threatening to rear-end me. But I didn’t.”
And then Valdes-Dapena “realized something amazing” as he drove into Connecticut: “Not only did I have enough battery range left, I had plenty. I had at least 40 miles — more than an entire Chevy Volt’s worth of electricity — left to play with. I sped up, cruising over 70, riding in the left lane, mashing the gas pedal just to feel how fast the car could shoot from 65 to 80. I was practically giddy.”
“In the end, I made it — and it wasn’t that hard.”
Watch this video from CNN.A few days later I fell in a heap. Lethargy, weakness and joint pain so bad I could not bend one leg or have the strength to turn on a tap.
I went home and binge-watched Netflix. My partner knew I was sick as I don't watch much telly. I spoke to a doctor friend. Within 30 seconds she said it sounded like a mosquito-borne virus. I went to my GP. She gave me paperwork for a blood test and told me not to worry unless I felt worse.
I thought it was a really bad flu with joint pain that made it almost too painful to stand up. The fever lasted 36 hours. The joint pain subsided but didn't go away. A few days later a friend who was camping with us started showing similar symptoms.
By the end of the week, I was in the tent I was sweating, shaking, aching and hallucinating.
We covered ourselves in mosquito repellent but the little flying bloodsuckers found a chink in my armour. Credit:AP
I took the blood test and waited over the weekend. The results. "Yes. You have Ross River fever."
I called my friend who had been camping with us to let her know. She has had a hard 30 months recovering from breast cancer. She needed to find out if her lethargy was from the ongoing symptoms of post radiation treatment and ongoing hormone medication or the virus. She had taken up jogging to aid her recovery and general fitness. The knee pain from Ross River has severely curtailed that. She too had caught Ross River virus.
I went public on Facebook a few days back asking people about their experiences with "RRF". One mate in the north of the state was diagnosed this summer and has since developed diabetes. Another friend has had it for decades and the original fever re-occurs when she is stressed. My daughter, 10, is now complaining showing symptoms of joint pain and lethargy. So we're off for another blood test.
On good days I have joint pain. On bad days I have joint pain and just want to sleep. The good days out number the bad.
This morning, however, my hand was so weak I dropped a glass and smashed it.A Year Filled with Solo Material, Temple of the Dog, Soundgarden and More
Chris Cornell’s 2016 looked like this:
Solo Artist:
68 shows spread over 28 countries
Temple of the Dog:
Reunion after 25 years. Self-titled debut, reissue
8 shows, first official tour in the band’s history
Soundgarden:
Rehearsing, writing new material and announcing 6, 2017 festival headlining dates
Louder Than Love vinyl release
Badmotorfinger 25th anniversary box-set, deluxe and vinyl reissue
Down on the Upside 20th anniversary vinyl release
Television & Film:
“Drive My Car” for the Netflix’s Beat Bugs
“Stay With Me Baby” for HBO’s Vinyl
“Til the Sun Comes Back Around” for 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi
Composing the theme for “The Promise”
Other:
Whew… what a year! One where Cornell blazed a trail, spreading messages of love. With his solo Higher Truth tour, Cornell gracefully reinforced the power of being who you are and living in the moment. I found it incredibly moving and important that Temple of the Dog happened to be on their first proper tour during the election. What are the chances a band of that stature, in that incredibly rare circumstance, are front and center during an uncomfortable time? Five guys who whole-heartedly represent the power of music and reaching down, picking each other up. That’s why they were a group in the first place and that’s exactly the purpose of their music.
In honor of this all, I’ve collaborated with numerous photographers to capture the spirit of Cornell’s one-of-a-kind year.
Solo at the Hippodrome Theatre in Baltimore, MD. June 23rd with Bryan Gibson
Solo at the Hippodrome Theatre in Baltimore, MD. June 23rd
Solo at the Hippodrome Theatre in Baltimore, MD. June 23rd
With Higher Truth and Temple of the Dog opening act, Fantastic Negrito. Yakima, WA
Soundgarden rehearsal in Seattle, WA.
Temple of the Dog in Seattle, WA.
Temple of the Dog at the Forum in Inglewood, CA. November 14th
Temple of the Dog at the Paramount Theatre in Seattle WA. November 20th
Rolling Stone Columbia cover. November issue
Solo at the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, Argentina. December 14th.
If you enjoyed, please recommend below. Follow Artist Waves on: Medium, Facebook & Twitter.
Contact: jeffgorra@gmailFILE - In this Oct. 15, 2017, file photo, Whitefish Energy Holdings workers restore power lines damaged by Hurricane Maria in Barceloneta, Puerto Rico. The Federal Emergency Management Agency said Oct. 27, it had no involvement in the decision to award a $300 million contract to help restore Puerto Rico's power grid to a tiny Montana company in Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke’s hometown. FEMA said in a statement that any language in the controversial contract saying the agency approved of the deal with Whitefish Energy Holdings is inaccurate. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa, File)
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — The head of Puerto Rico’s power company said Sunday the agency is cancelling its $300 million contract with Whitefish Energy Holdings amid scrutiny of the tiny Montana company’s role in restoring the island’s power system.
The announcement by Ricardo Ramos came hours after Gov. Ricardo Rossello urged the utility to scrap the deal for Whitefish’s help in rebuilding the electrical system from the damage inflicted by Hurricane Maria.
“It’s an enormous distraction,” Ramos said of the controversy over the contract. “This was negatively impacting the work we’re already doing.”
The current work by Whitefish teams will not be affected by the cancellation and that work will be completed in November, Ramos said. He said the cancellation will delay pending work by 10 to 12 weeks if no alternatives are found.
Ramos said he had not talked with Whitefish executives about his announcement. “A lawsuit could be forthcoming,” he warned.
Whitefish spokesman Chris Chiames told The Associated Press that the company was “very disappointed” in the governor’s decision, and said it would only delay efforts to restore power.
He said Whitefish brought 350 workers to Puerto Rico in less than a month and it expected to have a total of 500 this week. Chiames said the company completed critical work, including a project that will soon lead to a half million people in San Juan getting power.
“We will certainly finish any work that (the power company) wants us to complete and stand by our commitments,” he said.
Roughly 70 percent of the U.S. territory remains without power more than a month after Maria struck on Sept. 20 as a Category 4 storm with winds of up to 154 mph (245 kph). Ramos said Sunday that the total of cost of restoring the system would come to $1.2 billion.
The cancellation is not official until approved by the utility’s board. Ramos said it would take effect 30 days after that.
Ramos said the company already has paid Whitefish $10.9 million to bring its workers and heavy equipment to Puerto Rico and has a $9.8 million payment pending for work done so far.
Ramos said cancellation of the contract will not lead to a penalty, but it’s likely the government will pay at least $11 million for the company to go home early, including all costs incurred in the month after the cancellation.
Federal investigators have been looking into the contract awarded to the small company from Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke’s hometown and the deal is being audited at the local and federal level.
Ramos said the company contacted Puerto Rico’s Electric Power Authority two days before the storm hit, at a time when it was becoming clear the hurricane could cause massive damage.
Ramos earlier said he had spoken with at least five other companies that demanded rates similar to those of Whitefish, but also wanted a down payment the agency did not have.
He said Sunday he hadn’t consulted with anyone else about signing the deal and didn’t notify the governor’s office for a week. He again praised Whitefish’s work.
“They’re doing an excellent job,” he said.
“There’s nothing illegal here... Of that, we’re sure,” he said, adding that he welcomes a federal investigation. “The process was done according to the law.”
Ramos said his agency at first believed the Federal Emergency Management Agency pre-approved contracts, something the agency has denied.
FEMA said it has not approved any reimbursement requests from the power company for money to cover repairs to the island’s electrical system. The contract said the utility would not pay costs unallowable under FEMA grants, but it also said, “The federal government is not a party to this contract.”
FEMA has raised concerns about how Whitefish got the deal and whether the contracted prices were reasonable. The 2-year-old company had just two full-time employees when the storm hit, but it has since hired more than 300 workers.
The White House had no comment Sunday. Last week, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the federal government had no role in the process that led to awarding the contract.
“This was something solely determined by the Puerto Rican government,” she said Friday.
Rossello said he has requested that crews from New York and Florida come help restore power in Puerto Rico as he criticized the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for not meeting its goals. The agency could not be immediately reached for comment.
The governor also announced the appointment of an outside coordinator to oversee the power company’s purchase and contracting division.
“If something illegal was done, once again, the officials involved in that process will feel the full weight of the law, and I will take administrative actions,” Rossello said.
A Whitefish contract obtained by The Associated Press found that the deal included $20,277 an hour for a heavy lift Chinook helicopter, $650 an hour for a large crane truck, $322 an hour for a foreman of a power line crew, $319 an hour for a journeyman lineman and $286 an hour for a mechanic. Each worker also gets a daily allowance of $80 for food, $332 for a hotel room and $1,000 for each flight to or from the mainland.
The company is based in Whitefish, Montana. Zinke, a former Montana congressman, knows Whitefish CEO Andy Techmanski, and Zinke’s son also had a summer job at a Whitefish construction site.
“I had absolutely nothing to do with Whitefish Energy receiving a contract in Puerto Rico,” Zinke recently said in a statement linked to a tweet. “Any attempts by the dishonest media or political operatives to tie me to awarding or influencing any contract involving Whitefish are completely baseless.”
Democrats also have questioned the role of HBC Investments, a key financial backer of Whitefish. The Dallas-based company’s founder and general partner, Joe Colonnetta, has contributed thousands of dollars to President Donald Trump and other Republicans. Chiames, the Whitefish spokesman, has said that Colonnetta’s political donations were “irrelevant” and that the company would cooperate with any federal authorities.
This week, Rep. Rob Bishop, the Utah Republican who heads the House Natural Resources Committee, sent the power company director a letter demanding documents, including those related to the contract with Whitefish and others that show what authority the agency has to deviate from normal contracting processes.
“Transparent accountability at (the power company) is necessary for an effective and sustained recovery in Puerto Rico,” his office said in a statement.
A federal control board that oversees Puerto Rico’s finances announced this week that retired Air Force Col. Noel Zamot will be in charge of power reconstruction efforts. Rossello and other officials have rejected the appointment, saying the local government is in charge of a power company that is $9 billion in debt and had struggled with outages before hurricanes Irma and Maria last month.After spending the past month on the California Nurses Association 'Medicare for All' bus tour in California, I am more confident than ever about the prospects of winning guaranteed healthcare for all under an improved Medicare model. Cradle to grave. For life. In California. Everywhere.
Our wonderful videographer, Erin Fitzgerald, has been traveling with us and capturing the stories Californians have shared along the way. In advance of our two stops in Santa Monica Wednesday, July 11, at the Unitarian Universalist Community Church at 1260 18th Street (3-6 p.m. health screenings and 6:30-8 p.m. town hall) and tomorrow at the West Covina City Hall (same times and events), Erin captured images from our stops so far and shared them in this video piece:
At West Covina City Hall, 1444 W Garvey Ave South, Thursday evening at 6:30 p.m., July 12, Reggie Cervantes, 9/11 responder, and Dawnelle Keys, mom whose beautiful toddler Mychelle died because an out-of-network hospital wouldn’t treat her, will join me for a mini-SiCKO reunion. Join us as we talk about why Medicare for all for life would have been the only thing that might have saved us from been fodder for Michael Moore’s 2007 film.
There is no question that Californians want guaranteed healthcare for all. Only a small percentage of those we have reached out to have rejected the call. And those few seem fixed on their own isolated “I-have-mine-and-I-don’t –care-about-you” mindset. Those few folks are often turned around when medical crisis strikes, and though I never wish that on anyone else, I know that in an instant life as you know it can change and leave you utterly dependent on others for our lives.
So it was perhaps fitting that last night in South L.A. when we were just getting ready to pull out of our stop at the S.C.O.P.E. offices after the screenings and town hall, our bus got stuck. One wheel perched high in the air, we were straddling the whole of Florence Avenue and going nowhere. Within seconds, traffic started to back up and people in the neighborhood jumped to try to help us. One man tried to shove wood planks under the airborne wheel to give traction but the driver feared that with any additional pressure, that wood might fly out from under the wheel and hurt or kill someone. It didn’t work. So many good people tried to help, but it just didn’t work at all.
Finally, after quite some time, a police officer stuck his head in our bus and said, “What are you all doing in the ghetto?” That seemed an odd question to ask on many levels, but perhaps speaks to where we are in terms of our shared humanity and perceptions of that humanity. The police officer facilitated getting a huge wrecker to the site to pull the bus forward and, after significant effort, return our bus to the road.
It was interesting to me to see first the pulling together of community and then the intervention of publicly paid law enforcement personal and others to fix the problem. There was no consideration given to just letting us sit forever in that precarious spot. Seems like the right way to handle it when any one of us faces crisis outside our control. Could the bus driver have taken that turn and curb one degree or two differently and avoided the problem? Maybe. We’ll never know that, and that didn’t really matter. What mattered was that when confronted with a stuck bus and its stranded occupants, the local community came together to help.
I’ve been on a bus for Medicare for All that caught fire on the side of a highway in rural West Virginia. I have been on the SiCKO buses that traveled around the country with nurses educating people about the broken healthcare system and their demand for one single standard of high quality care for all. And now I’ve been on a bus that was stuck in South Los Angeles in a neighborhood where many people choose to avoid, but where the people who live there are both generous and equal in their shared need for healthcare.
Bus tours are grueling and we sometimes wonder about the costs and the challenges that come along with them. But always there are the amazing moments of clarity that come from being present with one another in ways that are so personal and direct. I have spent six months of the past five years on a bus fighting for Medicare for All for life. And I am so very lucky to have done so. But now, if you don’t mind, I’d like us to pull this together and win. And as the young father says at the end of Erin’s video, “Why not healthcare for the world?” Why not, California? We can do it.
_______
Donna Smith, American SiCKO
About author Donna Smith is a community organizer for the Donna Smith is a community organizer for the California Nurses Association and National Co-Chair for the Progressive Democrats of America Healthcare Not Warfare campaignSummary: A new study reveals coupling old memories with a stressful event can make people perceive harmless situations as dangerous.
Source: UT Austin.
Recognizing threats is an essential function of the human mind — think “fight or flight” — one that is aided by past negative experiences. But when older memories are coupled with stress, individuals are likely to perceive danger in harmless circumstances, according to a paper published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The findings by researchers from Dell Medical School at The University of Texas at Austin, New York University and McGill University shed light on fear generalization, a core component of anxiety and stress-related disorders.
“The human mind uses cues to danger learned over time for self-defense, but certain circumstances can cause people to misidentify those cues,” said Joseph Dunsmoor, lead study author and assistant professor of psychiatry at Dell Med. “Our research reveals that stress levels and the amount of time since an adverse event promote this type of overgeneralization.”
Dunsmoor conducted the research as a postdoc in the lab of Elizabeth Phelps, professor of psychology and neural science at New York University (NYU). Ross Otto, assistant professor of psychology at McGill University, also worked on the study as a postdoc at NYU.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) — which affects about 8 million adults every year — is one disorder characterized by the inability to discriminate threat from safety. Fear is triggered by harmless stimuli such as a car backfiring because they serve as reminders of trauma. By understanding how the mind identifies and responds to such triggers, scientists can develop better treatments for mental illnesses and disorders.
“These findings provide important laboratory data that helps explain why PTSD symptoms are often exacerbated during times of stress, and how repeated stress and trauma in the battlefield may lead to increased risk for PTSD,” said Suzannah Creech, an associate professor of psychiatry at Dell Medical School, who was not involved in the study, but has spent her career working with veterans recovering from trauma.
“The research may help improve PTSD treatment outcomes for veterans in part by helping us understand how we may be able to prevent it in the first place,” she said.
In the study, the researchers tested the effects of stress and time on a person’s ability to correctly identify a cue associated with a negative outcome. Study participants heard two tones with one followed by a shock, set by the participant at the level of “highly annoying but not painful.” Then, researchers played tones in the range of the two frequencies and gauged participants’ expectations of shock by self-report and data on skin responses that indicate emotional arousal. When testing the range of tones, half of the participants were methodically primed to have higher cortisol levels through an arm ice bath, and half received a control arm bath with room temperature water.
Researchers performed the test on two groups. One group took the shock expectancy test immediately after the initial shock. The second group took the test 24 hours after the initial shock. Both groups underwent the stress/control priming activity just before the shock expectancy test.
When tested immediately after the initial shock, stress level did not significantly affect the participants fear of shock and accuracy in identifying the associated tone. However, when tested 24 hours later, stress level did heighten participants’ fear response and negatively impacted their ability to identify the tone associated with shock. The group tested 24 hours later without raised cortisol levels only had slightly heightened fear responses and retained the ability to identify the associated tone.
“The effects of stress and memory on how humans generalize fear is largely unexamined,” Dunsmoor said. “This study provides new data that will help us care for people with disordered patterns of fear and worry.”
About this neuroscience research article
Funding: Funding provided by National Institutes of Health.
Source: Kimberly Berger – UT Austin
Image Source: NeuroscienceNews.com image is in the public domain.
Original Research: Abstract for “Stress promotes generalization of older but not recent threat memories” by Joseph E. Dunsmoor, A. Ross Otto, and Elizabeth A. Phelps in PNAS. Published online August 7 2017 doi:10.1073/pnas.1704428114
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<http://neurosciencenews.com/fear-stress-past-7261/>. UT Austin (2017, August 7). Stress Heightens Fear of Threats From the Past. NeuroscienceNew. Retrieved August 7, 2017 from http://neurosciencenews.com/fear-stress-past-7261/ UT Austin “Stress Heightens Fear of Threats From the Past.” http://neurosciencenews.com/fear-stress-past-7261/ (accessed August 7, 2017).
Abstract
Stress promotes generalization of older but not recent threat memories
Stress broadly affects the ability to regulate emotions and may contribute to generalization of threat-related behaviors to harmless stimuli. Behavioral generalization also tends to increase over time as memory precision for recent events gives way to more gist-like representations. Thus, acute stress coupled with a delay in time from a negative experience may be a strong predictor of the transition from normal to generalized fear expression. Here, we investigated the effect of a single-episode acute stressor on generalization of aversive learning when stress is administered either immediately after an aversive learning event or following a delay. In a between-subjects design, healthy adult volunteers underwent threat (fear) conditioning using a tone-conditioned stimulus paired with an electric shock to the wrist and another tone not paired with shock. Behavioral generalization was tested to a range of novel tones either on the same day (experiment 1) or 24 h later (experiment 2) and was preceded by either an acute stress induction or a control task. Anticipatory sympathetic arousal [i.e., skin conductance responses (SCRs)] and explicit measures of shock expectancy served as dependent measures. Stress administered shortly after threat conditioning did not affect behavioral generalization. In contrast, stress administered following a delay led to heightened arousal and increased generalization of SCRs and explicit measures of shock expectancy. These findings show that acute stress increases generalization of older but not recent threat memories and have clinical relevance to understanding overgeneralization characteristics of anxiety and stress-related disorders.
“Stress promotes generalization of older but not recent threat memories” by Joseph E. Dunsmoor, A. Ross Otto, and Elizabeth A. Phelps in PNAS. Published online August 7 2017 doi:10.1073/pnas.1704428114
Feel free to share this Neuroscience News.Disaster has struck the New Orleans Saints.
First-round defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins was carted off the field during Monday's practice with a broken fibula based on initial tests, a source informed of the injury told NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport. Rankins was injured during a goal-line drill.
Rankins will undergo surgery Tuesday, a source with knowledge of the pending procedure told NFL Media's Mike Garafolo. Dr. Robert Anderson will perform the surgery in North Carolina.
The team hopes Rankins will take six weeks to recover, but an exact timeframe won |
, for The Guardian on Monday 16th June 2014 00.01 Europe/London
guardian.co.uk © Guardian News and Media Limited 2010WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Bush administration officials Monday expressed doubt about an economist's column published over the weekend saying the war in Iraq will cost the United States more than $3 trillion.
U.S. soldiers aim their rifles Monday behind a military vehicle during a patrol at Al-leg, Iraq.
That number "seems way out of the ballpark to me," said Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell.
"I'm not an accountant. I'm not an economist. And I think that those who are have questioned the methodology of this particular survey," Morrell said.
The op-ed piece published in Sunday's Washington Post was written by Joseph E. Stiglitz, a Nobel Prize-winning economist and Columbia University professor who served as chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers under President Clinton. The co-author was Linda J. Bilmes, a former chief financial officer at the Commerce Department who teaches at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government.
The two say the war is running a tab of $12 billion a month -- $16 billion including military action in Afghanistan. And, they maintain, the economic downturn resulting from it is likely to be the greatest since the Great Depression.
"That total, itself well in excess of $1 trillion, is not included in our estimated $3 trillion cost of the war," the column said. "Others will have to work out the geopolitics, but the economics here are clear. Ending the war, or at least moving rapidly to wind it down, would yield major economic dividends."
Morrell said Monday the Iraq war has cost the United States $406.2 billion through December 2007.
"I think they [Stiglitz and Bilmes] throw everything in the kitchen sink into the survey, including the interest on the national debt," he said. "So it seems like an exaggerated number to us."
The wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and antiterrorist efforts abroad could cost $2.4 trillion over the next 10 years, according to an October 2007 estimate by the Congressional Budget Office. More than 70 percent would go to support operations in Iraq, and the figure included the estimated $600 billion spent since 2001, Congressional Budget Office Director Peter Orszag said in testimony before the House Budget Committee that month. That estimate also included projected interest, because the government is borrowing most of the funds required.
Stiglitz and Blimes' op-ed said that because Bush and Congress cut taxes after going to war, despite the massive deficit, the war had to be funded by more borrowing.
"By the end of the Bush administration, the cost of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan plus the cumulative interest on the increased borrowing used to fund them, will have added about $1 trillion to the national debt."
White House spokeswoman Dana Perino refused Monday to dispute the numbers contained in the piece.
"I don't know exactly where he gets all of it," she said. "I think that some of the things that he looks into in terms of veterans care, that we're going to take care of our veterans in the future -- absolutely, those types of things have to be included, but it's very hard to anticipate, depending on conditions on the ground and circumstances, how much the war is going to cost."
Modern equipment for U.S. soldiers, with technology that saves lives, is expensive, she noted.
"I don't think anybody is arguing that our men and women who are out there on the battlefield shouldn't have access to the MRAP [mine resistant ambush protected] vehicles," she said. "Those vehicles are very, very expensive. But they have helped save lives and prevent injuries. And that's just one example of the many things that we are spending money on."
Morrell noted the Pentagon still has a $105 billion war request for Iraq and Afghanistan pending in Congress.
"We here in this building are certainly doing our part to try to calculate as best we can, for the Congress, for the American people, what we think this is going to cost, even as the Congress has failed to provide us with the money we need to fight the war," he said.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada also addressed the piece in his floor remarks on the budget Monday.
"Seven years into the Bush administration, tax breaks for big business and the super-wealthy have combined with a $12 billion per month war in Iraq and cuts to investments in our workforce and infrastructure to create a budget deficit of more than $400 billion and a national debt that has grown by $3 trillion," Reid said. "The result? An economy that is failing millions of American families." E-mail to a friend
All About Afghanistan War • Iraq WarDear Reader, As you can imagine, more people are reading The Jerusalem Post than ever before. Nevertheless, traditional business models are no longer sustainable and high-quality publications, like ours, are being forced to look for new ways to keep going. Unlike many other news organizations, we have not put up a paywall. We want to keep our journalism open and accessible and be able to keep providing you with news and analysis from the frontlines of Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish World.
"The moment waits for you.” This is a rabbinic account of God’s words to Moses and the Israelites as they stood at the Sea of Reeds stuck, for the longest ticking seconds of their lives. The sea was at their feet and the Egyptian soldiers behind them.
The moment waits for you.
What an astonishing sentence. Each second, each millisecond, is an opportunity to change the world, to bring redemption. It was up to Moses and the people to move forward, to shake the hold that fear had on them and part the sea, to claim a covenant with God and determine a future not only unlike but the very opposite of Egypt’s narrow, rigid, self-protective fear.Too often we, the Jewish people, have stood at that precipice, pursuers at our backs, the wild waters of an unknown future at our feet. I do not need to enumerate our history here, from Assyria through those who would destroy our modern State of Israel – even the “soft” yet hateful pursuit against us though international bodies and BDS-type movements.Yet, this Passover, I want to grab the moment that, in fact, does wait for us. To imagine at this moment a future devoid of the forces of cruel rigidity that choose, or perhaps by strange perverse habit, seek to destroy us.Imagining that moment demands courage and risk-taking. It means refusing to allow the world’s hard-heartedness to tempt us to make our hearts closed, like Pharaoh’s – believing that rigidity keeps us safe. Like a protective cocoon, we must shed that rigidity or we will die, physically and spiritually. Because at a certain point the moment that waits might offer an illusion of safety that is, in reality, the opposite of safety. Being Jewish, I believe, is about the courage that Nahshon had when he immersed himself in the waters, trusting that God would meet him halfway and part the sea – the courage of a people moving forward with strange new food, with thunder and lightning, with an unknown Torah as our guide.I fear that, finally through the watery sea and the dry desert and millennia of roaming, we have lost that courage and instead define ourselves by the religious cocoon made up of essential yet unchallenging mitzvot, the ones that do not scare us.And we not only avoid but demonize the mitzvot that do scare us, that demand the faith that God will meet us halfway, will part the seas of dark mystery and ironically self-defeating caution.We wrap ourselves in kashrut and Shabbat and holidays and prayer and other risk-free religious acts as if there is (excuse the mixed traditions) a platonic ideal of each. If only we can make each Shabbat “perfect”! If only we can make the kashrut of all our food “perfect”! If only we can have a flawlessly clean house for Passover with nary a crumb, then... then what? No! That is the rigidity of a Pharaoh-like heart, if they become ends in themselves and not ways to orient ourselves to Sinai, to partner with God in building a world of courage and compassion.Let us follow the courage of the daughter of Pharaoh, who cared for the vulnerable baby Moses despite the naysayers. After all, “to adopt” is la’ametz, alef-mem-tzadi, which is the word for courageous strength. Adopting a child is an act of strength, a challenging mitzva. If we have the courage to make a family, including through adoption, don’t we believe that God will meet us? Let this Passover mark our freedom from fear, and the false self-protection that binds us, still, to Pharaoh. Let us not only remember that we were strangers in a strange land, but demand action from that memory.If Passover is not an end in itself (“My house is so clean! I’m done!”), but a holy vessel, then does it not point to a better world – one of courageous redemption for the orphan and the stranger alike? The moment waits for us.The writer, a rabbi, lives in Jerusalem. She works on behalf of asylum seekers in Israel and for permanent, loving families for all children through adoption. She is the author of Casting Lots: Creating a Family in a Beautiful, Broken World (Da Capo Press) and the director of Second Nurture (communityadoption.org).
Join Jerusalem Post Premium Plus now for just $5 and upgrade your experience with an ads-free website and exclusive content. Click here>>Image caption Eight carriages were derailed by the impact
Ten people have been killed and more than 70 injured in a train collision in southern India, police said.
Officials said the crash happened when a passenger train hit a stationary train in Tamil Nadu near Arakkonam in Vellore district late on Tuesday.
Eight coaches were derailed and three were completely damaged in the incident, reports said.
Accidents are common on the state-owned Indian railways, an immense network connecting every corner of the country.
It operates 9,000 passenger trains and carries some 18 million passengers every day.
It was not immediately known how many people were on board the two trains. Emergency teams have been sent to the accident site.
Investigations are on to find out whether the incident was caused by a signalling error or whether the driver of the suburban train had ignored a signal.
Officials said that a suburban train travelling between Chennai (Madras) Beach and Vellore collided into a stationary passenger train that was waiting for signal at the Chitheri station.
Some people are still believed to be trapped in the carriages, officials say.
This is the fourth serious rail accident in India since July.
Last month, at least three people were killed and 200 injured in a train collision in West Bengal.
In July, at least 69 people were killed and almost 250 injured when a passenger train derailed in Uttar Pradesh.
A week before the derailment, 38 people died in Uttar Pradesh when a train hit a bus carrying a wedding party.A lawsuit filed Monday against the Seminole County School Board alleges teachers and administrators didn't do enough to prevent the bullying that led to a 14-year-old's suicide at a Lake Mary middle school last year.
Lamar Hawkins III, of Sanford, killed himself with his father's gun in a Greenwood Lakes Middle School bathroom stall on Sept. 10, 2014.
During the lawsuit announcement on Monday, attorney Matt Morgan said Lamar went missing for hours and school officials didn't go looking for him — even after another student found a spent gun shell casing in the school's bathroom and reported it to a teacher.
Lamar's family reported him missing after his mother went to the school to pick him up about 5 p.m. and he was nowhere to be found. Deputies found Lamar in the bathroom with a gunshot wound to his head about 11 p.m.
Lamar's family is suing the School Board for negligent supervision, negligent failure to adequately discipline bullies and negligent failure to supervise and account for Lamar's absence before his death.
"We know that just days before he took his life at school that he was literally slapped out of his chair during an altercation," Morgan told reporters at a press conference Monday.
"He took his life at school to send a message, and the message was clear," Morgan continued: " 'These bullies drove me to this point so I will commit this act on school grounds so that they know they did this to me.' "
Walt Griffin, the superintendent of Seminole County Public Schools, released the following comment about the lawsuit via email on Monday.
"I will not comment on litigation matters, " he said, "but the School Board will vigorously defend Greenwood Lakes Middle Schools, its administrators and staff regarding this incident."
After Lamar's death, investigators said the gun the eighth grader used to shoot himself belonged to his father, Lamar Hawkins Sr.
A report released by the Seminole County Sheriff's Office in February said the boy's father, Lamar Hawkins Sr., kept the 40-caliber Smith and Wesson pistol locked in a gun box in his bedroom closet.
The day Lamar shot himself, his father mistakenly grabbed his wife's keys when he left the house — leaving the key to the gun box at home.
Lamar didn't leave behind a suicide note. Friends, teachers and family members said Lamar never talked about suicide.
According to the Sanford family, years of bullying led to Lamar's suicide. Because health complications stunted his growth — he was about 4 feet, 5 inches — Lamar became an easy target for bullies.
At the time, Seminole County Public School officials referenced the School Board's comprehensive bullying policy which, they said, is fully enforced in all of their schools.
The School Board's policy manual defines bullying and cyberbullying as unwanted and repeated written, verbal or physical behavior that is systematically used to inflict physical hurt or distress on another student.
After dozens of interviews, Sheriff's Office investigators found that Lamar and his twin sister were picked on and called names but that they were not physically harmed except for a lunch room fight two days before Lamar's suicide involving Lamar and another student.
Morgan said he has received hundreds of phone calls from parents in the area and nationally, complaining that their children have also been bullied at school.
He added that a few parents of students at Greenwood Lakes Middle School also called about bullying at their school.
"It appeared to me that there is a big problem at that school," Morgan said about Greenwood Lakes Middle School. That was my opinion as a result of the conversations I had with these parents."
twalden@orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-5620
Rene Stutzman contributed to this story.Good on Open Carry Texas for setting things right. You can find the statement here:
For all further open carry walks with long guns, we are adopting the following unified protocol and general policy to best ensure meeting our respective legislative mission to legalize open carry: Always notify local law enforcement prior to the walk, especially the day of. Carry Flags and signs during your walk to increase awareness. Carry the long gun on a sling, not held. Do not go into corporate businesses without prior permission, preferably not at all. If asked to leave, do so quietly and do not make it a problem. Do not post pics publicly if you do get permission and are able to OC in a cooperate business. Do not go into businesses with TABC signs posted with a long gun (Ever). If at all possible, keep to local small businesses that are 2A friendly.
I think if people follow these new guidelines, we won’t have any problems form here on out. I still question the value of the overall tactic, but I’m mostly concerned about stopping the bleeding, and I think this should accomplish that. Now hopefully people will listen.
I’d also note that any time I offer criticism of other gun rights advocates or groups, there’s always one or two people who try to argue that arguing with each other is counterproductive, and only helps the antis. I agree that can sometimes be the case with petty bickering, but in cases where tactics put the image of the movement is at risk, and our opponents become energized and emboldened, I think it’s important to speak out. This shows that speaking out can work. Shame is a powerful motivator.
Hat Tip to Bob Owens, who notes this probably won’t be good news for Shannon Watts.UK finance minister George Osborne presented his first budget since the Conservatives won the UK general election last May. Most readers of my blog who are not British may not find this interesting. But in some ways it is. That’s because the UK budget reveals the economic and ideological beliefs of a pro-capitalist government as it looks out towards the end of this decade.
This was a blatant big business budget. Taxes are being cut for capital, while they are being raised for labour. Taxes rates for corporations, already the lowest among the G7 economies, are to be cut further; companies will be able to invest up to £250,000 a year and set it off against tax; and special levies on banks are being reduced. And those who own expensive properties and have significant financial wealth are having inheritance tax reduced. Next year will see the largest privatisation proceeds of state assets (state equity in public banks sold at a loss) in a single year ever, over £10 billion higher in real terms than the previous record in 1987-89.
These corporate tax reductions according to Tax Research are worth £28bn over five years, along with a large reduction in local council tax for companies (George Osborne’s £27.8 billion give away to business). And this is at a time when hidden subsidies, direct grants and tax breaks to big business already amount to £93bn a year, or £3,500 per UK household, according to a new report by Kevin Farnsworth of York University. This shows that British governments spend more on grants and loans to big business than they raise in corporate profit taxes. And direct grants to business (big ones) are larger than the planned cuts in welfare
(http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/jul/07/corporate-welfare-a-93bn-handshake).
And we are not even talking about tax avoidance and evasion on an industrial scale.
On the other hand, Osborne aims to cut ‘welfare’ benefits by £12bn over the next five years in order stop ‘scroungers’ and force people into work. But the reality is that most of these benefits go to people who are already in work but earn so little that they need state aid to survive in order to pay their rent, utility bills and bring up their children. Yet tax credits for the ‘working poor’ are being cut savagely; and a range of tax increases are being made on insurance premiums, cars etc. All this hits the less well-paid. Working-age benefits are to be frozen for four years. Allowances for rents in social housing are to be reduced by 1% a year over next four years, while the government plans to sell off such housing. The last vestiges of student grants are to be scrapped in favour of loans.
Public sector employment will be reduced further and a pay limit of 1% a year for public sector workers will be imposed for the next four years. Given that inflation is expected to rise at 2% a year, that will mean millions of public sector workers will have experienced a sharp drop in living standards for over ten years.
The announcement of what Osborne called a compulsory national living wage of £7.20 an hour rising to over £9 an hour by 2020, or a rise of 6% a year, is supposedly to compensate for the loss of income caused by the welfare cuts on working poor. But it applies only to over 25s. If you are starting work at 18 years, you don’t get paid this ‘living wage’ for seven years! So millions will take a hit. For example, according to the independent Office for Budget Responsibility, after taking into account the new living wage and the cuts in tax credits and other benefits, an out of work couple with children, living outside London, will lose 28% of their income!
The budget thus achieves a clear shift of incomes from labour to capital, the aim of any pro-capitalist government, namely to boost profitability. The Conservative government reckons that by doing so the British capitalist economy can achieve sustained economic growth through rising business investment and productivity, freed from the burden of taxes and a ‘bloated’ public sector through ‘balanced budgets’. “We are giving businesses the lower taxes they need to grow with confidence. Britain is open for business.” Osborne.
But can it? Osborne boasted that the UK economy was the fastest growing of the top seven capitalist economies in 2014 at 2.8% real GDP growth. And that the UK economy was now larger than before the 2008 Great Recession began (at last). Business investment was rising, employment was up hugely, with an influx of immigrants mainly from southern Europe and real wages were now rising as inflation drops to zero.
No doubt these developments helped to convince enough in the general election that things were improving (see my post, https://thenextrecession.wordpress.com/2015/04/30/economic-well-being-and-the-uk-election/). But this story hides the reality that the UK has had one of slowest recoveries of all the major economies since the end of Great Recession in 2009; that real wages for the average household fell further and for longer than at any time since the Great Depression of the 1930s. British households are still £500 a year in real terms worse off than before the financial crisis in 2008. Real GDP may have surpassed the 2008 peak but net national income per head has not.
Budget deficits and public debt run up, as a result of bailing out the banks and from the Great Recession, remain near post-war highs. Osborne’s government is still running a budget deficit of 4.2% of GDP, much higher than that of Greece and the public sector debt to GDP ratio has doubled since 2008 and will still be rising this year. Given the poor export performance of British industry, the UK economy runs the biggest ‘twin deficit’ (current and budget accounts) in the G7.
But the key question is productivity. Sustained economic growth depends on two factors: more employment and higher productivity per worker. Up to now, it is the former that has delivered growth since 2010 in the UK. Osborne recognises though that there will be a limit to this employment growth. Eventually a tight labour market could induce rising wages and labour costs and then increased productivity will be necessary to maintain profitability and growth. And UK productivity up to now has been truly awful.
The latest official figures last week showed productivity, measured as output per hour, picked up in the opening months of this year. But the remarkable absence of productivity growth in the seven years since 2007, has left output per hour 15% below where it would have been if pre-crisis trends had continued.
So Osborne wants to raise productivity and this is to be done by incentives to big business to invest. He also plans to try and increase the skills of the workforce through more apprenticeships, but levying the very companies that are supposed to agree to higher minimum wages and invest given lower corporate taxes.
And when we analyse the rise in business investment since 2010, we find that most of the increase has been in ‘real estate’ purchases and there has been no rise at all in hi-tech investment. As Chris Dillow has pointed out (http://stumblingandmumbling.typepad.com/), for every pound UK banks lend to manufacturers, they lend almost £36 to home-buyers: £35.3bn vs £1264.8bn in 2014.
So far, UK businesses have invested not in productive capital that could boost productivity and sustain economic growth and rising living standards but in speculative non-productive capital. Profitability has improved as a result, although it is still below levels before the crisis.
Can Osborne’s corporate handouts, to be paid for by a reduction in the living standards of the working poor and the vulnerable, work to put British capitalism on the road to sustained health? The evidence is not there so far.
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“On October 7, Mexican marines swooped in on one of the most powerful men in organised crime. But as the navy triumphantly announced the death of Heriberto Lazcano, leader of the Zetas gang, there was puzzlement over where he had been found. Far from the Zeta’s strongholds and practically unprotected, he had been watching a baseball game in the small mining village of Progreso.
Theories abounded as to what exactly Lazcano had been doing in Progreso, a one horse town in the wide open spaces of the sorthern state of Coahuila. Humberto Moreira, ex-governor of Coahuila says that he has the answer: ‘Heriberto Lazcano changed from being a killer, kidnapper and drug dealer to something still more lucrative: mining coal. That’s why he lived in the coal region, in a little village called Progreso.’
Speaking to Al Jazeera, Moreira says that the Zetas gang is fast discovering that illegal mining is an even more lucrative venture than drug running.”
Source:Mexican drug gangs dig into mining industry – Features – Al Jazeera EnglishHello folks,
I know its been a while since the last update on the status of the CADMAN CHALLENGE.
So here it is,
within the first 4 months of the youtube channel, 2 challenges were uploaded in the form of some 10 ish videos. These videos were uploaded 2 months after the channel’s creation.
Views started coming in somewhere around the 4th month which was september (the first being june). Mind you, the CADMAN CHALLENGE pc currently in use was down due to hard drive failure (OUCH!). But nevertheless we pushed through, and by december of 2015 (the 7th month), views really started coming in.
Now, when the 5th challenge was uploaded (Solidworks Concept Mech Robot), the channel nearly instantaneously gained some 150 ish views. It happened overnight all due to that one video of a model that was not even complete, it only showed the head of the robot and nothing more, not even shoulders (which are there now, an updated video upload is on its way btw).
So by then the channel had acquired a mere 500 ish views, and that was great and all, but then the channel grew to about a thousand views by january 2016 (the 8th month). So 5 months into this year, today may 14th 2016, the channel has nearly 2500 views plus 16 subscribers along with a growing network of visitors, engineers, artists, and social media which continue to improve over time.
So yes, I am aware that 2500 views on a youtube channel doesnt really mean much but when you think about it, there was no CADMAN CHALLENGE a year ago, the pc was crap, the CADMAN was broke, and all that mattered was this idea which we now have with us. Please note that of the first two challenges, one video has really been gaining massive views for the channel. The CADMAN’s Pride and joy:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvfKrqCpjkI
I am beginning to see how as we get closer to that 1 year aniversary date, the channel’s rate of growth is accelerating. Also keep in mind, that although you dont know it yet there are a wide variety of projects which have been started within this year and are nearly ready to be shared soon through the CADMAN CHALLENGE.
I want to thank everyone who has supported the channel and who has visited the channel, liked the videos, commented, shared, participated in projects, advised me, and overall just supported the massive effort I put forth on a lonely super hot hopeless day one year ago. Thank you, and lets keep it going.
From your friendly neighborhood CADMAN, THANK YOU!(Reuters) - In September 2014, Gilberto Velasquez, a 38-year-old house painter from El Salvador, received life-changing news: The U.S. government had decided to shelve its deportation action against him.
The move was part of a policy change initiated by then-President Barack Obama in 2011 to pull back from deporting immigrants who had formed deep ties in the United States and whom the government considered no threat to public safety. Instead, the administration would prioritize illegal immigrants who had committed serious crimes.
Last month, things changed again for the painter, who has lived in the United States illegally since 2005 and has a U.S.-born child. He received news that the government wanted to put his deportation case back on the court calendar, citing another shift in priorities, this time by President Donald Trump.
The Trump administration has moved to reopen the cases of hundreds of illegal immigrants who, like Velasquez, had been given a reprieve from deportation, according to government data and court documents reviewed by Reuters and interviews with immigration lawyers.
Trump signaled in January that he planned to dramatically widen the net of illegal immigrants targeted for deportation, but his administration has not publicized its efforts to reopen immigration cases.
It represents one of the first concrete examples of the crackdown promised by Trump and is likely to stir fears among tens of thousands of illegal immigrants who thought they were safe from deportation.
While cases were reopened during the Obama administration as well, it was generally only if an immigrant had committed a serious crime, immigration attorneys say. The Trump administration has sharply increased the number of cases it is asking the courts to reopen, and its targets appear to include at least some people who have not committed any crimes since their cases were closed.
Between March 1 and May 31, prosecutors moved to reopen 1,329 cases, according to a Reuters' analysis of data from the Executive Office of Immigration Review, or EOIR. The Obama administration filed 430 similar motions during the same period in 2016.
Infographic ID: '2s8csUZ'
Jennifer Elzea, a spokeswoman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, confirmed the agency was now filing motions with immigration courts to reopen cases where illegal immigrants had “since been arrested for or convicted of a crime.”
It is not possible to tell from the EOIR data how many of the cases the Trump administration is seeking to reopen involve immigrants who committed crimes after their cases were closed.
Attorneys interviewed by Reuters say indeed some of the cases being reopened are because immigrants were arrested for serious crimes, but they are also seeing cases involving people who haven’t committed crimes or who were cited for minor violations, like traffic tickets.
“This is a sea change, said attorney David Leopold, former president of the American Immigration Lawyers Association. “Before, if someone did something after the case was closed out that showed that person was a threat, then it would be reopened. Now they are opening cases just because they want to deport people.”
Elzea said the agency reviews cases, “to see if the basis for prosecutorial discretion is still appropriate.”
POLICY SHIFTS
After Obama announced his shift toward targeting illegal immigrants who had committed serious crimes, prosecutors embraced their new discretion to close cases.
FILE PHOTO - A U.S. border patrol agent escorts men being detained after entering the United States by crossing the Rio Grande river from Mexico, in Roma, Texas, U.S. on May 11, 2017. REUTERS/Carlos Barria/File Photo
Between January 2012 and Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20, the government shelved some 81,000 cases, according to Reuters’ data analysis. These so-called “administrative closures” did not extend full legal status to those whose cases were closed, but they did remove the threat of imminent deportation.
Trump signed an executive order overturning the Obama-era policy on Jan. 25. Under the new guidelines, while criminals remain the highest priority for deportation, anyone in the country illegally is a potential target.
In cases reviewed by Reuters, the administration explicitly cited Trump's executive order in 30 separate motions as a reason to put the immigrant back on the court docket. (For a link to an excerpted document: tmsnrt.rs/2sI6aby)
Since immigration cases aren’t generally public, Reuters was able to review only cases made available by attorneys.
In the 32 reopened cases examined by Reuters:
—22 involved immigrants who, according to their attorneys, had not been in trouble with the law since their cases were closed.
—Two of the cases involved serious crimes committed after their cases were closed: domestic violence and driving under the influence.
—At least six of the cases involved minor infractions, including speeding after having unpaid traffic tickets, or driving without a valid license, according to the attorneys.
In Velasquez’s case, for example, he was cited for driving without a license in Tennessee, where illegal immigrants cannot get licenses, he said.
“I respect the law and just dedicate myself to my work,” he said. “I don’t understand why this is happening.”
Motions to reopen closed cases have been filed in 32 states, with the highest numbers in California, Florida and Virginia, according to Reuters’ review of EOIR data. The bulk of the examples reviewed by Reuters were two dozen motions sent over the span of a couple days by the New Orleans ICE office.
PUMPKIN SEED ARREST
Sally Joyner, an immigration attorney in Memphis, Tennessee said one of her Central American clients, who crossed the border with her children in 2013, was allowed to stay in the United States after the government filed a motion to close her case in December 2015.
Since crossing the border, the woman has not been arrested or had trouble with law enforcement, said Joyner, who asked that her client’s name not be used because of the pending legal action.
Nevertheless, on March 29, ICE filed a two-page motion to reopen the case against the woman and her children. When Joyner queried ICE, an official said the agency had been notified that her client had a criminal history in El Salvador, according to documents seen by Reuters.
The woman had been arrested for selling pumpkin seeds as an unauthorized street vendor. Government documents show U.S. authorities knew about the arrest before her case was closed.
FILE PHOTO - A U.S. border patrol agent detains a man after entering the United States by crossing the Rio Grande river from Mexico, in Roma, Texas, U.S. on May 11, 2017. REUTERS/Carlos Barria/File Photo
Dana Marks, president of the National Association of Immigration Judges, said that revisiting previously closed matters will add to a record backlog of 580,000 pending immigration cases.
“If we have to go back and review all of those decisions that were already made, it clearly generates more work,” she said. “It’s a judicial do-over.”Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Mariano Rajoy strongly opposes an independence referendum being held in the Spanish region of Catalonia
The Spanish prime minister has suggested that an independent Scotland would have to apply to become a member of the EU from the outside.
Mariano Rajoy said that if a "region" opted to leave a member state, then it would "remain outside the European Union".
It would then require the agreement of all 28 EU members before it was allowed to join, he said.
The Scottish government aims to negotiate entry from within the EU.
This would be done in the 18 months between a Yes vote and formal secession from the UK, it has said.
We have detailed a process which will see Scotland negotiate its position as an independent member of the European Union from within Scottish government spokesman
Speaking at a media conference during a summit with French president Francois Hollande, Mr Rajoy said: "I do not know the White Paper presented by the Scottish president (sic).
"I would like that the consequences of that secession be presented with realism to Scots.
"Citizens have the right to be well informed and particularly when it's about taking decisions like this one.
"I respect all the decisions taken by the British, but I know for sure that a region that would separate from a member state of the European Union would remain outside the European Union and that should be known by the Scots and the rest of the European citizens".
His stance appeared to echo the official position of the European Union.
However, Mr Rajoy did not say he would seek to block an independent Scotland's subsequent entry to the EU.
The BBC's Tom Burridge, in Madrid, said the Spanish prime minister's comments were being seen as an implicit warning to the Spanish region of Catalonia, whose autonomous government wants to hold a vote on independence.
Mr Rajoy strongly opposes having an independence referendum in Catalonia, in north-eastern Spain.
But the Catalan government says it plans to announce the date of its referendum, and the question it will put to Catalan voters, before the end of this year.
Analysis This was a calculated move by Spain's Prime Minister. Mariano Rajoy had prepared his answer. Pro-independence Catalans have, in the past, tried to use the case of Scotland to their advantage: How can Spain deny Catalans a referendum, when David Cameron is willing to grant the Scots a vote on independence from Britain? So Mariano Rajoy is fighting-back, with an argument which the political right in Spain, and his government, have used on numerous occasions about Catalonia in the past. This time though, Mr Rajoy wanted to be clear about the principle at stake, so he spoke about Scotland: A new independent state, would NOT automatically gain entry into the EU. All 28 member states, including Mr Rajoy's government, would have to approve that state's entry into the club. No, Mr Rajoy did not say that he would block a request for entry into the EU by an independent Scotland further down the line. But implicit was a warning: Don't assume you have our support. Of course, the idea of Spain blocking an independent Scotland's entry into the EU would be hugely controversial, and it's a situation that Mariano Rajoy is hoping won't arise. But don't disregard how passionate a section of Spain's political right feels about the issue of national unity. This was a very divided country in the, not too distant, past. Mr Rajoy is under real pressure from people in his own, broad right-wing party. And then there's the fact that the situation in Catalonia is far more uncertain than that of Scotland. Spain's government refuses to even negotiate the idea of a referendum, but Catalonia's government is pushing on regardless. They plan to announce details on their vote, also planned for 2014, before the end of this year. With the two sides so divided, the two governments, one regional and one national, in Barcelona and Madrid are in a fierce fight for international support, reminiscent of a Clasico derby between the two giants of Spanish football. Both know that, with the situation at loggerheads, what happens in Scotland could play a larger impact on the question of Catalonia, rather than the other way round. Perhaps that's why, when I called last night, a delegation of the Catalan government, |
basis of amity, equality, mutual respect and cooperation… to elevate the level and intensity of bilateral exchanges between the two countries.”
The bulk of the Joint Statement focused on the South China Sea and expressed concern “over the ongoing massive land reclamation activities that pose threats to the peace and stability in the region as well as to the lives of many people across the various coastal states.” Del Rosario and Minh agreed that the “concerned Parties” should adhere to the ASEAN-China Declaration on Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, conclude a Code of Conduct, exercise restraint, and resolve disputes peacefully in accord with international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
It appears likely that a formal strategic partnership agreement could be reached this year. Del Rosario noted that the strategic partnership with Vietnam would be the Philippines’ third after the United States and Japan.
The Philippines and the U.S. became treaty allies in 1951. In 2011, the Philippines and Japan upgraded their bilateral ties to a strategic partnership. In late 2014, the Philippines and South Korea initiated discussions on a comprehensive strategic partnership.
Vietnam has already negotiated thirteen strategic partnership agreements. Its first agreement was with the Russian Federation in 2001. This was followed by agreements with Japan (2006), India (2007), China (2008), South Korea and Spain (2009), the United Kingdom (2010), and Germany (2011). In 2013, Vietnam negotiated an additional five strategic partnership agreements with Italy, France, Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand. Vietnam’s on-going negotiations with the Philippines represent a determined diplomatic effort to shore up Vietnam’s relations with fellow members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
Vietnam and the Philippines established diplomatic relations in 1976 and initiated a series of high-level exchanges two years later. Three Vietnamese prime ministers (Pham Van Dong, Vo Van Kiet, and Nguyen Tan Dung) and two presidents (Le Duc Anh and Tran Duc Luong) visited the Philippines between 1978 and 2007. Four Filipino presidents (Fidel Ramos, Joseph Estrada, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Aquino) visited Vietnam in 1994, 1998, 2002 and 2010, respectively.
In 1994, the two sides set up a Joint Committee on Economics, Science, and Technology as the initial framework for bilateral relations. This evolved into a Bilateral Cooperation Committee that held its seventh meeting in Mania in late July/early August 2013. The eighth meeting is scheduled for Hanoi in 2015.
The year 2002 marked a turning point. During President Arroyo’s visit to Hanoi the two sides approved a Framework on Bilateral Cooperation in the First Quarter of the 21st Century and Beyond. Bilateral relations were put under the framework of the five-year Plan of Action (2007-10) adopted in November 2002.
Growing Chinese assertiveness in the South China Sea in recent years has led to a growing convergence of strategic interests between Manila and Hanoi. For example, in October 2010, Vietnam and the Philippines signed a Memorandum of Understanding on defense cooperation.
In 2011, Vietnam’s President Truong Tan Sang paid an official visit to the Philippines. Sang and Aquino agreed to enhance information sharing and cooperation between their two navies and to establish a hotline between their coast guards. A second Philippines-Vietnam Plan of Action was adopted for the 2011-16 period that covered thirteen areas of cooperation.
In 2013 Vietnam’s Minister of National Defense visited Manila for the first time. In March last year the two countries held their first navy-to-navy staff talks and agreed to increase exchanges in sharing intelligence, naval technology and training. In June, Vietnam hosted “goodwill games” with Filipino military personnel on Southwest Cay, and in November two Vietnamese navy frigates paid their first port call to Manila.
In December 2014, Vietnam filed a statement of interest with the Permanent Court of Arbitration implicitly backing the Philippines’ claims against China over territorial claims in the South China Sea.
The “China factor” was also evident during the visit to the Philippines by Vietnam’s prime minister in May 2014. After talks between Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and President Aquino, Dung declared:
“The two sides are determined to oppose China’s violations (in the South China Sea) and called on countries and the international community to strongly condemn China and demanding China to immediately end its above said violations and fully, strictly, observe international law.”
The two government leaders reaffirmed that maritime cooperation was a pillar of bilateral ties. They therefore agreed to continue regular exchanges through their Joint Committee on Sea and Ocean Cooperation and the Group of Legal Experts on Marine Issues. The two leaders renewed their commitment to carry out existing agreements on defense and security and step up cooperation between their logistics and defense industry agencies. They also agreed to accelerate negotiations on an Extradition Agreement.
Aquino and Dung identified future areas of cooperation including: trade, finance, banking and services, fisheries, marine science research, hydrometeorology, marine environment protection, health, science and technology, tourism, culture, education, and people-to-people exchanges. Finally, Aquino and Dung agreed to set up a Joint Working Committee charged with drawing up a road map for an agreement on a strategic partnership. Their respective foreign ministers were assigned to co-chair this committee.
In November 2014, Presidents Aquino and Sang met on the sidelines of the 22nd Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders’ Summit in Beijing. They agreed to convene the first meeting of the Joint Commission on Concluding a Strategic Partnership.
The Philippine-Vietnam strategic partnership currently is a work in progress. Both sides reportedly are trying to reach common ground on what should be included in a strategic partnership agreement. According to two staffers at the Philippines’ Foreign Service Institute:
“The term strategic partnership is oftentimes a misunderstood concept as it is equated to a security-orientated agreement between two states, directed at certain parties or states. It is, in fact, an elevation of bilateral exchanges between two states that creates room for bilateral strategic dialogue mechanisms that are conducted at the ministerial-level. It is comprehensive and includes economic, functional and socio-cultural cooperation.”
The two authors sounded a note of caution in their conclusions:
“The Philippines’ basis for strategic partners is not merely convergent positions on strategic issues but also shared values and principles, which means a strategic partnership cannot be agreed upon on the basis of expediency. Vietnam and the Philippines need to further thresh this issue out or the proposed strategic partnership will be shallow and cannot be implemented when the diplomatic winds change.”
Philippine Foreign Ministry spokesperson Charles Jose noted at a press briefing on February 3 that the strategic partnership agreement was important because the Philippines and Vietnam “share common concerns in this region, especially when it comes to the South China Sea issue.” Rose identified this shared concern as “one of the moving forces” behind the planned partnership.
Both sides, however, want to broaden cooperation in order to avoid the appearance that the strategic partnership is a military pact by another name. Del Rosario stated, for example, “We believe a strategic partnership enhances the cooperation on a comprehensive basis.”
Areas of cooperation likely to be included in strategic partnership agreement include: agriculture, culture, diplomacy, economics, education, finance, investment, maritime security, marine environmental protection, oil spill preparedness search, people-to-people exchanges, political affairs, security, search and rescue, tourism and trade.
Currently there is not much depth to bilateral relations. For example, in 2009, foreign investment from the Philippines totaled $300 million in 43 projects, placing the Philippines 26th on Vietnam’s investment ladder. In 2001, there were only 500 Vietnamese students studying in the Philippines.
Two-way trade grew impressively from a low level of $541 million in 2000 to $2.2 billion in 2008. Vietnam’s exports of rice, ranging from 1.5 to 2 billion tons a year, form a central component of the trade relationship. But between 2008 and 2014, bilateral trade rose to only $2.8 billion. In January this year, the two foreign ministers agreed to reactivate a bilateral trade cooperation sub-committee to draft measures to raise two-way trade to a modest $3 billion by 2016.
Vietnam’s strategic partnership agreements include a clause on defense and security cooperation. The Philippines-Vietnam strategic partnership agreement very likely will have a defense and security clause with provisions for high-level defense visits, staff exchanges, naval goodwill port calls, information sharing, and joint training, exercises and naval patrols.
A Philippine Navy officer told Reuters, “We already have joint training and exercises with the U.S. military every year and we are looking forward to hold exercises with the Vietnamese navy.
According to Michaela Del Callar, when the Philippines and Vietnam reach agreement on a strategic partnership this will send “a signal that smaller claimant countries can bond together to increase their clout and collective strength in confronting China’s increasing assertion of its territorial claim in the South China Sea.”
Michael Mazza, a Research Fellow in Foreign and Defense Policies Studies at the American Enterprise Institute, argues that a Philippines-Vietnam strategic partnership will raise two concerns in Beijing. First, a strategic partnership agreement will suggest to other South China Sea claimants “that they really could hammer out a deal if not for Chinese bellicosity. If Vietnam and the Philippines, two countries that have a substantial maritime territorial dispute, can carry out joint naval patrols, then disputes are no reason for rival maritime forces to constantly be at odds.”
Secondly, “a Vietnam-Philippines condominium could curtail Chinese freedom of action in the South China Sea,” Mazza argues. Manila and Hanoi could share maritime surveillance and reconnaissance information to better prepare for Chinese provocations, and perhaps deter China by depriving it of the element of surprise.
Closer defense and security cooperation between the Philippines and Vietnam, especially in the maritime domain, possibly could encourage the United States to participate in trilateral exercises. Vietnam could seek to leverage off the recently inaugurated U.S. Poseidon surveillance flights from the Philippines, for example.
If Japan decides to conduct reconnaissance flights over the South China Sea, quadrilateral cooperation in maritime domain awareness and security could result.
A future Philippines-Vietnam strategic partnership could serve as the basis for promoting multilateral maritime security cooperation in the South China Sea.by STAFF | Mar 13, 2013 12:15 pm
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Posted to: Ansonia, Derby, Oxford, Seymour, Shelton
FOX CT apologized Wednesday for inadvertently airing creepy video close ups of breasts as B-roll during a report on Women’s Day at the state Capitol in Hartford.
The television station did not explain how the screw up happened, but the Huffington Post reported Wednesday FOX CT actually aired the footage twice.
The footage, featuring women wearing tank tops, immediately triggered “Are you kidding me?” reactions on social media.
The video, taken from a Facebook page, is below.
The Connecticut Chapter of the National Organization for Women (NOW) demanded an apology.
“Fox CT News, whether they intended to or not, has just inserted their organization into a culture war and sent the message that women should not be taken seriously. It is an insult to the female employees at Fox and to women throughout Connecticut,” the state’s NOW chapter said in a prepared statement.
The NOW statement also noted the TV news station has previous experience with gender discrimination allegations, a reference to a complaint lodged by a former news anchor who worked at the station.
Christine A. Palm, the communications director for the state’s Permanent Commission on the Status of Women, also lambasted FOX CT for the footage.
“We are appalled at the level of sexism this incident shows. It is an insult not only to the Permanent Commission on the Status of Women and to all who attended Women’s Day at the Capitol, which marked the PCSW’s 40-year battle against gender discrimination, but to women everywhere who are tired of being objectified,” Palm said.
“Anyone who doubts the existence of the ‘war on women’ need look no further than Fox News. We invite the executives at Fox to ask about our Sexual Harassment Awareness and Prevention trainings, which would help them and their staff learn a little more about what goes on above a woman’s shoulders.”
A message seeking comment was left Wednesday morning with Rich Graziano, the publisher, president and CEO of the Hartford Courant and the general manager at FOX CT.
FOX CT issued an apology Wednesday on its Facebook page:
“FOX CT apologizes for mistakenly airing inappropriate file footage in conjunction with this morning’s report on Women’s Day at the Connecticut State Capitol.
The video should never have aired. FOX CT will publicly apologize on today’s newscasts, as well as through our social media platforms.
We are also implementing procedures to keep this from happening in the future.
FOX CT is committed to recognizing and applauding the significant contributions of women, both in Connecticut and throughout the country.”
Here is video from Facebook showing a woman from Rockland County, N.Y. calling FOX CT to complain:NEW DELHI: Indian telecom giant Bharti Airtel has expanded its Voice over LTE ( VoLTE ) coverage by launching the service in Andhara Pradesh and Telangana states. VoLTE techology allows customers to make HD voice calls at faster call setup time without any additional charges.With Airtel VoLTE, in case of non-availability of 4G network, calls will automatically fall back on 3G/2G network to ensure that customers continue to stay connected at all times.“Having built a world-class 4G network across the two geographies, we are delighted to roll out Airtel VoLTE for our customers. With the increasing penetration of VoLTE enabled smartphones in the market, Airtel customers can add to their calling experience to go with high speed data on India’s best smartphone network,” said Venkatesh Vijayraghavan, Chief Executive Officer, Andhra Pradesh & Telangana, Bharti Airtel.Airtel VoLTE will allow the customers to experience HD quality voice calls and high speed data sessions in parallel.Every once in a while, an idea comes along that's so smart yet so simple that it's hard to believe it's not been done already. The best of these are often not new technologies, just a new way of using things we have already.
Whoever invented the helmet probably thought the same thing the first time a sword was swung at their head. More recently, the British neurosurgeon Sir Hugh Cairns was so moved by the death of his patient TE Lawrence, following a motorbike accident in 1935, that his subsequent research is credited with making that wartime headgear a legal requirement for motorcycling, saving untold lives over the years.
Motorcyclists are at least three times more likely to be in a fatal accident than anyone else on the road, according to the Department of Transport, so if there's something you can do to improve your odds of survival, why not do it?
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The first thing to look at is your riding. If you've been doing it for any length of time, you've probably picked up bad habits you're not even aware of. The problem is that when we do something a bit risky and get away with it, we'll do it again. Over time, this sneaks up on us in tiny increments until our perception of risk is so corrupted that we think we're safe doing things like filtering through stationary traffic at 30mph.
Yet even when your head's in the right place to ride, being aware of danger is little help when you can't get out the way in time. So bike maintenance is another layer in your defences. A quick glance over each week will give you an idea of what's likely to need fixing.
Once you're alert and your bike is ready to ride, you can make yourself easier to spot by wearing high-visibility gear, putting brighter bulbs in your headlights or sticking a louder exhaust on your ride, but they still rely on someone else being more careful with your life than you are.
After that, all that's left is your gear to keep you alive. Thanks to Cairns you'll be wearing at least a lid. You might even have a jacket and gloves, if you value your skin. But it makes sense to get all the armour you can afford and bear to wear. There are several types of rider airbags available from waistcoats, such as the Spidi DPS Neck and Dainese D-air Street, for several hundred quid, to jackets and one-piece racing suits, such as Alpinestar's Techair, which costs around £5,400.
Hopefully these precautions will keep you riding for as long as you want to, but if you do get into a serious scrape the speed help reaches you is critical to your chances. What if you're alone, on a quiet street late at night, or blasting down a country lane and no one's there to notice? One last piece of kit you'll probably have with you is a phone, in case of breakdowns. Now it could end up saving your life, even if you're too injured to use it.
The RealRider social network has developed an app that uses a smartphone's tilt and rotation sensors to tell if you'd had an accident. It then sends an alert to your phone, and if you don't or can't cancel it, it contacts the emergency services, who will dispatch an ambulance to your location using the phone's GPS co-ordinates. Just like Cairn's work, the real genius is in taking something we already have and putting it to a new use, making it safer to enjoy two wheels without robbing it of any excitement or costing a fortune.
It won't save you from your own or others' stupidity, it won't stop you getting hurt, but if you do get into an accident where you can't pick yourself up again, it could be what ultimately lets you live to ride another day.
The RealRider app is due to launch in Apple's App Store tomorrow and on Google Play this Saturday for a lifetime cost of £4.99.
Search for used carsThe Arab League and Egypt threw their weight behind Libya's rebels on Monday as opposition forces cornered Muammar Gadhafi's loyalists in their remaining strongholds in the capital Tripoli.
"Arab League chief Nabil Elaraby offers his full solidarity with the ongoing efforts under the leadership of the National Transitional Council," the Cairo-based League said a statement that was its first formal acknowledgement of the council.
Libyan rebel fighters gesture at the former female military base in Tripoli, LIbya, Monday, Aug. 22, 2011. AP
Egypt also said it backed the new Libyan leadership. "Egypt recognized the new system in Libya and its legitimate leadership represented in the Libyan National Transitional Council," Foreign Minister Mohamed Kamel Amr said in a statement.
Amr said the premises of Libya's permanent representative at the Arab League would be handed over to the national council. The Arab League suspended Libya's membership after Gadhafi's forces launched a bloody crackdown to try to stop an uprising spreading in the east of the country in February.
The League then backed a no-fly zone over Libya patrolled by mostly western powers, a historic move given Arab opposition to the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.
Since then the League has only sent medical aid to Libya and stopped short of formal dealings with the rebel council. That changed on Monday as rebel fighters captured most of the Libyan capital.
"This is a historic moment that marks a milestone in the history of the Libyan people. We hope the council's efforts are successful in leading the new phase and protecting the independence, sovereignty and integrity of Libyan lands," the League said.
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Egypt, which had around 1.5 million migrant workers in Libya before the conflict erupted, has so far avoided any official mention of the council -- in contrast to France, the United States and Britain which threw their
weight behind it early in the conflict.
The European Union said it was already planning for the post-Gadhafi administration of Libya following the rapid advance of rebel forces.By Shirley L Ng
AsAmNews New York Correspondent
Using the hashtag “#MySexyAsianMan, Vincent Yee of Boston wants to convince everyone that the stereotypes of Asian men are just untrue.
On this Valentine’s Day morning I discovered my friend put out a challenge on Facebook to all the women out there to explain, why their Asian man is “wonderful and sexy.”
“I only thought about this 7:30am this morning. It was like on a whim. In light of all the negative perceptions out there on Asian men and especially following what Steve Harvey said and then more recently what Chloe Bennet said about Asian men, I wanted to do something positive for my Asian brothers, ” Yee said in our interview.
Asian men seemingly tend to be seen as a geeks, not masculine, weak and just not sexy. But, we know Asian men are actually romantic, hot, athletic and strong.
In January, TV Host Steve Harvey caused an outrage on his show. On an episode about dating books, TV Host, Steve Harvey said offensive comments on national television, “’Excuse me, do you like Asian men?’ ‘No.’ ‘Thank you.” Harvey was quickly attacked on twitter and the public wanted him to resign. Huffington Post responded with a list of “21 Fine-As-Hell Asian Men Who Will Make You Swoon and Then Some.”
Women, how do you define your Asian man? Take up Yee’s challenge and don’t forget to use “#MySexyAsianMan” hashtag so that he’ll will be able to search for it on Facebook. The Prize is a $100 donation to your favorite non-profit, a win-win situation for everyone.
On the Facebook thread, one of Yee’s male friends wanted the contest to extend to men to do the same for Asian women.
Yee’s response, “For this particular writing contest, I want to hear from the women.”
Ladies, don’t wait! The deadline is February 17. Now let’s get hearing to how you define sexy in your Asian man!
AsAmNews has Asian America in its heart. We’re 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.Fox Hosts Hate Group FAIR To Debate Undocumented Immigrant Issue June 15, 2012 1:03 PM EDT ››› Blog ›››››› MELODY JOHNSON
In response to a Time magazine cover story by journalist Jose Antonio Vargas about how life changes after he and others revealed his or her status as an undocumented immigrant, Fox News hosted a member of the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), which has been designated a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC). Vargas, who has previously been the subject of Fox's scorn after he wrote an article last year revealing himself as an undocumented immigrant, wrote an article updating his status in a newly published issue of Time. The article details current struggles by people in Vargas' same situation -- where there is no available path to legal documentation. Vargas also details that "the long-stalled Dream Act is the best hope" for young people to gain a path to U.S. citizenship. Rather than host a measured discussion on the issues Vargas brought up, Fox & Friends turned to FAIR for a "fair and balanced" debate with immigration attorney Francisco Hernandez. According to the SPLC, "FAIR leaders have ties to white supremacist groups and eugenicists and have made many racist statements. Its advertisements have been rejected because of racist content." FAIR has even promoted people who make violent threats and vicious smears against immigrants. Today, FAIR media director Ira Mehlman kicked off the debate by saying "I think we've seen this in-your-face attitude before. Back in 2005 and 2006, you had hundreds of thousands of people marching in the streets of every major city in the United States demanding to be rewarded as a result of having broken the law." Attacks on undocumented immigrants such as these were a staple of the 2006 right-wing campaign against immigration reform.
Mehlman also suggested that undocumented immigrants who were brought here as children should not be complaining about U.S. law; rather they should be blaming their parents:
MEHLMAN: I think the American public recognizes who the true victims of illegal immigration are, and it's us. It's the American people. It's millions of Americans who have lost jobs, who have lost wages, who have paid countless billions in tax dollars to support illegal immigration. They are the ones the government ought to be addressing and redressing. We understand the situation that some of these people who were brought here as children are in. But, you know, the complaint is with their -- to their parents, not to the American people, not with our laws. It is their parents who consciously put them in this position when they made the decision to break the law.
Furthermore, Mehlman pushed the fallacy that immigration reform would harm the economy, suggesting that "people in every sector of the labor market are being harmed" by undocumented immigrants.
Sadly, this is nothing new for Fox, which selected a question from FAIR to ask an immigration question to participants in its September 2011 Fox/Google Republican presidential debate. And the network has regularly turned to FAIR to comment on immigration questions.Much of the build-up to the next general election has focused on Ukip's remarkable electoral surge and its crippling effect on the two leading parties.
But away from the fracturing on the right of British politics there is another story largely overlooked which could be a defining feature of election night: the resurgence of the Greens.
The Telegraph has learnt the Green Party is planning sustained attacks to poach key Lib Dem seats and will run double the number of candidates as 2010 across the UK.
Senior Tories are privately briefing that their Coalition counterparts have underestimated the threat while pollsters believe the climate is ready for a Green electoral surge.
While there's still seven months to go, indicators are increasingly pointing one way – for next year's election being a genuine five-party race.
After interviewing Green party leaders, candidates and strategists as well as pollsters and Lib Dem insiders, here are seven reasons why that could come about.
1) Lib Dem vote has collapsed since 2010
Nick Clegg's party is averaging 8 per cent in polls – way below the 23 per cent it won to enter Number 10 for the first time in generations in 2010.
The party was trumped by the Greens in May's European elections, finishing fifth and securing around 160,000 less votes than their environmentalist rivals.
While Mr Clegg's party lost 10 out of 11 MEPs, the Greens not only held their two seats but added a third - Molly Scott Cato, an avid beekeeper who became the party's first ever South West MEP.
Most polls have the Greens on around 4 per cent, a few points behind the Liberals, though last month a YouGov survey put the parties neck-and-neck at 6 per cent.
While it is understood the Greens are not conducting private polling because of the expense, they are encouraged by impressive council results across the south.
2) Greens plan to paint Liberals as 'The Establishment'
Natalie Bennett, the Green leader, told The Telegraph next year's election was the least predictable since World War Two and would be a genuine "five-party" fight.
"There are a lot of very disillusioned Lib Dem members and supporters out there. And when you look at the issues - tuition fees, nuclear power, nuclear weapons, just the whole economic approach - it's really not very surprising."
"We're offering the idea of real change with a society that works very differently, whereas I don't think we're going to see transformative change from the Lib Dems."
Ms Bennett is deliberately lumping the Liberals in with Labour and the Tories as part of her 'outsider' pitch and hopes to deploy a similar change agenda that Mr Clegg profited from himself in 2010.
"For the past four-and-a-half years the Lib Dems have demonstrated why there's almost no discernible difference between them, the Tories and Labour," she said.
"Nick Clegg pretty well looks utterly indistinguishable from a Tory, sounds indistinguishable from a Tory and lives indistinguishable from a Tory."
3) Scottish politics points to a Liberal slump up north
The Scottish Greens - separate but affiliated to the Green Party down south - has come out of the independence referendum buoyant and rejuvenated.
After backing independence and joining the Yes campaign the party has seen a phenomenal surge in members despite - or perhaps because of - a No vote last month.
Membership has more than trebled in a fortnight, jumping from less than 2,000 to more than 6,000 since September 18. A third of new joiners are under 30.
Patrick Harvie, co-convener of the Sottish Greens, told The Telegraph he expects to field far more candidates than the 20 that competed last election after a period of consultation with the changing face of its membership.
He also predicted the Liberal Democrat vote share will "plummet" north of the border as it did in the 2011 Scottish Parliament elections, when two thirds of Liberal MSP seats were lost in a backlash against the decision to enter coalition.
4) Pollsters say time is right for Greens to profit
Pollsters believe growing disillusionment with Westminster politics and fracturing support for the major parties offers the opportunity for the Greens to make a breakthrough next May.
"There is certainly an atmosphere which is right for other parties to start to do well in, which obviously Ukip has capitalised on," said Tom Mludzinski, head of political polling at ComRes.
"There is an anti-Westminster, anti-status quo feeling. With a Coalition Government and Labour being in power recently, who else do you turn to if you're fed up with the main parties?," said Mr Mludzinski.
"Certainly if they got themselves organised and motivated and ran a good campaign the Greens could potentially pose a threat."
5) Lib Dems are defecting to the Greens en masse
Around half of their 10,000 new members are estimated by the Green Party to have been former Lib Dem voters while strategists are encouraged by movements on the ground.
Darren Hall, the party's candidate in Bristol West, helped win the city the title of 'European Green Capital 2015' and says new party members often say they were formerly Lib Dems.
"The characteristic of the Lib Dems [who switch] is slightly shameful, keeping their head down and going 'I'm Steve and I'm an ex-Lib Dem'. It's a bit like Alcoholics Anonymous," said Mr Hall.
"Whereas Labour people come in and more proudly say 'I'm here and I'm fighting for what I believe in and this is why I'm now a Green, because Labour has let me down.'"
Discussing Lib Dem switchers, Mr Hall explained: "They say their Cabinet members are too much in cahoots with the so-called greenest government ever.
"They were sticking with it as long as they could but their conscience now says they can't do this anymore."
One former Liberal frontbencher privately conceded the 2015 election was becoming a five-horse race and said the party was braced for a "hard pounding" from voters.
6) Winnable Lib Dem seats are being targeted by Greens
Strategists have pinpointed Bristol West and Norwich South as two weak Lib Dem constituencies which will be their campaign priority alongside holding Brighton Pavilion.
The party is leading in Bristol West according to local election votes over the last three years and now has five councillors in the constituency compared to none in 2010.
The Greens are also now second in Norwich South according to Lord Ashcroft polling – eight points ahead of the Liberals, though some way off Labour.
In the second tier of Green targets – seats they are unlikely to win but keen to make progress – there are two more Liberal seats, St Ives and Solihull.
Party insiders said they have been doing "very well" in local elections in St Ives, while in Solihull the party is the official council opposition.
7) 'Watermelon' strategy could split centre-Left vote
Ms Bennett has deliberately expended the party's left-wing policy base, leading to activists being nicknamed "watermelons" - green on the outside, red on the inside.
Her conference speech last month dwelt little on environmental issues but focused on "progressive" policies including scrapping tuition fees, levying a "wealth tax" and targeting a £10 minimum wage.
Green Party membership has doubled to almost 20,000 since last election and is expected to grow another 50 per cent before next year's vote, providing bodies on the ground that were previously lacking.
That membership boost is coupled with a major expansion in candidates, with the party standing in three quarters of UK seats next year – double 2010's efforts.
The combination of more activists campaigning in more seats behind a plumped-up Left-of-centre policy platform will eat into Lib Dem votes even in places the Greens can't win. The combined impact could prove fatal to Mr Clegg's hopes of keeping office beyond May 2015.GIVEN THE SOMEWHAT whimsical title of Sarah Bakewell’s At the Existentialist Café: Freedom, Being, and Apricot Cocktails, and the fact that the book opens with Simone de Beauvoir, Jean-Paul Sartre, and their friend Raymond Aron sipping apricot cocktails in a Paris café, one might assume that Bakewell’s new book is intended as an informal primer, an “existentialism light” version of the mid-20th century’s predominant philosophical movement.
In making this assumption, one would be at least partially right. At the Existential Café does indeed offer an accessible and highly readable account of the philosophical achievements of Europe’s major existentialist thinkers: Martin Heidegger, Edmund Husserl, and Karl Jaspers in Germany; and Jean-Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir, and Maurice Merleau-Ponty in France. Where appropriate, it also discusses the ideas of those in the “existentialist orbit,” including Heidegger’s students Herbert Marcuse and Hannah Arendt, and in Paris, the aforementioned Raymond Aron, the Christian existentialist Gabriel Marcel, and of course, Albert Camus. The latter shared intellectual affinities with Sartre and de Beauvoir, but always denied he was an existentialist, preferring to describe his philosophy as the “philosophy of the absurd.”
The all-star line-up does not end there. Along the way, the reader is also introduced to artists, writers, friends, and lovers of the existentialists, especially in postwar Paris. These include the novelist and jazz musician Boris Vian, who died tragically young at age 39 of a heart attack; Claude Lanzmann, the maker of Shoah, de Beauvoir’s lover, and the current editor of Les Temps modernes; the American expat Richard Wright, deeply influenced in his later work by existentialism; and the Hungarian writer, journalist, and activist Arthur Koestler, a friend of Sartre and Camus who eventually fell out with both after a fight at the end of a night of drunken revelry and political disagreement. Finally, Bakewell fills out her team with the Anglo-American friends, fellow travelers, and popularizers of the existentialists and their thought. These include Iris Murdoch and the “angry young man” Colin Wilson in the UK, and, in this country, William Barrett and Walter Kaufmann.
Beyond the leading figures of the age, Bakewell also moves further afield, discussing the impact of Sartre’s ideas on, for example, the Czech political leaders during the Prague Spring of 1968. She also traces the impact of de Beauvoir’s The Second Sex on British and American women of different walks of life. Exhaustively, perhaps even exhaustedly, she also examines existentialism’s impact on popular literary and cinematic works of the 1950s, ’60s, and ’70s. These include The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit, The Incredible Shrinking Man, and Invasion of the Body Snatchers. All are notable for their portraits of alienation and conformity, Sartre’s category of en soi. (Bakewell could of course mention many other works as well, given the popularity and prevalence of existentialist themes, not only in British and American popular culture, but in that of other countries as well.)
As this suggests, At the Existentialist Café is in fact much more than an “existentialism light” primer. It is also a sensitive analysis of individuals and of the interplay of personalities against the backdrop of intense and fraught intellectual times. The era covered by Bakewell was marked by sharp and often murderous ideological divides and conflicts as well as shattered intellectual dreams. In France especially, the quick and disruptive transition from the end of Vichy and Nazi occupation to the Cold War, the rise of the superpowers, and a keen awareness of an impending Armageddon stoked political passions like never before. Staunch political engagements were the order of the day, often only to change radically under the weight of new political developments, what de Beauvoir called the “force of circumstances.”
As a result, alliances as well as friendships were made and unmade according to the rhythm of history. Merleau-Ponty, for example, started as a hardline supporter of Stalinism, challenging Arthur Koestler when the latter published his great anti-Stalinist novel Darkness at Noon, only to move away from uncritical support of Communism following the invasion of South Korea by the North. This change in perspective was the decisive ingredient in his rupture with his longtime friend Jean-Paul Sartre. But as Bakewell rightly points out, other factors contributed to the break as well. Merleau-Ponty’s acceptance and pursuit of an academic career, culminating in an appointment to the Collège de France, rankled Sartre, who viewed careerism as surrender to bourgeois conformity. For his part, Merleau-Ponty resented his co-editor Sartre’s meddling and unwillingness to share the workload at Les Temps modernes the journal the two men founded with de Beauvoir and others after the Liberation. Although both men made efforts at reconciliation, the bond between them was never the same.
Sartre’s most famous break with an erstwhile, close friend, was of course |
its marketplace jumped 153 percent on Black Friday from a year earlier.
ChannelAdvisor clients’ same-store sales on Amazon.com shot up 43 percent on Saturday, compared with a year earlier. Last year’s year-over-year growth was 49 percent on the Saturday following Black Friday.
Client same-store sales on eBay’s marketplace rose 36 percent on Saturday, compared with a year earlier. Last year’s year-over-year growth was 12 percent, according to ChannelAdvisor.
PRICE PRESSURE
While mobile devices may be good for sales, they may not be so good for retail profit margins. Smart phones give shoppers real-time access to product prices online, potentially exacerbating the usual holiday discounting and price wars.
Black Friday online transactions jumped almost 30 percent, but the average ticket price was down more than 11 percent, according to Chase Paymentech, which reports data from its 50 largest e-commerce merchant clients.
“It’s driving prices down,” Shernoff said. “Consumers are checking prices in stores and showing the retailer, and the retailer will succumb to the lowest price online so they don’t lose the consumer.”‘They Live’ is a science-fiction movie from the Eighties that features aliens, a WWF wrestler and a whole lot of sunglasses. What’s not to like? While, at first glance, the movie appears to be a bunch of nonsense, ‘They Live’ actually communicates a powerful message about the elite and its use of mass media to control the masses. Is the movie describing what we call the Illuminati? This article looks at the deeper meaning of John Carpenter’s strange but fascinating movie ‘They Live’.
Warning: Major spoilers ahead (get over it, the movie is 24 years old).
Watching They Live is a conflicting experience. It is an odd combination of eye-opening messages with lackluster acting, powerful social commentary with 1950’s B-movie special effects and gripping satire with odd punchlines. Constantly making viewers oscillate between “Wow, that was genius!” to “Wow, that was corny!”, it is difficult to properly evaluate the movie from a cinematographic point of view. However, from a “message” point of the view, They Live is gold. Based on Ray Nelson’s short story Eight O’Clock in the Morning, the movie is one of those rare subversive stories that forces viewers to question their world and their surroundings. Because, despite the fact that the movie is about ghoulish aliens, it communicates truths to the viewers that are only alluded to in mainstream movies. In fact, looking deeper into the storyline, one might realize that there’s probably more “science” than “fiction” in the story of They Live … especially when one has “truth-seeing sunglasses”.
The hero of the movie, played by WWF wrestler Rowdy Roddy Pipper, is a drifter that is apparently nameless. In the short story and the movie’s credits, he is referred to as Nada, which means ‘nothing’ in Spanish. While this nameless nothing is broke and homeless, he still manages to expose the alien’s hidden rule of the world. How did he accomplish that? With the only thing he’d ever need: The Truth. Oh, and also guns. He used a lot of guns. Most importantly, despite the fact that Nada was tempted several times to shut up in exchange for “generous compensation”, he kept his integrity and never agreed to sell out to the aliens. Now, that’s a role model. To top it off, he says the best things ever.
Are the aliens in the movie an imaginative way to portray the world’s elite, those who secretly run the world, those we call the Illuminati? Let’s revisit this cult classic and see how it describes the hidden rule of the elite.
The Premise
Right from the beginning, as we see Nada walking around Los Angeles with his backpack, the movie sets a particular mood: Something is not quite right. While Nada appears to be a happy-go-lucky kind of guy, the city is not happy and it is not too kind to happy-go-lucky kind of guys. Quite the contrary, there is a sense of impending doom in the air: Poverty is rampant, helicopters fly around the city and street preachers speak of soulless beings ruling the world.
Is the preacher’s description of the “masters” applicable to the Illuminati? I believe so.
As we follow Nada’s aimless drifting across the city, the camera often focuses on people gazing blankly at television screens, mindlessly absorbing the vapid messages it communicates. Regular Joes appear to truly enjoy their television shows … until an obscure organization hacks the airwaves to broadcast subversive messages about the hidden rulers of the world.
Can the above statement be applied to the Illuminati? I believe so.
The Average Joes who watch this pirated TV broadcast all get a massive headache – the raw truth is indeed too much for most people to bear. One such viewer switches the channel after telling the guy on TV: “Blow it out your a-s”. Just like today, most people do not want to hear about this kind of stuff … they just want to go back to their mindless TV viewing.
Nada realizes that the street preacher and the man on television are connected through a local church. When he sneaks into the church, he discovers that it is actually the headquarters of an underground organization.
Nada learns that the rebellious organization is attempting to recruit people to take down the rulers. However, a few days later, Nada discovers what happens to those who plot against those in power.
After witnessing the violent police shakedown, Nada begins to realize that something is wrong in America. The happy-go-lucky guy who believed in working hard and following the rules is starting to believe that something is amiss here.
Determined to learn more, Nada re-enters the church and finds a few interesting things.
More importantly, Nada discovers a box full of sunglasses that allows him to see the world as it is. Added bonus: They also look pretty cool.
Seeing the Truth
While the sunglasses found by Nada appear on the surface to be worthless, they actually provide him with the greatest gift of all: The Truth. When Nada first puts on the sunglasses, the experience is shocking.
Nada also quickly understands the truth about money.
Nada’s most shocking discovery concerns people around him.
Upon discovering this truth, Nada became pissed off. REALLY pissed off. How did he react to the situation? He did not go home and write a poem about it. Nope, he grabbed a shotgun and started shooting aliens.
When the aliens realize that Nada can see through their disguise, they immediately alert the authorities saying “I’ve got one that can see”. Being able to “see” is obviously frowned upon by the aliens – they do not like to be exposed. Nada quickly becomes a social pariah and aliens start closing in on him. Confronted with this situation, Nada says profound and timeless words: “I don’t like this ooooooooone bit”.
Nada and everyone in the city are constantly monitored by flying surveillance cameras that are oddly similar to the new unmanned drones that are currently appearing around the world.
The concept of truth-seeing sunglasses is an interesting way to illustrate the importance of knowledge in one’s world perception. Two people can be looking at the exact same thing yet perceive two very different realities, depending on the level of information and awareness possessed by each person. Nada’s sunglasses can, therefore, represent one’s knowledge of the truth, which allows a clear perception of reality.
Looking for Others Who Know the Truth
Upon learning the shocking truth about the world, Nada feels the need to share this vital information with his friend Frank Armitage. Nada however quickly realizes some people do not want to hear about it. In fact, many actually get angry and offended at the simple mention of something that alludes to it. When Nada asks Frank to put on his sunglasses so he can see what he sees, Frank firmly refuses and calls him a “crazy motha…”. Nada replies with another classic line “Either you put these sunglasses on or start eating that trash can”.
Then ensues one of the longest one-on-one fight scene I’ve ever seen (eight minutes of punching and kicking), a scene that is dragged out for so long that it becomes utterly absurd and even comical. While the scene might seem ridiculous, it says something about the difficulty of making regular, average people wake up from their blissful ignorance.
It takes a lot of effort on Nada’s part, but Frank finally sees the aliens controlling the world. The two pals are then invited to a secret meeting of the underground organization that is attempting to rid the earth of the aliens.
During the meeting, Nada and Frank learn that humans are being recruited by the aliens in exchange for wealth and power. As the leader of the underground organization says: “Most of us just sell out right away”. It is rather easy to make a correlation between the movie and actual politicians and celebrities we’ve seen in previous articles on this site who readily sell out to the Illuminati in exchange for wealth, power and celebrity.
The meeting doesn’t last long, however, as police barge in the place and start shooting everyone there. They are designated a “terrorist organization” by the elite. Nada and Frank manage to escape and accidentally find themselves behind enemy lines, in the alien’s underground base.
Behind Enemy Lines
While exploring the aliens’ underground base, Nada and Frank stumble upon a party thrown by the aliens for human collaborators to thank them for their “partnership”. Although humans will never be considered equals to the aliens, those who sell out to them get monetary benefits … much like those who are not part of today’s elite who nevertheless sell out to push the elite’s New World Order Agenda.
Frank and Nada then discover the source of the aliens’ brainwashing signals: A television studio. The aliens use the network to broadcast hypnotic and subliminal signals to humans, blinding them from the truth about their rulers and the world. The message that is communicated here: Mass media is the elite’s favorite tool indoctrinate the masses and to keep them in servitude.
Nada realizes that the only way to save humanity from the grips of the aliens is to go to the roof of the TV station’s building and to take down the emitter of the subliminal messages, disguised as a satellite dish. Indeed, without an elite-controlled mass media, indoctrinating the masses will be a lot more difficult. So Nada and Frank start shooting their way towards the roof, not an easy task.
The Disinformation Agent
Nada met Holly Thomspon, a Cable 54 network executive, at the beginning of his wild rampage. While Nada appears to be somewhat enamored with her, she always somehow brings trouble. During the “terrorist organization” meeting, Holly infiltrated the group, posing as a sympathizer and claiming that Cable 54 “was clean” and was not the source of aliens’ signal, which was false and misleading. Today, disinformation is widely used by the elite to confuse and mislead those who attempt to discover the truth about the world.
During Nada’s rush towards the roof of the network’s building, Holly appears again, claiming that she wants to help him. However, she is simply trying to kill him before the mission is accomplished. She is, therefore, another human that sold out to the aliens being used to disrupt non-corrupted humans attempting to liberate themselves and others.
Taking Down the Aliens
Here’s the biggest spoiler of them all: Nada manages to take down the aliens’ transmitter and saves humanity. This heroic move gets him killed, however, as a policeman inside a helicopter shoots him dead. Nada, therefore, becomes the quintessential hero, sacrificing his life for the good of humanity – a martyr for human freedom from soulless rulers.
Once the aliens’ satellite dish is down, the masses are able to see the world as it is: the alien’s ugly faces are exposed to the world.
In Conclusion
Although They Live is usually described as “a science-fiction movie that criticizes consumer culture”, the scope of its message actually goes way beyond the usual “consumerism is bad” lecture. They Live can indeed be interpreted as a treatise on the thorough and systematic conditioning of human experience in order for a hidden elite to covertly control, manipulate and exploit the masses. In the movie, the rulers are portrayed as a completely different race that perceives humans as inferior – something that can easily be correlated to the attitudes about the bloodlines of the Illuminati. The presence of these strong messages in the movie is one of the reasons They Live became somewhat of a cult-classic, despite the fact that it was panned by movie critics. As the years go by, the movie’s message is becoming increasingly relevant … and freakishly realistic.
Many of those who seek the truth about the world realize that its reins are held by an unelected elite, one that is essentially hidden from the public eye. As the movie’s promotional poster says: “You see them on the street. You watch them on TV. You might even vote for one this fall. You think they’re people just like you. You’re wrong. Dead wrong.” Working behind the scenes, this secretive elite constantly works towards the creation of a global system that would serve its interests: a New World Order, ruled by one world government. As a human collaborator says in the movie to justify his selling-out: “There ain’t no countries anymore. No more good guys. They’re running the whole show. They own everything. The whole g-----n planet!” To facilitate the rulers’ work, the masses are kept in the dark and are distracted by the fake puppet show that is politics and the “no independent thought” programming that is mass media. Apathy, ignorance, and indifference are the elite’s best friends.
Despite its unimpressive special effects and odd dialogue, They Live manages to describe the world elite’s motives and strategy in a way that can be understood by all. And that is no simple task. However, in order to fully understand the movie’s message, one must be wearing truth-seeing sunglasses. Do you have yours on?With little fanfare, Mark Warner’s Senate reelection bid this November just went from a shoo-in to a spirited contest. I’ll warn the Virginia Democrat now: Objects in the rearview mirror are closer than they appear—former Republican National Committee Chairman Ed Gillespie is now the underdog, but he will make this race very competitive.
Full disclosure: I’ve known Ed for nearly 25 years—a vantage point that gives me insights as to why this election will be close down the stretch. He comes from a remarkably humble upbringing. A son of Irish immigrants, Gillespie grew up working in his parents’ grocery store. To help pay his way through school, he became a Senate parking attendant at age 17. It would be remarkable for him to move from the parking lot to the floor of the United States Senate to cast votes on behalf of my home state.
I first met Ed when we worked on Capitol Hill together—he was a senior adviser to then House Majority Leader Dick Armey, while I served as the legislative director to House Budget Committee Chairman John Kasich. Even as young as he was back then, Gillespie earned the trust of the House Republican leadership and many in the conference for his keen intellect and remarkable communication skills. In 1994, Gillespie was the key architect of the Contract With America, a 10-point promise to the American people of what Republicans would achieve if given the chance to lead the House of Representatives. It swept the GOP into power for the first time in more than 40 years.
Sen. Warner and his supporters will try to distract voters by employing the usual scorched-earth campaign: Gillespie was a lobbyist, he is a Washington insider, and, oh my goodness, he served as a counselor to President George W. Bush. Given that Virginia just elected the consummate insider in Gov. Terry McAuliffe, I suspect Gillespie’s Beltway experience won’t hurt him. In fact, his experiences will serve as an asset.
For one, Ed was able to learn how the levers of power work on both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue. Unlike many in the House and Senate today, Gillespie understands the art of compromise without betraying his core Republican principles. As counselor to George W. Bush, Ed advised on domestic and foreign policy as well as articulating the president’s message to the American people.
To be sure, Mark Warner will not be easy to unseat. He is a popular former governor and current occupant of the Senate seat that Gillespie seeks to win. University of Virginia political guru Larry Sabato has re-classified this race in his Crystal Ball from Safe Democratic to Likely Democratic. But this is where the intangibles in politics will work to Gillespie’s advantage.
Obamacare is deeply unpopular in Virginia and Gillespie will be sure to characterize Sen. Warner’s vote as the deciding factor in inflicting the law on millions of people. Warner parroted President Obama’s pledge that if you liked your doctor and your health insurance, Obamacare would have no effect on your choice. Before long, I suspect Virginia’s airwaves will be flooded with their senior senator uttering this promise, which turned out to be untrue.
For Sen. Warner’s professed vow to serve as an independent-minded Democrat, he voted lock-step with Obama to raise taxes and support the Affordable Care Act while voting to increase the national debt by $6.7 trillion. These three pocketbook issues have angered many across Virginia and I suspect that millions more will have their health coverage canceled prior to the November election.
Most importantly, Gillespie is exactly the type of Republican that Virginians have not nominated for office in the past several election cycles and the results have been revealing. For the first time since I was born in 1969, no Republican is presently serving as governor, lieutenant governor, or attorney general. Ed is pragmatic, nuanced, and upbeat in his demeanor—it will be impossible for Democrats to paint him as an angry, bomb-throwing member of the Tea Party. He also has crossover appeal to independents, Reagan Democrats, and communities of color.
With much of the national media is focused on imperiled Senate Democrats like North Carolina’s Kay Hagan, Louisiana’s Mary Landrieu, or Arkansas’ Mark Pryor, I suspect talk will turn soon to a newly competitive race in the Old Dominion. Mark Warner may have thought he could coast to victory this fall against a weak, poorly financed Republican opponent. That equation just changed. Hard work, strong campaigning, and yes, a little luck of the Irish, may propel Gillespie from the parking lot to the floor as a voting member of the United States Senate. Fasten your seat belts. This will be a barnburner.0
On The CW series The Flash, Wally West (Keiynan Lonsdale) is becoming more comfortable and more confident in his Kid Flash powers, at the same time that both Iris (Candice Patton) and Joe (Jesse L. Martin) are being threatened by a criminal meta-human who is methodically killing people by causing them to decompose at an accelerated rate. And while The Flash mentors Kid Flash and elevates the newer speedster’s training to another level, Wally must also come to terms with the fact that he might not be able to save everyone, every time.
During this 1-on-1 phone interview on Collider, actor Keiynan Lonsdale talked about his reaction when he found out that he was officially becoming Kid Flash, when being in the superhero suit comes in handy, just how rough Kid Flash’s training will be, the challenge and pressure that comes with saving his own family, learning what it means to be a superhero, The Flash/Supergirl musical cross-over episode, and teaming up with Jesse Quick (Violett Beane) again. He also talked about reuniting with his former castmates for the Dance Academy movie, which is set for Australian release on April 6th.
Collider: When you signed on to join the show, everybody, including you, knew that we’d most likely eventually get to see Wally as Kid Flash, at some point. When did you first find out that it was actually happening, and how did you react to that?
KEIYNAN LONSDALE: The first time I received the first clue was Flashpoint, and I found out about that just a few weeks before starting filming. I was back in Australia and I read the script and was so excited. I didn’t expect for that to happen so soon. And then, when Wally got his powers from the stone and Kid Flash became and official thing with an outfit and was legit, I was as excited as Wally was. It’s been cool. He has to work on the powers now, but I’m having a lot of fun.
How did it feel the first time you put on and saw yourself in the superhero suit, and does it ever get old, especially on really long days, or is it always just a ridiculously awesome day at work, no matter what?
LONSDALE: It’s interesting. There are different layers to the suit and it’s kind of tight. When we’re inside, the suit can be really hot and I’m like, “I’m sweating!” But when we’re outside in the cold, the snow and the rain, it’s very comfortable. Everyone else will be uncomfortable and freezing, but I feel great. That’s always quite helpful. So, if I’m going to be outside at 2am, I’m glad if I can be in the suit. It’s a crazy thing. I rarely get to see myself in the mirror while I have it on because I need help putting it together. I usually just see it when I watch the show, which is funny. But, it feels awesome and it lifts you up. It’s just a crazy, surreal moment, for sure.
On the last episode, Barry told Wally that he’s going to be the one who has to save Iris. How does Wally feel about that? Is he up for the challenge, or is it a lot of pressure for him?
LONSDALE: It’s both. He’s up for the challenge, definitely, but it is a lot of pressure, and he understands that. He’s excited about the fact that he gets to train and immerse himself fully into being a speedster. He’s not just training to be in the background, but to be pushed, and he’s looking forward to that. He’s probably masking the fear with his ego, but that’s what Wally does, and that’s what most people do.
Now that Barry is determined to train Wally to be able to succeed in saving Iris when he knows that he can’t, just how hard will the training get, and will we see Wally get better at being a speedster than Barry is?
LONSDALE: That’s a tough question. The training is gonna be rough and it’s gonna be painful. Wally is gonna learn, very quickly, that it’s about more than just speed. Whether it’s in the training or in battle, it’s not just to do with being really fast. There’s strategy involved. You need experience in keeping your guard up, all the time. These are the things that Barry has learned, over a long period of time and through wins and losses, and Wally hasn’t really had any of those. These are all things that he needs to understand, if he’s going to save Iris.
Does it feel like Wally is really finding his groove and place as Kid Flash, or is that still and will that always be evolving for him?
LONSDALE: He’s finding his groove, for sure. He feels very comfortable being Kid Flash and he’s very confident in being Kid Flash. He has fans, and he’s lapping that up. Of course, it will always be evolving. What it means to be a hero, for him, will always be evolving, just as it does with Barry. But, Wally has never felt more himself.
Do you think actually getting to save his own family is the ultimate in being a hero for him?
LONSDALE: He wouldn’t wish it on anyone to have to do that. But knowing that people are trusting and believing in him to do something so important gives him a boost, and I think that would really make him feel like he belongs.
What can you say about this next episode and what it will be like for him to go up a really scary meta-human who threatens Iris’ life?
LONSDALE: It’s frightening for him. Wally is going to have to deal with what Barry has felt, in the past, about sometimes not being fast enough. That’s really going to shake him. Along with all of that, he doesn’t have his mom around, and that was all he had. It took some months for him to call Iris, Joe and Barry family, but now that he has, Wally is very loyal and very protective. He will take it to heart, if he lets anyone down. It’s gonna be interesting and tough.
This is really the first time that Wally has to come face to face with the fact that powers won’t necessarily help you save everyone or do everything you want to do?
LONSDALE: Exactly, 100%. He’s wanted to help out for so long, and the grass is always greener. In a lot of ways, it has resolved his issues with self-doubt and he feels like he’s become more himself with powers. So, when you strip the light, bright and colorful layers away from that, it gives him a reality check and a different perspective.
How much fun has is it to get to be a part of a show where you even get to do a The Flash/Supergirl musical cross-over? Please tell me that you’ll at least get a dance number in the Kid Flash suit!
LONSDALE: The thought is always there! I’m like, “I should sneak in a couple moves here!” It’s really cool. I love the fact that there are endless possibilities with our show, and that there are endless ways to actually have it make sense with the story. That’s really cool. That’s what you get when you have guys in red and yellow leather, running around. We can do a lot of cool things. It’s fun! It keeps work exciting, even to have new people around. It just always keeps the vibe up.
We also know that Kid Flash will be teaming up with Jesse Quick again, in the upcoming Grodd episode. What can we expect from them teaming up, especially now that Wally has a better grasp of his powers?
LONSDALE: Last time we saw them, the dynamic was different. They were in a great place. Wally had to accept that Jesse has powers and he doesn’t, and that’s okay. Now, it’s really exciting to share something with her. It feels a little more equal between them. They’ll have to team up and deal with their own issues. While dealing with their relationship issues, they’ll have to deal with a meta-human while The Flash is gone in Gorilla City. There’s pressure and responsibility that falls on them, and I think that will be an interesting watch.
Is it also cool to go back for the Dance Academy movie, where a lot of people, especially in America first became aware of you? Was it fun to return to that role and work with that cast again?
LONSDALE: One hundred percent! Those guys are like my best friends. We had known that the movie was in the works, but we had finished the TV show so long ago and we were all getting older, so we were like, “This is never gonna happen!” But the show kept getting more and more popular, over time, after we finished, and they were like, “Okay, we’re ready to do this movie. It’s happening!” We were just so happy. It felt surreal that we got to work together again. We were all at each other’s houses, every night after work. It’s a big family. It was great! And to dance again was incredible, but super painful.
The Flash airs on Tuesday nights on The CW.Worldwide mintage of only 20,000 coins!
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No parent enjoys sending their child to a place he or she hates, and every parent wants their child to succeed at school, and to enjoy it as much as possible. To that end, it’s important not to give up on the concept of a child with ASD enjoying school; instead, if your child is resisting school attendance, try the following strategies to get him or her turned around to the idea of school again:
Try to discover why the child does not wish to attend school; remember that bullying is a common experience for those with ASD, due to their socially awkward behaviour. Always begin by making sure the child is not being picked on. Also check for:
Unstructured times being a subject of stress and confusion.
A specific unpleasant event which the child may now be avoiding, but has been unable to vocalize (or possibly even able to identify that he or she is so upset about it). Remember that even minor events may seem very confusing or upsetting to someone with ASD.
A lesson or class the child is struggling with. He or she may have become so frustrated at not getting it that the entire idea of school has become upsetting.
If your efforts come up empty, contact the school to see if any of the staff have observed something that may have motivated the child’s resistance.
If your child is having a difficult time expressing his or herself, you may want to use visual supports to facilitate communication.
Strategies to Try at Home
There are many things that can be done within the home environment to encourage a child with ASD to go to school. These include:
-The presence of structure at home.
Calendars and timetables that revolve around school, showing the child which days are schooldays and which are weekends, depicting when holidays and school events will occur, etc., is an excellent way to make school feel more like a safe part of the child’s routine. Allow the child plenty of time in the morning to get ready, and plenty of time after school to just relax and wind down. Break down tasks that are needed to get ready for school into a series of steps so they are easier to understand.
-Incorporate a reward system.
Rewards the child can understand, such as visual aids (stars on a chart, tokens he or she can collect, etc.) or more time spent with a favourite hobby can go a long way toward encouraging a child with ASD to attend school.
-Remember to take “baby steps”.
Children with ASD are very easily overwhelmed, so one negative experience can create a lot of lasting resistance. If something bad has happened to the child at school, you may need to get him or her used to the idea of school again in very small steps, such as starting with just getting ready for school in the mornings, then to driving to school, then trying a morning class, etc. Reward each step as it is successfully managed by the child, and never “push” for more than the child can handle.
-Get the child used to school while it’s quiet.
Consider taking the child for a walk or drive around the school when school is not in session, so that he or she can warm up to the concept without getting overloaded by stimuli. Reward these efforts as well.
-Explain why school is important.
Children with ASD cope better with having to do new things when they get the logical “whys” behind them. As such, it’s vital the child fully understand why school is important and how it will help in later life.
-Make sure the child has access to an ASD-literate counsellor.
Older children (those around 8 and above) often benefit from talking to someone who knows ASD and can understand what they are going through and suggest solutions that will work for them in managing anxiety and frustration.
Getting Support at School
As consistency is so essential to the comfort and performance of those with ASD, it’s important to make sure the school your child attends is on the same page with the caregivers at home, and offers sufficient support for children with ASD. Here are some methods you can suggest to your child’s school to help your child get the most out of his or her school experience:
-Ask someone to meet the child at the beginning of school.
Find someone that your child feels at ease with, and consider having him or her lead the child from the car or school entrance into class every day. This will make the environment feel more structured and calm than the child would perceive it if navigating such a busy environment alone.
-Ask for in-class support.
Children with ASD often perform better if they have an “assistant” of some kind nearby to help guide them through their in-class activities.
-Make sure the child can have “time outs”.
Children with ASD need to have it understood that sometimes they simply need to leave the room, take a break, or engage in a soothing behaviour in order to deal with the school environment.
-Educate the staff if need be.
If a staff member who deals with your child is not knowledgable about autism, provide material so he or she can learn how to better manage and help your child. If your child is comfortable with it, you may also suggest educating his or her peers, such as by showing a video of a successful adult with ASD in order to de-stigmatize the condition.
-Encourage emotional insight.
Try to get your child into the habit of talking about his or her feelings at the end of the school day; if he or she struggles to express emotions verbally, make use of visual aids that help the child to “rate” his or her experience.
-Draw on the child’s special interests.
Children with ASD tend to be strongly attached to their special interests, so if you can work a bit of them into each lesson, the child will become much more willing to pay attention to the lesson (e.g. working an interest in drawing or trains into math problems, or science lessons.)
Image Credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/edumillo/4628453563THE ELECTRONIC FRONTIER FOUNDATION (EFF) has lashed out at Microsoft over the company's "blatant disregard" for user privacy with the pushy, data-slurping Windows 10 operating system.
Following the launch of a petition in June, EFF has heard from thousands of pissed off people who are asked it to take action against Microsoft, and the privacy campaigners are doing just that. EFF is calling on Microsoft to listen to its users, of which more than 6,000 have signed the online petition, and incorporate their complaints into its operating system.
"Otherwise, Microsoft may find that it has inadvertently discovered just how far it can push its users before they abandon a once-trusted company for a better, more privacy-protective solution," EFF's Amul Kalia said in a blog post.
First on EFF’s radar is Microsoft’s backhanded tactics to get people to upgrade to Windows 10, which we here at the INQUIRER know about all too well.
The organisation called out Microsoft’s shady installing of an app that kick-started the virus-like 'Get Windows 10' prompts, the tactic to make the operating system a recommended update so that it installed on machines alongside critical security patches, and the ridiculous ploy of changing the ‘X’ in the download prompt to mean 'yes please'.
"Time after time, with each update, Microsoft chose to employ questionable tactics to cause users to download a piece of software that many didn’t want," Kalia said.
"What users actually wanted didn’t seem to matter. In an extreme case, members of a wildlife conservation group in the African jungle felt that the automatic download of Windows 10 on a limited bandwidth connection could have endangered their lives if a forced upgrade had begun during a mission.”
Naturally, being a privacy advocate and all that, the EFF isn’t too pleased about the amount of data gathered by Windows 10 and sent back to Microsoft.
For example, the EFF explained that if you use Cortana, and let’s be honest you don’t have much choice, Microsoft collects your (deep breath) location data, text input, voice input, touch input and web pages visited, along with telemetry data regarding general use of the computer, including programs run and for how long.
What’s more, unless you’re an enterprise Windows 10 user, you have to share at least some of this telemetry data with Microsoft and there’s no way to opt out.
The only way to dodge sending this data to Microsoft is to, er, not install security updates, which - you guessed it - Microsoft doesn't really recommend.
"Microsoft is claiming that giving ordinary users more privacy by letting them turn telemetry reporting down to its lowest level would risk their security since they would no longer get security updates," said the EFF.
The group warned that Microsoft can expect more lawsuits and government investigations if it continues to treat customers with such disregard, which is music |
embedded in culture at large that it makes sense that its also within speculative fiction."
With all that said, Asli remains fiercely positive about the future of black speculative fiction. While it's true that white supremacy has historically put up many barriers for black people in the genre, the advent and growth of the internet is helping to break many of them down: "Technology has definitely played a big part in helping more and more black people become involved in SF," Asli said.
True enough, Asli and I probably wouldn't have been speaking if it wasn't for the internet. And you only need to look at the phenomenon that is black Twitter to see how the internet allows typically marginalized groups of people to bond over shared interests. Fittingly, Asli believes that it's the spread of technology that will allow black people to see more of ourselves telling fantastic stories.
"All these new networks are forming and allowing us to communicate, share, and create our own worlds."
M. Asli Dukan is fundraising for post-production costs through her fiscal sponsor, Fractured Atlas. Visit Invisible Universe to make a contribution.Rabbi declares medical cannabis kosher for Passover. Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky, a prominent orthodox leader in Israel, recently gave the nod to the medicinal plant, which he found had a “healing smell.” Cannabis has been forbidden among some Jewish groups during Passover, but the rabbi gave permission for people with a medical need for it to consume during the seven-day holiday. Special note to Washington, D.C., residents: Takoma Wellness Center, the dispensary run by Rabbi Jeffrey Kahn and his family, will be closing at 5 p.m. today. Chag Pesach sameach, Rabbi Jeff!
Somebody out there is still buying Mexican brickweed. That’s one of the sad takeaways from news that border officials discovered another Tijuana-to-San Diego smuggling tunnel this week. This one ran from a Tijuana house equipped with an elevator to a San Diego business that sold wooden pallets for suspiciously low, low prices. [Editor's note: This story on pallets is too good not to share.] Local police stopped a truck leaving the pallet “business” loaded with 2,240 pounds of cocaine and 11,030 pounds of crappy cannabis. Not to belabor the obvious, but these tunnels are created to supply illegal cannabis to all those states that choose to keep cannabis illegal. Out here in the legal future our cannabis is supplied by farmers, not smugglers.
Lucas Brothers pull a Maureen Dowd on 4/20. Say it with us: Start low, go slow. Seriously. Keith and Kenny Lucas, “comedy duo and noted weed enthusiasts,” were scheduled to headline a comedy show in Denver on 4/20. The show was sponsored by Incredibles, which makes some mighty tasty 100-mg THC chocolate bars. A little too tasty, apparently. After chowing down pre-show, and maybe adding a dab or two, the brothers never made it to the venue, let alone the stage. Kenny hunkered down in his hotel room, Keith wandered around downtown Denver looking for a cheeseburger, while the audience (at 30 bucks a throw) was left wondering WTF. Jake Browne at the Cannabist reports that comedian Billy Wayne Davis saved the show with a heroic 45-minute set. Tolerance. Know it. Respect it. (Don't Dowd it.)
Iowa knows a guy. It’s Minnesota. A 2014 Iowa law legalized cannabis oil for seizure patients in the state, but it failed to provide them any legal way to obtain the medicine. Now lawmakers are exploring an arrangement that would allow Iowa patients to purchase cannabis from Minnesota, the AP reports. Minnesota launched its own medical marijuana program last year. The proposed setup would be unwieldy, in both practical terms and legal ones. Residents of Des Moines, Iowa’s capital and largest city, would need to make a three-hour drive to get to the nearest dispensary, in Rochester, Minn. And with cannabis crossing state lines (Pennsylvania is mulling a similar option), the plan would almost certainly draw the scrutiny of federal authorities. Unless there’s a big DEA announcement right around the corner, that is.
Cannabis club takes out the trash in Colorado Springs. Kudos to Gabriel Pieper, owner of the Pothole, a cannabis club in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Pieper celebrated 4/20 by giving away free joints in exchange for trash picked up around town. Result? “Bags stuffed with trash were piled high next to the front door,” reports local station KRDO. The Colorado Springs City Council recently voted to ban new clubs and gradually shut down existing ones. Pieper said he hoped the 4/20 program would show locals that cannabis clubs contribute in positive ways to the community.
QUICK HITS:
L.A. Times, fooled by fake press release, wrongly reports that U.N. drug chief is way groovy. Reporters and editors relayed that the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime announced a major shift in drug policy, pushing for the “the decriminalization of marijuana, universal access to controlled medicines, criminal justice system reforms including elimination of mandatory minimum sentences and abolition of the death penalty and acknowledging marijuana’s medical use.” That would be big news. But as cannabis advocate Tom Angell points out, it’s not true.
We all know there’s a diversity problem in the cannabis industry. (And if you didn’t, now you do.) Here’s a piece looking at the small steps — still too small, unfortunately — that some are taking to address it.
(And if you didn’t, now you do.) Here’s a piece looking at the small steps — still too small, unfortunately — that some are taking to address it. Five percent of New Zealanders use cannabis medically. That’s according to a study in the New Zealand Medical Journal. Much of that use is still happening underground, as the only legal cannabis product in the country is a prescription mouth spray.
That’s according to a study in the New Zealand Medical Journal. Much of that use is still happening underground, as the only legal cannabis product in the country is a prescription mouth spray. Is the cannabis business really just the real estate business? It’s more complicated than that, of course, but don’t sleep on the land grab.
It’s more complicated than that, of course, but don’t sleep on the land grab. Epileptic children in Connecticut are one step closer to medical cannabis. The state House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly Thursday to expand the state’s four-year-old medical marijuana program to include children.
The state House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly Thursday to expand the state’s four-year-old medical marijuana program to include children. And finally, here’s some late-breaking 4/20 news: U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, from what we can tell, had a real nice nap at work.Recently, as I was coming in to my weekly assist (teaching while under direction), I heard my Sensei describe the etymology for the term Osu, or Os. This term is used throughout Karate, and perhaps in other arts, but I always understood it to be a very terse sort of grunt of acknowledgment. The Western equivalent would probably be Yea, which is Yes with the ending chopped off. The sort of thing you might say when lifting a heavy object and someone asks if they can open the door for you.I had never before heard an explanation for this, and later I asked him to repeat the definition for my own edification. He explained that the word is a compound of two other words, Oshi Shinobu. For those with an understanding of japanese and the martial arts (my own comes solely from manga and deciphering japanese terminology, so take my understanding with a grain of salt), the term Shinobu should seem familiar. It is a component of the term Nin (as in Ninja), and when applied to a person it becomes Shinobi (again, another term for Ninja). But I digress. Besides being an interesting linguistic diversion, what does this actually mean?Shinobu means to persevere or endure - the original name for ninjutsu is the techniques of perseverence. Oshi means pressure. Together, the phrase would mean something like "to endure under pressure". The contraction of these two terms becomes Osu, or Os as it is pronounced. The way that my Sensei described it, it has a deeper meaning than to continue despite hardship.For the samurai, failure to perform at a task meant death. And not just you - your failure would have rippling repercussions - your family and your servants would also need to be killed. Stories like that of the 47 Ronin served as a guide - you didn't want people around to get revenge for the death of their father or lord. But what does this have to do with Osu?What Osu meant, when uttered by a Samurai, was that whatever task had just been agreed to, it would be carried out under the strictest of penalties. When your boss summons you in and tells you the project must be completed by Friday, no matter what, answering Osu is like saying "I will die before this task is left uncompleted to your satisfaction."Pretty extreme. But what does this mean for the average budoka? When you enter the dojo, when your Sensei gives you instructions on what techniques to carry out, when your Sensei corrects you, you respond with Osu in a clear and affirmative voice. You are saying that you will do as they have instructed without delay. You will not do something outside of that scope.One thing that I think people may take for granted is the seriousness of a budo. While there may be an air of levity to training with friends, it is for safety at least and training at most that one remembers that your partner is putting their health (possibly their lives) in your hands, just so you can learn. It is a thought that humbles me greatly whenever I bow to someone before we engage in any activity.Doug Mataconis · · 19 comments
Michele Bachmann will apparently take the opportunity during tonight’s Republican debate to bash Rick Perry’s comments about Social Security. As it turns out, though, she said pretty much the same thing about a year ago:
During an interview with the Fox Business channel in February 2010, Bachmann, a Republican representative from Minnesota, called Social Security’s structure “a tremendous fraud” and said that anyone who ran a business modeled after the program would be “thrown in jail.”
“It’s a tremendous fraud,” Bachmann told Fox Business host David Asman after he called the program “one of the biggest frauds ever perpetrated on the American public.”
“No company could get away with this, they’d be thrown in jail if they ever tried to do what the federal government did with people’s Social Security money,” Bachmann said. “What we need to do very quickly is take the money that is coming in for Social Security, and truly lock it up so that we aren’t putting it out the door anymore.”HELLDIVERS Calling new Recruits for retail deployment today!
Greetings recruit!
The HELLDIVERS have bravely fought the alien threats and thanks to them, Humanity have prevailed in the 6th Galactic War. But how can we rest while so many still suffer outside the Freedom and Democracy that SUPER EARTH brings?
It is our duty to liberate once more! Super Earth Command calls for new heroes to join the ranks of the HELLDIVERS, together we will liberate the stars!
Today Humanity renews the war effort. HELLDIVERS SUPER-EARTH ULTIMATE EDITION is available at your local retailer and on PlayStation Store today (EU from 26th August) with:
MORE WEAPONS! Includes over 70 upgradable weapons, perks and stratagems and a bonus Weapons Pack (also available for sale)
[WATCH WEAPON PACK TRAILER HERE]
Includes over 70 upgradable weapons, perks and stratagems and a bonus Weapons Pack (also available for sale) MORE DEMOCRACY! Now citizens of SUPER-EARTH can proudly show their support with the HELLDIVERS PS4 Dynamic Theme (also available for sale)
[PREVIEW IT HERE]
Now citizens of SUPER-EARTH can proudly show their support with the HELLDIVERS PS4 Dynamic Theme (also available for sale) MORE FREEDOM! HELLDIVERS SUPER-EARTH ULTIMATE EDITION also contains the PS4 Blu-ray, PS3 and PSVITA / PSTV digital games and the Turning up the Heat and Masters of the Galaxy expansions. Fight with fellow HELLDIVERS across platforms to protect Super-Earth!
As with all game development, the road to completing Helldivers has been filled with struggle, success, and learning brand new things (like developing for cross-play, cross-save, and multiple platforms at the same time…phew!) but it’s been a lot of fun. It leaves us with many stories to tell but we can only fit a small part here. We even started filling an entire wall with fantastic community comments!
One of the more memorable days was of course, launch day. We were setting up to livestream the game while having a few good beers and chatting with the viewers. We had a blast seeing Helldivers truly come to life with everyone finally contributing to the Galactic Campaign together, and eventually we decided it might be fun if we joined a random player in our game. After both sides had gotten somewhat confused, it turned out that our new found friend was also streaming his game live all the way from New Zealand. Here we were playing with someone from the very other side of the globe!
Here’s some other great stories from our designer, Patrik Lasota during development and how a few hilarious bugs appeared:
Scared of Heights – we got a report from QA (Quality Assurance) that if your character was injured, and walked on one of the roots spanning the chasms in the desert environment, it would trigger the falling VO, causing the Helldiver to scream for his life as though he was falling to his death. Hilarious when the Helldiver is standing on the edge of a ravine!
(footage captured during alpha testing prior to the game’s launch)
Minidiver – we had a bug for about half a year but didn’t discover until QA pointed it out. The Helldiver would shrink if you entered the hellpod on the bridge, and then exited again. We thought QA was messing with us – I mean, that’s a silly bug and how would it even happen? Well, it turns out that QA had indeed found a bug and we scratched our head for a good while until we realized that we were doing some animation tricks to the Helldiver to get her to fit in the pod. The result was hilarious, making the Helldiver character almost half the original size. A good many laughs were had.
Needless to say, we’ve ironed out a few kinks along the way and we’re excited to launch the most complete HELLDIVERS experience yet with SUPER-EARTH ULTIMATE EDITION. We’ll be glad to welcome all new recruits in game today!
Are you ready to step up and take your place among the HELLDIVERS? Get out there soldier, and #SpreadDemocracy2014 will be a healthier one for me. I hope that you've noticed my recent healthy raw dessert efforts in my last few posts on Baking...
healthy raw milkshakes and raw donut holes and all. Yes, healthy. 2014 will be a healthier one for me. I hope that you've noticed my recent healthy raw dessert efforts in my last few posts on Baking Backwards -- what with theandand all. Yes, healthy.
I'm not writing this to pull your leg, I really am on a mission to transform my desserts into more wholistic super-desserts. If you are too, then I think we're going to get along just fine for the next few months! My goal is to share a lot of minimally processed dessert recipes that feature whole food ingredients and no refined sugar. I know that sounds a whole lot like what I normally do on Baking Backwards, but I'm going to try to push even my own boundaries on what can be called desserts for a little while. Instead of sugar you'll see fruits, instead of flour maybe beans or coconut, instead of oils maybe coconut oil, pear sauce or bananas. I'm leaning more and more away from grains and refined everything.
The simpler my recipes are to make the better in my mind so you'll find a lot of no-bake delights for awhile on my blog. Take these Raw Chocolate Chip Cookies, for example. No baking, no refined sugar, no grains. They come together in minutes and taste to die for. They are loaded with healthy ingredients like dates, figs and coconut and they will squash even the biggest cookie craving.
There are some desserts that I find hazardous to have around the house. In highschool my dad often bought big containers of fresh baked chocolate chip cookies from the supermarket to have on hand for snacks and dessert. Let's just say I got really used to that. One, two, three-a-day used to that. As a very active young woman I had a huge appetite and I ate unhealthy snacks all the time and I don't think it did my body any favors. The cookies my dad bought were packed with bad fats like shortening that really aren't good for anyone to eat.
In University, when I began to watch what I ate more closely, chocolate chip cookies became more of a once-in-awhile treat that I'd only enjoy out at a cafe or at a party, or when the guy I was dating (who worked at an on-campus cafe) handed me one on the house. Special occasions, ha. Fast forward to today and I rarely bake or buy cookies. Does baking healthy breakfast cookies count?? Good thing these ones are raw...
...Because I've made them about four times over the past couple weeks! They are seriously addictive but luckily for me, seriously virtuous too. These chewy little cookies are full of healthy fruit and fiber, are grain-free, vegan, paleo, and naturally sweetened. The only sinful ingredient is the small amount of mini chocolate chips in the recipe. If you're really trying to eat better this year, I recommend swapping them for raw cacao nibs or chopped cacao paste to get that chocolate chip experience without the sugar.
Don't confuse these raw chocolate chip cookies with raw cookie balls. By pressing them flat with a fork I find they set in a totally different way than cookie balls do. They firm up more throughout the cookie when refrigerated than the often super soft-on-the-inside cookie balls I've eaten.
The dried figs in the recipe work really well. They neutralize the sometimes too sweet flavor from the pitted dates and they are incredibly dense and chewy so they add amazing texture to these cookies. Holding them once they have set firm you might be tricked into thinking you're holding a real baked little cookie! Biting into them you might be even more convinced as they ooze chocolate chip cookie flavor and their texture is very reminiscent of a chewy baked cookie. So yes, press these little balls flat for the best raw cookie experience.
As I mentioned above, I made several batches of these cookies and began 2014 with a four-cookie-a-day habit that was hard to shake. One of my batches was not like the other ones, it just wasn't the same. It was better! I transformed these little babies into Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookies! They are insanely delicious but you'll have to visit Baking Backwards next week to snag that recipe too. For now, I present the recipe that is slowly changing my rules about keeping cookies in the house -- Raw Chocolate Chip Cookies.It was the Blas Pérez show at Copa America on Monday night, as Panama won on arguably the biggest stage they’ve ever played on, beating Bolivia 2-1 to open play in Group D. The Panamanian forward reminded everyone why he’s been a thorn in the side of so many Major League Soccer and CONCACAF opponents over the years, proving a constant menace throughout the match, both with his attacking prowess and his extracurricular antics.
Another MLS player, San Jose winger Alberto Quintero, showed why the Earthquakes were so keen to add him this season, providing a constant threat down the wing for Panama, and setting up Perez for the opening goal.
There was plenty of excitement in a game that really wasn’t expected to provide much entertainment. Panama and Bolivia are clearly the underdogs in Group D behind Argentina and Chile, and while Panama came into the match as the likely favorites, an extreme lack of goals for or against in recent matches left many expecting a boring game.
Instead, those who tuned in were treated to an entertaining game full of chances as a Panama squad which just barely missed out on qualifying for the 2014 World Cup sought to prove they belong on this stage. Bolivia may not have been the toughest of opponents, but in getting the win Panama gave themselves a chance to make something magical happen in one of their final two group stage matches and keep hope of advancing to the knockout round.
The Panamanian side may have been disappointed to only go into the break ahead 1-0 following the opening goal from Perez, as they dominated the chances in the first half, nearly extending their lead multiple times. Even after the opening goal, as Bolivia grew into the match and created a few chances of their own Panama looked the better side.
Bolivia equalized through Juan Carlos Arce shortly after the break as the ball fell to his feet off a free kick and he fired it past Panamanian goalkeeper Jaime Penedo, who reminded everyone why the Los Angeles Galaxy parted ways with him last summer, looking lost and indecisive on this and other plays.
For much of the second half it seemed as if Penedo might cost Panama two points and any chance of progressing. But, in the 87th minute Blas Pérez once again found himself open in the box and found the back of the net in typical Perez fashion.
While a 2-1 win over Bolivia may not seem like a huge occasion, it’s important because it keeps alive the possibility of Panama pulling off a miracle result against Argentina or Chile and advancing. If that’s to happen, it will take all the skill, confidence, and dark magic of Blas Pérez to make it so, and based on the evidence of Monday night, he’s still got all of that in spades.The Republic | azcentral.com Fri May 24, 2013 12:11 PM
After all the hype, after all the strong opinions over whether Jodi Arias deserved life or death for the 2008 murder of Travis Alexander, after all the talk, the big trial ended with a sigh.
The press had been camped outside the courthouse since Tuesday. A throng of reporters milled in the hallway outside Courtroom 5C, sending tweets and making phone calls.
Then, at about 4 p.m., it seemed that something was happening. The presiding criminal judge of Maricopa County Superior Court entered the courtroom through a side door.
Alexander’s family and friends arrived. Finally the press was let in.
Prosecutor Juan Martinez was smiling. Arias was crying. A tissue box was passed among the Alexander siblings and their friends and relatives. The jury entered.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I understand you have reached a verdict,” said Judge Sherry Stephens. She glanced at the verdict form, and her voice cracked as she said, “The clerk will now read and record the verdict.”
But the verdict was not a verdict at all: The jury could not reach a unanimous decision about whether to sentence Arias to death. Instead, they split 8-4 in favor of death.
Arias looked stunned and put a hand to her cheek with a half-smile.
There was audible sobbing from the Alexander’s row; his sisters were crying inconsolably.
His younger brother, Steven, stood speechless with a dismayed look on his face after the jury left the courtroom.
And as the jury filed out, one of them was heard to say “sorry” to the family.
Stephens declared a mistrial, then set a date for July 18 to empanel a new jury and reconsider the penalty stage of the trial. The first-degree murder conviction and the aggravation finding that the murder was especially cruel will stand.
And then, for once, nobody talked.
The Alexander family was escorted out through the back. The Arias family had not even attended because they had been told that there was only a jury question.
Martinez disappeared. The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office issued a terse statement:
“We appreciate the jury’s work in the guilt and aggravation phases of the trial and now we will assess, based upon available information, what the next steps will be. As of this point in time, the Court has set a status conference for June 20 and we will proceed with the intent to retry the penalty phase. Because, for purposes of a jury determination on punishment, this is still a pending matter, there will be no further comment.”
Defense attorneys Jennifer Willmott and Kirk Nurmi asked for space as they were escorted out of the building. Neither they nor Martinez stopped to talk to the jurors as is customary after a verdict.
The jurors were spirited away, and when they climbed off a bus at the backdoor of a county parking lot, they refused to talk to the reporters gathered there.
Surprisingly, there were no crowds gathered in the open space in front of the south tower of the Maricopa County Court complex. No one was chanting, as they did on May 8, when that same jury unanimously convicted Arias of first-degree murder.
Even the Twitter feed, which in recent days had been white-hot with emotion, seemed to go silent, as if everyone, like Arias, were in shock.
The jury was selected in December. The trial began in earnest on Jan. 2, and over nearly five months, it was Martinez against everyone — against the defense attorneys, against Arias and against her witnesses — and he dominated.
The testimony was gruesome. It was salacious.
The photographs more so: Alexander’s slit throat, the stab wounds, the bullet in his head, the blood spatter on the bathroom where he was killed, the naked photos of the two lovers taken on the day of the murder, and Alexander’s bloodied body on the floor of a hallway.
The public was hooked. They blogged and tweeted; they praised Martinez; they harassed the witnesses and the journalists who covered the case.
“The villagers were gathering at the courthouse with pitchforks and torches,” said Victoria Washington, who was one of Arias’ attorneys until she had to resign in 2011 because of a conflict. She was replaced by Willmott.
Washington, a longtime capital-murder defense attorney, was shocked by the hatred for Arias as the case wore on.
“When you have that much spiritual and emotional energy invested in wanting someone dead and then it doesn’t happen, what do you do with that?” she said.
Arias’ lead attorney, Nurmi, was pilloried in social media. At one point, Internet denizen photoshopped his face onto a crime-scene photo of Alexander dead in the shower of his Mesa home.
“I know people were aggravated with him constantly filing for mistrial, but you have to,” Washington said. “You have to make and preserve the record for federal review (on appeal). If you don’t file for mistrial, the appeals courts will say you waived it.”
The verdict had to come down on Thursday, Washington said.
With a five-day holiday from trial looming, with Arias’ face on every TV channel and her trial the subject of every ticker running across the bottom of the screen, it would have been impossible for the jurors not to see.
“I don’t think there’s any way they’re going to put a needle in Jodi’s arm under those circumstances,” she said.
As for seating a new jury to redo the penalty stage, Washington said, “Finding 12 honest jurors — by which I mean they have not got a hidden agenda and they want to get on the jury to set things right — is going to be hard. Even my 8-year-old had an opinion.”
But first, as the County Attorney’s Office ponders whether to take that challenge or to plead Arias to a life sentence, there is another court consideration.
On Wednesday, the Arizona Supreme Court will decide if it will take jurisdiction over one of Nurmi’s appeals regarding the death penalty.
Midway through the trial, Nurmi asked the high court to throw out the aggravating factor of cruelty because the judge had allowed it to go forward based on a different theory of how the murder occurred.
The state had originally claimed that Arias first shot, then stabbed Alexander before slitting his throat; based on that theory, a Maricopa County Superior Court judge ruled there was probable cause to find the crime had been committed in an especially cruel manner, an aggravating factor under state law.
Right before trial, prosecutor Martinez revealed his new theory that Arias had first stabbed, then slashed, then shot Alexander after he was already dead.
Stephens, the current judge, allowed the aggravator to be considered nonetheless. The jury found that it applied.
The Supreme Court could decline jurisdiction and say that it should be brought up in a regular appeal. Or it could set oral argument for this fall and in a long shot, throw out the death penalty.
Defense attorney Willmott told The Arizona Republic that despite rumors, she and Nurmi intend to stay on the case if the penalty stage is retried.
“I think resolving it without retrying it would be best for everyone involved,” she said.
Republic reporters Michelle Ye Hee Lee and Anne Ryman contributed to this article.Tributes to the peer, who as Jack Ashley was elected as MP for Stoke on Trent South in 1966, poured in as news of his death was announced.
The tributes were led by his daughter Jackie Ashley, a journalist and broadcaster, who described her father as "wonderful, brave and adored."
Her husband, BBC presenter Andrew Marr, said Lord Ashley died on Friday night after a short illness.
Labour leader Ed Miliband said: "I am very sad to hear of the death of Jack Ashley. He was an outstanding servant of the Labour party and an extraordinary campaigner for equal rights for people with disabilities.
"Jack Ashley turned his own tragic experience of losing his hearing into a mission of courage and determination for deaf and disabled people. He was a pioneer as the first deaf MP to sit in Parliament, but he did much more than that.
"There are many millions of men and women with disabilities who will have better lives thanks to Jack Ashley. He succeeded in changing the law and in changing attitudes.
"Anti-discrimination legislation for people with disabilities would not have happened when it did without his tenacity, his campaigning and his support.
"Jack Ashley will be missed by his family, his friends and his colleagues in the House of Lords. He led an amazing life and will be remembered with deep affection, profound respect and great admiration."
David Cameron described Lord Ashley as a "tireless" campaigner for disabled people who had a huge impact not just through his charity work, and legislation, but also in changing attitudes.
The prime minister said: "It takes characters like Jack, with his extraordinary tenacity, to push for that kind of positive change. He will be sorely missed and my thoughts and prayers are with his family."
Lord Morris of Manchester, a fellow Labour peer of Lord Ashley's, who collaborated with him when campaigning for disability rights, also paid tribute to his colleague and long-standing friend.
"Jack and I lived in close fellowship for over five decades. We campaigned and legislated together on improving the wellbeing of disabled people and others in special need," Lord Morris said.
"His passing will be mourned by everyone who had the privilege of knowing him. He was a very fine parliamentarian."
Prime Minister David Cameron said: "He was a tireless campaigner for disabled people and had a huge impact, not just through his charity work and pushing for legislation in Parliament, but also in changing attitudes.
"It takes characters like Jack, with his extraordinary tenacity, to push for that kind of positive change. He will be sorely missed and my thoughts and prayers are with his family."
Former Home Secretary David Blunkett, who is blind, said: "Jack Ashley was a pioneer who set aside his disability and by doing so forged a path which others, including me, have been able to follow.
"By sheer tenacity and latterly the use of technology, he was able to demonstrate that not only could he work on equal terms but achieve a great deal more than most of us in politics are able to boast about."
Former-prime minister Gordon Brown added: "Jack Ashley was the greatest champion Britain's disabled have had.
"He was compassionate, direct, forceful and radical. The man who, speaking with the authority of personal experience, took the cause of disabled men and women into the chambers of Parliament and to the heart of government.
"He leaves behind a contribution in legislation and policy progress for the cause of tackling disability that will not easily be surpassed."
In his autobiography, Lord Ashley recalled that the last voice he heard was that of the late rugby commentator Eddie Waring.
He became profoundly deaf a year after his election to parliament at the age of 45 following an operation to correct mild hearing loss.
After initially fearing he would be forced to give up politics, the MP learned to lip-read.
Other politicians, including political foes such as Prime Minister Edward Heath, turned towards him during Commons debates so he could get a clear view of their mouths.
Lord Ashley also worked hard to modulate his speaking voice, which he could no longer hear.
However, his deafness never affected his combative attitude.
“Early on when I first lost my hearing, I think people were a little fearful about attacking me. But as I re-established my confidence, that soon fell away,” he said.In the years that followed, he campaigned for the rights of those with disability, in particular for the deaf and blind.
In 1986, the MP and his wife founded the charity Defeating Deafness, now known as Deafness Research UK.
Together the couple had three daughters.
After retiring from the Commons in 1992, Jack Ashley was made a life peer, Baron Ashley of Stoke.
Two years later he received a cochlear implant which restored much of his hearing.
Lord Ashley took a leading role campaigning on behalf of victims of Thalidomide, which was given to mothers to treat morning sickness during the 1950s and 1960, and against violence and rape.
In 2003 he secured changes to improve the provision of subtitles on television. In 2006, he championed a bill to strengthen the rights of the elderly and disabled.
Until his death, Lord Ashley was President of Action on Hearing Loss, formerly the Royal National Institute for the Deaf.
He was also Vice-President of the National Deaf Children’s Society with whom he worked for many years to champion the rights of deaf children.
Susan Daniels, the charity's chief executive, said: “Lord Ashley was a passionate advocate for deaf and disabled people, securing important victories for them in parliament and working tirelessly to ensure that they had a voice at the highest levels."
Lord Ashley worked in a factory after leaving school at 14, becoming a shop steward and a local councillor.
He studied at Oxford and Cambridge on scholarships, and worked as a producer for the BBC before entering parliament.In 1899 a member of the D.C. Library board unexpectedly ran into Andrew Carnegie in a waiting room at the White House. The lucky chance encounter led to an on-the-spot $250,000 donation (written on the back of an envelope) and gave birth to Washington’s first central library.
Prior to this point, the district’s meagre library was based out of a small three-story row house, and the idea of public lending libraries had only recently started to gain traction in the U.S. Traditionally, libraries were private collections guarded by universities and museums.
The beaux-arts Carnegie Library of Washington, D.C. opened in 1903 and ended up costing a grand total of $350,000, more than $8 million in 2017 dollars. The self-described “University for the People” was the first racially integrated public building in the city and embodied Carnegie’s commitment to philanthropy and self improvement.
The eye-catching facade is composed of Vermont marble, hung on structural steel provided by the Carnegie Steel Company. The interior is filled with natural light via four huge skylights that punctuate the building’s green slate roof. The main focal point inside is a grand staircase that twists and connects the main vestibule with ground level entryways.
The D.C. Public Library wasn’t a one-off donation for Andrew Carnegie; he also financed projects in Washington such as the Pan American Union Building, the Carnegie Institution, and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (not to mention 1,678 other libraries across the United States).
Over the next six decades the D.C. library’s collection expanded in size from 65,000 to over 500,000. In 1972 the severely overcrowded Carnegie building was replaced by the nearby Martin Luther King Jr. building (which is an architectural gem in its own right.) The Carnegie building has been used for a variety of purposes over the years, including a stint as UDC’s graduate library and museum dedicated to D.C. history. It is currently home to the offices of the historical society, and an occasional event space.
Update February 2018: In 2017, Apple announced they would sign a ten-year lease for the building. They plan to renovate the space and open an Apple store in the library space.ES Football Newsletter 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
Arsenal assistant manager Steve Bould is “furious” over reports of a rift with manager Arsene Wenger. It is understood there have been disagreements between the pair over the specific nature of first-team training with Bould keen to be more involved in planning sessions rather than merely following Wenger’s pre-planned instructions.
But a source close to Bould insists the situation has been exaggerated despite tensions running high in the wake of the club’s embarrassing Capital One Cup quarter-final exit at Bradford on Tuesday night.
“Steve is furious about this,” a source told Standard Sport. “There is no issue and they are both working together to sort the team out.”
Bould is thought to have become frustrated at the cancellation of specific sessions working on improving the team’s defensive shape.
The former centre-back accepted his promotion to working with the first- team squad in the summer in the belief he would be able to use his own techniques to help tighten up a back four that has consistently leaked too many goals in recent seasons.
But Wenger has kept a firm grip on the training programme and is thought to be reluctant to change his methods — when unable to take training the day before Arsenal’s Premier League match against Swansea, it was fitness coach Tony Colbert and not Bould who is believed to have taken the session.
Former Arsenal striker Ian Wright said: “I just feel that Steve Bould could be a scapegoat in all of this. The defence have been as poor as they’ve been in the last five, six years I’ve been watching them.
“But all of a sudden if |
The dock has four ports in addition to the USB-C pass-through: two USB 3.0 Type-A jacks, one full-sized SD card slot, and a microSD slot. In a previous model of the Satechi dock that lacks the power pass-through, the memory card slots couldn’t be used simultaneously. While Satechi says that’s the case with this dock as well, I was able to mount both card types and copy between them.
The microSD slot is awkward though that’s true of all similar slots. The card has to be inserted flipped (logo on bottom) when the dock’s logo is facing up. I inserted it the wrong way around and had to use a pair of pliers to remove it very carefully. I’d recommend using an SD card adapter (which ships with most microSD cards) unless you can train yourself. The SD slot is also slightly awkward: You only need to push the card in a very small amount, just enough to cover the exposed pins.
I tested the Type-A ports with a reference external bus-powered USB 3.0 2TB WD My Passport Ultra hard drive, and it performed at the same rate as direct USB-C connection, 90 MBps for both read and write. This is about 20 percent off its maximum speed according to sites that benchmarked the drive. (The MacBook’s internal SSD measured 120 MBps for writes and 300 MBps for reads.)
The SD card slots fared just as poorly as they do using Apple’s USB-C to Type-A adapter and a generic card reader: with a “45 MBps” UHS-I Class 10 SD Card, about 33 MBps write speed and 37 MBps read rate and about 12 MBps write and 36 MBps read for an identically rated microSD card. (The MacBook with a card reader sometimes reached 14 MBps for writes, but that’s negligibly different and wasn’t consistently repeatable.)
Satechi
Bottom line
Weighing in at 0.64 ounces and measuring 3.31 by 1.06 by 0.3 inches (plus a projecting USB-C jack), and costing just $45 on Amazon, the dock is a perfect lightweight counterpart to the MacBook that replaces two to four other adapters and devices, most of which won’t pass USB-C power.President Donald Trump on Monday gave an inaccurate explanation of how foreign-made pipes are made and shipped to the United States.
The president made the comments as part of his case to convince oil and gas pipeline makers to use U.S. materials and equipment rather than imported parts.
Speaking to a group of small business leaders, Trump described a process that "hurts the pipe" — suggesting that many miles of America's pipelines contain substandard parts which presumably would have to be replaced. But he simultaneously indicated that he is not actually familiar with how pipelines are made, using a variation of "I imagine" three times and saying "I assume" as he explained the process.
"These are big pipes. Now, the only way I can imagine they [ship them] is they must have to cut them. Because they're so big, I can't imagine — they take up so much room — I can't imagine you could put that much pipe on ships. It's not enough. It's not long enough," he said.
"So I assume they have to fabricate and cut, which hurts the pipe, by the way," he said.
A spokesperson for the Association of Oil Pipe Lines said he had never heard of foreign pipe makers cutting segments into portions to send them overseas. Manufacturers create pipes in lengths that can be shipped rather than chopping up vast lengths of pipe.
TransCanada, the company behind the controversial Keystone XL pipeline, also told CNBC that pipes it buys from overseas are not cut into smaller segments before being shipped.
The White House did not immediately return a CNBC request for further explanation.Language English
Archive is a documentary focused on the future of long-term digital storage, the history of the Internet and attempts to preserve its contents on a massive scale.
Part one features Brewster Kahle, founder of the Internet Archive and his colleagues Robert Miller, director of books, and Alexis Rossi, director of web collections. On a mission to create universal access to all knowledge, the Internet Archive’s staff have built the world's largest online library, offering 10 petabytes of archived websites, books, movies, music, and television broadcasts.
The video includes a tour of the Internet Archive’s headquarters in San Francisco, the book scanning center, and the book storage facilities in Richmond, California.
Directed by Jonathan Minard
Cinematography by John Behrens, Alexander Porter, and Fearghal O'dea
Produced at the Internet Archive on October 22-26, during the Books in Browsers Conference and 10 Petabyte Celebration
Credits
Directed by Jonathan Minard
Cinematography by John Behrens, Alexander Porter, and Fearghal O'dea
Closed captioning no Color color Identifier archive_documentary_internet_archive_sequence Sound sound Year 2013Fox News host Megyn Kelly is under armed guard after receiving death threats, and she says Donald Trump Donald John TrumpHouse committee believes it has evidence Trump requested putting ally in charge of Cohen probe: report Vietnamese airline takes steps to open flights to US on sidelines of Trump-Kim summit Manafort's attorneys say he should get less than 10 years in prison MORE's social media director is partly to blame.
On Tuesday night, Kelly asked Don Scavino, a member of Trump's transition team leadership staff, to stop encouraging the online abuse and harassment, The Guardian reported.
“The vast majority of Donald Trump supporters are not at all this way,” Kelly told an audience in Washington. “It’s that far corner of the internet that really enjoys nastiness and threats and unfortunately there is a man who works for Donald Trump whose job it is to stir these people up and that man needs to stop doing that. His name is Dan Scavino.”
Scavino was Trump's social media director throughout the campaign and according to The Guardian has speculated he might run Trump's Twitter in the White House.
Kelly told the audience at the Politics and Prose bookshop in D.C. that the harassment was difficult.
The worst part is the security threats that I’ve had to face and, as much as I try to avoid some of that online vitriol, I get lots of it and I really hate it. I find that stuff just soul-killing."
While Scavino did help run Trump's social media and has reportedly clashed with Kelly in the past, there is no evidence he is behind the online comments Kelly receives. He has been critical of her on Twitter, writing in October that Kelly "made a total fool out of herself tonight- attacking @realDonaldTrump. Watch what happens to her after this election is over."
Kelly said she and her children have been under armed security for 16 months. The Fox News host's contract is up next year and it has been rumored she may move to CNN or another network.Jason Davis • October 14, 2016
How should America feel about China's space ambitions?
This Sunday, two Chinese astronauts are expected to launch into space. Their Shenzhou 11 spacecraft will blast off from the Gobi desert and spend a couple days chasing down Tiangong-2, the country's new 10-meter-long, 3-meter-wide prototype space station. After docking, the crew is expected to remain aboard for about a month, carrying out various science experiments and technology demonstrations.
Next year, in April, a Chinese cargo freighter will autonomously dock with Tiangong-2 and refuel it, similar to the way Russian Progress spacecraft are used to top off the tanks at the International Space Station.
These will arguably be China's most ambitious human spaceflight missions to date. Yet when compared with the long history of similar achievements by the United States and Russia, they are modest.
In the space community, we are prone to think that the pursuit of science and exploration rises above borders and politics. But in reality, China and the United States have a complicated relationship. Considering that, how should America feel about China's space ambitions?
That was the subject of a recent House of Representatives space subcommittee hearing titled "Are We Losing the Space Race to China?" The title of the hearing implies the goals of the two programs are similar enough that we can even call it a race at all.
What, exactly, are China's space goals? Is there really a race? And if the United States loses, is that anything to worry about?
Xinhau News Agency Soaring Shenzhou Shenzhou 10 soars into the sky atop a Long March 2F rocket, carrying Chinese astronauts Nie Haisheng, Zhang Xiaoguang and Wang Yaping. Shenzhou 10 soars into the sky atop a Long March 2F rocket, carrying Chinese astronauts Nie Haisheng, Zhang Xiaoguang and Wang Yaping.
China's human spaceflight goals
Since launching its first astronaut in 2003, China has made steady human spaceflight progress. The country's first small space station, Tiangong-1, was launched in 2011 and visited by a crew of astronauts in 2012.
Both Tiangong-1 and Tiangong-2 are testbeds meant to pave the way for a more ambitious, three-module station. The first piece of that orbital complex is scheduled to be launched in 2018 atop a new rocket, the Long March 5.
The station would be fully operational around 2020, and be paired with a souped-up space telescope larger than Hubble that would float nearby, giving astronauts easy access for repairs and maintenance.
As for sending humans anywhere else, China's plans are vague, but reports have begun coalescing around a possible 2030 lunar landing.
China's science goals
China's robotic spaceflight program is making even more ambitious strides.
Next year, the country plans to return a sample from the far side of the moon, which would be a first for any nation. In 2018 or 2019, a lander and rover might also be sent to the far side, which would be another first, and require the country to deploy a communications relay satellite.
In 2020, China hopes to send a probe and rover to Mars, which coincides with NASA's plan to send a successor to the Curiosity rover there. That rover, currently dubbed Mars 2020, will collect and cache samples for a future return mission.
NASA has yet to finalize how it will retrieve those samples and get them back to Earth. China, meanwhile, is making plans of its own to launch a Mars sample return mission in 2030.
China's mission would use a yet-to-be-built, super heavy lift rocket named the Long March 9. The rocket could be capable of lifting around 130 metric tons to low-Earth orbit, which would put it on par with the enhanced version of NASA's Space Launch System. (The 70-ton SLS variant is expected to debut in 2018.)
Is there a race?
As far as space exploration is concerned, then, the only common goal between NASA and China is the Mars sample return mission. Assuming a third party like SpaceX does not accelerate the process, there could truly be a scientific race to return the first sample from another planet.
Aside from that, the International Space Station will remain in orbit through at least 2024, ensuring at least a four-year crossover period with China's station. Depending on the long-term fate of the ISS, there could indeed be a day when only Chinese astronauts inhabit low-Earth orbit. NASA, meanwhile, might be moving out to cislunar space by then as part of its Journey to Mars plans—assuming the next president and Congress keeps the agency on its current course.
It remains an open question whether or not an international or private sector partner will step forward to work with NASA on leveraging American cislunar activities to make a final push for the surface. That could set the stage for a 2030s, return-to-the-moon international space race, where the U.S. provides a supporting role for private companies or international allies.
By then, China will likely have gained the prestige of becoming the first country to operate a suite of first-time missions from the lunar farside. All told, it will be an impressive slate of achievements—but mostly in areas where the U.S. is not directly competing.
Xinhau News Agency The crew of Shenzhou 10 Shenzhou 10 crewmembers Wang Yaping (left), Zhang Xiaoguang (center) and Nie Haisheng (right) attend a "setting out" ceremony prior to launch on June 11, 2013. Shenzhou 10 crewmembers Wang Yaping (left), Zhang Xiaoguang (center) and Nie Haisheng (right) attend a "setting out" ceremony prior to launch on June 11, 2013.
Did U.S. policies accelerate China's space program?
For many U.S. lawmakers, not participating in a space race may be as bad as losing one.
Rep. Brian Babin, the Texas republican who chairs the House space subcommittee, opened last month's "Are We Losing the Space Race to China?" hearing with a tirade on the Obama administration, and its decision to cancel NASA's return-to-the-moon Constellation program in 2010.
"This vacuum of leadership … facilitated the ascendance of China as a leading space-faring nation," Babin said. "China has capitalized on this administration's weakness by offering partnerships with other nations, like a return to the moon, which the U.S. chose to walk away from."
In the hearing—as well as in an email to The Planetary Society in response to our Horizon Goal series—Babin pointed out the Obama administration slashed Constellation funding in 2009 prior to an independent review that deemed the program, among other things, underfunded. (The review report addresses this charge on page 59 by pointing out that while the first Obama budget indeed cut Constellation dollars, the program was already falling short of original funding projections.)
For Babin and others, then, the rise of China's space program is coupled tightly with perceived policy missteps by the Obama administration.
But China's current spaceflight aspirations, including the goal of a permanent space station, have been around much longer. And that was when the possibility of bilateral cooperation with the United States still existed; since 2011, the House of Representatives has inserted language in NASA funding bills prohibiting such a possibility. Right now, as far as the United States is concerned, China has to go it alone.
How China's space program benefits the country
Dennis Shea, who chairs the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, said during the hearing that the line between China's military and civilian space activities was much blurrier than that of the United States.
"China's military controls the majority of the country's space assets and operations," Shea said. "Even apparently civilian projects such as space exploration can directly support the development of PLA (People's Liberation Army, the armed forces of China's communist party) space, counterspace and conventional capabilities."
Mark Stokes, the executive director of the Project 2049 Institute, a non-profit Asia-Pacific security issues think tank, agreed.
"This is part of a conscious policy referred to these days as MCF—Military Civilian Fusion, for short," he said.
To what extent this is actually happening is less clear, given China's lack of transparency. But many defense experts point to the country's anti-satellite capabilities, which have been on the rise since a 2007 test that destroyed a defunct weather satellite and created a massive cloud of dangerous space debris. China has since conducted similar, debris-free, tests.
Beyond military benefits, China's burgeoning space program bolsters the ruling communist party's domestic legitimacy and international prestige. Like NASA, the program also supports spinoff technologies, which improves China's ability to compete in the global commercial space market.
All of that is beneficial to the country's economy, said Dean Cheng, a senior research fellow at the conservative Heritage Foundation's Asian Studies Center.
"The Chinese see an advancing space capability almost like a locomotive that will pull along other parts of the Chinese economy," he said.
Uniqueness challenged
Tensions between the U.S. and China certainly exist. And China continues to be make worldwide watch lists for human rights violations.
But the narrative that the two countries are engaged in a space race akin to that of the U.S. and former Soviet Union does not entirely fit. Why, then, do some American lawmakers consider China's space ambitions such a threat?
According to Cheng, the real answer might lie in the fact that for almost half a century, the U.S. has stood alone in being able to claim the most prestigious feat of all time: landing people on another world and returning them safely to Earth.
"The reality is, the day the Chinese are able to [land humans on the moon] is the day that American uniqueness will be openly challenged," Cheng said. "And Chinese prestige will be placed on the same level as that of the United States."
Read more: Chinese human spaceflightDETROIT, MI -- State Sen. Virgil Smith, D-Detroit, has accepted a deal that requires him plead guilty to felony malicious destruction of property under $20,000, spend 10 months in jail and resign from office.
In exchange for his plea, charges of felony assault with a dangerous weapon, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony and domestic violence charges have been dismissed.
Smith, who was accused of firing a shotgun in the direction of his wife and at her car, was scheduled for trial March 7 in front of Wayne Circuit Judge Lawrence S. Talon.
Fukll terms of the plea deal issued by Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy's office Thursday:
Five years probation with the first 10 months to be served in the Wayne County Jail without early release.
The defendant must resign his position as a state senator.
The defendant cannot hold elective office or appointed office during the full term of his probation.
Submit to a mental health evaluation; the defendant must fully comply and provide monthly documentation with recommended treatment.
Supply monthly documentation of alcohol and drug treatment.
Surrender the weapon used in the crime or indicate the location where the weapon was disposed.
Full restitution in an amount to be determined by the Court.
The defendant waives any privilege and agrees to the release of the statement below.
Worthy's statement: It is rare for the (Wayne County Prosecutor's Office) to dismiss a felony firearm charge when the weapon in question was discharged. In this case, however, after extensive review of the medical and psychiatric records of the defendant, I am convinced that there are extenuating circumstances to support dismissal of that charge. The following documented medical conditions contributed to the behavior of this defendant: 1. He suffers from bipolar depression, hypomanic; 2. He has a neurocognitive disorder related to a traumatic brain injury arising out of a documented rollover automobile accident that occurred on December 19, 2014, in Houston, Texas; and 3. He is presently in treatment for his alcohol dependency.
Talon will decide whether to accept the deal at a March 14 sentencing hearing.
Smith, who served three years in the state House of Representatives before being elected to the Senate in 2010 and re-elected in 2014, was accused of opening fire with an AR-15 in the direction of his ex-wife, Anistia Thomas, and her Mercedes about 1 a.m. May 10.
The altercation occurred after Thomas arrived at Smith's home and found another woman, Tatiana Grant, naked in her ex-husband's bed.
The versions of events presented by both women during the a preliminary examination last June were inconsistent.
Thomas testified that, although Smith is her ex-husband, they'd reignited an intimate relationship. She drove to Smith's home the morning of May 10 with the intent of spending the night.
Before heading there, she sent a text that said, "you are (expletive) up," according to evidence presented at a prior hearing.
After parking in the street, Thomas walked to an open side window and said, "Kai," Smith's middle name.
Smith opened the side door and told Thomas, "Tatiana is here," the ex-wife testified.
Thomas claims she walked to the bedroom, stripped the sheets off the naked woman and asked her if she was sleeping with Smith.
Grant claims Thomas was yelling, "He doesn't care about you, he doesn't love you," as Smith grabbed his ex-wife from behind.
Thomas denies forcing her way into Smith's home or attacking Grant.
"From there, he pulled on me, we wrestled, he punches me in the face a few times," Thomas said at the preliminary examination. "After falling into the TV, he rammed my head into the floor."
Thomas said Smith put his right arm into the back of her neck and she "basically stopped breathing."
"He kept punching me throughout my body at that point... " Thomas testified. "He literally rammed my head into the wall by the doorway... I fall down."
Grant said Smith never punched Thomas and never slammed her head into the floor or wall. Grant saw Smith pulling the ex-wife from behind and carrying her in an attempt to remove her from the bedroom.
"No," Grant said when asked if she ever saw Smith assault Thomas.
Thomas claims Smith forced her to her feet and pushed her out the side door into a railing, causing her to fall and hit her face on the concrete.
"He comes out from the side door... I see him holding a big gun," Thomas said.
She said the gun was an AR-15 rifle Smith kept under his bed and previously told her could take off a person's limb.
"He starts shooting it in the air... " Thomas said. "He turns it toward me and starts shooting at me."
Thomas ran to the home of a neighbor, also a friend of Smith's. The ex-wife called 911, but the neighbor took the phone from her after hearing her giving police Smith's name. The neighbor forced her to leave and locked the door behind her, Thomas previously testified.
Thomas said she then ran to another house where she found help.
Despite being embroiled in criminal proceedings, Smith hadn't stepped down or been expelled from his senate seat, although he was stripped of his leadership roles and committee assignments after the shooting incident.
He represented the Fourth District, which includes portions of Allen Park, Detroit, Lincoln Park and Southgate.
Smith has received prior citations for impaired driving and operating while intoxicated in 2004, for which his license was revoked and reinstated to a restricted status in 2007, according to a statement issued by Secretary of State spokesman Fred Woodhams.
He was charged with operating a vehicle while being intoxicated in 2010, but the case was dropped for lack of evidence to prosecute.
Michigan is among about 10 states with a full-time Legislature. Senators begin at a starting annual pay of about $71,000.
Smith missed 59 of 645 Senate voting roll calls in 2015, the second most among active senators.You Must Read Cyanide & Happiness: A Guide to Parenting by Three Guys with No Kids Share:
BOOM! Studios and Explosm create a not-so-perfect guide for every new parent in April 2018
LOS ANGELES, CALIF. (November 22) – BOOM Studios and Explosm are proud to empower a new generation of parents with CYANIDE & HAPPINESS: A GUIDE TO PARENTING BY THREE GUYS WITH NO KIDS in April 2018. In a collection of irreverent and outrageous comic strips and essays by the creators behind one of the most popular, longest-running webcomics of all time, cartoonists Kris Wilson, Rob DenBleyker, and Dave McElfatrick combine all of their knowledge and experience—or lack thereof—for a laugh-out-loud, labor-inducing look into the world of parenthood through the sick and twisted lens of Cyanide & Happiness comics.
“My book is the best book out of all the books. It is about parenting,” said Dave McElfatrick. “If you don’t know what that is, ask your mum or dad.”
Featuring a Foreword by Lunarbaboon: The Daily Life of Parenthood author Chris Grady, CYANIDE & HAPPINESS: A GUIDE TO PARENTING BY THREE GUYS WITH NO KIDS is a definitive and reliable manual that demystifies the complicated world of parenting while delivering crucial tips and sage advice—all from three guys who make comics instead of children. This informative guide for breeders tackles all the big parenting issues: Finding messages in your alphabet soup, drawing the perfect hand turkey, getting away with kidnapping, telling your kids you don’t love them anymore, and making out with your kid’s best friend’s dad.
“A girl I knew in college introduced me to Cyanide & Happiness over a decade ago. I’ve since married that girl and spawned a small, delightful manchild while simultaneously acquiring and editing a Cyanide & Happiness parenting book,” said Bryce Carlson, Managing Editor, BOOM! Studios. “That, my friends, is the circle of life. It’s also the cosmos telling you to buy this book. Trust me, my parenting skills have reached all-new heights since working on this book, regardless of what that girl I married from college says.”
CYANIDE & HAPPINESS: A GUIDE TO PARENTING BY THREE GUYS WITH NO KIDS will be available for sale in April 2018 at local comic book shops (to find a shop near you, visit comicshoplocator.com); booksellers like Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Books-A-Million; or through the BOOM! Studios webstore. Digital copies can be purchased from content providers like comiXology, iBooks, Google Play, and the BOOM! Studios app. The previous two Cyanide & Happiness books from BOOM! Studios, Punching Zoo (2013) and Stab Factory (2015), are currently available.
For continuing news on CYANIDE & HAPPINESS: A GUIDE TO PARENTING BY THREE GUYS WITH NO KIDS and more from BOOM! Studios, stay tuned towww.boom-studios.com and follow @boomstudios on Twitter.Tableau customers have been storing and scaling their data with Google BigQuery for years, but the unique architecture that makes it so powerful also occasionally made it challenging. Now, with the release of BigQuery for Enterprise with Standard SQL support and a host of other practical features, Tableau customers will be able to get their insights faster, more fluidly, and at even lower costs than before.
The most common requests we heard from customers who were using BigQuery were for standard SQL support (as opposed to the native BQL) and ways to more easily manage the metering and usage of Google BigQuery. The Tableau and Google development teams worked together to develop a host of features that help to address both of those concerns.
Standard SQL support
Support for Standard SQL in BigQuery: It's just as good as it sounds. Now, BigQuery supports your standard, SQL 2011 compliant queries.
It's just as good as it sounds. Now, BigQuery supports your standard, SQL 2011 compliant queries. Use Custom SQL in Tableau: With support for Standard SQL in BigQuery, you can now also use the custom SQL capability in Tableau when connecting to data, as you can see at the bottom of the image below
Billing, metering, and usage control(Back to) The Future of Statistical Software #futureofstats
In anticipation of the upcoming Unconference on the Future of Statistics next Wednesday at 12-1pm EDT, I thought I’d dig up what people in the past had said about the future so we can see how things turned out. In doing this I came across an old National Academy of Sciences report from 1991 on the Future of Statistical Software. This was a panel discussion hosted by the National Research Council and summarized in this volume. I believe you can download the entire volume as a PDF for free from the NAS web site.
The entire volume is a delight to read but I was particularly struck by Daryl Pregibon’s presentation on “Incorporating Statistical Expertise into Data Analysis Software” (starting on p. 51). Pregibon describes his (unfortunate) experience trying to develop statistical software which has the ability to incorporate expert knowledge into data analysis. In his description of his goals, it’s clear in retrospect that he was incredibly ambitious to attempt to build a kind of general-purpose statistical analysis machine. In particular, it was not clear how to incorporate subject matter information.
[T]he major factor limiting the number of people using these tools was the recognition that (subject matter) context was hard to ignore and even harder to incorporate into software than the statistical methodology itself. Just how much context is required in an analysis? When is it used? How is it used? The problems in thoughtfully integrating context into software seemed overwhelming.
Pregibon skirted the problem of integrating subject matter context into statistical software.
I am not talking about integrating context into software. That is ultimately going to be important, but it cannot be done yet. The expertise of concern here is that of carrying out the plan, the sequence of steps used once the decision has been made to do, say, a regression analysis or a one-way analysis of variance. Probably the most interesting things statisticians do take place before that.
Statisticians (and many others) tend to focus on the application of the “real” statistical method–the regression model, lasso shrinkage, or support vector machine. But as much painful experience in a variety of fields has demonstrated, much what happens before the application of the key model is as important, or even more important.
Pregibon makes an important point that although statisticians are generally resistant to incorporating their own expertise into software, they have no problem writing textbooks about the same topic. I’ve observed the same attitude when I talk about evidence-based data analysis. If I were to guess, the problem is that textbooks are still to a certain extent abstract, while software is 100% concrete.
Initial efforts to incorporate statistical expertise into software were aimed at helping inexperienced users navigate through the statistical software jungle that had been created…. Not surprisingly, such ideas were not enthusiastically embraced by the statistics community. Few of the criticisms were legitimate, as most were concerned with the impossibility of automating the “art” of data analysis. Statisticians seemed to be making a distinction between providing statistical expertise in textbooks as opposed to via software. [emphasis added]
In short, Pregibon wanted to move data analysis from an art to a science, more than 20 years ago! He stressed that data analysis, at that point in time, was not considered a process worth studying. I found the following paragraph interesting and worth considering in now, over 20 years later. He talks about the reasons for incorporating statistical expertise into software.
The third [reason] is to study the data analysis process itself, and that is my motivating interest. Throughout American or even global industry, there is much advocacy of statistical process control and of understanding processes. Statisticians have a process they espouse but do not know anything about. It is the process of putting together many tiny pieces, the process called data analysis, and is not really understood. Encoding these pieces provides a platform from which to study this process that was invented to tell people what to do, and about which little is known. [emphasis added]
I believe we have come quite far since 1991, but I don't think we no much more about the process of data analysis, especially in newer areas that involve newer data. The reason is because the field has not put much effort into studying the whole data analysis process. I think there is still a resistance to studying this process, in part because it involves "stooping" to analyze data and in part because it is difficult to model with mathematics. In his presentation, Pregibon suggests that resampling methods like the bootstrap might allow us to skirt the mathematical difficulties in studying data analysis processes. One interesting lesson Pregibon relates during the development of REX, an early system that failed, involves the difference between the end-goals of statisticians and non-statisticians: Several things were learned from the work on REX. The first was that statisticians wanted more control. There were no users, rather merely statisticians looking over my shoulder to see how it was working. Automatically, people reacted negatively. They would not have done it that way. In contrast, non-statisticians to whom it was shown loved it. They wanted less control. In fact they did not want the system--they wanted answers.
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DisqusThe young actor Miles Teller looks like someone who was popular in high school. He's 25 years old and handsome in a pulpy, scarred-up way—think Brando by way of Tampa. Very mammalian. Also hungover from a late night at a sports bar and in need of physical therapy from being run over by a golf cart. When I meet Miles, he is standing in the back room of Confederacy, a Los Angeles boutique co-owned by the stylist Ilaria Urbinati. Ilaria is plucking J.Lindeberg cardigans and Simon Spurr suit jackets from four bulging racks while Miles chugs from a plastic cup. ("This water is delicious.") "Try these," Ilaria commands. Miles jams a pair of cudgel-shaped arms into the Lindeberg cardigan and looks at Ilaria for a verdict. Nope—she shakes her head. Miles is not a cardigan guy. "The rule," she explains to me while handing her client a cream shawl-collar sweater, "is he doesn't have to like it, but he has to try it on."
The cream sweater has a louche, post-colonial vibe, and Miles—who is still new enough in Hollywood to gamely endure the styling process—obediently puts it on. Unknown until he was cast as Nicole Kidman's baby killer in 2010's Rabbit Hole, Miles went on to pick up a role in the remake of Footloose, where his character has a triumphant dance montage in a high school hallway and throughout the town. For a few months now, he's been performing the ill-defined-but-high-stakes role of a young actor "poised" for Hollywood success. He wants better roles in bigger movies, and this week's docket of parties, timed with the opening of awards season—the CAA party, the Warner Bros./InStyle party, the New York Times T Magazine party—counts as a series of informal auditions. Over tequila shots and beneath the stars on rooftop terraces, Miles will make a visual case for his talent before the kinds of people in a position to do something about it. He understands that leading roles go to actors who look like leading men, and he also understands that he has neither the taste nor the access to dress himself like one. Most actors don't.
Technically, Miles hired Ilaria—but only after she agreed to take him on. If a publicist has a client who she thinks could benefit from Ilaria's help, she'll shoot an e-mail to see if Ilaria is interested. If the answer is not an obvious yes, Ilaria will open her laptop and do pretty much what a freshman stock analyst does, which is research the commodity and try to figure out whether it's undervalued or overvalued or what. (Example of an overvalued commodity: Alex Pettyfer, the guy from_ I Am Number Four_. A year ago, any stylist would have agreed to dress him. He was on magazine covers and dated starlets. Then he was on too many magazine covers. Then he failed to follow up with plum roles, acquired a reputation as "overhyped," started calling Hollywood a "shithole" in interviews, and now elicits a one-word reaction from people like Ilaria: "Oof.")
Miles turns around in the cream shawl-collar sweater. He looks like a blister.
"Off," Ilaria instructs, picking a Calvin Klein suit jacket from the racks. Miles slides into it, and this one is a hit. It fits the way a jacket should, which is tighter than you'd expect. (Hint: You should not be able to throw a football in your jacket.) Ilaria buttons Miles into a matching vest and then steps back to take a look; it works so well there's a near-audible click. Ilaria smiles, and Miles glances into the mirror to make the pained appraisal face that men make when they try on a sick suit. A tie bar is located and clipped into place. He looks like a rich man's problematic son.Gov. Terry Branstad has signed a bill into law legalizing the sale of fireworks to consumers in Iowa.
Gov. Terry Branstad has signed a bill into law legalizing the sale of fireworks to consumers in Iowa.The new law includes, but is not limited to, shells and mortars, Roman candles, bottle rockets, snakes and firecrackers.The explosives could be sold from June 1 through July 8 and from Dec. 10 through Jan. 3 in permanent structures or tents, though the nonpartisan Legislative Services Agency said that the majority of licenses issued will be for temporary retailors.Individual cities will have the authority to outlaw their use. Both Des Moines and Urbandale plan to ban the use within city limits.
Gov. Terry Branstad has signed a bill into law legalizing the sale of fireworks to consumers in Iowa.
The new law includes, but is not limited to, shells and mortars, Roman candles, bottle rockets, snakes and firecrackers.
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The explosives could be sold from June 1 through July 8 and from Dec. 10 through Jan. 3 in permanent structures or tents, though the nonpartisan Legislative Services Agency said that the majority of licenses issued will be for temporary retailors.
Individual cities will have the authority to outlaw their use. Both Des Moines and Urbandale plan to ban the use within city limits.
AlertMeAction by the conservative-ruled southern state, home to pillars of Germany's auto industry like BMW and Audi, comes as national politicians grapple with the fallout from schemes to cheat regulatory emissions tests.
"We're leading the way in Germany with our measures for cleaner air," state premier Horst Seehofer said, vowing to achieve safe levels of nitrogen oxide in city air "as soon as possible".
Older diesel vehicles that conform to so-called "Euro 5" emissions limits applied from 2009-14 will be upgraded to meet more recent, tougher criteria at no cost to drivers.
A software upgrade would be enough to bring around half of BMW and Audi vehicles used in inner cities into line, the manufacturers told state authorities, promising to begin preparations "immediately".
Bavaria will also take other steps to offer incentives to buy new, less polluting diesel cars, boost public transport and electric cars and buses, and build up cycling infrastructure.
The southern state's measures set it apart from other German regions as the country seeks a response to mass cheating of emissions tests.
In 2015 Volkswagen admitted to installing "defeat devices" in 11 million diesel vehicles worldwide in a scandal dubbed 'dieselgate'. Now suspicion has spread to other firms in the sector including Daimler, Bosch and Audi.
Neighbouring Baden-Würt |
you do with it!” I have done my own laundry these past 40 years.
You need to be willing to serve before you can lead. Leaders must walk the walk. I would never ask someone to do something I was not willing to do myself. Whether it is picking up balls, carrying a bag or opening a door, there is no job I would have asked a player, an assistant, the strength coach or the janitor to do that I would not simply have done myself.
Things that need to be done should never be beneath you. They rest alongside scoring goals, making saves and all the other things that go in to creating a winning environment. It was always gratifying to me at the end of a practice when we were searching for balls to see the seniors and All-Americans two fields over while the freshmen were gathered together in the middle of the field comparing their high school exploits. The older guys got the message.
3. You can never take it back
I became a better, more successful, coach when I learned to talk to my staff and players in a positive way.
Coaches are often the smartest and most clever people on a practice field, and the players give us lots of material for biting sarcasm. I know how hard it can be to bite your tongue instead, but you will win more and be more successful if you can make this adjustment in your language.
Working to encourage loyalty in the people around us is to speak with them respectfully. They never forget.
4. People hearing without listening
That iconic lyric of Paul Simon reminds us that being a good listener is a powerful skill for a confident leader. The people we are trying to reach need to know that we are open to their commentary, empathetic to their needs and willing to make adjustments.
At the same time, there are limits to the amount of input, especially from a group. Too many opinions can limit efficiency, create confusion and is almost inversely proportional to constructive consensus.
Be a good listener, for a while. You are going to have to make the final call anyway. Know when to cut to the chase.
5. Take responsibility
The best teacher I had as an undergraduate at Brown was in education. He consistently emphasized that a teacher is responsible for everything that goes on in their classroom — including students not paying attention or being unruly. Everything fell on the shoulders of the teacher.
It was a message that really hit home. You’re an educator, a teacher, a coach. The players are your students. The weight room, the locker room and the practice field, that’s your classroom.
“We’re not getting better.”
“They’re not listening to me.”
“We’re not improving.”
Don’t blame them. Don’t blame others.
Figure it out. Fix it. Create an environment where they are learning, where they are engaged, where they get a chance to grow. You don’t get to pass the blame. You don’t get to take a day off.
Leaders are always on and always step up when hard decisions need to be made.
6. Strengthen your team from the bottom up
One of the most important tasks of those in a leadership role is to convince each and every person in the chain of command of how important each of their roles will be in determining the team’s ultimate success.
I would be so bold as to tell you that I became absolutely convinced over the course of a long career that everyone’s role was equally important. Different? Yes, of course, but equally important. While one person, almost anyone on a team or in an organization, can lift the entire group, the inverse also is true. One person can bring it all down. We are only as strong as our weakest link.
Make the least important feel as if he is the most. When the last guy on the roster is first in the running, it forces the guys who get all the attention on game day to elevate their effort and performance.Amtrak officials confirmed that they have turned on a safety system between New York and Philadelphia, which some experts said could have prevented a fatal crash this year that killed eight people.
That system, known as Positive Train Control, automatically slows or stops a train if the operator fails to obey signals or speed limits.
"We activated PTC between Philadelphia and New York over the weekend," said Craig Schulz, an Amtrak spokesman. "The Philadelphia to Washington territory was activated the weekend before."
In May, investigators for the National Transportation Safety Board concluded that if Amtrak train 188 had been equipped with PTC to control its speed, the deadly accident that occurred on May 13 could have been avoided.
That Northeast Corridor train left Philadelphia's 30th Street station, but shortly after that departure its engine and seven passenger cars all derailed, leaving eight dead and dozens injured.
During the Board's initial investigation, it was determined that the train was traveling at more than double the 50 mile per hour maximum speed limit of the curve it eventually derailed on.
The train was traveling at 106 miles per hour when the engineer applied an emergency braking system that brought it down to 102 mph just before it left the tracks. A different speed control system used by Amtrak was not operational on that section of the railroad.
Congress extended a Dec. 31 deadline for railroads to install PTC after railroad officials told lawmakers they were years away from installing it. NJ Transit and PATH are among those railroads. The complex system uses radio transmitters to communicate with computers on board locomotives about signals and speed limits and takes action if an operator fails to take appropriate actions.
Larry Higgs may be reached at lhiggs@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @commutinglarry. Find NJ.com on Facebook.A museum for the pinball obsessed The Seattle Pinball Museum offers fifty blinking machines for when you want to play hooky from the mundane
Every pinball machine is a better version of the activity it’s based on, with the only exceptions being sex, food and sleep.
At the Seattle Pinball Museum, you can flip balls in over 50 machines to your callused fingers’ content since you pay a flat rate of $15 to get in. (No quarters are required). Located in the International District/Chinatown since 2010, it’s one of the best places in the city to play hooky from life.
The museum traces the evolution of pinball beginning in the 1960s, skipping over all the pinball history that stretches back to the late 1700s. That’s fortunate because way back then, machines didn’t have flippers or lights and were terribly boring.
Not that the machines from the ’60s are a geyser of thrills, but they’re fun to play. Enjoy swing dancing? Then check out Swing Along from 1963, which I didn’t actually play because I don’t dance under any circumstances.
Buckaroo, from 1965, flips bumpers that cause a mechanical horse to repeatedly kick a cowboy in some weird pinball version of the Milgram experiment. One of the oldest machines is a 1960 Texan. You can tell the machine’s old because it has little slots in the sides for players to put their cigarettes. I don’t smoke so I put my licorice there.
As you play machines built in the ‘70s, ‘80s and later, you may notice the flippers getting bigger, making the ball much easier to hit. It’s just one more example of the decline of Western civilization. Bigger flippers, bigger theater seats, texting while driving — everything’s connected. (I could be wrong).
Nearly all types of more advanced human endeavor are represented in pinball form. You can shoot hoops in NBA Fastbreak (My shot kept getting rejected!); strum a guitar as Guns & Roses or the Rolling Stones; or run a junkyard in Junkyard, which requires you to save a man being chased by a dog by…killing the dog. (I couldn’t stop crying). Want to experience a natural disaster without the sheer terror? The Earthshaker machine actually vibrates and Whirlwind has a fan built in to simulate the not-so-gentle breeze of a deadly tornado.
The museum even has a machine called Expressway that simulates driving on a highway. I like the concept. There should be other pinball machines that replicate basic activities, like tying your shoes, spreading butter on toast and making small talk with the cute cashier in a used bookstore.
Every pinball machine has a “fun rating” from the Internet Pinball Database, so when you’re playing, oh, Flash Gordon, which has an IPDB rating of 7.9 (out of 10), you should be having exactly 7.9 units of fun. That said, what’s the most entertaining thing in the pinball museum? The dog. He’s an adorable golden retriever named Cash and I give him a 9.7. At one point I was playing pinball with one hand and petting the dog with the other, all while eating Skittles in some kind of adolescent nirvana. My life has been all downhill in the weeks since.
The most original machine is Black Hole, a 1981 creation that actually features two playfields—one on a second level underneath darkened glass, just like a real black hole. It’s way more entertaining than Stephen Hawking’s “A Brief History of Time.” You travel through the lip of the event horizon into the unknown, even getting a chance to play with multiple balls on both levels. When I finally finished the game, my friends and family in the real world were long dead but I had only aged a few hours. Still, it was worth it.
The $15 entry cost ($20 if you want in and out privileges) may put some people off since it’s rare to play $15 worth of pinball. But look at it this way: When you go to a buffet, you eat infinitely more than normal because the food is there and it enables your inherent gluttony. I played every machine in the museum because they were there and I’m irresponsible with my time. The cost works out well in that sense.
What is irksome is how quickly I lost balls and got “Game Over.” I walked in with fantasies of photographers crowding around my machine because of my incredible, record-breaking playing and I left knowing that I’d lost about $78 worth of balls in a mere few hours.
Why did I play so badly?
You see, when one merely needs to press a button to play again instead of pumping in quarters, the fear of losing your ball diminishes and you play carelessly. So, while the museum offers an endlessly amusing tour through the American pinball landscape, it ultimately teaches you to be a failure.
But I think that about everything.In vino veritas, also written as in uino ueritas, is a Latin phrase that means "in wine lies the truth", suggesting a person under the influence of alcohol is more likely to speak their hidden thoughts and desires. The phrase is sometimes continued as, "In vino veritas, in aqua sanitas", i.e., "In wine there is truth, in water there is health." Similar phrases exist across cultures and languages.
The expression, together with its counterpart in Greek, "Ἐν οἴνῳ ἀλήθεια" (En oinōi alētheia), is found in Erasmus' Adagia, I.vii.17.[1] Pliny the Elder's Naturalis historia contains an early allusion to the phrase.[2] The Greek expression is quoted by Athenaeus of Naucratis in his Deipnosophistae ; it is now traced back to a poem by Alcaeus.[3]
Herodotus asserts that if the Persians decided something while drunk, they made a rule to reconsider it when sober. Authors after Herodotus have added that if the Persians made a decision while sober, they made a rule to reconsider it when they were drunk (Histories, book 1, section 133).[4] The Roman historian Tacitus described how the Germanic peoples kept council at feasts, where they believed that drunkenness prevented the participants from dissembling.[5]
Western Europe [ edit ]
In Western European countries the expression has been incorporated in local language versions.
In Danish, "Fra børn og fulde folk skal man høre sandheden" (From children and drunk people, you will hear the truth)
In Dutch, "De wijn in het lijf, het hart in de mond. Een dronken mond spreekt's harten grond" ("Wine in the body, heart in the mouth. A drunken mouth speaks the heart's meaning").
("Wine in the body, heart in the mouth. A drunken mouth speaks the heart's meaning"). In English, "What soberness conceals, drunkenness reveals." and "He speaks in his drink what he thought in his drouth". and "A drunk man's words are a sober man's thoughts".
In Finnish, "Kännisen suusta totuus tulee." (The truth comes from the mouth of a drunkard.)
In French, "Ce que le sobre tient au cœur est sur la langue du buveur." ("What the sober hold in their heart is on the drinker's tongue").
("What the sober hold in their heart is on the drinker's tongue"). In German, "Trunkner Mund verrät des Herzens Grund" ("A drunken mouth reveals the heart's meaning") and "Trunkener Mund tut Wahrheit kund" ("A drunken mouth proclaims the truth").
("A drunken mouth reveals the heart's meaning") and ("A drunken mouth proclaims the truth"). In Icelandic, "Öl er innri maður." (Ale reveals the inner man).
In Spanish, "Despues de beber cada uno dice su parecer" ("After drinking everyone speaks their opinion") and "Cuando el vino entra el secreto se sale afuera" ("When the wine enters, the secret comes out"). and "Los niños y los borrachos dicen la verdad" ("Children and drunks tell the truth").
Central Europe [ edit ]
Hungarian: Borban az igazság
Slovak: Vo víne je pravda.
Romanian: în vin este adevărul.
Russian [ edit ]
In Russian, «Что у трезвого на уме, то у пьяного на языке» ("What a sober man has in his mind, the drunk one has on his tongue") and «Истина в вине».
Talmud [ edit ]
The Babylonian Talmud (תלמוד בבלי) contains the passage: "נכנס יין יצא סוד", i.e., "Wine enters, secret goes out."[6] It continues, "בשלשה דברים אדם ניכר בכוסו ובכיסו ובכעסו", i.e., "In three things is a man revealed: in his wine goblet, in his purse, and in his wrath."[7] (In the original Hebrew, the words for "his goblet" (koso), "his purse" (keeso - lit. his pocket), and "his wrath" (ka'aso) rhyme, and there is a further play on words, as they all use the root "כס".)
There is a similar saying in yiddish: "וואס בײַ א ניכטערן אויף די לינג, איז בײַ א שיכור'ן אויף די צינג", literal meaning: what a sober one has on its lung a drunken has on its tongue.
Persian [ edit ]
In Persian, مستی و راستی ("With drunkenness comes the truth").
Chinese [ edit ]
In Chinese, 酒後吐真言 ("After wine blurts truthful speech").
Chichewa [ edit ]
In Chichewa, Phika mowa unve chinapha amako ("Brew beer and you will hear what killed your mother").[citation needed]
In Chibemba, Ubwalwa nisokolola twebo (" beer makes one reveal secrets").
Music [ edit ]
In the 1770s, Benjamin Cooke wrote a glee by the title of In Vino Veritas. His lyrics (with modern punctuation):
Round, round with the glass, boys, as fast as you can, Since he who don't drink cannot be a true man. For if truth is in wine, then 'tis all but a whim To think a man's true when the wine's not in him. Drink, drink, then, and hold it a maxim divine That there's virtue in truth, and there's truth in good wine![8]
See also [ edit ]
References [ edit ]
^ The Adages of Erasmus (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2001), pp. 100-103. Ἐν οἴνῳ ἀλήθεια: Cent. 4.81. See Andreas Schottus, Paroimiai hellēnikai (Antwerp: Plantin, 1612), See W. Barker,(Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2001), pp. 100-103. Ἐν οἴνῳ ἀλήθεια: Diogenianus 4.81. See Andreas Schottus,(Antwerp: Plantin, 1612), p. 215 ^ Nat. hist. 14, 141: "...volgoque veritas iam attributa vino est." ^ oinos, ō phile pai, kai alāthea), "Wine, dear boy, and truth...". Nothing is known about the poem except for these words, which are quoted by a later Zusammenschau der Frühgriechischen Monodischen Melik: Alkaios, Sappho, Anakreon (Stuttgart: Franz Steiner, 1999), Alc. fr. 366 Voigt: "οἶνος, ὦ φίλε παῖ, καὶ ἀλάθεα" (), "Wine, dear boy, and truth...". Nothing is known about the poem except for these words, which are quoted by a later scholiast. See G. Tsomis,(Stuttgart: Franz Steiner, 1999), pp. 160-161 ^ Encyclopedia of Food and Culture, Vol. 2, Food Production to Nuts, Solomon H. Katz (Editor in Chief), 2003, Charles Scribner’s Sons, p. 198. ISBN 0-684-80566-9 (v. 2). ^ Tacitus, Germania, 22. ^ See Tractate Eruvin 65a (מסכת עירובין, פרק ו, דף סה,א גמרא). ^ Id. at 65b (דף סה,ב גמרא). ^ A collection of catches, canons & glees. Wilmington, Delaware: Mellifont Press, 1970. ISBN Warren, Thomas, ed.Wilmington, Delaware: Mellifont Press, 1970. 0842000267. Reprint of a collection, originally in thirty-two volumes, of glees published by various publishers in London, from 1762 to 1793. Thomas Warren (ca. 17301974) was the original editor of the collection. The reprint is not complete. For more information, see the University of Michigan library's holding hereRyan Lochte put on a very special performance for all those in attendance at the 2015 Long Course Speedo Sectionals in Athens, GA, staying underwater for the entirety of his 50m freestyle and taking the disqualification.
Although he was disqualified for passing the 15-meter mark underwater, Lochte managed to stop the clock at 23.49, a time which was even faster than his prelim time of 23.55 where he swam full stroke freestyle.
Lochte has challenged himself to swim a 50 of underwater kicking before. The video below which was uploaded to youtube two years ago shows Lochte swimming a 50 yard dolphin kick on his back in 20.8.
In this video, Lochte is shown swimming a 50m dolphin kick on his back, and clocking in at 25.0. This video was uploaded to youtube in February of 2012, just a few months after Lochte dominated the 2011 World Championships in Shanghai, China.
The fastest 50m fly kick that we could find record of was a 23.10 done by Hill Taylor with a full body suit. The video of Taylor’s performance can be found below.
All of the videos above show swimmers performing the task on their backs, however Thursday night Lochte completed the 50 on his front with a dive.History Camp 2015
Zoom in When:
Saturday, Mar 28, 2015 8:00a -
5:30p Where:
Harriet Tubman House
566 Columbus Avenue
Boston, MA 02118 Admission:
$24 Categories:
Lectures & Conferences, Meetup Event website:
historycamp2015.eventbrite.com
History Camp, the unconference for all things history, returns for its second year Saturday, March 28, 2015 with more than 25 sessions that bring together history enthusiasts from all walks of life, from well-known authors to professors, directors of institutions, and others who simply have a passion for history.
There are registration options for anyone, including free/volunteer/pay what you want, students ($11), and supporters ($24, with lunch). (One comment from last year: "I thought it would be good... and it was great!")
The day-long event will be held in Boston at the Harriet Tubman House, which is 5 minutes from the Mass Ave T stop and and 10 minutes from covered parking.
2015 session topics range from the Revolutionary War and the Civil War, the women's suffrage movement, and the history of local communities, to programming for historic sites and approaches to getting kids interested in history. A few examples:
- Author J. L. Bell, “How Would-Be Assassin Samuel Dyer Nearly Triggered the Revolutionary War”
- "Were the Early Suffragists Racist? A Look Into The Early Movement prior to The Emancipation Proclamation" from Colleen Janz, Executive Director, Susan B Anthony Birthplace Museum
- “The Salem Witch Trials: The Accused, Their Accusers, and the American Experience" from authors Marilynne Roach and Emerson “Tad” Baker
- "Sharing Your Passion for History: Blogs, Podcasts, Books, and More" panel discussion
- Elizabeth Sulock from the Newport Historical Society and Kirsten Hammerstrom from the Rhode Island Historical Society, "Risky Business: Living History Events in Traditional Museums”
- "A History of the Boston Post Road—America’s First Information Highway” from Henry Lukas, Education Director at the Spellman Museum of Stamps & Postal History at Regis College.
- "Our Forebears & Massachusetts in the Civil War" from author Bob Schecter
- "Making History Comics" from Jason Rodriguez, editor of the Colonial Comics series
The entire list of sessions is on the registration page: historycamp2015.eventbrite.com.
The day-long event will be held in Boston at the Harriet Tubman House, which is 5 minutes from the Mass Ave T stop and and 10 minutes from covered parking.
There are registration options for everyone, including students and volunteers.
Admission: $11 for students; $24 with lunch; volunteer and pay what you wantChicago police are looking for an armed robber who has been targeting CTA passengers as they get off trains across Chicago.There have been five robberies since December 25. In each incident, the suspect walked up to a person who was getting off a train, showed a weapon and demanded property.The most recent attack happened early Thursday morning near Fullerton and Sheffield Avenues between 3:30 a.m. and 4 a.m. That's when police say a gun wielding robber targeted CTA train riders as they got off the "L."The attack appears to be one of a rash of recent robberies of people using public transportation.The first incident happened as Christmas Day was coming to a close along Harrison Street near State Street just before midnight.Detectives say the robber or robbers struck again the next day on December 26 between 10:30 p.m. and 11:30 p.m.in the 200 block of South State Street between the Monroe and Jackson Red Line stops.A thief then struck again on December 27, robbing a rider getting off at the 47th Street Red Line stop. It happened early in the morning around 12:05 a.m.The next attack was the very next day, December 28, again in the South Loop near Adams and State streets around 1 a.m.In each case, the victims say they were approached by an unknown offender while they were exiting the train, who then showed a weapon before robbing them.Chicago police issued a community alert Saturday warning of the danger while asking the public to remain aware.Although police only have a vague physical description of the attacker, investigators say the suspect was last seen wearing a dark hooded coat with a tan scarf, faded jeans and tan boots.Police plan on stepping up patrols, but urge riders to be aware.Anyone with information is asked to contact Area Central Detectives at (312) 747-8380.Today, five Australian Men will suicide. Whilst this speaks of deeper societal challenges, mental health and social change advocate Lee Crockford discusses the seemingly small ways that we can all make a difference, and perhaps save a life.
Lee Crockford is passionate about mental health, social change, the arts, education and innovation. He is both the CEO of Spur Projects – a NFP working in the area of men’s mental health and suicide prevention – and Assemblus – a NFP working to amplify sustainable social impact within organisations.
Lee is an alumnus of IYF’s Global Laureate Fellowship, FYA’s Young Social Pioneer and The Do School’s Global Changemaker programs. He is the recipient of the Australasian Men’s Health Forum’s Youth Contribution Award and was recently named as one of The Cusp’s young people on the cusp of greatness.
This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedxEgypt's foreign minister Sameh Shoukry has pledged to ensure international backing to the official Libyan government as well as to provide necessary security support to the chaos-torn North African state.
In a phone conversation with his Libyan counterpart Ahmed Al-Dairi, Shoukry discussed the exacerbating security situation in the coastal city of Sirte, held by the Islamic State group, and the "horrific human violations carried out by [the group] against unarmed civilians there," a statement by the foreign ministry said.
Shoukri said Egypt will "redouble efforts to ensure international backing to the legitimate Libyan government and upholding the Security Council's decision to provide necessary support and security assistance to the government."
Two resolutions adopted by the UN Security Council in March left an arms embargo imposed in 2011 on the North African state while emphasizing "the importance of providing support and assistance to the government of Libya, including by providing it with the necessary security and capacity building assistance."
Libya has descended into chaos four years after the fall of Muammar Gaddafi, with two rival governments backed by militia brigades battling for control of the oil-producing country.
The official government has been based in eastern Libya since losing control of the capital Tripoli a year ago to an alliance of armed groups that declared its own administration. Islamic State and other armed groups have expanded in the growing security vacuum.
Both governments have carried out air strikes against Islamic State in Sirte in recent days but with limited military capabilities. The internationally recognized government has called on fellow Arab states to conduct air strikes against the militant group in the city, Gaddafi's hometown.
A Saudi-led Arab coalition started launching air strikes in Yemen in late March in an attempt to check an advance by the Shia Houthi rebels threatening to topple Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi.
Short link:Senate majority leader pushes back the start of break by three weeks, in order to complete revised bill that has been ‘stalled by a lack of cooperation’
The Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell, has announced plans to delay the start of August recess by three weeks – cutting the break in half – in order for Republicans to complete work on a healthcare plan and other legislative items.
Republican senators return to work on healthcare bill amid resistance Read more
Republicans on Capitol Hill are poised to unveil a revised healthcare bill later this week. On Tuesday, McConnell cited other pressing matters, such as nominations stymied by Democratic opposition and the need to pass a defense authorization bill.
“In order to provide more time to complete action on important legislative items and process nominees that have been stalled by a lack of cooperation from our friends across the aisle, the Senate will delay the start of the August recess until the third week of August,” the Kentucky senator said.
The Senate was meant to start a five-week recess at the end of July, but a number of Republicans called for a delay amidst struggles within the party to reach a deal on healthcare. In a tweet on Monday, Donald Trump said: “I cannot imagine that Congress would dare to leave Washington without a beautiful new healthcare bill fully approved and ready to go!”
McConnell outlined an ambitious timeline for the healthcare bill, saying he expected to hold a procedural vote by the end of next week. An updated draft would be released on Thursday, the Republican leader said, with a new Congressional Budget Office score following as early as Monday.
As Republican leaders huddled with their members in a closed-door meeting on Tuesday, the contours of the bill remained unclear. Senators kept mum when asked what revisions were laid out, many saying they would need to see a final product and an updated CBO score before taking a position.
“From my perspective, it is not sufficient to just make minor changes in the bill,” said Susan Collins of Maine, who was among the first to announce her opposition to the previous Senate healthcare plan. “I hope there’s going to be a complete overhaul, but I have no idea.”
The initial version of the Senate bill, which the CBO projected would leave 22m Americans without insurance by 2026, left at least 10 Republicans opposed. Republicans hold 52 seats, meaning they can afford to lose just two votes if their bill is to pass with the vice-president, Mike Pence, breaking the tie.
Among the revisions under discussion are $45bn in funding for combatting the opioid crisis. At least two Republicans, Rob Portman of Ohio and Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia, opposed the initial plan in part because it would have gutted coverage for addiction and included only $2bn to address opioid problems.
Some Republicans leaving Tuesday’s meeting said McConnell would probably keep in place at least two Affordable Care Act (ACA) taxes on high-income earners – a 3.8% investment tax and a 0.9% payroll tax. The taxes, which apply to households earning more than $250,000 and individuals earning more than $200,000, would provide about $230bn over a decade. Republicans said that could be directed toward a fund to mitigate out-of-pocket costs and thus persuade some holdouts.
Nonetheless, satisfying the moderate and conservative wings of the party remains a challenge. Staunch conservatives, such as Ted Cruz of Texas, Mike Lee of Utah and Rand Paul of Kentucky, have argued that the bill must go further in eliminating the regulatory requirements of the ACA.
Cruz and Lee are pushing for an amendment that would allow insurers to offer plans that do not meet the existing law’s coverage requirements. That path has been rejected by most of their colleagues, out of concern that it would undermine coverage for pre-existing conditions.
Republicans are using a process known as reconciliation to pass the plan, which requires a simple majority vote so long as the bill is limited to spending, taxes and the deficit.
The lack of consensus on how to fulfil a seven-year pledge to dismantle the ACA, known popularly as Obamacare, prompted Republican senators to agree on at least one thing: the need to stay in Washington a few weeks longer.
McConnell hints healthcare vote could fall short: 'I'm a guy with a Rubik's cube' Read more
“We’ve got a chance to get this thing done,” said David Perdue of Georgia, who was among those leading the calls to shorten the August recess.
John Kennedy, a freshman senator from Louisiana, said the debate boiled down to “trying to making adult decisions on the allocation of scarce resources”.
“I want every American to have quality healthcare and good health insurance but we don’t have enough money to pay for everybody’s healthcare in America,” Kennedy said.
One Republican, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, said he was beginning work on his own alternative proposal.
“I want to do the best I can,” Graham said, “and I think the best we can is not on the table right now.”
Additional reporting by Ben Jacobs
Sign up for the Minute email. Catch up on today’s US politics news in 60 secondsAbdul Majeed Mengal, from Nushki, claims to have had more than 50 children in his lifetime with six wives (Picture: Cover Asia Press)
A 70-year-old truck driver claims to have fathered 54 children with six wives because he ‘had to have sex daily’ when he was younger.
Abdul Majeed Mengal, from Nushki, in Pakistan, says he’s had more than 50 children in his lifetime but tragically 12 of them died.
He now has 22 sons and 20 daughters and four wives after two also passed away.
Abdul said: ‘In the early days, my strength was good and I had to have sex daily. But some of my kids died. I worked hard and provided a good education to my older sons.
‘But now I’m an old man these things are out of my hands.’
Abdul married his first wife when he was 18-years-old and went on to marry five other women.
He said: ‘They [the babies] were not getting enough milk and I was out of money so they died.
He insists they all get along (Picture: Cover Asia Press)
‘One of my wives died alongside our baby. She was ill and because we didn’t have any money she died. I was helpless and unemployed.’
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As a truck driver, he earns between 15,000 Pakistan Rupees (£115) and 25,000 Pakistan Rupees (£192) a month depending on the work available.
His oldest son, Abdul Bari Mengal, who is now 32-years-old, helps out his father and family by also working as a truck driver to feed the household.
The entire family all live under one-roof in a seven-bedroom house where the children sleep separately with their mothers.
The majority of the children are aged 10 or under while his youngest child is aged just two.
He insists that they all get along and manage somehow, saying: ‘We normally eat dal, ladyfinger and vegetables and around 100 rotis every meal time. This is the way we live. But we are managing somehow.
‘Good clothes are costly so we rely on four to five rolls of fabric for the kids and we make clothes out of that.’
Abdul said he juggles the affections of each of his 42 children by taking turns to attend family events with each of them and their mothers.
Under Islam, Pakistani men are allowed to marry up to four wives so long as they have sought permission from their first wife and an arbitration council.
MORE: Grandfather died in agony after developing horrific bedsores at hospital[Photograph by Alok Prasad under Creative Commons]
Of late, Devendra Chawla, Future Group’s president, says he’s been besieged with meeting requests from a clutch of chief executives of fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) companies. And there’s only one thing they all seem to want to talk about: the phenomenon called Patanjali. Yes, it is a phenomenon. The numbers tell only half the story. Last year, Hindustan Unilever grew its $4.5 billion top line by 5%. Patanjali Ayurved, on the other hand, added almost the same quantum of revenue and in the process, is likely to more than double its revenues to Rs 5,000 crore by the end of March. It is clearly the fastest growing FMCG firm in the country, with the widest product portfolio. The Future Group, which announced its tie-up to stock Patanjali’s wide range of products last year, is furiously reworking its sales forecasts because the products are simply flying off the shelves. In less than two years, Future Group says it expects to sell nearly Rs 1,000 crore of Patanjali products. That’s the kind of traction that most former FMCG veterans like Chawla have not quite seen in their entire career.
Then there’s the anecdotal stuff. Like the dilemma that a director in a leading FMCG multinational finds himself in. His aged parents have apparently been haranguing him to jettison the toothpaste brand made by his own company and switch to Patanjali. The battle, he says, isn’t just in the marketplace, but within his own family!
For the FMCG companies though, the disruption that Patanjali has wrought is for real. Because it challenges many of the long-held assumptions in the classical FMCG world. Patanjali doesn’t employ any fancy managers with MBA degrees. Instead of selling to the retail trade through distributors, it has its own branded outlets around the country. (It signed up only recently to sell through the Future Group’s network.)
Its production units are relatively modest. The savings in distribution margins and the low overheads straightaway translate into a 20-25% cost advantage. That gives it the leverage to price its products at least 15-30% cheaper than other branded competition. However, for its growing base of users, it isn’t just about a cheaper price. They genuinely believe in the goodness of Ayurveda and the natural, chemical-free products. Patanjali spends only a tiny fraction of its revenues on mass media advertising. Instead, it lets its loyal consumers derive their confidence from the endorsements that Baba Ramdev subtly provides in the midst of his yoga asanas through the day on Sanskar channel. Experts who’ve interacted with Ramdev vouch for the fact that he knows his products well. More importantly, the brand’s source credibility is also boosted by the fact that in many cases, it has the ringing endorsement of the older generation in most Indian families—and that carries a lot more weight than the cro |
priate to point out that Tad Callister made other assertions about the Book of Mormon’s uniqueness which are demonstrably incorrect. For instance, he claimed “2 Nephi 9 introduces for the first time the phrase ‘an infinite atonment’”, but the phrase “infinite atonement” was commonplace and discussions similar to those found in the BoM. Here are just a couple of examples (emphasis added):
The inference that you draw from my saying, that “I did not believe an infinite atonement necessary in order for God to be just in the pardon of sin,” I think, wants propriety. If it be my belief that the Son of God is not the eternal infinite God, still I think you have no right to declare it from any thing that I have written to you. You say, “that in order to support” my “favourite system,” I “find it necessary.” How so? If it require an infinite atonement made by an infinite God to save a part of the human family is it necessary to have a finite atonement by a finite person to save the whole? (A Correspondence, by letters, between Samuel C. Loveland, Preacher of the Doctrine of Universal Salvation, and Rev. Joseph Laberee, Pastor of the Congregational Church and Society in Jerico, Vermont. 1818. Windsor, Vermont. pg 51)
I do not consider the necessity of an atonement as arising from the number of sins, but from the nature of them. As the same sun which is necessary to enlighten the present inhabitants of the earth is sufficient to enlighten many millions more; and as the same perfect obedience of Christ which was necessary for the justification of one sinner, is sufficient to justify the millions that are saved; so, I apprehend the same infinite atonement would have been necessary for the salvation of one soul, consistently with justice, as for the salvation of a world. (The Works of the Rev. Andrew Fuller, vol I. 1820. Philadelphi. pg 391)
[FST-16] Likewise, contrary to contemporary beliefs, the Book of Mormon refers to a premortal existence in Alma 13 (see Alma 13:1–11)
Terryl Givens recently wrote a book on the topic of the premortal existence in various thought across time (When Souls Had Wings). He recently commented:
The LDS faith is the only significant Christian denomination teaching this doctrine today. But it turns out, literally dozens—perhaps hundreds—of poets, mystics, philosophers, theologians and pastors have taught this same principle across the centuries.
And, Givens indicated that Joseph Smith was likely exposed to these ideas.
Finally, there is also the question of why the author of Alma 13 repeatedly alludes to teachings and phrases from the New Testament rather than the Old Testament.
[FST-17] and to a postmortal spirit world in Alma 40 (see Alma 40:11–14). Where did Joseph Smith get these profound doctrinal truths that were in fact contrary to the prevailing doctrinal teachings of his time?
The discussion in Alma 40 on the spirit world matches closely the discussion in Matthew Earbery’s book “Of the state of the dead and of those that are to rise”, including suspiciously similar phraseology:
What the future State of the Soul is after the Corporeal Dissolution; or concerning the middle State of Souls betwixt Death and the Resurrection, as to the Degrees of Happiness and Misery. [emphasis added]
As we have already proved from natural Reason, and from the Evidence of sacred Writ, That human Souls survive the Body; we must next examine in what State they are, and what Life they enjoy after this corporeal Separation. We must first enquire if they are invested with another Body after they have parted from this; of what Nature that Body is; or, whether they remain naked and divested of all Matter to the Resurrection. The Solution of this Question leads us directly into a Knowledge of a future State. But as the other, concerning the Degrees of Happiness and Misery, is more general and less obsure, we shall bring upon the Test into Examination, the Opinion of some * Neotericks, who will have the Souls immediately after Death carried up into Heaven, and to the highest Glories of the Beatifick Vision; or to be depressed into the utmost Miseries of Hell: Both, I think are too much upon the Extremes. The reformed Divines, to avoid the Terrours of Purgatory, have entirely taken away the intermediate State; as we are too apt in avoiding one Folly to fall upon another. It is very well known, the Roman Purgatory is adapted to the Humours of the People and the Benefit of the Priest: But why should these Phantasms fright us away from the Search of Truth, and the Opinion of the Ancients concerning the hitherto unfulfilled State of Misery and Happiness, before the Day of Judgement. We shall at present defer to speak of the Miserable, and confine our selves to shew, how dissonant it is to the sacred Writings and the ancient Faith, to assert the immediate Translation from this Life to the Kingdom of Heaven, and the Beatifick Vision, before the Resurrenction and coming of CHRIST. [emphasis added]
See additional similarities with Earbery here.
[FST-18] Where did he get the stunning sermon on faith in Alma 32?
It appears to mostly be an extension of the parable of the sower found in Matthew 13:
Matthew 13:6 And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.
Alma 32:38 … and when the heat of the sun cometh and scorcheth it, because it hath no root it withers away, and ye pluck it up and cast it out.
Perhaps a better question is, why did the author of Alma 32 frequently quote New Testament verses and phrases and not Old Testament verses and phrases? (see book of mormon origins project on Alma 32)
[FST-19] Or one of the greatest sermons ever recorded in all scripture on the Savior’s Atonement as delivered by King Benjamin (see Mosiah 2–5)?
Again, this sermon is rich with similarities to works of its time.
For instance, King Benjamin talks about actual blood coming from Jesus’s pores, but that idea was common in Joseph’s time (see, for instance, A Selection of Hymns and Spiritual Songs. 1817. New York.).
Also, the description King Benjamin gives of Christ’s suffering is similar to other works from the early 1800s. The Book of Wonders, Marvellous and True. 1813. London. states:
I became flesh and blood to dwell with men; and like man I became an infant of days, to be born of the woman. Here I became in all things like man, to suffer temptations, to suffer persecution; to resemble man’s weakness, by hiding myself. All this I have done, to be a judge of the infirmities of man, that 1 might be a judge of what man had to go through, and a clear judge of the different conduct in mankind.
I’m currently working through the claims made by Tad Callister, so I hope to include more examples in the future on this point.
[FST-20] Or the allegory of the olive tree with all its complexity and doctrinal richness (see Jacob 5)? When I read that allegory, I have to map it out to follow its intricacies.
The parable of the Olive Tree may be viewed as an amalgamation and embellishment of Romans 11 and Isaiah 5, and it still bears the imprint of that patchwork (there’s a distinct shift between olive tree and the whole vinyard in Jacob 5:41), as I discuss here.
[FST-21] Are we supposed to believe that Joseph Smith just dictated these sermons off the top of his head with no notes whatsoever?
How do faithful scholars reconcile the fact that there are 1769 King James Version edition translation errors [pg 6] also found in the Book of Mormon? Whatever manner he used to copy those translation errors exactly seems like a viable candidate for how he was able to dictate other complex sections of the Book of Mormon.
[FST-22] And if Joseph did make it up, what did he find in the hill by his home? Why did so many people try so hard to steal it from him? What was it that Isaac Hale, who hated Joseph, felt in a box?
Consider some of Dan Vogel’s work on the topic.
[FST-23] What about the Three and Eight witnesses to the plates, why did none of them ever deny that the ancient record was real?
Consider the arguments from Chapter 3 of For my Wife and Children.
[FST-24] I know that many of the early church leaders left to form their own denominations, but why did some of them, like Martin Harris, come back?
Why do people follow totalistic groups in the first place? Why did the Heavens Gate community all commit suicide? …
Also, consider some of these arguments about their returning.
[FST-25] Why did Oliver Cowdery and William McLellin claim that Joseph Smith’s revelations answer questions he couldn’t have known they had?
Perhaps in a manner similar to cold reading techniques.
[FST-26] Then there’s Solomon Chamberlain, who had a vision similar to Joseph Smith, telling him that none of the churches were true. I’ve seen critics who use this as evidence that Joseph borrowed his visionary story from the accounts of others. Then why did Solomon believe that the restored church was a fulfillment of his vision? Wouldn’t he, more than anyone, have known if Joseph had invented or plagiarized the story?
I can’t really answer for Solomon Chamberlain, but we could ask why so many others joined similar restorationist movements (and see here). Why did people believe in Jan Matthias and Jan Van Liden?
[FST-27] And what about all those who remained faithful–Hyrum Smith, Brigham Young, John Taylor, or Wilford Woodruff? They were closest to Joseph Smith, and they believed everything he taught, even when it wasn’t easy. Why were they willing to give their lives for this cause?
Most followers of highly charismatic leaders are willing to give their life for the cause. Consider the fate of the Branch Davidians, the Heaven’s Gate group, and the Peoples Temple Agricultural Project. Extreme devotion to a cause clearly does not make it veridical.
[FST-28] Why did my own ancestors believe in this gospel? Why did William and Catharine Morgan cross the country in handcarts in the same year that over 200 pioneers died making the same journey? Why did the Van Tussenbrooks send their 11 children one or two at a time from Holland to Utah?
It is not atypical for people to make fantastic and extreme sacrifices to join high-demand religions in a quest for meaning and purpose. Extreme sacrifice to follow a religious thought or movement is not unique to Mormonism (example 1, example 2, example 3).
[FST-29] Why do I feel a connection to these people when I am doing family history and temple work? Isn’t the love and connection we feel to other people a sign of a higher power? Does that really end with death?
The oxytocin mediated emotion of elevation is an evolutionarily conserved mechanism for encouraging group behavior.
[FST-30] What about the current leaders of the church? How can they bear sincere testimony that Jesus Christ directs this church?
Why do Catholic leaders and the leaders of groups like the FLDS bear testimony that Christ directs their group?
[FST-31] If the Church were man-made, they would know it. But every six months, I hear talks by men like Thomas S. Monson, Dieter F. Uchtdorf, and Jeffrey R. Holland, and I can’t possibly imagine that they are trying to deceive us.
I think the leaders are sincere in their belief and are doing their best to lead the Church.
Still, consider how leaders dance around the question of whether they have actually seen Jesus. And, consider how straightforward Holland is when asked about Mitt Romney and temple oaths.
[FST-32] And if there were some sort of conspiracy, wouldn’t there be a general authority who would crack at some point? From what I can tell, in the last 100 years, no general authority has left the church for any reason except personal misconduct.
There is a huge incentive to stay in (male GAs receive a $120,000 / yr paycheck) and there is a huge disincentive to leave (imagine the shunning a person would experience from almost everyone they knew–virtually all their friends and family). Psychologically, it’s just not set up to allow someone who has achieved that level of leadership to be able to objectively re-examine their beliefs.
Still, consider the stories of area authority Hans Mattsson and former Stake President Tom Phillips.
[FST-33] How is this church growing so rapidly in age of fading religiosity?
It’s growth rate is dropping off. And why are there more Seventh Day Adventists and they still experience growth rates far above the Church?
[FST-34] How do young, inexperienced missionaries have so much success in changing people’s lives and bringing them to a new religion?
They are trained in a variety of very effective sales tactics focusing on the emotion of elevation and people are always searching for meaning and purpose and the Church offers that (even if its truth claims are not veridical).
Finally, missionaries studiously avoid all the controversial parts of Church history and Church truth-claims. Imagine a missionary discussion where the missionary related the 1832 account of the First Vision, discussed the translation process of the Book of Mormon as it actually occurred, shared their testimony of the Book of Abraham “catalyzed” from papyri, and shared the complete story of polygamy (including teenage wives, polyandry, hiding it from Emma, and liberal denials that it was occuring).
[FST-35] Why does the Church of Jesus Christ do so much good in the world through humanitarian and education services?
I agree that the Church and its members do a lot of good in the world. Still, as an organization, the Church is on the stingy side of charitable contributions compared to its income and resources.
My understanding is that, for its size, the Seventh Day Adventists do far more for charity than Mormons. Does that mean Ellen White is a prophet?
[FST-36] Why are religious people more likely to donate to charity and give service?
Good question. I’m not totally sure. What about these findings from recent studies:
Religious and nonreligious participants did not differ in the likelihood or quality of committed moral and immoral acts. (Morality in everyday life. Science 2014)
Across all countries, parents in religious households reported that their children expressed more empathy and sensitivity for justice in everyday life than non-religious parents. However, religiousness was inversely predictive of children’s altruism and positively correlated with their punitive tendencies. (see here and here)
[FST-37] What about my own experience? Why do I feel such power when I read the Book of Mormon, as if it were written by prophets who kept a record for future generations?
See Testimony, Spiritual Experiences, and Truth: A Careful Examination
Also, consider the testimony of those who read other Holy Books.
[FST-38] Why is religious music so beautiful and inspiring?
I don’t know, but I agree that it’s wonderful. Still, does religious music have a monopoly on “beautiful and inspiring”?
Also, a lot of religious music preaches doctrines that are fundamentally contrary to LDS teachings. Why doesn’t the Spirit “turn off” when false doctrine about the trinity is sung in the credo of Bach’s B Minor Mass, for instance?
[FST-39] Why has the doctrine of grace and the Atonement given me comfort and peace, helping me feel that I can change and be forgiven of any mistake?
The atonement is a very powerful concept.
Still, we should consider this hypothetical scenario: What if the atonement had not actually been performed but the gospel writers merely asserted that it was properly performed. How would you know? Is there any proof of the atonement outside of you believing in it? What if some aspect of the atonement wasn’t really part of the atonement package (for instance, what if the atonement didn’t really cover pain but only sin?) How would you know?
[FST-40] Why does the gospel of Jesus Christ make so much sense and feel so true?
Why does it seem silly and unbelievable to almost all outside observers? (see the section “Testimony, bias, and propaganda” here)
Also, it is extremely difficult to realize you are thinking inside a hermetically sealed system of thought until you can look at it from the outside. Many LDS systems of thought are organized to discourage your mind from ever noticing that alternative interpretations exist.
[FST-41] How have I received impressions of things that I needed to do or places I needed to go that I could not have known beforehand?
Because minds are really amazing and are constantly doing “instinct” calculations which are not rational but subliminal.
Why does a baby chimpanzee that’s never been exposed to snakes or flowers before quickly learn fear of snakes but not fear of flowers (this source).
[FST-42] In fact, I have heard hundreds of people testify of experiences that cannot all be explained by coincidence or imagination.
See Type I and Type II miracles. Also, consider these Catholic miracles. Do these miracles mean the Catholic church is true?
[FST-43] There has to be something greater out there, and for me personally, the Church of Jesus Christ answers the questions of where we came from and why we are here far better than any other source I have found.
Almost all models answer a few questions well. Maybe the real test of a model is how it deals with edge cases. So, how well does the LDS model deal with these questions:
How do models of pre-mortal life deal with scenarios where two distinct twins exist and one twin subsumes the other (i.e., creating human chimeras)? What happens to the spirits?
The Old Testament demands the stoning to death of women who have committed adultery. Depending on when the adultery was discovered, some of these women were undoubtedly pregant. Does God condone abortion?
What kind of a plan does the gospel provide for those with complete androgen insensitivity syndrome? Biologically they talk, feel, and think almost exactly like a female. To what gender should they marry? Would they remain married to that gender in the after-life?
Genesis and the temple ceremony suggests that it is “not good for man to be alone”. What are homosexual people really supposed to do with themselves? Is the “plan of happiness” so happy for them?
Why do you not give other religions the same benefit of the doubt as Mormonism? If you were raised in another religion and gave that religion the same benefit of the doubt as Mormonism, could you ever leave it? If you hadn’t been raised in Mormonism, would you seriously consider converting to it?
Current biological and psychological models can give a highly complete answer to each of those questions, but the Mormon model seems so much less clear and precise on these kinds of questions.
Conclusion
The blog’s author asked many excellent questions. I hope that some of my answers (and counter-questions) will aid those seeking truth. I wish my very best to the Morgans in their personal, religious, and professional lives.Hello folks! Let me start off by saying I'm not a professional, and everything I did to paint my wheels I learned by googling. That said, let's get to it!My recently acquired R53's wheels were in really bad shape from the previous owner (college girl), so I decided to fix them up a little bit. Here's what I used:300 pack of index cards from Wal-Mart, $1.24Two cans Dupli Color Self-Etching Primer in green from Advance, $5.32Six cans Dupli Color Graphite High Performance Wheel paint from Advance, $6.09 a canThree cans Dupli Color ClearCoat High Performance Wheel paint from Advance, $5.92 a canImperial WetDry 400 grit sandpaper from Lowe's, $3.27One scrub pad with the yellow and green sidesSome Dawn dish detergentFirstly, take a big bucket, pour some dish detergent in it and get some warm water going.Take your scrub pad and clean the heck out of your wheels, front and back.Use the same water to wet sand it. You can also just dry sand if you wish - the whole purpose is to rough up the entire surface of the wheels, and knock loose any chipping paint.Rinse out the bucket and scrubber.Fill the bucket up with clean, warm water, and wash down your wheels.After that, use a dry towel to dry off your wheels. Once that's done, you can start inserting index cards. By the time you're through with that the wheels should be dry enough to start priming.If you are extremely patient, lightly wet sand ten minutes after each coat if there's any trash in the paint with some 1000 grit. I kind of blew through this, and as a result missed a couple spots, and had two runs I had to fix.Quick cellphone pics of the rims back on the mini, I'll upload 'professional' pictures tomorrow:Overall, took me six-seven hours, mainly because I could only do two wheels at a time. Not enough jack stands :Pmood: bouncy music: Blue Rondo a la Turk - Dave Brubeck
There are a few things I've written that I see cited or quote repeatedly. The oldest is a quip about omnipotent beings that I wrote eighteen years ago in a USENET discussion:"Perhaps this morning there were only three Euclidean solids, but god changedits mind retroactively at lunchtime, remaking the whole history of theuniverse. That's the way it is with omnipotent beings."More recent is an explanation I once gave of the concept of "natural law" in politics. There are a couple of basic theories of law; one of them is called "natural law". Because that phrase is also used to mean "law of nature", people sometimes confuse the two concepts, often, I think, because they're not aware that the legal one exists, or are not aware of what it is. This was my attempt to succinctly summarize it in one discussion:"People will naturally and predictably find some methods for resolving [...] conflicts more congenial than others. There are some classes of conflict for which people will naturally and predictably find certain kinds of resolutions more congenial than others. The procedures people find more congenial will also produce the resolutions people find more congenial. And the procedures and resolutions that people find more congenial will tend to resemble each other across times and cultures."Two others are more technical articles that I wrote early in the 1990s about programming. They were published in a magazine aimed at Mac developers, called Frameworks (now archived at MacTech )."Objects Without Classes" was republished by the ACM's Computer magazine in Volume 27, Issue 3 (March 1994). It's a basic description of prototype-based object systems, such as those found in languages like Self and Javascript. Languages with prototype-based object systems probably seemed novel to more people then than they do now. Lots of people use Javascript now, but at that time you might never have heard of prototype-based object systems unless you were at Sun working on Self, or in the AI business, working with frame languages, or at Apple working on Newton or SK8.The topic of this post is the ideas presented in "Protocols," originally published in the March, 1994 issue of Frameworks, and archived here. It's an article about how representation, behavior, and taxonomy are distinct concepts that can be handled separately, despite the fact that object-oriented languages tend to confuse them.Those points need clarifying, I know.By "representation," I mean how we concretely lay out data. As an example, you can represent an array as a contiguous sequence of memory locations, or as a table of indexes paired with pointers, or as a tree of cells in which bit patterns are mapped to subtrees, or, of course, in many other ways. There are circumstances in which each of the different approaches might be advantageous. These are different representations of a common abstract concept that I have here called an "array".By "behavior," I mean the set of operations that is defined on any given set of values. Taking the abovementioned abstract concept of an "array" as an example, you can use any of the mentioned representations to support a common behavior. You can straightforwardly implement functions that fetch an element of an array by index, that iterate over the members of an array, that write a new value to the array at some specified index. The implementation and performance details will differ, of course, because the representation differs, but the behavior—that is, the API and what it accomplishes—is the same.By "taxonomy," I mean the relationship between one defined set of values and another. Types are categories of values. They are (possibly unbounded) collections of data objects. Types naturally have subtypes; a collection of values has a natural relation to a smaller collection of some of the same values: the smaller set is a subtype of the larger one. It's natural to think of obtaining the smaller set by starting with the larger one and adding restrictions that filter out some values. You can think of taxonomies of types, such as the class hierarchies in languages like Smalltalk and Java, as sets of values that begin with a very inclusive type, like Java's Object, and develops more and more refined types by adding more and more exclusive restrictions. Object is all the values (I know; it's not really all of them.) Number excludes all those objects that aren't representations of magnitudes. Integer excludes all that are not representations of whole numbers. And so on.These three concepts, representation, behavior, and taxonomy, are quite distinct, but most object-oriented languages conflate at least two of them. Some combine all three. Smalltalk classes, for example, are representation, behavior, and taxonomy all rolled into one. The representation is in the instance variables; the behavior is in the methods; the taxonomy is in the subclass/superclass relations. THe trouble with that approach is that when you ask for one of the three, you get the other two whether you want them or not. For example, if you create a new subclass, you inherit representation, behavior, and taxonomy, even if all you wanted was behavior. If you create some subclass because you want a certain taxonomic relation, you also get a representation and a behavior that may or may not be what you need.The claim of the "Prototypes" article was that you can treat these three concepts separately, and by doing so develop a discipline that makes object-oriented design and implementation feasible in any language. Furthermore, by doing so, you can develop APIs that are language independent. To take the "array" example, what makes it an "array" is that you can get and set elements by index, and iterate over them in index order. That's behavior. If representation, behavior, and taxonomy are properly separated, you can represent "arrays" any way you like, and you can arrange for them to be subtypes of any type you like, and they'll still be arrays, because they support "array" behavior. Representation and taxonomy can be treated independently as well, but not if your tools insist on conflating them.I still think that's true, and useful, but I was always interested in codifying the ideas of that article more concretely. I was interested in working with an object system designed around clearly distinguishing representation, behavior, and taxonomy.One language that pretty much nails it is Haskell. In Haskell, representation is the province of datatypes. Behavior is handled by functions. Taxonomy belongs to typeclasses.For those unfamiliar with Haskell, the terminology is probably confusing. Without some experience with Haskell, it's probably not at all clear how and why "datatypes" and "typeclasses" are different. Briefly, a Haskell datatype is a named description of an arrangement of data. A typeclass is a named description of a set of operations. You can make a datatype into a member of a typeclass by defining functions that implement the operations specified by the typeclass.This is pretty close to what I was talking about in "Protocols;" it's probably closer than anything else I've seen to language support for those concepts. The next closest thing, I think, is the style of object system exemplified by CLOS (the Common Lisp Object System). In CLOS, classes describe representation and taxonomy. Generic functions and methods describe behavior. It's easy and convenient to describe behavior in CLOS independently of representation or |
in the overtime period to complete the unbelievable 103-93 comeback victory in Alumni Gym.In the first half, Samson was red hot to start the game scoring 11 of the team's first 14 points to give the Phoenix a 14-12 lead with 12:23 in the half. It continued to be a back and forth game between the two sides, but Elon ultimately came out with the 39-36 lead at the half.Kennesaw State caught fire in the second half, shooting 60 percent from the field and building up its largest leads of the game at nine, 72-63 and 78-69, at the 6:17 and 4:44 marks, respectively, in the half.Elon clawed back into the game, trailing by two 81-79 with just 2:10 left on the clock after a layup from. The Owls went on an 8-2 run over the next 56 seconds surging to an eight-point lead 89-81 with 18.9 seconds on the clock.Then, the unbelievable happened. Elon made its unlikely comeback scoring eight points in the final 18.9 seconds to send the game into overtime. The Phoenix topped off the wild finish, by outscoring the Owls, 14-4, in the overtime stanza to complete the 103-93 victory.set career-highs with 31 points and 12 rebounds against the Owls. He is the first Elon player to score 30 in a game sinceon Jan. 24, 2015, against Delaware.- The senior out of Littleton, Colo., tied his single-game career-high with eight three pointers against the Owls, as he finished 8-15 behind the arc.- Samson is now second all-time in program history with 262 made treys. He now trails only Jack Isenbarger (264) by two made threes.- Samson moves into a tie for 32nd on the all-time scoring list with 1,046 points, tying Frank DeRita '59.- Elon scored 100+ points against a Division I opponent for the first time since the 2003-04 season, when they topped UNCG, 112-108, in three overtimes on Feb. 28, 2004.scored in double-figures for the seventh consecutive game with 13 points against Kennesaw State.- With his 95th career win, head coachis six wins away from moving into sixth place on the all-time wins list. Bill Morningstar is in sixth with 101 wins from 1979-86.Elon hits the road on Friday, Dec. 4, to face off against the FIU Panthers for a 7 p.m. tip. The Phoenix returns home on Sunday, Dec. 13, as they host the Wesley College Wolverines at 7 p.m. in Alumni Gym.Cape Town - The Springboks go into their end-of-year European tour with a lot to prove.
There has certainly been improvement this year compared to 2016, but just how successful a year this has been will largely be determined by how the Boks go in fixtures against Ireland, France, Italy and Wales.
The only defeats remain the two losses to the All Blacks in the Rugby Championship, but leaving with two draws against the Wallabies was disappointing.
If the Boks can emerge with a clean sweep of wins over November and December, then 2017 will surely be considered a resounding success.
Coetzee, as always, will have some tough selection decisions to make.
He has been incredibly loyal in his team selections this year as work on what he has called a "new team" has progressed, but there are a number of players on the outside looking in who will be fancying their chances of a call-up.
A number of those come in the back three, where the Boks have looked questionable at times this year.
Here, we identify FIVE players who will be hoping they have done enough to get a look-in.
Makazole Mapimpi
Age - 27
Tests - 0
Mapimpi has been superb throughout 2017. He scored 11 tries for the Kings in Super rugby - only the Hurricanes duo of Vince Aso and Ngani Laumape scored more - and has already notched up five tries for the Cheetahs in the PRO14 to be the tournament's joint-leading try scorer. His finishing is sublime, he has raw pace and it is hard to see him being ignored for much longer. Dillyn Leyds has put his hand up for an extended run on the one Bok wing, so Mapimpi's likeliest path to a Springbok jersey could come at the expense of Courtnall Skosan.
Dan du Preez
Age - 22
Tests - 0
Dan du Preez has been involved with the Boks this year without getting on the park, but with the continued unavailability of Warren Whiteley at No 8, the end-of-year tour might be a good opportunity for the Boks to back this young talent. There are other options at No 8 - Uzair Cassiem, Francois Louw and Jean-Luc du Preez - but Dan du Preez is a natural fit given that has been his position at the Sharks. Both Du Preez brothers are expected to play a lot of Test rugby for the Boks, so why not get them both going as early as possible?
Lukhanyo Am
Age - 23
Tests - 0
The fit-again Sharks midfielder had been threatening to make his Bok debut this year before injury struck. He was also one of the players who really put his hand up in Super Rugby. The problem for Am is that, in Jan Serfontein and Jesse Kriel, Coetzee seems very set on his centre pairing and with good reason. The Serfontein/Kriel partnership does look to be one that has legs, so if Am is to force his way into the mix next month it might have to be at the expense of Damian de Allende, who has filled the impact role off the bench without causing any damage to opposition teams.
Warrick Gelant
Age - 22
Tests - 0
Gelant is a player who also has an incredibly bright future. His age means that he has time on his side, but his problem has been staying fit. Hopefully those injury woes are behind him, and with the jury still out on Andries Coetzee, the Bok fullback position could be there for the taking. Curwin Bosch, capped against France in June, is another option at fullback, but the hype surrounding Gelant in the position is likely to be answered at some stage. Our chief writer Rob Houwing offered his thoughts on Gelant earlier this week.
Sbu Nkosi
Age - 21
Tests - 0
Nkosi was called up to the Bok squad after the horror show in Albany, but in the end Coetzee went for Leyds as his replacement for Raymond Rhule. Like Mapimpi, his best chance may be at the expense of Skosan. Nkosi is a physically imposing player, and that makes him an attractive option up north.
Pics: Gallo ImagesNeurophenomenology is a scientific research program aimed to combine neuroscience with phenomenology in order to study human experience. Nevertheless, despite several explicit implementations, the integration of first-person data into the experimental protocols of cognitive neuroscience still faces a number of epistemological and methodological challenges. Notably, the difficulties to simultaneously acquire phenomenological and neuroscientific data have limited its implementation into research projects. In our paper, we propose that neurofeedback paradigms, in which subjects learn to self-regulate their own neural activity, may offer a pragmatic way to integrate first-person and third-person descriptions. Here, information from first- and third-person perspectives is braided together in the iterative causal closed loop, creating experimental situations in which they reciprocally constrain each other. In real-time, the subject is not only actively involved in the process of data acquisition, but also assisted to directly influence the neural data through conscious experience. Thus, neurofeedback may help to gain a deeper phenomenological-physiological understanding of downward causations whereby conscious activities have direct causal effects on neuronal patterns. We discuss possible mechanisms that could mediate such effects and indicate a number of directions for future research.
First and Third: The Necessary Circulation
The major research domains in cognitive neuroscience aim to characterize human experience, mind, and consciousness. By randomization, standardization procedures and statistical analysis, this approach seeks to extract the most essential invariant mechanisms, generalizable to the entire population. However, it is curious that in the study of necessarily subjective phenomena of mental processes, we refuse to consider them as such. Instead of elaborating on the subjectivity, we are paradoxically disregarding the most characteristic feature of our mind. In the mid-1990s, Varela (1996) proposed a scientific program termed “Neurophenomenology,” conceptualized as a remedy for the hard problem of consciousness (Chalmers, 1995). Rather than studying the hard problem per se, this proposal was of pragmatic nature, oriented toward the explanatory gap of how to relate neurobiological and phenomenological features of consciousness. Neurophenomenology encourages a combined investigation of scientific observation and subjective experience in scientific research, without denying the necessity of a rigorous methodological approach in the acquisition of first-person data. The dialog between the two different types of data generation is considered to result in a twofold profit:
(1) Phenomenologically enriched neural data make ongoing mental or physical processes accessible to the subject that would otherwise remain unconscious. New variables might be opened up for personal observation and introspection.
(2) The neuroscientist is guided by the subjective report, which provides a strong constraint on the analysis and interpretation of physiological data relevant to conscious experience. Relating physiology to phenomenology is expected to uncover subtle details in neural data by means of the phenomenological perspective.
In that way, mutual constraints given by the complementary perspectives enable the specification of our models of phenomenology, and the associated neural activity.
As evidenced by this special issue, Varela’s call has not gone unanswered, and recent years have seen the development of a small but growing literature exploring the interface between phenomenology and neuroscience. The emergence of the field of neuropsychoanalysis (Panksepp and Solms, 2012) attests to this trend, in addition to the increasing number of studies including both qualitative and quantitative data as on visual perception (Lutz et al., 2002), lucid dreaming (Hobson, 2009), the initiation of epileptic seizures (Le Van Quyen and Petitmengin, 2002) or the recent study elucidating cognitive processes that correspond to the default mode network activation (Garrison et al., 2013).
However, the integration of first-person data into the experimental protocols of cognitive neuroscience still faces a number of challenges. Two major methodological concerns regarding the quality of the first-person data are that (1) subjective reports can be untruthful or lacking precision, and (2) experience might be changed by the very fact of reporting. From the epistemological perspective it is not evident how to relate the qualitative and quantitative data in methodologically valid and meaningful ways (Lutz and Thompson, 2003).
Although valuable work has sharpened the acquisition methods of qualitative data (Lutz et al., 2002; Depraz et al., 2003; Petitmengin et al., 2007), a meaningful link between these and the neural data remains challenging. The central difficulty is the temporal scale of neural and subjective events. While many neural events can last only a few hundreds of milliseconds, the temporal resolution of thought and memory processes are at a coarser scale of seconds. The approximate sense of personal timing will thus limit the precision of an oral report. Moreover, subjective reports are usually obtained either in intermittent periods or at the end of the experiment, but never in a concurrent manner with neural data. Because the acquisition of data occurs independently for each, the reports and the recordings can merely be compared or correlated a posteriori. Since the precision in the temporal dimension is a crucial variable for neural processes, the long delay introduced between the experience and the corresponding neural activity will significantly reduce the amount of information that can be extracted from such comparisons. When the personal account is supposed to guide analysis and interpretation of neural data, a causal link between the perspectives seems necessary. Similarly, in order to benefit from neural data for deeper introspection, temporal contingency between personal perception and neural events is essential, as was shown in associative learning (Sulzer et al., 2013a).
Given these limitations of the neurophenomenological approach, an experimental procedure that would facilitate a more direct mapping of neural and personal data is desirable. We propose that the paradigm of neurofeedback is a good candidate to yield further progress in the field. The idea to unify first-person and third-person data is at the very core of neurofeedback, making it appropriate for studies within the research program of neurophenomenology.
Neurofeedback – the Past and the Present
If provided with real-time feedback, human, and animal subjects can learn to control various measures of their own bodily and neural activity such as heart rate, skin conductance, the Blood-Oxygen-Level-Dependent-(BOLD) response, the oscillatory activity, and even the spiking of single cells (Fetz, 1969, 2007; Evans, 2007; Cerf et al., 2010; Roelfsema, 2011). Based on brain electrical signals transmitted in real time, inner control of one’s own neuronal activity may be learned with the aid of a brain-computer interface, which serves to preprocess and display a person’s instantaneous brain activation on a computer screen through what is known as a “neurofeedback” loop. This visual display behaves like a virtual “mirror” to real electrical activities produced by the cerebral cortex. For example, using neurofeedback of electroencephalographic (EEG) signals, the power of participants’ neuronal oscillations in a given frequency (e.g., the alpha band from 8 to 12 Hz) are visually displayed to them, typically in the form of a bar graph whose height is proportional to the real-time EEG amplitude and which fluctuates accordingly (Figure 1). Participants try to learn to manipulate this visual feedback, increasing/decreasing it to a predefined threshold level, with a reward when amplification/suppression to this threshold is achieved. Guided by the visual feedback process, the participant can search for a relationship between the conscious experience and the changes in neural data in ongoing data streaming.
FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1. Loop of online data streaming during Neurofeedback. (A) Signals from scalp-, macro-, and/or microelectrodes are pre-amplified locally and sent to the acquisition system. (B) All electrodes are recorded and stored on the local computer. (C) Data is read by another device, where online analysis is performed (frequency filtering, spike detection, spike sorting) in time bins of 0.5 s. (D) Processed data is presented to the subject in form of a graphical, moving object, or sound changing in frequency according to the recorded activity. (E) Subject controls the graphical object by influencing his brain activity through subjective experience.
The pioneering studies in the field of neurofeedback were conducted as early as the 1960s starting with the important work by Fetz (1969) on primates, showing the operant conditioning of single cell spike trains in the motor cortex. The motor cortex is probably the most obvious place to search for a cortical signal directly associated with volitional movement (Libet et al., 1983; Haggard et al., 2002; Fetz, 2007). This may be one of the reasons why a substantial part of neurofeedback research was conducted on paralyzed or locked-in patients recognizing the need of people with disabilities, aiming to restore their communicative or motor functions. Brain-computer interfaces were tested in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, brain stem stroke, or spinal cord lesions using signals including slow cortical potentials, P300 potentials, and alpha or beta rhythms recorded from the scalp, and cortical neuronal activity recorded by implanted electrodes (Wolpaw et al., 2002; Birbaumer and Cohen, 2007; Jackson and Fetz, 2011). The successful cases in these applications encouraged the usage of neurofeedback for other neurological and neuropsychiatric conditions. Subsequently, positive neurofeedback effects were achieved in substance addiction (Sulzer et al., 2013b), Attention-Deficit-Hyperactivity-Disorder (ADHD; Gevensleben et al., 2009), autism spectrum disorder (Kouijzer et al., 2010), emotional regulation (Johnston et al., 2010), Parkinson’s disease (Subramanian et al., 2011), and epilepsy (Kotchoubey et al., 2001; Nagai, 2011).
The starting point in most of these studies was a predefined physiological profile of a certain function or pathology to be enhanced or counterbalanced through neurofeedback. As for example in a study on autism, the success of the neurofeedback training was due to the decrease of the excessive theta power (4–8 Hz) in the anterior cingulate cortex, known to be involved in social and executive dysfunctions in autism (Kouijzer et al., 2010). Beside clinical application, the effects of neurofeedback training were also explored in general cognitive functions. Improved mental rotation, perceptual learning, episodic memory, and higher intelligence scores were reported after training (Hanslmayr et al., 2005; Keizer et al., 2010a,b; Shibata et al., 2011; Zoefel et al., 2011).
A particularly interesting approach consisted of using intracranial EEG recorded in epileptic patients to design a simple computer interface (also called “Brain TV,” http://www.braintv.org; see Petitmengin and Lachaux, 2013) and to display to patients in real-time their activity recorded at particular cortical locations in several frequency bands, including alpha (8–12 Hz), beta (12–30 Hz), and gamma bands (>40 Hz; Lachaux et al., 2007). During such neurofeedback sessions, the patients were able to observe their own neural data. Once they have identified a possible link between their acts and the signal response (e.g., by solving arithmetic exercises or relaxation) subjects were able to deliberately control the brain activity (Lachaux et al., 2007). In most of the discussed studies a conscious, cognitive strategy was adopted to find a link between inner events and the corresponding neural signal (e.g., expressing an emotion, performing mental imagery, building up an intention, remembering an event, or other cognitive acts; deCharms, 2008). However, an implicit type of successful learning akin to skill learning has also been discussed, emphasizing the role of the subcortical motor system (Birbaumer et al., 2013). The hypothesis that brain-self-regulation can be achieved without a high cognitive, explicit, and conscious strategy is supported by animal studies on primates and rodents making use of associative learning or operant conditioning (Fetz, 1969; Koralek et al.,2012).
The modulation of a specific physiological substrate appears to be dependent on the sensory feedback provided to the subject. As several studies have demonstrated, the control over rt-fMRI brain activation was trainable with proper and not sham feedback (Sulzer et al., 2013b). One study that confirms that feedback is necessary information for self-regulation comes from a study on chronic pain patients showing that the feedback of neural activity was necessary for them to succeed in controlling the neural processing behind pain perception reducing perceived pain. One would assume that pain patients already have continuously available sensory feedback of their personal pain level, as well as a strong motivation to restrain the pain intensity (deCharms et al., 2005). Nevertheless, the personal pain perception alone was not sufficient for the control of pain, whereas the feedback on neural activity seemed to provide additional information that played a crucial role in the ability to control physiological processes.
Overall, these studies indicate that control over neural activity is not confined to a particular neurophysiological function or a specific anatomical location. Rather, it seems to be a more general property of the brain that can be learned for different neural profiles and various clinical or cognitive conditions given appropriate feedback.
Neurophenomenology Meets Neurofeedback
Real-Time Loop between First-Person and Third-Person Data
Neurofeedback offers a way to relate the phenomenological structure of subjective experience with a real-time characterization of large-scale neural operations in a continuous manner over the course of the experiment. In the setup, the current state of neural activity, reflecting moment-to-moment changes in perception and cognition of the subject, is recorded at multiple cortical sites. After processing, the neural variable is presented to the subject with a delay of no more than 0.5 s. The subject is asked to monitor all mental acts or changes in personal experience that could correspond to the fluctuation of the signal. While trying to detect the link between the two, the subject’s principal task is to guide mental activity such that the neural signal reaches an upper or lower threshold. With this task in mind, the subject is continuously monitoring whether a change in the mental process is associated with a change in the recorded signal in the desired direction. By such deliberate manipulation of the signal, the subject enriches the neural data with ongoing personal experience, shaping his or her own brain activity. In the same way, the scientifically presented data can influence the subject, when upon the subsequent iteration of data streaming (next 0.5 s), the outcome of the scientific analysis might make the subject change his or her approach. The loop between the subject and the data becomes causally bidirectional.
In this way, online information of physiological variables allows the subject to gain access to a neural process that is related to the mental activity, which is usually hidden from awareness. The constant feedback facilitates monitoring of neural control and allows the subject to evaluate the efficacy of the chosen strategy (e.g., remembering moments from childhood) regarding the overall task. Through practice across the sessions of a training period, continuous introspective effort promotes insights on arousal, concentration, distraction, self-awareness, and self-regulation. Gradually, an understanding of the link between the change in cognition and its neural correlate emerges, which is refined on a trial-and-error basis, until it can be systematically exploited in a reliable way. The subject learns to control several electrodes at various cortical sites, tries to modulate different oscillatory frequency ranges, spiking activity, or synchronization degrees. Ultimately, the subject is capable of selecting which electrode responds best to the voluntarily induced mental events and which frequency range or other parameter is the easiest to modify.
Co-Determination between First-Person and Third-Person Data
The inherent feature of this setting is the mutual constrain between phenomenology and neuroscience. Because information from first- and third-person perspectives are united and co-determine each other in the iterative loop of real-time neurofeedback, the epistemological concern of how to relate neural and personal data is resolved. A meaningful link between subjective and neuroscientific data is created through this causal relationship, which offers a guideline for data analysis and interpretation. Moreover, as discussed in Section “Neurofeedback – The Past and the Present,” it is difficult to achieve a simultaneous sampling of subjective experience in parallel to the acquisition of neural data without a significant delay. Neurofeedback is advantageous in this respect because subject is embedded in the experimental setting, allowing a new real-time dimension for data correspondence. Because the first-person data is included in the overall data stream, no back-and-forth switch is required between objective and personal data. An additional strength is that the methodological problem of an untruthful, imprecise or biased report can be circumvented. Although oral or written subjective descriptions may still be useful to elucidate the best cognitive strategy, they are not strictly necessary for the realization of the neurofeedback paradigm.
A Physiological Description of Neurofeedback
An understanding of physiological factors underlying neurofeedback would not only uncover the mechanisms relevant for volitional modulation of neural processes but also advance our possibilities to therapeutically adapt neurofeedback training to different clinical conditions. Our knowledge of the neural substrates underlying neurofeedback is limited. However, an important indication comes from above mentioned studies revealing the fact that neural control is most efficiently initiated by a cognitive strategy demanding attentional processes (although see Birbaumer et al., 2013 for a different perspective). This observation exposes the link between high-level cognitive activity and the changes in dynamics of brain activity implying that top-down effects on conscious mental events play an important role during neurofeedback. In the following, we aim to characterize a general relationship and codetermination between neural and mental events, which would allow us to formulate a potential mechanism of neurofeedback.
Top-Down Processing and Downward Causation
It is widely accepted that neural processes crucial for consciousness (i.e., perception and cognition) rely on the transient and ongoing orchestration of large-scale assemblies that comprise neuronal populations in widespread networks of frontal, parietal, and limbic areas. As proposed previously (Varela, 1995; Varela et al., 2001; Le Van Quyen, 2003), such large-scale assemblies constitute a fundamental self-organizing pole, exerting a “driving” effect on multiple neuronal activation levels at macro-, meso-, and microscopic scales and providing a valuable physiological candidate for the emergence and the flow of cognitive-phenomenal states (Figure 2). Numerous studies, using unit recordings or functional imaging, have established that there are bi-directional causal relationships between multiple spatial and temporal scales where on one hand, activity on a lower scale gives rise to an emergent phenomenon and on the other hand, the large-scale patterns have the potential to re-influence the small-scale interactions that generated them (Fröhlich and McCormick, 2010; Anastassiou et al., 2011; Buzsáki et al., 2012). In order to stress their active efficacies, these bottom-up and top-down interactions are often referred to as upward and downward causation (Campbell, 1974; Thompson and Varela, 2001).
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2. Multiscale interaction. The macro-, meso-, and microscopic processes are braided together by co-occurring multifrequency oscillations, giving rise to upward and downward causation. Activity at micro-scale (cellular assemblies) sums up to local activities at meso-scale, which in turn gives rise to large-scale dynamics and result in a conscious event. In opposite way, cognitive effort influences global brain oscillations in the low- frequency range, which constrain local oscillations in the high-frequency range by variations of the underlying neuronal excitability. These high-frequency oscillations determine the probability of occurrence of spikes and their temporal coincidences on the millisecond scale.
In this context, there is increasing evidence that brain oscillations play a key role in mediating these multi-scale communications (Fries, 2005; Le Van Quyen, 2011). As a general rule, lower frequency oscillations allows for an integration of neuronal effects of longer duration and larger areas of involvement (Penttonen and Buzsaki, 2003). In contrast, high-frequency oscillations tend to be confined to small ensembles of neurons and facilitate a temporally more precise and spatially limited representation of information. Consequently, slow cortical oscillations lead to cyclical modulations in neuronal excitability that determines whether faster local oscillations or neuronal discharges are attenuated or amplified (so called cross-frequency coupling). Consistent with this idea, recent data confirmed that attention modulates the phase of delta activity (1–4 Hz) in the visual cortex, which in turn modulates the power of higher frequencies and the firing of neurons (Lakatos et al., 2008). It was also shown that slow frequency activity in 4–7 Hz range recorded in the local field potential can predict the higher frequency (30–200 Hz), as well as single unit activity (Buzsaki and Draguhn, 2004; Canolty et al., 2006; Jensen and Colgin, 2007). At a lower spatial scale, top-down effects can influence spike-field locking, promoting spikes synchronization to preferred oscillatory phases (Womelsdorf et al., 2007; Rutishauser et al., 2010; Engelhard et al., 2013). Furthermore, hierarchical interactions between areas appear to be specific to the direction of information processing. For example, it was shown that top-down and bottom-up effects between frontal and parietal cortices take effect through synchronization on different oscillatory frequency ranges (Buschman and Miller, 2007; Knight, 2007).
Given the relationship between the multiple scales as manifested in different oscillatory rhythms, a potential neurophysiological mechanism underlying neurofeedback function can be hypothesized from these considerations on downward causation: during neurofeedback, higher cognitive functions such as monitoring or introspection are required, which involve a large number of subprocesses and thus, they recruit neural assemblies over extended regions. Changes in large-scale neural activity are therefore expected and should be detectable in low frequent oscillatory activity. In turn, following the rule of cross-frequency coupling, these changes are mediating downward influences via the precise temporal windows of integration imposed by oscillatory activity, giving rise to effective communication between distributed networks and regulating the flow of information processing.
Thus, in this scenario an initial large-scale activity triggered by cognitive effort can percolate down to the small scale of single neurons, where overall dynamics are tied together by co-occurring oscillations in different frequency ranges inducing changes in neuronal excitability. Importantly, although the conceptualization of neural control is based upon downward causation, physiologically, top-down, and bottom-up effects are reciprocally defined and contingent on each other. These effects are distinguished conceptually and can be empirically quantified separately. However, the physiological existence of these two types of causalities between neural and mental events cannot be dissociated.
Testable Hypotheses
The model proposed here attempts to integrate the evidence for neurofeedback control with the view of multi-scale coordination in neuronal dynamics that has emerged during recent years. The advantage of this model is to derive concrete testable hypotheses. Notably, we expect that a multiscale approach with data recorded on multiple spatial scales leads to greatest insight because investigation of the coupling between the multiple spatiotemporal scales is possible. Such data can be, for example, obtained from patients with drug resistant epilepsy undergoing long-term monitoring, where scalp, depth, and micro electrodes (Fried et al., 1997; Le Van Quyen et al., 2010) are used for simultaneous data recording (Figure 3). This approach combining single cell recordings with a global monitoring of large-scale brain activities has the potential to reveal regional diversity in the properties of local brain activities such as their spatial topography, spectral characteristics, propagation, and phase coherence (Lachaux et al., 2003). It allows us to distinguish the global, local, and high-frequency processes, and their interactions, that constitute elementary information processes. Local field potential measurements combined with recording of neuronal discharges will provide us with information about the cooperating inputs onto the recorded cell population.
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3. Multiscale recordings. (A) Scalp-electrode (green), clinical multi-contact macro-electrode (red), and micro-electrode emerging from the tip of the macro-electrode (resolution: volume <1 mm3 on a millisecond scale). Such recording setups are used for presurgical evaluation in epilepsy. (B) Signal from scalp-, macro-, and micro electrode in green, red, and blue, respectively. Lower three traces show micro-electrode recordings filtered in the gamma band, with applied high-pass filter above 500 Hz and sorted spikes for different neurons. Note the high-frequent activity present in the micro-electrode recording, which is not visible in the signal from macro- or scalp-electrodes.
Using such data, the aim is to find the physiological markers of neural control. In the search for characteristics of successful neurofeedback, the examination of successful trials, preceding intervals, and the contrast to failed trials is the thread of the analysis. A systematic record of key parameters such as power, amplitude, synchronization, or phase locking reveals changes across sessions and facilitates tracing the evolution of important factors over the course of the training period. Thereby, a shift in parameters between the first and the last sessions may not necessarily be progressive or linear.
One important question is to determine at what spatial and temporal scale the neural dynamics can be influenced in most efficient manner. In Figure 3, scalp-, intracranial EEG, and micro-electrode recordings display components in different frequencies that are characteristic for each data type. In the scalp-EEG slow rhythms are predominant, whereas the micro-recordings contain much faster spiking activity. These data, simultaneously recorded and filtered in corresponding bands, can be successively used as feedback within the brain-computer-interface for a comparison of success rates as well as required training time. According to the presented model and the evidence reviewed earlier, we suggest that effective neurofeedback can best be achieved at the macroscopic level, by the voluntary control of cortical slow oscillations. In particular, we propose that these large-scale waves mediate downward influences via a precise temporal patterning of local processing and provide a vehicle for top-down control of local high-frequency oscillatory activity and on firing rate at the single cell level.
Due to anatomical and organizational differences of the brain, it is likely that these modulations will not be homogeneously efficient across cortical regions. Some dynamical features may be more beneficial for top-down effects than others. Will the control be best achieved on areas that are known to be hierarchically structured including recurrent and feedback pathways and thus appropriately wired for top-down control, such as the motor, visual, or other primary sensory cortices? Is neural control in temporal areas, hippocampus, amygdale, and prefrontal cortex also possible and if so, does it take longer to acquire sufficient regulation?
Scharnowski et al. (2012) have shown generalization effects of improved perceptual sensitivity through neurofeedback training across stimuli and tasks. Can trained effects be potentially generalized across electrode locations or frequency bands? Spatial generalization may be possible when structural and dynamical organization of cortical sites is sufficiently similar, so that the same cognitive strategy can become operative. To some extent this can be anticipated by examining dynamical features of the signal such as predominant frequency ranges or firing rate baselines and patterns. In contrast, generalization across frequency bands might be predictable with measures of cross-frequency coupling. When high degrees of amplitude-phase coupling (nested oscillations) are present, a frequency range that has not been the direct object of neurofeedback training is likely to be influenced by the same strategy when tested directly. One other type of generalization might occur in conditions without neural feedback. It is plausible that once neural control is reliably trained, it can be retrieved implicitly by exploiting the proven strategy even without sensory feedback. This can be for example tested with a transfer session at the end of neurofeedback training.
Another crucial question is whether cellular plasticity is taking place during neurofeedback, which may serve to regenerate motor functions or boost memory processes (Seitz, 2013). When during successful neurofeedback the signal at the conditioned electrode spreads along existing network connections and propagates from the electrode position to more distant sites, over time, synaptic connections between simultaneously recruited neurons are strengthened. This can be tested by exploiting micro-electrodes for training and analysis. Correlated spiking behavior as well as the convergence toward the same preferred spiking phase between adjacent micro-electrodes may be indicative of this process. If plasticity is occurring, these variables should shift and remain different from baseline even during spontaneous intervals as compared to values prior to training.
Finally, an unresolved issue to be addressed with future studies is the difference between responders and non-responders to neurofeedback. Is the full variance explained by varying skills of introspection or are there detectable dynamical differences in neural data? For example, the investigation of individual predominant frequency ranges in the spectrum could be indicative of necessary dynamic components.
General Comments and Future Perspectives
The prime concern of future neurofeedback studies is, with the subjects’ help, to identify the principles and mechanisms behind neural control. Pursuing a neurodynamical approach, we believe that electrophysiological data sampled at several spatial scales is appropriate to reveal the mechanisms behind willful modulation of neural activity during neurofeedback training, as discussed in Section “A Physiological Description of Neurofeedback.” The distinct strength of a multiscale approach is that it allows us to test hypotheses derived from consideration of top-down effects and downward causation.
At the second stage, the obtained generic description of physiological factors that mediate willful regulation would be the vehicle for all further application of the neurofeedback technique, specifically designed to best affect the desired structures or processes (as in depression, ADHD, or other conditions). When a certain function needs to be regulated, firstly, it is essential to know how it is neurally encoded. Therefore, at this point our knowledge about the substrate of neurofeedback as well as the cognitive profile in question needs to be combined to design an optimal experimental protocol in order to maximize the efficiency of the training. Although neurofeedback can be applied to a condition on which we have only limited insight, in general, knowing the target mechanisms will increase the efficiency of the neurofeedback training.
Beside the relevance of studies using invasive intra-cortical recordings, scalp-EEG and fMRI studies are also indispensable for promoting non-invasive use of neurofeedback in the general population. A particularly promising approach is the combination of rt-fMRI recordings with decoding techniques (Scharnowski et al., 2012), that could be of great use for clinical applications in locked-in and paralyzed patients. Depending on the chosen methodology, initial assumptions of the technique need to be considered. The working hypothesis when using rt-fMRI is based on the metabolism of neuronal activity and the derived BOLD response in precise brain areas related to a given cognitive function (deCharms, 2008; Scharnowski et al., 2012). In contrast, the work done with EEG derives from the assumption of a temporal coding through oscillatory activity (Engel et al., 2001). Rt-MRI focuses on the change in specific brain structures, whereas the precise temporal character of the EEG signal promotes control of diffuse, global oscillatory processes in various frequency bands. Both methods can be desirable in a given context, but their features have to be carefully considered when designing the experimental setup.
As seen from previous studies of neurofeedback, application of neurofeedback can be wide-ranging. In the case of epileptic patients, neurofeedback training can consist of dampening epileptic activity in pathological regions (e.g., by perturbing local dynamics with a dominant theta rhythm) as to reduce seizure frequency or intensity. Another intriguing application of neurofeedback is in schizophrenia, where impaired neural synchronization in gamma and beta ranges, but not in lower frequencies, was shown (Uhlhaas and Singer, 2006, 2010; Uhl |
words, dissenting words, sometimes, of individual politicians who might mutter off-stage they don't like the direction of travel.
"The direction of travel was clearly set in the coalition agreement."Exclusive: Etsy, Kickstarter and other leading companies to fight FCC plans to neuter 2015 rules in July protest backed by ACLU, Greenpeace and more
Some of the world’s largest internet companies are planning a day of action in defense of open internet rules now under attack by the Trump administration.
Amazon, Etsy, Kickstarter, Mozilla and Vimeo all intend to hold a day of protest on 12 July in opposition to plans by Donald Trump’s newly appointed telecoms regulator to neuter tough 2015 rules meant to protect “net neutrality” – the concept that all traffic should be equal online.
Ajit Pai, new head of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), pledged last year to take a “weed whacker” to rules that regulate internet service providers like any other companies providing utilities such as water or electricity, arguing they were too onerous on cable companies and stifled innovation.
Quick guide Net neutrality Show Hide What is net neutrality? Net neutrality is the idea that internet service providers (ISPs) treat everyone’s data equally – whether that’s an email from your mother, a bank transfer or a streamed episode of Stranger Things. It means that ISPs, which control the delivery pipes, don’t get to choose which data is sent more quickly, or which sites get blocked or throttled (for example, slowing the delivery of a TV show because it is streamed by a video company that competes with a subsidiary of the ISP) or who has to pay extra. For this reason, some have described net neutrality as the “first amendment of the internet”. Why is net neutrality under threat? On 14 December 2017, the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted to scrap regulations protecting net neutrality in America. In a 3-2 vote, the commission repealed the rules, which had been introduced by the Obama administration in 2015 to replace the patchwork of authorisations that had previously regulated the internet. In response, a number of states vowed to introduce their own state-wide protections of net neutrality. Who benefits from the FCC ruling? The most obvious beneficiaries are the large ISPs, who frequently have local monopolies and have now been handed the ability to discriminate between their own services and those of competitors, and charge other companies for access or bandwidth. But larger internet companies, such as Google or Facebook, are also likely to benefit from the decision. They stand little risk of being blocked or throttled, given how unpopular such a move would be, and can afford to pay access fees. They would also benefit from the reduced competition from smaller firms and startups, who are at risk of discrimination from ISPs. Are there implications outside of the US? Other nations have their own net neutrality regulations. The EU, for instance, passed a directive in 2016 guarding some key tenets of net neutrality, although allowing some controversial practices, such as "zero-rating" – declaring some sites free for the purposes of data limits. But globally, internet users will experience the indirect effects of the US decision, since its impact on the competitive market within America's borders will ripple around the world. For some, that could even be positive: if new startups can't get traction in the US, they may decide to relocate elsewhere.
The potential rollback of the regulations has already sparked huge online protest, and more organisations and companies are likely to join the day of action in the coming days.
Evan Greer, campaign director of Fight for the Future, said: “The internet has given more people a voice than ever before, and we’re not going to let the FCC take that power away from us. Massive online mobilization got us the strong net neutrality protections that we have now, and we intend to fight tooth and nail to defend them.”
Alongside Amazon and others, the day of action is being backed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), American Library Association, Center for Media Justice, Demand Progress, Greenpeace, MoveOn, Organizing For Action and many others.
Michael Cheah, general counsel of Vimeo, said: “Net neutrality made it possible for Vimeo, along with countless other startups, to innovate and thrive. The FCC’s proposed rollback of the 2015 open internet rules threatens to impede that innovation and allow a handful of incumbent ISPs to determine winners and losers.”
Global tech companies including Google, Netflix and Twitter joined a similar day of protest in 2014 helped push the FCC to reclassify broadband under Title II of the Telecommunications Act, a move that banned internet service providers from creating fast or slow lanes for services – a situation that critics argue would allow them to pick winners and losers online.
Those rules have been challenged repeatedly since they were brought in but have failed to be overturned in court. However, with the FCC under Republican control, cable companies have made a renewed effort to overturn the rules, arguing they stifle innovation and investment. According to the cable company-supporting Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, broadband investment has gone down roughly 2-3% since the introduction of the Open Internet Order.
FCC votes to dismantle net neutrality as critics cry 'war on open internet' Read more
The FCC’s last discussion of open internet rules attracted more than 4m comments, a record that has already been surpassed this time with more than 5m comments so far. The FCC’s website crashed after the comedian John Oliver, a consistent supporter of net neutrality, lambasted Pai’s latest comments in May. Oliver set up a site directing people to comment on the FCC proposal.
Mark Stanley, communications director of Demand Progress, said: “The FCC’s plan to dismantle net neutrality will unfairly pad the bottom lines of Comcast and the rest of Big Cable, while undermining the public’s ability to freely communicate, organize, and innovate. Every few years, a threat so severe confronts the open internet that people, organizations and companies from across the political spectrum – including some of the largest online platforms – must band together in common cause to fight back. The FCC’s ongoing effort to roll back net neutrality protections represents just such a threat – and on the 12 July day of action, we’ll once again use the transformative power of the internet to defend the internet itself.”Security guards captured a Palestinian who entered the Turkish embassy in Israel on Tuesday trying to take hostages and demanding asylum, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Police officers outside the Turkish Embassy in Tel Aviv yesterday. Moti Milrod
The attacker, lightly wounded by gunfire in the legs, was still inside the building six hours after he broke in, with Israeli police and rescue services kept outside by Turkish embassy officials. Just before midnight, the man was released by the embassy officials and evacuated to a nearby hospital by ambulance.
"Our embassy guards neutralized the individual as he tried to take the vice consul as hostage after shouting around for asylum," the statement said, adding he was armed with a knife, a gasoline can and a gun that turned out to be a toy.
Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor identified the attacker as
Nadim Injaz, a Palestinian from the West Bank town of Ramallah. Israel Police officials said Injaz was recently released from prison after serving time for an attack on the British embassy four years ago.
Local media reported that Injaz had taken two hostages and had threatened "to kill any Jews" who entered. Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor confirmed Tuesday that the attacker had briefly held hostages.
Channel 2 played a recording of a phone call it said came from the attacker. "I have two hostages," he said in Hebrew. "I will blow up the embassy."
A lawyer told Israel Radio, however, that the hostages, the consul and his wife, had escaped.
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In his call to Channel 2, Injaz went on, "If they don't let me leave this country now I will burn down the whole building. I will burn everything. I will burn the cars, the doors I will break down the doors. I will break everything."
He said he was demanding asylum and protection from "these murderers the
Zionists, the murdering Jews." At the same time, he said that Palestinian leaders, including President Mahmoud Abbas, "should die."
Police and emergency medical personnel rushed to the scene, and helicopters could be heard circling overhead in the area. Yarkon Street, the main beachfront road where the embassy is located, has been closed off to traffic. Embassy staff reportedly barred police and medical personnel from entering the building.
Israeli security forces gathered outside the Turkish Embassy in Tel Aviv, following a shooting incident there on August 17, 2010 Moti Milrod
The police asked the Foreign Ministry for assistance in obtaining entry to the embassy, as it was unknown whether there were any other casualties.
The Foreign Ministry said that their calls to the Turkish embassy went unanswered and that the embassy staff was awaiting further instructions from Ankara, and holding the attacker in the meantime.
Relations between the once strong allies Turkey and Israel have been under considerable strain over the past 18 months, since Ankara leveled fierce criticism at Israel for a three-week military operation in the Gaza Strip which began in late December 2008.
Ties were put under further pressure in May, when Israel Defense Forces troops boarded a Turkish-owned boat that was part of a flotilla aiming to break the Israeli blockade on the Gaza Strip. Nine Turkish nationals were killed in ensuing the clashes, sparking a furious reaction from Turkey.
Four years ago, Injaz barricaded himself inside the British embassy in Tel Aviv, claiming to be armed. He threatened to shoot himself in the head if he wasn't granted asylum in Britain.
A negotiations team spoke to the man and discovered that he had a criminal record, and had worked as an informant in the service of the Israel Police.
After a SWAT team subdued Injaz they discovered that he had been armed with a toy gun.ENGLAND – The Evangelical Lutheran Church of England (ELCE)’s theological institute, Westfield House, was granted its own Arms, Crest, and Badge in a special ceremony in Cambridge, April 22. In the United Kingdom, the right to grant heraldry is possessed by the monarchy, which in England exercises this right through the College of Arms.
“This was a very exciting occasion,” Cambridge News quoted Dr. Lumley, “as it marked the granting of our own Arms, Crest, and Badge, for which the development and application have been made possible by a generous grant from the Sukup Family Foundation in Iowa.” Dr. Lumley is scheduled to discuss the honour on BBC Radio Cambridgeshire the morning of April 27.
Civil leaders present for the ceremony were Her Majesty’s York Herald of Arms, Peter O’Donoghue; Lord Lieutenant of Cambridgeshire, Hugh Duberly; and Mayor Paul Saunders of Cambridge. Church leaders present included Westfield House’s Principal, Dr. Cynthia Lumley, the school’s Interim Preceptor, Rev. Dr. Joel Humann, and the ELCE’s Chairman, Rev. Jon Ehlers.
The arms and crest were designed by Rev. Dr. Jonathan Mumme, a Tutor at Westfield House, and Rev. David Jackson, an alumnus of Westfield and former ELCE pastor, now serving as a Lieutenant Chaplain the Royal Canadian Navy.
The crest features a rearing white horse, in reference to the White Horse Inn, a former Cambridge pub where the works of Martin Luther were read and discussed. The arms features a cross as its central motif; a book which alludes to Scripture, the Lutheran Confessions, and education in general; and a Luther rose. The motto is Fidelis et verax—Latin for “faithful and true.” Additional information on the meaning of the crest, arms, moto, and badge are available at the website of The Friends of Westfield House.
Westfield House was first inaugurated as a house of theological studies on February 22, 1962.
———————Fyrinnae’s liquid matte lipstick in Graffiti sort of rocked my world. It filled a matte-shimmer blue liquid lipstick shaped hole in my heart that I didn’t previously know was there. So naturally, bit by bit, I ordered most of the rest of the range - I’m a sucker for a matte, and the colours were gorgeous. Vixen and Desire are comfortably poised in my collection, and today my final of that series of packages arrived. Let’s look!
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From l-r: Queer Theory (lip lustre), Naughty & Nice (matte), Sinister (matte), Ominous (lip lustre)
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I’m super thrilled that the sample included was a lip lustre rather than a shadow! I’m loving fyrinnae’s shadows, but I’m a lip product junkie at heart.
Advance apologies for poor quality swatches - my makeup is post-work gross makeup and it was starting to get dark.
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Queer Theory
Okay first of all the dinky little sample size of the lip lustres is ADORABLE and I want all of them on pure cuteness appeal.
Despite rave reviews and general curiosity, I hadn’t tried one of Fyrinnae’s famed lip lustres before. I’m generally a matte finish fan, so I was skeptical, but I’m super impressed. The thicker formula gives it a really nice feel on the lips, and the finish isn’t overly glossy or shiny but the pigment is there. I’m sure it won’t have amazing durability, but it doesn’t feel like it will slip off.
Sidebar: of all of the lip lustres, the two I was curious about were Ominous (grey!) and Queer Theory…mostly because the name is brilliant and I want everything in my life to be as queer as I am. The colour is lovelier than I was expecting - it sort of straddles the orangey coral red border. It also stains nicely. It’s a very summery looking lipstick so perfect for the current Sydney climate. And as it’s such an adorable, tiny little size, this may be a lip product that I (gasp) actually use up.
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Naughty & Nice
Wow, super sloppy application here.
I am a bit of a red lipstick fanatic, so I kind of had to get both of the red in this collection. This one is lighter - a brick red, while Vixen is a deeper darker slightly berry red - and it has a microshimmer (I find the ones with microshimmer have a slightly thicker consistency and spread more evenly on the lips - I like both with and without, but the ones like these are somewhat less finicky and don’t require as much care with thin coats and minimal product use). The microshimmer makes it a little different to others in my collection but it’s still in the typical circle of Sara colours (reds and blues, baby). This will for sure see a lot of use.
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Sinister
I was super excited for Sinister, given how much I love it’s sister colour Grafitti, and I am not disappointed [As a refresher, here’s what Grafitti looks like on me]. They’re different enough - for the blue lipstick enthusiast - to justify owning both - Sinister is lighter, more of an aqua rather than a blue. It catches the light beautifully - the microshimmer at work. It’s slightly thinner in consistency than Graffiti but thicker than Vixen and Desire, and easy to work with with great coverage.
I haven’t given these mattes a wear test but I have worn the others that I have and they aren’t the longest wearing liquid mattes but they’re decently transfer proof when dry (they won’t make it through your sloppy burger eating but they’ll stick around for canapes).
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Ominous
I think I was most excited for Ominous.
I’m having a major grey lipstick moment, and so far this is the shade of grey that’s been eluding me. I have slate blue greys (Insomnia Cosmetics’ Cult Insomnia, Melt’s Space Cake) and dark grey (Fierce Magenta’s Gravity) but no balanced mid toned greys and I was so excited for Ominous.and it’s lovely. I don’t know how long it will last on my lips but I don’t really care it’s gorgeous, and so opaque and creamy and comfy on the lips.
I know I don’t need any more lipsticks, but this line has got me tempted.
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Side note: I read Fyrinnae’s news page and they said that the liquid matte black is just the beginning - that they’re planning to expand the line but keep it to “off beat” colours which aren’t common in the liquid to matte formula and I am SO excited. I’ve always had great experiences with Fyrinnae and everything I’ve tried has been top quality, international shipping is super reasonable, and things get over super quickly all things considered. The future of this line signifies bad things for my wallet.Police record fivefold rise in Islamophobic attacks after arena bombing, with spike in London before Finsbury Park attack
Police in Manchester and London registered surges in anti-Muslim hate crime in the immediate aftermaths of the Manchester Arena bombing and the London Bridge attack.
The number of Islamophobic attacks in Manchester went up fivefold in the week after the concert bombing, with 139 incidents reported to Tell Mama, the group recording Islamophobic crimes, compared to 25 incidents the previous week.
Police chiefs said there had also been a short-term spike in London before this week’s Finsbury Park mosque attack – although precise data is not yet available.
Police forces around the country have stepped up protection for Muslim communities in the wake of the Finsbury Park attack, with the home secretary, Amber Rudd, pledging that the extra resource will remain in place “for as long as it is needed”.
In one case, Naveed Yasin, a trauma and orthopaedic surgeon who helped save the lives of people injured in the Manchester attack, was racially abused and labelled a “terrorist” on his way to work at Salford Royal hospital. Other incidents around the country included one involving a woman from Southampton whose veil was ripped from her head, and another involving a man struck with a glass bottle.
Assistant chief constable Mark Hamilton, of the National Police Chiefs’ Council, said both Manchester and the Met police had registered short-term spikes in hate crime. In Manchester, the volume had since returned to the levels seen before the bombing, but the picture in London is still unclear.
“We know that terrorist attacks and other national and global events have the potential to trigger short-term spikes of hate crime,” said Hamilton in a statement before the Finsbury Park attack. “For this reason we have increased the central reporting of hate crimes for police forces so that we can identify trends and assess threats.”
The NPCC are now collecting and monitoring weekly figures of hate crime levels from forces across England and Wales, as they did last summer in the aftermath of the EU referendum.
Rudd has said indicative figures suggest that more than half of those who experience hate because of their religion are Muslim. The limited data available appears to suggest an ever rising level of Islamophobic attacks.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Police officers stand guard outside Finsbury Park tube as protection for Muslim community is being raised after attack. Photograph: Leon Neal/Getty Images
The Met police say the volume of hate crime they record as Islamophobic attacks has increased sharply in the last four years. The force recorded 343 incidents in the 12 months to March 2013, 1,109 in the 12 months to March 2016 and 1,260 in the 12 months to this March.
The Met pointed out that the Finsbury Park attack was not the first act of terrorism against Muslim communities. In 2013 a Ukrainian neo-Nazi, Pavlo Lapshyn, murdered 82-year-old Mohammed Saleem and tried to bomb several West Midlands mosques in the hope of instigating a “race war”. A year later, a neo-Nazi named Ian Forman was jailed for 10 years after plotting to bomb mosques in Merseyside.
After Finsbury Park, Britain must tackle its preachers of anti-Muslim hate | Nesrine Malik Read more
The far-right leader Tommy Robinson has been accused of trying to exploit the Finsbury Park attack by referring to it as “a revenge attack”.
There is growing evidence of a rising trend in far-right activity in Britain.
Last December, National Action became the first far-right extremist group to be banned by the home secretary under counter-terrorist proscription legislation.
The latest Home Office figures for terror-related arrests showed that 113 white people were arrested in the 12 months to March 2017, compared with 68 the previous year – an increase of 66%. The Home Office statistics make no distinction between those involved in far-right groups or white Muslim converts.
The figures show 16% of terror-related arrests were for “domestic terrorism” as opposed to “international terrorism”, as Isis-related attacks are described.You can also access a "Street View" from this map where you can set a pop-up alert to notify you when a vehicle reaches a given stop.
Free User Accounts
Your Real-Time account gives you access to automated bus arrival notifications. Set up an account so you can manage email and text alerts.
Real-Time allows you to set up a personal account to receive bus notifications. You can select one or more bus stops to monitor. It is very easy to do; you just need to select a route, direction, bus stop, time span and day of the week you want the notifications sent to you. You will receive an email and/or text alert that contains bus arrival predictions at the stops and times you specified.
Attention Developers: Set up a Real-Time account so you can register for Real-Time Developer API.
A note about delays...
MCTS will not be able to predict accurate arrival times and may not be able to show the bus on our map if a bus goes off its regular route. Also, we will not be able to automatically predict when it will return to normal service.
If a bus is delayed due to an unusual event such as a detour, weather issue or equipment problem, the arrival predictions may remain the same or may increase for that bus. If a bus is unable to move for several minutes due to an unusual event (such as stopped by a freight train at a crossing), arrival estimates will switch from counting down minutes to a "DELAYED" notification. Once the bus begins to move again, arrival estimates will appear again. In the event that a bus stops transmitting data to our servers, it will not appear on this website, even though it is in service.U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers seized $1.9 million in marijuana hidden among produce Monday and arrested a 46-year-old Mexican woman Tuesday, who was accused of trying to smuggle $200,000 worth of methamphetamine through the Mariposa Port of Entry in Nogales, CBP said.
A 38-year-old man driving a tractor trailer with bell peppers aboard was referred for secondary inspection of the load Monday. CBP officers found 224 bundles of marijuana, weighing nearly 1,700 pounds, hidden in the shipment, CBP said.
Later on Monday, officers found more than 1 ton of marijuana hidden in a load of Persian limes being transported in a tractor trailer into the United States, CBP said.
The drugs in both cases were seized for processing and the two drivers were arrested and turned over to ICE's Homeland Security Investigations, CBP said.
On Tuesday, Officers working at the Mariposa Port directed a driver for secondary inspection of her vehicle after a canine unit was alerted to possible drugs, CBP said
Officers arrested the driver after 14 packages of methamphetamine, weighing more than 13 pounds, were found hidden in the vehicle's dashboard, CPB said.
The drugs, worth $205,000, and the vehicle were seized. The woman was arrested and turned over to ICE's Homeland Security Investigations, CBP said.
- 30 -How does Xiaomi do it? Feature-for-feature parity with market leaders, but at a fraction of the cost?
The Chinese manufacturer's products are, however, like the worst kind of teases. Showing you all the good stuff, but keeping you — if you live in the U.S. — at arm’s length, since the brand doesn't distribute many of its products here (though there are some). It’s a promise without fulfillment. Will the new Mi Drone be different?
SEE ALSO: You can now stream Facebook Live video from DJI drones
Surely, the drone is Xiaomi’s best trick yet. The lightweight, "prosumer" drone matches virtually all of the key features of its main competitor, the DJI Phantom 4. The Mi Drone can fly for almost a half an hour, lets you send it to a point in the distance with a tap on the screen, plan routes, circle subjects while keeping them in camera view, fly up to 2 kilometers (1.25 miles) away, shoot 4K video and return home with a slide of a button (and automatically when it gets low on power).
If Xiaomi can bring the Mi Drone to the U.S. it could transform the enthusiast drone market.
The list goes on. The Mi only stops short of Phantom’s capabilities when it comes to obstacle detection.
However, the difference in price is extreme. The Phantom 4 costs $1,399 while the Mi Drone (4K model) costs just $457. And the Mi will be available with a 1080p camera for an incredible $380. Both come with a remote control. Going by what Xiaomi has said, aside from obstacle detection, there’s very little difference between what DJI and Xiaomi are offering.
If Xiaomi can bring the Mi Drone to the U.S. it could transform the enthusiast drone market.
iThat is, of course, a big if.
Xiaomi is huge in China, but gained its notoriety in the U.S. by teasing us with high-quality, low-cost phones like the Mi 5, basically a Samsung Galaxy S7 doppelganger that sells for $305. Mashable product review guy Ray Wong loved the handset, calling it a “stellar Android smartphone for an unbeatable price.” It's still almost impossible to buy it in the U.S.
Branching out
It’s not entirely surprising that Xiaomi is now in the drone market. The company takes an unusual approach to products, identifying rising categories and fast-moving startups that can build new gadgets in those categories under Xiaomi’s guidance. Virtually all of the products are Internet-connected and plug into the larger Mi ecosystem.
During a live Mi Drone unboxing, Xiaomi International Marketing Head Hugo Barra explained why they built a drone. “Xiaomi exists as a company that loves to make awesome technology available to anyone. A drone is a good example of a product that is typically an expensive product for rich people.... We thought we could make the same kind of high-end tech with a lot of new features for an affordable price.”
Barra did an excellent job of walking thousands of live viewers through the new flier, even reveling a few things we didn’t already know, like the fact that it comes with propeller guards or that — more importantly — it can fold flat to fit in a backpack (the gimbal camera actually detaches to make this possible). These are features the DJI Phantom 4 drone actually can’t match.
Even so, Barra never talked about when it would be coming the U.S. market. He talked price but didn’t address availability.
Market adjuster
Like the Mi phones before it, Xiaomi’s Mi Drone can’t rock the drone world unless it becomes a true global product. Not that they won’t do well in China. A recent IDC report noted that Chinese consumers see drones “as a trendy and in vogue product.” The IDC is expecting 423k camera drones to ship in China in 2016, which is up 100k over last year.
Xiaomi, though, has bigger aspirations. It’s not clear what’s holding it back from the U.S. markets.
Perhaps its concerns that the similarities between its products and U.S.-based ones could lead to legal trouble. During the Mi Drone unboxing, I took note of how similar certain parts of it were to the DJI Phantom 4, but I also noticed big differences, like the construction of the gimbal that houses the drones’ 4K 12 MP camera.
When we raised the concern about IP infringement on a recent MashTalk, a Xiaomi spokesperson was quick to correct us:
Any smartphone player in the world today — and especially a company like ours that is operating internationally — must ensure two essential steps: systematically negotiate licenses to patents, and build a strong portfolio of our own patents for defensive purposes — we have already filed over 3,000 patents globally. We are doing exactly this; so intellectual property is not what is keeping us from the US market right now.
The U.S. is definitely on the radar. Our reasons for not selling our phones in the U.S. market currently are matters of simple business expedience.
Perhaps the holdup is price. Can Xiaomi maintain these low prices in the U.S. market while still making a profit? Certainly the costs of shipping have to increase and any tariffs would have to be passed onto the consumer. Would there be too much frustration if a Mi Drone sells in China for $460 and in the U.S. for $600? That’s still a fraction of what it costs to buy a DJI Phantom 4.
If Xiaomi does make it to the U.S. market, sales of a sub-$400 prosumer drone will be brisk. Even at steeper prices and lower capabilities, the FAA anticipated U.S. consumers buying at least a million drones in the latter part of 2015. And that could lead to a whole new set of issues. Just as with DJI's Phantom drones, these Mi Drones will all need an FAA drone registration number (cost $5). Some people will do the right thing and get it, others will not. Either way, our skies will suddenly be polluted with drones flown by brainless pilots. Which will probably lead to even further crackdowns on our drone flying fun.
Thanks a lot, Xiaomi.
BONUS: Xiaomi Mi 5 review
Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar coming out after the cabinet meeting at old secretariat in Patna on Wednesday. (PTI Photo)
Is there any politician in India who can challenge Prime Minister Narendra Modi? If we consider there is one, how can this happen? Historian Ramchandra Guha has a suggestion, or rather what he calls a “fantasy” solution, for this: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar as Congress President. In an interview to NDTV on Wednesday, Guha argued that Congress is a “party without a leader” and Kumar is a “leader without a party”. “If a friendly takeover of Congress party is organised by Nitish Kumar, then I think the opposition has a chance.”
Kumar is the leader of a small party Janata Dal (United) in Bihar, which cannot on its own challenge a national party like the BJP of Modi and Amit Shah. Kumar realises this and he has ruled himself out of the race to become opposition candidate to take on PM Modi in 2019 General elections. But Kumar is a respected leader across the country. Even Guha said, “Among Indian politicians, I have some respect for Nitish Kumar.” Consider for a few moment that the historian’s fantasy comes true and Kumar gets invited by the Congress top brass to take over the party. Who will be the happiest person then?
Modi and Shah have never shied away from sharing their vision of making India ‘Congress-mukt’. By ‘Congress-mukt’ they do not mean the total elimination of the Grand Old Party as it is simply impossible, considering the deep roots of the party across the country. Both Modi and Shah are no-nonsense politicians who always take measured steps. Even Guha said that with Modi and Shah “what you see is what you get.” So, do they talk nonsense when expressing their desire to see a ‘Congress-mukt Bharat’? No, they don’t. What they effectively mean is to see a “Gandhi family-mukt Bharat.” For Modi, Shah and the entire BJP hold the Gandhi family responsible for all the ills affecting the country — be it Kashmir or India’s unrealised potential in terms of development. They will have an instant reason to be happy if Nitish Kumar takes over the Congress.
Kumar as the leader of the opposition would be a win-win situation for Modi. Even after breaking all ties with the BJP, Kumar has not gone against all decisions of the Modi-led Centre in the last three years like other opposition parties, including Congress. Kumar has shown he doesn’t possess the herd mentality of opposing things for the sake of opposition. Even as the leader of the Congress, it is unlikely that Kumar would take on the Centre on every issue like the party under Sonia and Rahul Gandhi appears to be doing on a daily basis at present. This personality trait of Kumar may not go down well with the rank and file of the Congress.
Kumar is as shrewd as Modi or Shah. The Bihar CM is operating in a small state with a small party but has always shown his tendency to take right moves to remain popular and in power. Interestingly, both Kumar and Modi like to see things as they want, without compromise. So, in the contest of similar personalities, who will win? In a direct fight, even as the leader of the Congress, Kumar won’t match up to Modi’s popularity for the time being and that too in two years. Congress would still have to wait for years, find good causes to protest.
Both Modi and Kumar like to ban things. Even in opposing camps in New Delhi, they may find common issues to work together. One of them could be liquor ban across the country, which would sync with BJP’s apparent wish to impose a meat ban. Now, how many Congress old-timers would be happy seeing such chemistry of the opposites?
Lastly, Kumar may revive the Congress and also re-define the role of the opposition. If he does so, Modi may find in him the best ally. Indian politics doesn’t happen like this. So even Guha knows that this fantasy will never come true. “That’s not going to happen but as a Democrat that would be my fantasy,” the historian told NDTV.Warm season flows in Palikir Crater (inside Newton crater) on Mars. While there is intriguing but inconclusive evidence suggestive of extraterrestrial liquid water, it has so far eluded direct confirmation.
Extraterrestrial liquid water (from the Latin words: extra ["outside of, beyond"] and terrestris ["of or belonging to Earth"]) is water in its liquid state that naturally occurs outside Earth. It is a subject of wide interest because it is recognized as one of the key prerequisites for life as we know it and thus surmised as essential for extraterrestrial life.[1]
With oceanic water covering 71% of its surface, Earth is the only planet known to have stable bodies of liquid water on its surface,[2] and liquid water is essential to all known life forms on Earth. The presence of water on the surface of Earth is a product of its atmospheric pressure and a stable orbit in the Sun's circumstellar habitable zone, though the origin of Earth's water remains unknown.
The main methods currently used for confirmation are absorption spectroscopy and geochemistry. These techniques have proven effective for atmospheric water vapour and ice. However, using current methods of astronomical spectroscopy it is substantially more difficult to detect liquid water on terrestrial planets, especially in the case of subsurface water. Due to this, astronomers, astrobiologists and planetary scientists use habitable zone, gravitational and tidal theory, models of planetary differentiation and radiometry to determine potential for liquid water. Water observed in volcanic activity can provide more compelling indirect evidence, as can fluvial features and the presence of antifreeze agents, such as salts or ammonia.
Using such methods, many scientists infer that liquid water once covered large areas of Mars and Venus.[3][4] Water is thought to exist as liquid beneath the surface of some planetary bodies, similar to groundwater on Earth. Water vapour is sometimes considered conclusive evidence for the presence of liquid water, although atmospheric water vapour may be found to exist in many places where liquid water does not. Similar indirect evidence, however, supports the existence of liquids below the surface of several moons and dwarf planets elsewhere in the Solar System.[1] Some are speculated to be large extraterrestrial "oceans".[1] Liquid water is thought to be common in other planetary systems, despite the lack of conclusive evidence, and there is a growing list of extrasolar candidates for liquid water.
Liquid water in the Solar System [ edit ]
As of December 2015, the confirmed liquid water in the Solar System outside Earth is 25-50 times the volume of Earth's water (1.3 billion cubic kilometers).[5]
Mars [ edit ]
[6] The scene is about 500 meters wide. The scarp drops about 128 meters from the level ground in the upper third of the image A cross-section of Mars underground ice is exposed at the steep slope that appears bright blue in this enhanced-color view from the MRO The scene is about 500 meters wide. The scarp drops about 128 meters from the level ground in the upper third of the image
Water on Mars exists today almost exclusively as ice, with a small amount present in the atmosphere as vapour. Some liquid water may occur transiently on the Martian surface today but only under certain conditions.[7] No large standing bodies of liquid water exist because the atmospheric pressure at the surface averages just 600 pascals (0.087 psi)—about 0.6% of Earth's mean sea level pressure—and because the global average temperature is far too low (210 K (−63 °C)), leading to either rapid evaporation or freezing. Features called recurring slope lineae are thought to be caused by flows of brine — hydrated salts.[8][9][10]
In July 2018, scientists from the Italian Space Agency reported the detection of a subglacial lake on Mars, 1.5 kilometres (0.93 mi) below the southern polar ice cap, and spanning 20 kilometres (12 mi) horizontally, the first evidence for a stable body of liquid water on the planet.[11][12] Because the temperature at the base of the polar cap is estimated at 205 K (−68 °C; −91 °F), scientists assume that the water may remain liquid by the antifreeze effect of magnesium and calcium perchlorates.[11][13] The 1.5-kilometre (0.93 mi) ice layer covering the lake is composed of water ice with 10 to 20% admixed dust, and seasonally covered by a 1-metre (3 ft 3 in)-thick layer of CO 2 ice.[11]
Europa [ edit ]
Scientists' consensus is that a layer of liquid water exists beneath Europa's (moon of Jupiter) surface |
you learned about a monad and generalize it, you can often find a counterexample of a monad for which that thing is not true. There is an entire web page dedicated to listing a bunch of incorrect generalizations about monads. That page explains at length what monads are not. I am going to try and explain what monads are.
The best analogy I can think of is operator overloading in C++. People overload C++ operators to do everything from matrix multiplication to string concatenation to constructing a parser. Saying “monads are about side effects” would be like saying “operator overloading is about matrix multiplication,” which isn’t true in general: lots of overloaded operators have nothing to do with matrix multiplication.
Monads, like overloaded operators, also have some identities which you should follow. With overloaded operators you should make sure that x = x + y has the same effect as x += y, regardless of what the + operator actually does. The monad pattern has a similar set of rules that need to be followed for things to make sense and compose correctly.
The Monad Abstraction: bind (“and then”)
Let’s continue the analogy with overloading += in C++. In C++, x += y means “add y to x”, whatever “add” means in your context (numerical addition, matrix addition, string concatenation, etc). So what is the basic semantic of a monad?
The basic abstraction of a monad is “bind”, written x >>= f. Bind means, loosely, “and then f”. Basically a monad lets you keep adding functions to a chain of operations. But the monad gets to decide what “and then f” means for that monad. For this reason, monads are often called “programmable semicolons.” As a monad author, you get to put your own custom logic between each step of the sequence.
(Note for the pedantic: some people would interrupt me here and argue that Monads are not about ordering/sequencing. I would respectfully disagree. Just because a monad can be implemented to be commutative doesn’t take away from the fundamentally sequence-oriented nature of the abstraction. Later functions in the sequence have access to more value bindings than earlier functions. So from a pure data dependency perspective, a sequence is established in the abstraction, even if the functions do not literally need to be evaluated in sequence.)
How the Monad pattern works
We know now that monad is a pattern, and that the primary abstraction is bind (“and then”). Now we will look at how the pattern actually works.
The pattern is a bit tricky to wrap your head around, but I find it easiest to look at visually:
Starting from the top, we initially have a “monadic value.” A monadic value is an instance of the monad’s type, so it basically gets to contain whatever state the monad author wanted to put in it. I didn’t mention how you get the first monadic value, because that can vary based on the monad and how you’re using it. Right now I’m focusing on characteristics that apply to all monads.
The monad’s user calls bind() and passes two arguments: the monadic value and a function that will return a monadic value. Note that bind() is a function that was defined by the monad’s author and is specific to that monad. Indeed, bind() is the most interesting part of the monad! This is where the monad’s author gets to decide what “and then” means for this monad. In particular, note that bind() gets to decide how to call the passed-in function. It can call it once, many times, or not at all! All of these options are valid and used by at least one real monad implementation.
bind() needs to return a monadic value. And notice that the passed-in function also returns a monadic value! So one very common option is for bind() to evaluate the passed-in function and then use its return value as the return value for bind(). If bind() doesn’t evaluate the function at all, it will need to make something up for the returned monadic value. If it evaluates the function many times, it may merge their returned values into the output monadic value. There are many options for how to implement bind().
There’s one other important thing I haven’t mentioned yet. The passed-in function takes an argument. The bind() function gets to decide where this argument comes from and how to obtain it. This is again why a monad is called a “programmable semicolon.” The monad gets to make a bunch of really interesting decisions at every stage about how to evaluate each function of the sequence, and where its input data comes from. And it gets to carry along whatever data it wants to inside the monadic value. The monad can use this to propagate whatever extra state is desired.
The type of each function’s argument is a type parameter of the previous monadic value. If we annotate the previous diagram with type information, it will look more like this:
The most important monad: IO
Having established a lot of general information about monads, it seems about the right time to dive into a specific monad. And of all monads in Haskell, IO is the most important, since it is used to model all side effects. You come into contact with IO immediately when you write your first Haskell program, because Haskell’s main function is defined as returning the type IO ().
When we want to understand a new monad, there are two key questions we want to ask ourselves:
what does a monadic value represent in this monad? what semantic does bind() (“and then”) implement in this monad?
For the IO monad, a monadic value IO a (or IO<a> in C++ notation – a is a type parameter) represents a side-effectful action yielding a value of type a, but which has not been performed yet. And bind() implements the semantic “add this function to the action chain. If/when the function is evaluated, it will know that the operation has been performed and will receive the result (if any) of the operation. The function gets to return an IO value deciding what action should be performed next.”
So in Haskell, functions which look like they perform I/O, like putStrLn, don’t actually perform I/O but rather return a value representing the not-yet-performed operation.
-- putStrLn takes a string parameter and returns an unperformed I/O -- action representing printing of that string. The I/O action -- yields nothing (since we are printing, not getting input) or "()". putStrLn :: String -> IO ()
The I/O operation is not actually performed unless Haskell determines that the monadic IO value is required for something (remember that Haskell is lazy). The easiest way to do this is to return it from your main function, since Haskell will by definition perform any I/O returned from main. So the main function’s type IO () means “a possibly side-effectful action that doesn’t return/yield anything.” And indeed your main function should perform some kind of side-effect, otherwise the program is effectively a no-op and should be optimized to nothing! Returning a useful IO () action from main is how you make your program do something useful.
That is why this program prints “Hello, world!” (since the IO action is returned from main ):
main = putStrLn "Hello, world!"
But this program does nothing (because we don’t return the IO action from main ):
main = let action = putStrLn "Hello, world!" in return ()
The next example also does nothing, because even though we bind the IO value to an action, the monadic value returned from bind() operation is never required, because we don’t return it from main :
main = let action = putStrLn "Hello, world!" >>= \ x -> return () in return ()
What does it look like to have a two stage operation, a read followed by a write? Let’s use getLine which has this type:
-- getLine takes no parameters and returns an I/O action yielding a string. getLine :: IO String
We’ll need to use bind() to sequence two actions together, and to get the value of the first operation for use in the second. Our two-stage pipeline looks like this:
main = getLine >>= \ x -> putStrLn ( "You typed: " ++ x )
This example clearly illustrates using bind() (ie. >>= ) to sequence two IO actions together! This is the fundamental idea of the IO monad. Monadic values represent unperformed I/O operations. And bind() will add a function to the chain, such that it will get the result of the previous I/O operation and select the next operation to be performed. But no operation in the chain will be performed unless it is ultimately part of the I/O action returned by main.
Chaining multiple operations / “do” notation
Let’s take our previous example one step farther and have three IO operations in a row, where the third one wants to use the values from both of the first two:
-- Doesn't work -- "x" isn't in scope in the last function. main = getLine >>= ( \ x -> getLine ) >>= ( \ y -> putStrLn ( "You typed: " ++ x ++ " and then " ++ y ))
This example fails to compile, because bind() only gives a function direct access to the result of the directly preceding I/O operation. However, this limitation is easy to work around by nesting the functions we’re binding:
main = getLine >>= \ x -> getLine >>= \ y -> putStrLn ( "You typed: " ++ x ++ " and then " ++ y )
This is a little bit mind-bending, but it works because the function on the right of a bind() call has the responsibility to return a monadic value, which bind() itself does. So with this pattern, we’re using the pattern in a right-associative way instead of left-associative. In other words, if you’ll allow me to briefly regress into Python-like function notation, instead of saying:
bind ( bind ( getLine, lambda x : getLine ), lambda y : putStrLn )
We’re now saying:
bind ( getLine, lambda x : bind ( getLine, lambda y : putStrLn ))
The major advantage of the second form is that later pipeline stages have access to all previous bindings (ie. both x and y ), not just the directly preceding one.
As a result, the second form is, functionally speaking, pretty much strictly superior to the first. However it has a drawback from a convenience perspective, which is that each stage creates an extra level of function nesting. If you indent this properly, functions with many stages will start flowing off the right edge of your screen. Because this pattern is so popular, Haskell includes a convenience notation for this function nesting:
main = do x <- getLine y <- getLine putStrLn ( "You typed: " ++ x ++ " and then " ++ y )
Just like our manually written-out version, both the x and y bindings are available in later stages of the sequence.
To properly represent this new variation, we should update our previous diagram. The diagram gets a little more crazy with all the nesting, but the key point to notice is that since the second function is nested inside the first, it has access to the first function’s argument / variable binding.
The Maybe monad and “return”
Let’s look at a different monad to diversify our understanding a bit. Maybe is probably the simplest monad that is actually useful, but is also different from IO in some important ways. Maybe doesn’t have anything to do with side-effects: it is completely pure.
I said before that the two important questions to ask when encountering a new monad are: (1) what does a monadic value represent, and (2) what semantic does bind() implement?
For Maybe the answers to these questions are extremely simple. A monadic value Maybe a represents either a value of type a or Nothing, the lack of any value:
data Maybe t = Just t | Nothing
And bind() implements the semantic: “if there is a value, evaluate the function (with that value), otherwise don’t evaluate the function at all.”
So when you chain a bunch of functions together with the Maybe monad, it will evaluate all of them in sequence until one of them returns Nothing. If any function in the sequence returns Nothing then the subsequent functions won’t be evaluated at all and the chain will return Nothing.
But how do you get the whole thing started? With the IO monad, we were obtaining IO values from I/O library functions like getLine. In the case of Maybe though, we want to provide our own value to start the process. For this we could construct such a value by using the Just constructor directly:
getMonadicValue x = Just x
But as a general rule, monads are required to provide a standard function called return that does just this. The job of return (in any monad) is to construct a monadic value out of a plain value. The implementation details of a monadic value are not public, but the return function is a public interface for building a trivial monadic value that simply wraps the given value.
It’s a little weird that the function is called return when you can use it to start a monadic pipeline. But it makes more sense when you realize that the function is also useful for returning a monadic value from a function, for example:
add :: Maybe Int -> Maybe Int -> Maybe Int add mx my = do x <- mx y <- my return ( x + y )
The monadic laws (which I won’t get into in this article) guarantee that return doesn’t do anything too fancy, but just wraps the value and yields it unchanged to the next function in the sequence.
ConclusionBurglars smashed their way into the home of New York Giants player Nikita Whitlock on Tuesday night, then covered it with hateful graffiti and expletives.
The intruders scrawled racist slurs and phrases like “Go back to Africa” and “KKK” on the walls of the New Jersey apartment Whitlock shares with his wife and two children. Graffiti on one wall reads “Trump.”
Whitlock told CBS New York he had to cover up a swastika so his 6-year-old son wouldn’t see it.
“Racism is real and instead of close to home this time they came inside,” Whitlock wrote in an Instagram post that shows some of the slurs. “My family is safe but we are saddened by the hate. Thanks to the Moonachie Police Department for all of your help!”
Oppression, racism, hatred, violence, there’s no need for that. NFL fullback Nikita Whitlock
The robbers also made off with some jewelry and electronics, but curiously left other valuables behind, the fullback’s wife, Ashley Whitlock, noted.
This is the second time someone has broken into the family’s home in the last couple of weeks, and police are investigating both incidents. Whitlock’s agent told ESPN that their previous residence had also been burglarized.Big Oil is investing billions to gain foothold in clean energy
Giant wind turbines dot the sky at dawn near Honrrubia, central Spain, in this February 11, 2004 file photo. Europeans celebrate European Wind Day on June 15, 2007 to raise awareness of the power, popularity and effectiveness of wind energy right across Europe. Spain is the world's second-largest producer of wind power after Germany. REUTERS/Sergio Perez/Files (SPAIN) less Giant wind turbines dot the sky at dawn near Honrrubia, central Spain, in this February 11, 2004 file photo. Europeans celebrate European Wind Day on June 15, 2007 to raise awareness of the power, popularity... more Photo: SERGIO PEREZ Photo: SERGIO PEREZ Image 1 of / 4 Caption Close Big Oil is investing billions to gain foothold in clean energy 1 / 4 Back to Gallery
The world’s biggest oil companies are closing more clean energy deals as pressure to diversify their businesses mounts and growth accelerates among green technologies.
Oil majors more than doubled the number of acquisitions, project investments and venture capital stakes, to 44 in 2016 from 21 the year before, according to research published Tuesday by Bloomberg New Energy Finance. In the last 15 years, they’ve completed 428 transactions and spent $6.2 billion building stakes in clean energy companies.
RELATED: Is Houston missing the next energy wave?
“This reflects their underpinning strategy to test out new ideas and businesses,” said Richard Chatterton, one of the London-based analysts that authored the report. “The international oil companies are identifying opportunities and building expertise, and when a commercial opportunity becomes clear, they will invest at scale.”
To be sure, the sums expended on clean energy still represent a fraction of the money invested in crude every year, showing that the oil majors are still very much focused on their core business. Royal Dutch Shell Plc, for example, budgeted $25 billion this year for capital expenditures.
Some of the investments by oil majors in projects and startups isn’t disclosed, according to BNEF, which estimates that the clean energy industry attracted almost $290 billion in 2016.
RELATED: World of worry for oil companies
Solar energy generated the largest number of projects backed by oil companies. Wind created the second-highest volume of deals, with offshore wind investments beginning to catch up with windmills stationed on land. Oil companies have been looking to leverage their know-how in extracting fossil fuels from seabeds to install turbines in similarly harsh climates.
Wind projects offshore also tend to be some of the largest-scale and riskiest in the renewable energy industry, leading to higher profitability. Shell has a stake in the Borssele III and IV wind projects in the Dutch North Sea and Statoil ASA developed the world’s first floating wind farm off the coast of northern Scotland.
RELATED: Gulf Coast wind farms become vital to energy mix
Interest in biofuels is on the decline, the data showed. It peaked when oil prices were high, fueling motivation to find alternatives. After the oil price crash that began in the middle of 2014, investment has flowed out of the sector. Deal count was zero in 2017.
Total SA has concluded the highest number of acquisitions and joint ventures with clean energy companies, buoyed by its purchases of a majority stake in SunPower Corp. in 2011 and battery maker Saft Groupe SA last year. Europe’s second-largest oil and gas producer is also active in the venture capital space, with a focus on companies in the U.S.
Oil majors’ venture capital deals have been shifting toward power storage and digital technologies. Advanced mobility may also be emerging, as companies seek to evolve as more transportation eschews gas for electricity. Shell recently bought NewMotion, an electric vehicle charging point network.MANCHESTER, N.H. (CBS/AP) — New Hampshire Sen. Kelly Ayotte says she is dropping her support for Donald Trump and plans to write in vice presidential running mate Mike Pence’s name for president.
Ayotte says in statement, “I’m a mom and an American first, and I cannot and will not support a candidate for president who brags about degrading and assaulting women. I will not be voting for Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton and instead will be writing in Governor Pence for president on Election Day.”
Her comments refer to a recording made public Friday that features Trump making lewd and sexually charged comments about women in 2005.
I will not vote for Donald Trump. Read my statement here: pic.twitter.com/F8zajgDZpg — Kelly Ayotte (@KellyAyotte) October 8, 2016
Her statement comes after months of saying she would vote for Trump but not endorse him.
Ayotte’s re-election contest against Democratic Gov. Maggie Hassan is one of the closest in the nation. Hassan and will hold a press conference later Saturday to address Trump’s and Ayotte’s comments alongside several female Democratic senators.
The release of Trump’s remarks may cost other Republican votes.
“This is bad, particularly when you consider the degree to which undecided voters are women and men who love women and have daughters,” WBZ political analyst Jon Keller said. “Many of them would be turned off by this as well.”
Trump said Saturday he will not quit the race.
TM and © Copyright 2016 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2016 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.Bethesda have just announced that the Skyrim mod tools, the Creation Kit, will let players upload their mods to Steam's Workshop service. That's a slick, Valve-hosted database of user-made content that's already being used for Team Fortress 2 models.
Players will be able to choose the mods they want on the Steam Workshops website, even via mobile devices, and they'll be downloaded and installed automatically the next time you play. More details and the release date below.
If it works as planned, this will be a huge leap forwards for the accessibility modding, and a strong gesture of support from both Bethesda and Valve. More to the point, it's just going to be really easy and slick to try out the vast selection of amazing stuff Elder Scrolls fans always create.
The normal methods of acquiring and installing mods, via places like TES Nexus, will still work.
The Creation Kit will be out in January, and will apparently be even more versatile than Oblivion's tools, letting players mess with Radiant Story.
You can read a bit more about what Bethesda are working on, Skyrim-wise, over on the Bethesda Blog.view:
topics flat nest GENERAL_ZOD
join:2015-03-26 GENERAL_ZOD Member still wont sign up still wont sign up. they used to have new movie every Friday night something like that till then I wont sign up I want new movies. Justin024
join:2010-08-11
Atlanta, GA Justin024 Member For me it's worth it It makes sense to sub to HBO from time to time w/o having to worry about calling AT&T to cancel. Right now I'm broadband only w/ Netflix. I use my PS4 and Apple TV box.
However I am thinking about Playstation Vue when it becomes available later this summer in Atlanta. While it is $50 I can come and go as I please plus it has a lot of the channels I'm looking for.
SmilingBob
join:2013-09-23
League City, TX SmilingBob Member Like the idea, but... Won't sign up at $15/mo, which is pretty close to what we pay monthly for Netflix + Amazon Prime Video. Since Amazon Prime has a good deal of the HBO programming from yester-years, the only compelling reason to watch HBO for us is GoT. If HBO Now came down to below $10/month as an add-on bundle with SlingTV? Maybe.
HereToHelp2
@charter.com HereToHelp2 Anon Re: Like the idea, but... Not going to happen. Um Real Time, Last Week Tonight, there are other shows on HBO also. new movies every month. HBO is not pricing this service low than cable. They still need cable and they aren't going to tick them off that much. Netflix is going to have to raise prices again soon. They can't sustain their service at $9 a month. Sling gives you 3 HBO streams. Find someone to give you $5 a month for one of those streams.
SmilingBob
join:2013-09-23
League City, TX SmilingBob Member Re: Like the idea, but... I didn't realize Sling gives 3 HBO streams, so I guess there is some value there since SlingTV is a single stream at a time normally. Most other shows do not interest us in the least, but GoT is a favorite. We can watch a good portion of the HBO offerings on Prime Video, as I mentioned. Can't really justify another service just for one show, but I guess one could subscribe for a month after the GoT season is over and binge watch it and then cancel until next season. Thanks for the info.
twiZZle9912
@cox.net twiZZle9912 to SmilingBob
Anon to SmilingBob
HBO go (no sling) is a much better deal, the sling version you don't get as much - and you can watch it on a few of your devices too, so right now just on Apple TV or iphone/ipad but still for the same price you get much more on-demand selection than the sling version, plus it's a free trial on apple (for now)
climardo
@verizon.net climardo Anon I wish I was a cord cutter Please note, there is some bias in this post since I am a Verizon FiOS subscriber with HBO and Netflix access, but read on for my thoughts: MLB makes it impossible for me to be a cord cutter without moving or somehow spoofing my location. Also, having a fiance who watches reality TV and other mindless garbage makes it more difficult. And add to that an employee discount for Verizon FiOS that includes every channel (minus some premium sports channels, but including Red Zone) with Internet and phone (who cares) for $79/month (it may be $89, not sure). Not really interested in cutting the cord yet.
With all of the different offerings made available by companies like Netflix, HBO, Amazon and Hulu, one could easily cut the cord nowadays. But thinking about it, for $65/month for 50/50 Fios Internet (you could possibly get something cheaper elsewhere), Netflix $9/month (min. 2 TVs @once), Amazon $8/month, Hulu $8/month, and HBO for $15/month you're paying close to $100/month without even adding sports which are a pain due to the blackout restrictions.
With all that said, I'm sure some of those services overlap in content and you wouldn't necessarily get all of them. And I certainly appreciate not having to pay ridiculous operator, government and other miscellaneous fees that cable providers slip into your bill. AND set top box rental fees... get out of here with those. Let me buy my boxes up front, charge me an upgrade fee if your new features or better service requires new equipment, but don't keep charging me a rental fee for over 2 years when I have likely paid the actual cost of these set top boxes and more. I know I could buy boxes from TiVo but I don't want to pay someone else monthly fees for recording stuff on my own equipment.
Everything about cable is wrong for 2015, but they got me... and I'll keep paying until it doesn't make sense. And when that happens, I will be so glad that Netflix and HBO Now exist. I can't wait for Silicon Valley! As long as Netflix and HBO are committed to creating great content, offer that content using modern delivery methods and charge reasonable,competitive prices, then I'm happy and I think consumers in general will be happy.
Getting to the topic of the original post: does HBO offer a better service and content than Netflix? That question is based on HBO charging more for their service than Netflix. Answer: Yes. HBO has been creating original content for a long time now. Netflix is just getting started, so there may come a day when the tide changes, but not today. Service-wise: we have yet to see if people will start complaining about slow HBO streams, but based on HBO GO having been around for some time now, I don't think that is the case. And HBO Now doesn't have a limit on number of simultaneous streams. I wish HBO was independently owned. Being backed by Time Warner is the only thing that makes me dislike HBO, as a company. But again, competition is usually good for the consumer. Fingers crossed nobody is merging or buying out anyone else.
MalibuMaxx
Premium Member
join:2007-02-06
Chesterton, IN MalibuMaxx Premium Member Re: I wish I was a cord cutter OTA...
Brian_M
join:2004-06-19
Manchester, GA Brian_M Member Re: I wish I was a cord cutter... isn't a viable option in a LOT of places.
Anon
@megapath.net 2 recommendations Anon Anon Re: I wish I was a cord cutter Except it is for like 95%+ of the population
maartena
Elmo
Premium Member
join:2002-05-10
Orange, CA ·AT&T FTTP
(Software) pfSense
maartena to climardo
Premium Member to climardo
said by climardo : Please note, there is some bias in this post since I am a Verizon FiOS subscriber with HBO and Netflix access, but read on for my thoughts: MLB makes it impossible for me to be a cord cutter without moving or somehow spoofing my location. Also, having a fiance who watches reality TV and other mindless garbage makes it more difficult.
I'm happy MY wife was on board immediately. She is the one with the Amazon Prime account, and thats how she watches all her stuff. The only reality stuff we both watch is The Voice, which I record from OTA. A SmartDNS (such as the one from UNblock.US) will solve that. Just put it in your router, and enjoy the full speed of you connection watching mlb.tv - $5 a month, but a whole lot cheaper then cable/fios, even with the costs of MLB.tv, plus it gives you access to a lot of foreign content such as the BBC,The truth comes out. She wears the pants in the relationship. Yeah, cord cutting isn't for you. the (future) wife always wins.I'm happy MY wife was on board immediately. She is the one with the Amazon Prime account, and thats how she watches all her stuff. The only reality stuff we both watch is The Voice, which I record from OTA. gutch
join:2003-01-16
USA gutch Member cheaper than cable company i only signed up because my cable provider charges $20/month
n2jtx
join:2001-01-13
Glen Head, NY n2jtx Member My Perspective The big question is whether or not HBO will have to budge on that $15 price point, or whether Netflix will simply raise prices to meet HBO. I'll take "Netflix will raise its prices to meet HBO" for $500 Alex!
They already have a price increase in the pipeline (I am grandfathered at the $7.99 level for another year or so) but they can simply raise the $9.99 tier now and hit everyone else when the grandfather period ends. I'll take "Netflix will raise its prices to meet HBO" for $500 Alex!They already have a price increase in the pipeline (I am grandfathered at the $7.99 level for another year or so) but they can simply raise the $9.99 tier now and hit everyone else when the grandfather period ends.
aaronwt
Premium Member
join:2004-11-07
Woodbridge, VA 421.7 915.0
Asus RT-N56U
Asus RT-ACRH13
Asus RT-N65
aaronwt Premium Member Re: My Perspective said by n2jtx: The big question is whether or not HBO will have to budge on that $15 price point, or whether Netflix will simply raise prices to meet HBO. I'll take "Netflix will raise its prices to meet HBO" for $500 Alex!
They already have a price increase in the pipeline (I am grandfathered at the $7.99 level for another year or so) but they can simply raise the $9.99 tier now and hit everyone else when the grandfather period ends. I'll take "Netflix will raise its prices to meet HBO" for $500 Alex!They already have a price increase in the pipeline (I am grandfathered at the $7.99 level for another year or so) but they can simply raise the $9.99 tier now and hit everyone else when the grandfather period ends.
I have no plans to drop my Netflix disc account anytime. I've had it for over sixteen years now. I've noticed recently a note on my Netflix streaming account. It says "Your plan price is guaranteed so long as you stay a member." I've had the 4 stream plan for $7.99 a month for a long time now. This comment implies that I can keep the $7.99 a month price for the 4 stream plan indefinitely. I know at one point it said I was grandfathered into the price. So I have no idea what this new thing is about.I have no plans to drop my Netflix disc account anytime. I've had it for over sixteen years now.
TOPDAWG
Premium Member
join:2005-04-27
Calgary, AB TOPDAWG Premium Member Re: My Perspective
»www.ibtimes.com/netflix- ··· -1704345
According to Netflix, the latest price increase will not immediately affect existing subscribers -- already paying for 4K content -- as they will be "grandfathered" into the older $7.99 a month plan until Aug. 12, 2016, HD Guru reported, adding that the new 4K plan allows up to four devices to stream content simultaneously.
Once they rise the price I'm doing account sharing for the 4 streams as I myself will only ever ran one. you only get to keep that steaming 4 plan to some date I forgot what netflix said think it was like 2016 or 2017 or something. ok find it.According to Netflix, the latest price increase will not immediately affect existing subscribers -- already paying for 4K content -- as they will be "grandfathered" into the older $7.99 a month plan until Aug. 12, 2016, HD Guru reported, adding that the new 4K plan allows up to four devices to stream content simultaneously.Once they rise the price I'm doing account sharing for the 4 streams as I myself will only ever ran one. biochemistry
Premium Member
join:2003-05-09
92361 biochemistry to n2jtx
Premium Member to n2jtx
Why increase the price when it gives Netflix such a competitive advantage to be significantly cheaper? brianiscool
join:2000-08-16
Tampa, FL brianiscool Member HBO I want the old HBO! Where they would get the movie before it hit stands.
dks7
join:2004-05-31
Omak, WA dks7 Member Wars Wars and rumors of wars, why is everyone so hell bent on using the word war. So many tv shows with that in its title. Competition perhaps, but you can catch more flies with honey, provide a good product, good shows, good delivery, cater to your customers, and you shall be rewarded, be shrewd and greedy and you will die, slowly, but die non the less. qworster
join:2001-11-25
Bryn Mawr, PA qworster Member Fifteen dollars to use MY bandwidth? No thanks! Make it ten and perhaps we can talk. your comment..Nucleus and Cartoon Network are proud to present a book signing / concert event in celebration of the Art of Over the Garden Wall, a new art book based on the mini-series. Be the first to get the book as we debut this on the night of the event!
Join creator Patrick McHale and various musical talents for this special one day event.
BOOK SIGNING (2pm - 4pm) FREE
Book signing with creator Patrick McHale (Up to MAX 200 people, no ticket required, first come first serve!)
Limited to 2 signing items per person. At least ONE item must be purchased from our store.
FREE admission, open to the public
LIVE CONCERT (7pm - 9pm)
Limited to only 120 tickets
Vip seats $50
General Admission $30
Tickets limited to 2 per purchase, all sales are FINAL
Live Music by: The Blasting Company, Frank Fairfield, Janet KleinThe Legion of Christ (AFP)
Americans United for Separation of Church and State are claiming that the small town of Ave Maria, Florida instituted an “undemocratic form of government dominated by one man’s interpretation of religious doctrine.”
That man would be Domino’s Pizza founder, and former Detroit Tigers co-owner, Tom Monaghan, who took the advice of billionaires Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett to give away half of his $485 million fortune before he dies.
When he sold Domino’s Pizza to Mitt Romney’s Bain Capital in 1998, he used $300 million to open the town’s two schools — one, Ave Maria University, the other a law school whose curriculum was designed with “significant input” from conservative Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia.
“The most important thing I could do with the resources I had been blessed with was to help build quality, faithful Catholic education,” he told Ann Arbor News at the time. “To have a more global impact, I need to focus on higher education to train the teachers, the principals, the future Catholic university and seminary professors.”
Once the schools were established, Monaghan set out to create a “Catholic enclave,” in which cable providers are prohibited from carrying pornographic channels and the sale of all contraception is forbidden.
“There is not going to be any pornographic television in Ave Maria Town,” he told the Wall Street Journal. “If you go to the drug store and you want to buy the pill or the condoms or contraception, you won’t be able to get that in Ave Maria Town.”
The executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union’s Florida division, Howard Simon, told Truthout that the contraceptive ban was “the sticking point.”
“We want to respect people’s choices,” he said. “But when government gives authority to religious groups to govern in accordance with religious rules, it goes too far and violates the Constitution.”
Sarah Jones of Americans United agreed, noting that “Ave Maria is now nothing more than a vanity project for a fundamentalist magnate. But real people live there, and they’re entitled to constitutional rights.”
“Monaghan’s millions can’t buy him the power to override the First Amendment,” she added. “It is flatly illegal to legislate based on religious dogma.”Hinting at how close Canada has come to providing lethal aid to Ukraine in its war against Russian-backed separatists, Defence Minister Jason Kenney said Thursday that he recently ordered a military inventory to determine what weapons Canada could send to the Ukrainian army, if it chose to do so.
The answer that came back was: not much.
Until now, the official reason Canada has hesitated to arm Kiev has been concern that such a move could inflame the conflict in the east of the country. Mr. Kenney revealed that another hurdle is the Canadian military doesn't have appropriate weapons to give.
Story continues below advertisement
"We do not have surplus military kit sitting around in our storehouses that we can ship over to Ukraine. I actually had our military do an inventory of possible equipment, just to prepare for all eventualities. The conclusion is we just don't have useful, operable equipment that we could send," |
his fate is never revealed.
King Harkinan is the ruler of Hyrule and father to Zelda in the animated series, the Nintendo Comics System, and the CD-i games. In Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon, Zelda must rescue him from Ganon after he is betrayed by his cousin, Duke Onkled.
King Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule, better known as the King of Red Lions, is the last king of Hyrule in The Wind Waker. He remained in Hyrule when the gods flooded the kingdom long before the game, and his spirit animates Link's sailboat.
In The Minish Cap, the current ruler, King Daltus, is a major character during the game, and his ancestor King Gustaf appears to help Link enter the fifth dungeon.
In Breath of the Wild, the deceased spirit of King Rhoam Bosphoramus Hyrule poses as an elderly wanderer to aid Link in his quest to save his daughter. He was killed one-hundred years before the game's events by Calamity Ganon. Flashbacks reveal that the King was harsh towards Zelda in completing her training to combat Calamity Ganon and scolded her for spending time researching the Guardians. He planned to apologize to her for his behavior but was killed before he got the chance. He is voiced by Bill Rogers.
King of Red Lions [ edit ]
The King of Red Lions is Link's talking boat in The Wind Waker. It is eventually revealed that the boat is magically animated by the spirit of King Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule, the last King of Hyrule before the gods flooded the kingdom. As the King of Red Lions, he is a red sailboat with an expressive dragon-like figurehead, and carries Link across the Great Sea. He rescues Link when he is cast out to sea by Ganon, and then guides him to various islands to acquire the power needed to defeat the enemy. Ultimately he reveals his true identity to Link and Tetra before taking Link to find the Triforce of Courage. At the end of the game, he thwarts Ganon by surreptitiously using the united Triforce's wish to ask that old Hyrule is finally washed away and that Link and Tetra have hope for their own future. After Link and Tetra defeat Ganon, the King remains as Hyrule is inundated.
King Daphnes appears as a playable character in Hyrule Warriors Legends, with the ability to transform into the King of Red Lions in battle.
Linebeck [ edit ]
Linebeck first appears in Phantom Hourglass as one of the main characters who helps Link save the World of the Ocean King from Bellum. He provides transport for Link in his ship, the S. S. Linebeck, and is greedy and self-centered. For the first half of the game, his goal is to obtain the Ghost Ship's treasure. After the Ghost Ship's treasure is revealed to be merely a rumor devised by Bellum to attract people it, Oshus, revealed as the Ocean King, promises Linebeck one wish if he continues to sail Link across the oceans. This is to be granted after Bellum is defeated. In the endgame, showing a rare burst of courage, Linebeck saves Link and Tetra from Bellum by stabbing him. Bellum, enraged, then possesses Linebeck. After Bellum is defeated by Link once again, he finally dies, and Linebeck is freed. Linebeck has been considerably humbled at this point, however, when the now-restored Ocean King asks him what his wish will be, Linebeck first questions whether he even has to make a wish, then decides that he merely wants to have his ship back (it was destroyed by Bellum just before he possessed Linebeck), rather than asking for some great treasure. After Link and Tetra are returned to their world, Link looks off into the distance, where Linebeck's ship can be seen sailing away.
In Spirit Tracks, Linebeck's grandson, Linebeck III, runs Linebeck Trading at the Trading Outpost in New Hyrule. Linebeck III hires a bridgemaker to build a bridge for Link, in exchange for a precious ring he retrieves from the resting place of the original Linebeck.
Lana [ edit ]
Lana is a supporting character in Hyrule Warriors. The light counterpart of the dark sorceress Cia, Lana manifested when Ganondorf twisted Cia's feelings for Link into an obsession for conquest. Fleeing into the Faron Woods, Lana created a resistance to fight Cia's growing power. After meeting with Link, Lana pledges to aid and protect him in any way, in part due to her own feelings for him.
Lana fights with a book of magic that controls lightning and has other weapons such as a Deku Spear infused with water magic and a special Summoning Gate that summons various monsters to fight. Even in battle, she maintains a happy and cheery personality and is very energetic.
Linkle [ edit ]
Linkle is a playable character in Hyrule Warriors and its updated version Hyrule Warriors Legends. A young farmgirl who raises Cuccos in a local village, Linkle believes she is the reincarnated hero, encouraged by her grandmother's stories and the compass she inherited from her. When Cia's forces invade Hyrule, Linkle takes it as a sign that her destiny has come and sets out for Hyrule Castle. Due to her poor sense of direction, Linkle repeatedly loses her way and is drawn into multiple battles where she fights alongside various characters. In battle, Linkle's default weapon is a pair of miniature crossbows; she can also obtain a pair of magical boots to grant her a variety of powerful kicking and dashing attacks.
Midna [ edit ]
Midna (ミドナ, Midona) is one of the main characters in The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. She is an imp-like creature and the princess of the Twili race who serves as Link's companion, much like Navi in Ocarina of Time. Initially Midna shows contempt for Link and uses him to further her own goals; however, she grows to like him and continues to help him on his quest. Midna is shown to be a kind-hearted character, even though she was born in the Twilight Realm. She is the counterpart to Link's battles as a wolf in the Realm of Twilight. Midna returns in Hyrule Warriors as a playable character in both her imp and Twili forms.
Navi [ edit ]
Navi (ナビィ, Nabī) is a fairy who is Link's "navigator" throughout The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. The Great Deku Tree in Kokiri Forest instructed Navi to assist Link in his quest to stop Ganondorf. All Kokiri have companion fairies, but because Link is actually a Hylian, he does not receive one until Navi joins him near the beginning of Ocarina of Time. In gameplay, Navi functions primarily as a guide that points out clues in the environment and helps the player learn the controls and advance in the game. Most of her hints are about how to progress in the story or defeat enemies. She can also be used to lock onto enemies, items and other characters in the game. She is one of the few characters with any voice-acting in the series, and one of the few characters who uses English words, such as "Hey", "Look", "Listen", "Watch out", and "Hello". Navi leaves Link at the end of the game after he puts the Master Sword back in the Pedestal of Time. In The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, Link sets out to search for a "beloved and invaluable friend," which leads him into the land of Termina. It is strongly implied this friend is Navi.
GamesRadar editor Mikel Reparaz ranked Navi as the most irritating female character, writing that she would have been bearable if she did not interrupt the game constantly with "Hey!" and "Listen!". Fellow GamesRadar editor Tom Goulter listed her as the second most annoying sidekick ever.[5]
Old Man [ edit ]
The Old Man is a character in multiple titles in the series, notably the original Legend of Zelda. He is a bald man with a red robe and white beard. Link can usually find him inside dungeons or caves standing between two torches. The Old Man has several functions, commonly giving Link items or advice. He is known for his vague advice, such as "DODONGO DISLIKES SMOKE", some of which was corrected in later releases of the game. He appears later in The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons (2001) and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (2017). In Breath of the Wild he is revealed to be the deceased King of Hyrule.
IGN ranked him number five on its list of the Top 20 Weirdest Zelda Characters.[6] His expression, "IT'S DANGEROUS TO GO ALONE! TAKE THIS" from The Legend of Zelda is a popular Internet meme that has been included in a list of the most repeated video games quotes compiled by GamesRadar.[7]
Ravio [ edit ]
Ravio is a mysterious merchant and supporting character in The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds. After Link fails to stop Yuga from abducting Seres from the sanctuary, Ravio saves him and brings him back to his house. After Link awakens, he grants Ravio permission to stay in his house. Ravio sets up his shop and gives Link his bracelet, which prevents the hero from being turned into a painting by Yuga and allows him to traverse walls. Initially, Ravio will only rent items to Link and will send Sheerow to retrieve any rented items should Link fall in battle. He begins selling off his wares after Link finds the Master Sword and will thank Link for allowing him to make enough Rupees to retire early if every item in his shop is purchased.
After Yuga and Princess Hilda are defeated and Princess Zelda is freed, Ravio enters Lorule, where it is revealed that he is Link's Lorulian counterpart. A servant of Hilda's, Ravio did not agree with her plan to steal Hyrule's Triforce. He was afraid to stand up to them (in contrast to Link's courageous attitude), so he fled Lorule, hoping to find a hero who could stop Hilda and Yuga. He successfully convinces Hilda that stealing Hyrule's Triforce would only bring out the worst in Lorule, which was exactly the scenario their forebears had hoped to avoid when they destroyed it. The two see Link and Zelda off as they return to their own world. After Link and Zelda wish to restore Lorule's Triforce, Ravio and Hilda are seen in the Sacred Realm of Lorule as the clouds part and their Triforce is restored.
Ravio wears a pink outfit with a rabbit mask covering his face, likely referencing when Link was transformed into a rabbit upon entering the Dark World in A Link to the Past. When unmasked, he looks exactly like Link except his hair is black instead of brown or blonde. He also has a pet bird named Sheerow, who retrieves any items Link rented if Link is defeated.
Ravio is a playable character through downloadable content in Hyrule Warriors. He wields the Rental Hammer as his primary weapon and has been slightly redesigned to resemble the Hyrule Warriors incarnation of Link in both size and body proportions.
Sages [ edit ]
The Seven Sages are a group of individuals destined to aid a chosen hero in times of crisis; as such, they possess varying magical powers and responsibilities. Each era has its own group of sages, and those groups often aid Link in different ways (though only after they are rescued).
The Seven Sages (originally called "Wise Men") are first mentioned in A Link to the Past. The in-game story reveals that during the great Imprisoning War fought between the evil Ganon and the Knights of Hyrule, the Seven Sages combined their powers to banish the wicked sorcerer and seal him in the Sacred Realm; Ganon's corrupt heart then warped that region into the Dark World. After a few centuries, the wizard Agahnim appeared and placed spells on the King of Hyrule and his knights, bringing them under his control. Agahnim gathered the Seven Maidens—the descendants of the original Sages–including Princess Zelda herself—and leached from their power to break the seal to the Dark World to resurrect Ganon. Link, after defeating Agahnim, journeyed across the Dark World to free the Seven Maidens, who used their combined strength to open the way to Ganon's Tower, the final dungeon of the game. After defeating Ganon and making a just wish on the Triforce, Link returned the Maidens to the Light World.
In the Ocarina of Time prequel, the story of the Sages from A Link to the Past is expanded; this was the first title in the series to refer to the group as "Sages." In this era, the Seven Sages are the protectors of the Triforce and the Sacred Realm; the original Sages built the Temple of Time and established various special locks to prevent evildoers from entering that sanctuary. Exactly what happened to the original Sages is unknown; by the time of that game, there is only one remaining. When Ganondorf uses Link to bypass the Sages' protection and steal the Triforce for himself, his dark heart corrupts the Sacred Realm and sends evil power throughout five temples in Hyrule, transforming the world into a dark mirror of its former self. To save the kingdom, the powers of the Sacred Realm send out an "awakening call" to five special individuals, who are summoned to the temples to become the new Sages and thus break the curses on the holy sites. Link's quest throughout the second half of the game is to cleanse the five temples of monsters and allow the Sages to perform their duties, weakening Ganondorf's power and strengthening the group to perform a banishing ritual. The Sages of this era are:
Rauru – A Hylian and the Sage of Light; he is the last of the ancient Sages. He cares for Link during the hero's temporary imprisonment in the Sacred Realm and provides him with information about the Sages and the events of the past seven years. Rauru tasks Link with finding the five remaining Sages and gives him the Light Medallion to begin the quest.
– A Hylian and the Sage of Light; he is the last of the ancient Sages. He cares for Link during the hero's temporary imprisonment in the Sacred Realm and provides him with information about the Sages and the events of the past seven years. Rauru tasks Link with finding the five remaining Sages and gives him the Light Medallion to begin the quest. Saria – A Kokiri and the Sage of Forest; she was one of Link's only childhood friends. When monsters seized the Kokiri Forest because of to Ganondorf's curse, Saria traveled to the Forest Temple to solve the problem herself. After Link defeated the ghostly Phantom Ganon, Saria awakened as a Sage and used her new powers to break the spell, freeing the forest from evil influences and ushering in a new era of peace.
– A Kokiri and the Sage of Forest; she was one of Link's only childhood friends. When monsters seized the Kokiri Forest because of to Ganondorf's curse, Saria traveled to the Forest Temple to solve the problem herself. After Link defeated the ghostly Phantom Ganon, Saria awakened as a Sage and used her new powers to break the spell, freeing the forest from evil influences and ushering in a new era of peace. Darunia – Leader of a tribe of rock-eating giants known as Gorons, and the Sage of Fire; he considers Link a "Sworn Brother" after Link helps his people by defeating King Dodongo, who had taken over the Goron's mines causing a food shortage. Seven years later, the Gorons resisted Ganondorf's rule after he took over Hyrule; as punishment, he captured nearly all of them and prepared to feed them to the monstrous dragon Volvagia in the Fire Temple. Darunia traveled to the Temple to free his people and briefly met Link inside. After Link freed the Gorons and slayed Volvagia, Darunia awakened as a Sage and added his power to the Link's. Darunia returns as a playable character in Hyrule Warriors.
– Leader of a tribe of rock-eating giants known as Gorons, and the Sage of Fire; he considers Link a "Sworn Brother" after Link helps his people by defeating King Dodongo, who had taken over the Goron's mines causing a food shortage. Seven years later, the Gorons resisted Ganondorf's rule after he took over Hyrule; as punishment, he captured nearly all of them and prepared to feed them to the monstrous dragon Volvagia in the Fire Temple. Darunia traveled to the Temple to free his people and briefly met Link inside. After Link freed the Gorons and slayed Volvagia, Darunia awakened as a Sage and added his power to the Link's. Darunia returns as a playable character in. Princess Ruto – A Zora and the Sage of Water; she is the Princess of the Zora people. The Zora refused to follow Ganondorf's rule, so he punished them by sealing their entire domain in ice. The mysterious Sheik saved Ruto and traveled to the Water Temple to break Ganondorf's curse. Ruto met Link, whom she was engaged to as a child due to a misunderstanding and showed him the way through the temple. After Link killed Morpha, the source of the curse, Ruto awakened as the Water Sage and reluctantly put her marriage on hold to aid him. Ruto returns as a playable character in Hyrule Warriors.
– A Zora and the Sage of Water; she is the Princess of the Zora people. The Zora refused to follow Ganondorf's rule, so he punished them by sealing their entire domain in ice. The mysterious Sheik saved Ruto and traveled to the Water Temple to break Ganondorf's curse. Ruto met Link, whom she was engaged to as a child due to a misunderstanding and showed him the way through the temple. After Link killed Morpha, the source of the curse, Ruto awakened as the Water Sage and reluctantly put her marriage on hold to aid him. Ruto returns as a playable character in. Nabooru – A Gerudo and the Sage of Spirit; she is the second-in-command of the Gerudo tribe, a race of thieves. Nabooru protested Ganondorf's cruelty toward innocents and traveled to the Spirit Temple to interfere with the wizard's plans, recruiting Young Link to recover a rare pair of Silver Gauntlets for her. Unfortunately, Twinrova, Ganondorf's surrogate mothers, kidnapped Nabooru and brainwashed her into becoming his follower. After Link defeated the witches, Nabooru awakened as a Sage and delighted in the prospect of vengeance against her captors.
– A Gerudo and the Sage of Spirit; she is the second-in-command of the Gerudo tribe, a race of thieves. Nabooru protested Ganondorf's cruelty toward innocents and traveled to the Spirit Temple to interfere with the wizard's plans, recruiting Young Link to recover a rare pair of Silver Gauntlets for her. Unfortunately, Twinrova, Ganondorf's surrogate mothers, kidnapped Nabooru and brainwashed her into becoming his follower. After Link defeated the witches, Nabooru awakened as a Sage and delighted in the prospect of vengeance against her captors. Impa – This incarnation of Impa is a Sheikah, Zelda's nursemaid, the Sage of Shadow, and the founder and leader of Kakariko Village. When Bongo Bongo broke free and attacked the village, Impa traveled to the Shadow Temple to reseal the monster. Link went to the temple to assist her and defeated Bongo Bongo, allowing Impa to awaken as the Sage and join the group.
– This incarnation of Impa is a Sheikah, Zelda's nursemaid, the Sage of Shadow, and the founder and leader of Kakariko Village. When Bongo Bongo broke free and attacked the village, Impa traveled to the Shadow Temple to reseal the monster. Link went to the temple to assist her and defeated Bongo Bongo, allowing Impa to awaken as the Sage and join the group. Zelda – Zelda is ultimately revealed as the Seventh Sage, who leads the rest of the group. After removing her disguise as the Sheikah ninja Sheik, she is captured by Ganondorf and brought to his Tower; the Six Sages aid Link by undoing the barriers the wizard established to protect himself. After defeating Ganondorf and escaping the tower, Link and Zelda found themselves fighting Ganon, who is revealed as a monster Ganondorf becomes when he uses the Triforce of Power. After Link incapacitates Ganon, Zelda calls upon the Six Sages, who combine their powers, open the door to the Sacred Realm, and seal Ganondorf away.
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker reveals the existence of a new group of Sages (though the Sages from Ocarina of Time appear as stained-glass windows in the basement of Hyrule Castle) responsible for keeping the evil-repelling power in the Master Sword by praying to the gods in their temples. After being resurrected, Ganondorf immediately attacked those temples and killed their Sages, thus robbing the blade of its magical abilities and protecting himself from it. Link meets the ghosts of these original sages and is tasked with finding their descendants, bringing them to their respective temples, and restoring the power to repel evil to the Master Sword. The Sages of this world are:
Medli : A young Rito girl and the Sage of Earth, she is the apprentice attendant of Valoo, a powerful dragon and the Sky Spirit. When not serving Valoo, she tends to young Prince Komali and practices her harp, the symbol of the Sage of Earth. Her ancestor Laruto, a Zora, was the original Sage; Laruto teaches Link the Earth God's Lyric and appears to Medli in a vision to inform her of her sacred duty. Medli travels to the Earth Temple with Link, helps him navigate it, and eventually begins offering up her prayers, which restores the energy and edge of the Master Sword. She later reappears as a downloadable player in Hyrule Warriors.
: A young Rito girl and the Sage of Earth, she is the apprentice attendant of Valoo, a powerful dragon and the Sky Spirit. When not serving Valoo, she tends to young Prince Komali and practices her harp, the symbol of the Sage of Earth. Her ancestor, a Zora, was the original Sage; Laruto teaches Link the Earth God's Lyric and appears to Medli in a vision to inform her of her sacred duty. Medli travels to the Earth Temple with Link, helps him navigate it, and eventually begins offering up her prayers, which restores the energy and edge of the Master Sword. She later reappears as a downloadable player in Makar: A young Korok and the Sage of Wind, he is one of the beloved children of the Great Deku Tree. During the annual Seeding Ceremony, Makar performs a special song on a leafy cello, the symbol of the Sage of Wind. His ancestor Fado, a Kokiri and the original sage, teaches Link the Wind God's Aria to awaken Makar to his destiny. Though Makar is captured in the Wind Temple, Link frees him, and he assists Link and fully restores the power to repel evil to the Master Sword, which manifests as a brilliant glow.
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess establishes a completely different group of Sages, despite taking place relatively soon after the events of Ocarina of Time; this disparity has never been explained, although the book Hyrule Historia reveals there are three distinct timelines branching out from the events of Ocarina. These Sages, the keepers of the prison known as Arbiter's Grounds, are a group of identical-looking elderly men who are made of light and wear Kabuki-like masks. They attempted to execute Ganondorf for his crimes, but the Triforce of Power gave him immortality, and the wizard stole the Sword of the Sages and killed the Sage of Water. The remaining five Sages used the Mirror of Twilight to banish Ganondorf to the Twilight Realm to protect themselves and Hyrule. During the game's events, the Sages reveal themselves and this story to Link, tasking him with finding the shards of the shattered Mirror to reopen the passage to the Twilight Realm and gain power there to defeat Ganondorf and his minion Zant. The Sages are also the ones who announce Link's companion Midna as the Princess of the Twili people.
Another group of Sages appears in The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds; they appear to be descendants of the Seven Sages from Ocarina of Time. In this era, the Sages' chief duty is protecting the Triforce of Courage from the forces of darkness, as only their combined power can reveal its hiding place. After the mysterious kingdom of Lorule loses its own Triforce due to a ferocious war, the passionate but misguided Princess of the realm, Hilda, decides to have her minion Yuga kidnap the Seven Sages and use their power to assemble Hyrule's Triforce that she might take it for herself. Yuga does this by turning the Sages into paintings, which are used for a ritual which summons Ganon and binds his Triforce of Power to Yuga himself; the sorcerer also kidnaps Zelda and siphons her Triforce of Wisdom. Hilda, pretending to be Link's ally, instructs the hero to gather the Seven Sages' paintings, free them, and convince them to grant him the Triforce of Courage, which would give her control of all three pieces. The Sages of this era are:
Gulley : A young boy and the son of Hyrule's Blacksmith, he is a friend of Link's, who in this time period is the Blacksmith's apprentice. Gulley wears green, loves animals, and spends much of his time outdoors, implying a connection to the Sage of Forest. His youthful enthusiasm is unbounded, though he is confused about his powers, referring to himself as a "Sevensage."
: A young boy and the son of Hyrule's Blacksmith, he is a friend of Link's, who in this time period is the Blacksmith's apprentice. Gulley wears green, loves animals, and spends much of his time outdoors, implying a connection to the Sage of Forest. His youthful enthusiasm is unbounded, though he is confused about his powers, referring to himself as a "Sevensage." Rosso : A stout, strong man and a miner who works on Hyrule's Death Mountain. He befriends Link and gives him the Power Glove to allow him to lift rocks. Rosso's red hair, somewhat inhuman features (including pure black eyes), and ties to rocks imply a connection to the Gorons, and thus the position of the Sage of Fire. Humorously, after being restored, Rosso reveals that he has always known about his sagely duty—he simply never bothered to mention it.
: A stout, strong man and a miner who works on Hyrule's Death Mountain. He befriends Link and gives him the Power Glove to allow him to lift rocks. Rosso's red hair, somewhat inhuman features (including pure black eyes), and ties to rocks imply a connection to the Gorons, and thus the position of the Sage of Fire. Humorously, after being restored, Rosso reveals that he has always known about his sagely duty—he simply never bothered to mention it. Osfala : A prideful young man and the apprentice of Sahasrahla, Elder of Kakariko Village. Osfala arrogantly assumed himself to be the hero destined to save Princess Zelda and tried to challenge Yuga head-on, only to fail miserably and be transformed into a painting. After Link frees him, Osfala apologizes, acknowledges Link as a true hero, and agrees to help summon the Triforce. His yellow clothing and white hair tie him to the Sage of Light.
: A prideful young man and the apprentice of Sahasrahla, Elder of Kakariko Village. Osfala arrogantly assumed himself to be the hero destined to save Princess Zelda and tried to challenge Yuga head-on, only to fail miserably and be transformed into a painting. After Link frees him, Osfala apologizes, acknowledges Link as a true hero, and agrees to help summon the Triforce. His yellow clothing and white hair tie him to the Sage of Light. Irene : An apprentice witch (she boasts of being the "best witch of her generation", despite being the only witch in that generation). She is told by a fortune teller to "take care of green," and takes this to mean Link, who wears green clothing. Though caustic, she considers Link a friend and is eager to help him as one of the Sages. It is suggested that she is a descendant of the Sage of Spirit.
: An apprentice witch (she boasts of being the "best witch of her generation", despite being the only witch in that generation). She is told by a fortune teller to "take care of green," and takes this to mean Link, who wears green clothing. Though caustic, she considers Link a friend and is eager to help him as one of the Sages. It is suggested that she is a descendant of the Sage of Spirit. Oren : The Queen of the Zora. Link initially helps her when her Smooth Stone is stolen, causing her to overflow with power and bloat to a massive size. After being restored to normal, she goes for a swim, only to be kidnapped by Yuga. She praises Link as among the best humans she knows and urges him to defeat Yuga, so she may return to her people. As a Zora, she is descended from the Sage of Water.
: The Queen of the Zora. Link initially helps her when her Smooth Stone is stolen, causing her to overflow with power and bloat to a massive size. After being restored to normal, she goes for a swim, only to be kidnapped by Yuga. She praises Link as among the best humans she knows and urges him to defeat Yuga, so she may return to her people. As a Zora, she is descended from the Sage of Water. Seres : A nun in Hyrule's Sanctuary and a gentle soul. Seres is the first of the Sages to be transformed into a painting, an action Link witnesses firsthand; he travels to Princess Zelda to tell her about this action, which spurs his quest. After being saved from the forces of darkness, she sincerely thanks Link and promises to help him however she can. She has no apparent connection to any element, which suggests that she is a descendant of Zelda herself.
: A nun in Hyrule's Sanctuary and a gentle soul. Seres is the first of the Sages to be transformed into a painting, an action Link witnesses firsthand; he travels to Princess Zelda to tell her about this action, which spurs his quest. After being saved from the forces of darkness, she sincerely thanks Link and promises to help him however she can. She has no apparent connection to any element, which suggests that she is a descendant of Zelda herself. Impa: Zelda's loyal handmaiden, who in this incarnation is an elderly woman. She immediately believes Link's warnings about Yuga and agrees to help the young hero on his quest. Despite her courage, though, Yuga still transforms her into a painting and uses her in his evil rituals. As she is the "latest" Impa, she is likely this generation's Sage of Shadow.
The Champions in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild play a near-identical role to the sages in the previous titles. The Champions consisted of four of the best warriors of the races across the land and were formed by Princess Zelda and the King of Hyrule to combat Calamity Ganon. They had the duty of piloting the Divine Beasts and assisting Link in delivering the final blow to Ganon. One hundred years prior to the game's events, they were killed by the blight monsters Ganon created to take control of the Divine Beast and the Guardians to devastate Hyrule. The Champions remained powerless for a century until Link freed the Divine Beasts from Ganon's influence, allowing them to complete their task.
Daruk : The courageous Goron Champion and pilot of the salamander-like Vah Rudania. Although usually calm, he becomes loud and ferocious during battle and believes in Link's fighting capabilities. He grants Link "Daruk's Protection'', which protects Link from attacks. He shares this ability with his descendant, Yunobo, who assisted Link in freeing his ancestor.
: The courageous Goron Champion and pilot of the salamander-like Vah Rudania. Although usually calm, he becomes loud and ferocious during battle and believes in Link's fighting capabilities. He grants Link "Daruk's Protection'', which protects Link from attacks. He shares this ability with his descendant, Yunobo, who assisted Link in freeing his ancestor. Mipha : The Zora Champion and pilot of the elephant-like Vah Ruta. A beloved Zora princess, Mipha was King Dorephan's daughter and Prince Sidon's older brother; she possessed unique healing abilities not shared by others of her race. She was Link's childhood friend and created a suit of Zora Armor to be given to Link, for whom she held romantic feelings, but did not get a chance to present the armor to Link before her death. While her father and brother were aware of her feelings for Link, she kept them secret from her mentor Muzu due to his prejudice against Hylians. She grants Link "Mipha's Grace'', which revives Link once his heart meter depletes.
: The Zora Champion and pilot of the elephant-like Vah Ruta. A beloved Zora princess, Mipha was King Dorephan's daughter and Prince Sidon's older brother; she possessed unique healing abilities not shared by others of her race. She was Link's childhood friend and created a suit of Zora Armor to be given to Link, for whom she held romantic feelings, but did not get a chance to present the armor to Link before her death. While her father and brother were aware of her feelings for Link, she kept them secret from her mentor Muzu due to his prejudice against Hylians. She grants Link "Mipha's Grace'', which revives Link once his heart meter depletes. Revali : The prideful Rito Champion and pilot of the bird-like Vah Medoh. Revali is skilled in aerial battles and has exceptional sight and archery skills. He believes himself to be superior to Link in every way and finds it insulting that Link is the chosen one to stop Ganon instead of him, He changes his views on the Hylian hero after Link frees his spirit from Calamity Ganon. He grants Link "Revali's Gale", a powerful vertical wind column that blows Link into the air.
: The prideful Rito Champion and pilot of the bird-like Vah Medoh. Revali is skilled in aerial battles and has exceptional sight and archery skills. He believes himself to be superior to Link in every way and finds it insulting that Link is the chosen one to stop Ganon instead of him, He changes his views on the Hylian hero after Link frees his spirit from Calamity Ganon. He grants Link "Revali's Gale", a powerful vertical wind column that blows Link into the air. Urbosa: The Gerudo Champion and pilot of the camel-like Vah Naboris, Urbosa is a strong and courageous leader who showcases care and concern for Princess Zelda's well-being because she was good friends with Zelda's mother, the deceased Queen of Hyrule. Urbosa still feels bitter about her failure as a Champion one hundred years before. However, she expresses personal pleasure in being able to help defeat her people's shame (as one of Ganon's previous incarnations was a Gerudo himself). She grants Link "Urbosa's Fury", a devastating electric attack.
Tingle [ edit ]
Tingle is a jolly middle-aged man obsessed with fairies.[note 2] He wears a green bodysuit and first appeared in Majora's Mask, where he was found floating around on a balloon selling maps.
He subsequently appeared in Wind Waker, first in a jail room located on Windfall Island, and then in a tall wooden tower, where again he acted as a map maker.
He has also appeared in Oracle of Ages, Four Swords Adventures and The Minish Cap.
He cameos in Phantom Hourglass as a poster, in Spirit Tracks, an almost shop figurine, and in Skyward Sword as a doll in Zelda's room at the Knight Academy.[9] He is a playable character via downloadable content in Hyrule Warriors.
Tingle has gained some notoriety, being ranked first on IGN's list of weird Zelda characters[10] and seventh, one place ahead of Navi, in Cracked.com's list of annoying video game characters.[11] He has gone on to feature in his own games, including Freshly-Picked Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland.
In Twilight Princess, the character Purlo was designed as a more realistic version of Tingle.[12] He is similar in appearance, and shares Tingle's obsession with Rupees, but can be hostile and unfriendly.[13] He runs the STARS minigame in Hyrule Castle Town, and complains when Link beats it.
Recurring characters [ edit ]
Many minor characters in the games have returned multiple times throughout the series, having Link in some form perform minor tasks for them.
Agitha [ edit ]
Agitha first appears in Twilight Princess. She is a cheery ten-year-old girl who calls herself the "Princess of Bugs" and lives in a house in Hyrule Castle Town. Agitha asks Link to help her collect twelve pairs of Golden Bugs for a ball she is having, with the promise of awards for his help. She returns in Hyrule Warriors as a playable character, armed with her parasol and using her golden bugs to fight for her.
Anju [ edit ]
Anju first appears in Ocarina of Time but is unnamed and generally referred to as the "Cucco Lady." She resides in Impa's old house in Kakariko Village. She says that she is allergic to Cuccos, and hers are always escaping from their pen. The first time that Link rounds them up for her, he receives an empty bottle in return.
Majora's Mask is the first Zelda game in which Anju is named. She is troubled over the disappearance of her fiancé, Kafei. In a lengthy side-quest resulting in the reunion of those betrothed, Link can acquire several masks: the Keaton Mask, the Kafei Mask, the Postman's Hat, and |
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Ever since the birth of the visual world wide web as we know it, web sites have been a fairly static form of media. Sure, there were a few fads that came and went: Java applets showcasing useless water ripple effects and laughably clunky menus being the most memorable for me, and some that stayed the course and went on to evolve into nearly ubiquitous status across the world wide web — the most notable of these being Flash.
Through the evolution of Flash we began to see more and more interactivity on the web, but there was a price to pay. First and foremost being the abuse of Flash by advertisers. Blinking, flashing, and just plain obstructive ads became commonplace and this led many users to not installing Flash or disabling it completely to get rid of them. Unfortunately, if you are a Flash developer or a company that uses a Flash based website, by requiring the Flash plug-in you have just potentially eliminated a score of visitors to your site. But, as the only viable way of adding a truly interactive and multimedia experience to the web it almost became a necessary sacrifice to create the content you wanted to convey to your audience.
As an insult to injury of sorts, as internet connection speeds increased the demand for streaming video on the web increased with it exponentially. Flash eventually became the method of choice for delivering this content, beating out earlier (terrible) technologies like RealPlayer. So now we have a situation where the web as we know it is severely limited without a third party plug-in, and that is where we stand to this day.
However, with the rise of smartphones and more and more problems with the Flash plug-in and its cross-platform performance and compatibility, a movement is growing and a new standard is being drafted to (possibly) replace Flash and other similar plug-ins like Microsoft’s Silverlight for good. This new standard is HTML5.
HTML5 is the next major revision of the ubiquitous HTML standard. And, even though the buzz around HTML5 has only started in the past year or so, work on the specification actually began way back in 2004 — ages ago in the tech world. In its current state (HTML5 is still a work in progress, and is expected to be for some years to come) HTML5 adds APIs to native HTML that give it many of the features you may find in Flash such as 2D graphics APIs through the <canvas> tag, timed video playback via the <video> tag, offline storage databases, drag and drop, and more. But, that’s not all HTML5 adds to the table.
HTML5 is also designed to enable web developers/designers to more naturally describe what the content on their pages actually represent. Tags for layout (which can all be styled via CSS, of course) such as <header>, <footer>, and <aside> were added, <nav> for navigation, and true support for all world languages with additions such as the <ruby> tag for adding ruby annotations used in East Asian typography to name just a few. Thus, the full potential of HTML5 comes from the combination of writing actual HTML5 markup combined with CSS3 for styling and Javascript for adding interactivity and dynamic events to these elements. This is why we are seeing such concentrated focus on improving Javascript performance from all major browsers, including adding native hardware acceleration to the browser for accelerated graphics display. Unfortunately, the performance is still not quite on par with Flash, but with time Javascript execution will almost certainly meet if not surpass that of Flash.
So, now that you know what HTML5 is… why should you care? Flash works right? Why do we need a replacement? If you have ever tried to visit a Flash website on your iPhone, Android, or other smartphone you will know that Flash doesn’t work on these devices. There is at least one mobile browser that I know of (SkyFire) that attempts to bring the full web experience (including Flash) to the mobile world, but from my experience using it on Windows Mobile I must say that the performance very much left something to desire.
However, I can run native HTML5 apps and games on my iPhone with great performance and usability using no third party plug-ins, browsers, or other software at all. It just works. And that’s the allure of HTML5. Write an app or a game in HTML5 and you can successfully market it to all platforms with access to a HTML5-compatible browser. That means, your app will run on the iPhone, iPad, Android, Symbian, desktops… you get my point. In fact, there are already two HTML5 based app frameworks designed specifically for mobile devices out in the wild, and I am sure there are even more in the works. One is called SproutCore and the other is Sencha Touch.
SproutCore is designed more with desktop-class application building in mind, but it seems like they are in the process of adding a subset of features for mobile, touchscreen based devices as well. However, Sencha Touch is being designed from the ground up as a web/HTML5 based platform for mobile devices, specifically modeled after the iPhone’s UI and design methodologies. I have toyed with both of these frameworks and hands down Sencha Touch is much more polished for developing on mobile devices (although SproutCore is very nice if you want to build desktop-like web applications).
Unfortunately, even though Sencha Touch is more polished it is still in beta and it shows. Many of the examples it distributes with are mighty impressive (click here if you are on a mobile device and want to see the demos first-hand) but they still lack in the responsiveness and smoothness found in native applications. Some of the operations, such as drag and drop, also seemed fairly buggy and Google Maps performance was very sluggish when scrolling and zooming for me on my iPhone 4. Overall, however, there is nothing stopping you from making a full-scale mobile application using the APIs and widgets it provides. I think that as time goes on and all the technologies involved are fleshed out, become more established, and mobile internet connection speeds increase (or wi-fi availability becomes ubiquitous) we will see a vast movement to applications and games being websites instead of actual natively compiled software packages.
In summary, HTML5 is a work in progress but it is already exhibiting an impressive feature set that rivals that of currently existing third party technologies while introducing even more revolutionary concepts to the world wide web. With the adoption of HTML5 we will begin to have access to our apps and data from any device, anywhere as the software that we run on those devices moves away from the devices themselves and onto the cloud. The internet as we know it is about to change, and change big… hopefully for the betterment of all its users.
AdvertisementsFor a US audience, the release Tuesday of the Senate's report on CIA torture may have been shocking for the depths of abuse it contained, but there was little doubt that the CIA had used extreme methods to interrogate suspected terrorists. The question was always a matter of what degree of methods were used.
But in Poland, the Senate report has turned a glaring light on a truth the country's leaders have long denied: that Poland was host to one of the secret prisons in which the CIA allegedly tortured US terrorism suspects. Now, human rights activists are hoping that the Senate Intelligence Committee’s report puts pressure on Polish authorities to publish their own account, even as the controversy places Poland into uncertain territory, both for its own identity as a modern nation and for its relations with the US.
The Senate report does not directly mention Poland as one of the nations hosting secret CIA prisons held around the globe.
But many say that by cross-referencing details such as the names of detainees and the dates they were transferred with information already made public, it is clear that what the report calls “detention site blue” is the Stare Kiejkuty prison, a remote villa in northeast Poland where Al Qaeda suspects were allegedly interrogated.
Former President Aleksander Kwaśniewski confirmed as much Wednesday, ending years of denials from him and former Prime Minister Leszek Miller that the prison existed. Mr. Kwaśniewski told Radio TOK FM in Warsaw that Poland agreed to find some "peaceful place" where the Americans could conduct activity. He also said that the government did not authorize torture on the site, and pressed the US to end the practice when Polish officials found out.
He also denied that Poland received $15 million from the CIA to host the prison, a claim made in January of this year by The Washington Post, citing former agency officials talking on the condition of anonymity.
Former Solidarity trade union leader Józef Pinior, now a Polish senator, says that the decision to allow the prison "was against the Polish constitution, international law, and against values that we fought for in the Solidarity movement for so many years."
"Kwaśniewski and Miller should finally bear responsibility for their decision," Mr. Pinior says. "It is really hard to believe that the most important people in the country at that time didn't really know what was happening at this prison."
The report comes amid resurgent Polish-American ties, as Poland has grown increasingly concerned over Russia during the Ukraine crisis and the Russian annexation of Crimea. In fact, the controversy in Poland over the Senate report stems in large part from the close relations between the two countries, particularly between their intelligence agencies, says Adam Bodnar, a human rights lawyer and the vice-president of the board of the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights in Warsaw.
“Americans didn't trust Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Thailand's authorities very much, that's why they decided to establish a prison in Poland. Poland was seen as a safe place. Americans believed that there was no risk of duplicity from the Polish authorities,” says Mr. Bodnar. “Polish authorities agreed to this prison, because they were convinced that nobody would have never known about it."
That's what makes the report's revelations so potentially damaging to the Polish government – as the report itself notes. "On page 75 of the Senate's report,” Bodnar says, "we can read how Polish authorities were surprised and outraged by the fact that information about prisons became public."
Poland’s Prime Minister Ewa Kopacz said Tuesday that the report would not lead to a worsening of the country's relations with the US.
Many Poles hope that the report will energize the country's own investigation into the CIA prison. Polish prosecutors opened an investigation in 2008 but it has languished in the years since.
The classified investigation was originally scheduled to be published in October this year, but it has since been pushed back to February. It has also seen its investigator changed in 2012, from Warsaw’s state prosecutor to the prosecutor in Krakow, with no reason given. Bodnar speculated that the switch was made to buy more time.
Though it remains shrouded in mystery, the Polish investigation has resulted in at least one person being charged. In January, prosecutors confirmed that they brought charges against an unnamed person in connection with the CIA prison. Polish media reports said that person may be Zbigniew Siemiątkowski, the former head of the Polish secret service, who as early as 2012 had been rumored to have been the target of such charges.
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The government is also under pressure from the European Court of Human Rights, which ruled in July that Poland violated the rights of two terrorism suspects by transferring them to the “black site.” The Polish government appealed the ruling in October.
"Polish people are outraged," says Pinior. "This report was a shock for many. We didn't fight for a country where people could be tortured."Advertisement
These incredible pictures offer a fascinating insight into the rich and diverse traditions of Peruvian shamans, known as Curanderos.
Shamans are believed to be a bridge between this world and the next, able to communicate with spirits through magic, rituals and spiritual visions.
In the Peruvian Amazon Basin, shamans use medicine songs called icaros to evoke spirits, communicating with them using totemic items such as rocks that Curanderos believe have special powers.
Although shamans are not as common as decades past, they continue to shepherd their communities across remote Peruvian regions.
Dona Juliana, 85, makes an offer to the mountain spirit with her 100-year-old husband Lorenzo, in Ocongate District, Peru
Juliana, pictured in previous image with husband Lorenzo, collects her things to leave on the way to the annual Qoyllur Ritíi festival in Ocongate Disctrict, Peru
Dancers gather at the Qoyllur Ritíi festival in Sinakara Valley, Peru. Known as the Snow Star festival, the gathering is held every year shortly before the Christian feast of Corpus Christi
A young shaman called Isidro plays with a chicken in the farmland off her family's house in Taquile Island, Peru
People go to Qoyllur Ritíi to make a wish. They believe that if you go there at least three times in your life, then your desire will be fulfilled
Dona Juliana is offers the mountain spirits some of her wine in sign of gratitude and sharing. She performs the ceremony close to her husband Lorenzo, 100
After the Spanish conquest and the subsequent indigenous repression in Peru, pagan traditions have been assimilated by other religions, notably in the Catholic tradition through the use of pagan holy figures.
One example of this is the Qoyllur Rit'i festival, which is a pagan and Catholic event, which is held annually in the Sinakara Valley in the Cusco region of Peru.
Photographer Diana Bagnoli decided to find out more about shamans - or Curanderos - and their intricate traditions after the Mayan 'end of days' prophecy for December 2012 sparked worldwide intrigue.
During June and July of 2015, Diana travelled to three different locations in Peru to track down true shamans and document their practices.
A shaman conducts a spiritual ceremony. Despacho is a typical Qíero people ceremony, to honour Pachamama (Mother Earth), the sacred Apus (mountains) and the spirit in all of nature
Festival goers wrapping up warm. Due to the high altitude, during the night in Qoyllur Ritíi it is several degrees down zero in Sinakara Valley, Peru
Morning light streams through an elderly woman's home high up in the mountains in Ocongate District, Peru
A parade of different dance groups in Mayantuyacu, Peru. Musicians with drums accompany them as they perform traditional dances in their multi-layered skirts
A shaman couple having breakfast in the Ausangate Mountain in the Andes of Peru. The mountain in the Cusco region has significance in Incan mythology
The Italian photographer travelled to Taquile Island on Titicaca Lake, Ausangate Mountain - where the people live at 4600m above sea level - and to the Mayantuyacu centre in the Amazonian forest.
She said: 'In Peru - from the high places in the Cordillera to the southern islands of Lake Titicaca and in the depths of the Amazon jungle - it's a tradition that is still alive and indeed attracts new waves of'mystic' tourism.
'The first difficulty was to find an authentic shaman, not a touristic one. I was helped by an anthropologist called Dario Astengo, who directed me up to 5000m to find ancestral and authentic shamans.
'It was difficult to find the right one, to reach them and also to communicate with them as the only language they usually speak is Quechua. They were quite surprised by my interest and motivation, so they mostly welcomed me.'
Ashaninka shaman master Juan Flores stands by a river in Mayantuyacu, Peru wearing traditional clothes
Grimaniza, 14-years-old, the shaman's niece, plays with a skipping rope in Ocongate District, Peru
A parade of different dance groups meet in Mayantuyacu, Peru, each carrying their own colourful banners
Pilgrims with a young baby find a quieter and warmer place to rest and spend the night, in Sinakara Valley
Two men dressed all in white pray amidst a cloud of smoke in Mayantuyacu, Peru
Bagnoli said that each rural community has its own shaman, although many are elderly, as less people are observing traditional rituals.
She explained: 'Today, the figure of the Curandero is far less widespread because it is no longer recognised in society.
'There are still a few and for the most part they are elderly people, holders of ancestral wisdom verbally handed down from their ancestors.
'Each rural community has its own Curandero as a spiritual guide for the village. They work by using the energies of the universe and Pacha Mama - Mother Earth - to help his community dispel the evil eye, have healthier harvests or to cure incurable diseases.
Enharte, 36-years-old, who has been a shaman since the age of 30, stands on the edge of a river in Mayantuyacu, Peru
Enharte, dressed in traditional clothing and jewellery, stands in his wooden house
A shaman called Isidro displays his catch in his hands as he goes fishing in Ausangate Mountain, Peru
Dona Juliana, 85, in the house where she lives with her husband and many pet Guinea pigs. Juliana and Lorenzo, married for more than sixty years, live alone in the stone and thatched hut on Laguna Verde, at the foot of the Caliangate mountain
People leaving the Qoyllur Ritíi festival in Sinakara Valley, Peru after the occasion has drawn to a close
A river in Mayantuyacu. Mayantuyacu healing and traditional knowledge centre is built on a hot water river and lake in Mayantuyacu, Peru
'He's the person who solves mystic but also pragmatic problems of the society. He's the bridge between people and physical matter and the spiritual and esoteric world.
'Through his magic, rituals and spiritual visions he's able to communicate with both worlds and even influence the physical world.'
Bagnoli also attended the Qoyllur Ritíi festival. Known as the Snow Star festival, the gathering is held every year shortly before the Christian feast of Corpus Christi.
It brings together shamans and the indigenous population of the Andes with large groups of devoted Catholics. Up to 100,000 pilgrims attend the event every year.
A parade of different dance groups perform in Mayantuyacu, Peru. Some have elaborate bird costumes and are accompanied by musicians playing traditional wooden flutes
Members of the Ukukus ethnic group dance and beat themselves with a whip. They play pranks and keep order among pilgrims in Sinakara Valley, Peru
The Qoyllur Ritíi festival attracts a large number of people from the surrounding regions. It joins together indigenous population of the Andes celebrating the stars with a devoted group of catholic people with their own legend
A girl relaxing in the forest in Mayantuyacu, Peru. Mayantuyacu is one of the two native Amazonian healing and traditional knowledge centers located on the Boiling River
A woman in Mayantuyacu, Peru makes Ayahusca, which is a combination of a wine and leaves. They need to boil for almost one day, before they are filtered
Pilgrims flock to the Sinakara mountain for The Lord of Snow, Qoyllur Ritíi Festival on Sinakara Mountain
A pilgrim touches one of the twelve crosses on the path to the Lord of Qoyllur Ritíi. The festival has a strong catholic associations mixed in with the indigenous beliefs
The festival is a clear display of how pagan idols have been adopted by the Catholic faith. At the end of an 8km pilgrimage Christians pay homage to the image of Christ on a boulder high up in the Valley, while traditionalists celebrate their devotion with colourful dances, lighting of candles, singing and prayers.
Shamans cross many cultural divides in Peru and their traditions remain steadfast, even against the growing tourism in the region and the dominant presence of Catholicism.
Diana added: 'I slept in a camping tent in the mountains, in a shaman family house on the Titicaca Lake and a hut on a hot river in the Amazonian river.
'Every ritual I attended with them has been memorable in a personal and spiritual way, which is difficult to describe in words.
'The nature there was so majestic and unspoilt that it is easy to be constantly fascinated by it.'
Shamans praying in Qoyllur Ritíi in Sinakara Valley in the southern highlands in the Cusco Region of Peru
A shaman performs a tabac ceremony, a form of spiritual healing, in a kitchen in Mayantuyacu, Peru
A young Curandero connecting with nature in Mayantuyacu healing centre, Peru, the day after the Ayahuaska ceremony, when attendees need to be focused and relaxed
The Qoyllur Ritíi festival attracts tens of thousands of pilgrims from the surrounding regions in Sinakara Valley, Peru
Dona Juliana, 85, makes an offering to the mountain spirit in Ausangate MountainDisney's Frozen is the highest-grossing animated film ever, and star Idina Menzel isn't the only one cashing in on the movie's success. The singer and actress told us that her four-year-old son Walker has tried to use the movie to score points with girls at a Valentine's Day party.
"They were singing Frozen songs, and he said, 'My mommy sings that,'" said Menzel, 43. "They all said, 'So do our mommies.'"
Walker may have better luck bringing up his mom's new Tony nomination. Menzel, already a Tony winner for playing Elphaba in Wicked, got a nod this year for the show If/Then.
While most actors and actresses would kill for a Tony nomination, when Idina Menzel found out about hers, she didn't even have time to celebrate.
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"I have a four-year-old. I was trying to get him out of the door," said Menzel, explaining what she was doing when she got the news. "I have a matinee. I have to work. It's an amazing experience."
Menzel will perform on the Tony Awards live Sunday on CBS, when Hugh Jackman returns as host.Bill Clinton’s lengthy speech at the Democratic National Convention left no demographic without flattery, as he outlined his romance with Hillary. The potential First Man’s speech echoed many from the First Ladies – but with some glaring omissions.
First Lady speeches tend to follow a similar script: outline the wanna-be president as a family guy, present a practical problem that will appeal to Middle America ™ and a few anecdotes that try to sell the presidential candidate as being just like you!
The speech was historic – and not just in terms of its total run time. It was the first time a First Lady speech came from a man and a former president. It also glazed over some details that he probably does not want to talk about.
He did not touch on the years 2001 and 2003, when he was a big fan of convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein – or at least of his private jet. Clinton reportedly ditched his Secret Service detail for at least five flights, even though there does not appear to be any of the paperwork required for signing the detail off.
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Those facts must have been cut for time.
His speech began in 1971, when he met Hillary at Yale. He describes her as a girl with “big blond hair, big glasses, wore no makeup.” He then tells a tale of following her around campus, hoping to catch a glimpse of her. This is the exact behavior that seems cute in movies, but is usually creepy in real life.
He then walked the audience through his three attempts to get her to marry him, trying to get the audience to identify him as a spouse and not a former president. The last time he endorsed someone as a president, it didn’t end well. Ask Al Gore.
In fact, he did not discuss his own presidential terms at all. While briefly mentioning “Halloween parties in the neighborhood to a Viennese gala in the White House,” he kind of skimmed over some key points in the 1993 – 2001 range.
The happy marriage he presented might well sell to someone who doesn’t remember Monica Lewinsky. In 1998, news broke of an affair between Clinton and Lewinsky, who was then an intern at the White House. The two had “a mutual relationship,” to quote Lewinsky in Vanity Fair.
Many people on the internet felt that more attention should have been paid to the impeachment process which followed the revelation of the affair that nearly drove Lewinsky to suicide.
Despite the fact that the speech was meant to highlight Clinton, many on the internet wanted the 69-year-old to talk more about his sex life.
Clinton said of Hillary work in coal country, “She worked for farmers… for upstate cities in rural areas who needed more ideas and more new investment to create good jobs, something we have to do again in small-town and rural America, in neighborhoods that have been left behind in our cities and Indian country and, yes, in coal country.”
However, he did not mention that she once said she would, “put a lot of coal miners and coal companies out of business, right?”
#DemsInPhilly@billclinton FULL SPEECH:
Tale of two stories 1.Touching personal story, 2. Strong political record:https://t.co/Cne4pKsGmv — Sean Michael Thomas (@seansparkthomas) July 27, 2016
Bill Clinton told a love story hoping it will help endear the American people towards electing his wife Hillary as President. Cool huh? — DH Music (@DanHausawa_Waka) July 27, 2016
Bill Clinton tells us the story of his marriage...in the next, "Tales From The Crypt." — Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) July 27, 2016
Although she immediately followed that up with, “And we’re going to make it clear that we don’t want to forget those people,” and expressed gratitude towards miners, she caught a lot of flak for that statement.
He also said: “You could drop her into any trouble spot, pick one, come back in a month and somehow, some way she will have made it better. That is just who she is.” Unfortunately, Benghazi is not one of those places.
Attacks on consulates are nothing new. Thirteen were attacked during George W. Bush’s presidency, leaving 60 dead as a result. However, the failure to mention Benghazi probably did little to assuage anger from Republicans.(Reuters) - JPMorgan Chase & Co posted a 7.3 percent decline in quarterly profit on Tuesday, as legal woes and weak demand for investment banking services capped off a tough year for Chief Executive Jamie Dimon.
People walk inside JP Morgan headquarters in New York, October 25, 2013. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz
The largest U.S. bank had $1.1 billion of legal expenses in the fourth quarter, about $850 million of which was linked to a recent settlement for failing to report its suspicions of fraud at its client Bernard Madoff’s fund.
The bank agreed to some $20 billion of legal settlements in 2013 - almost equal to a typical year’s profit - which covered everything from mortgages it packaged into bonds before the financial crisis, to bad derivatives trades it made in 2012.
Dimon said some investigations into JPMorgan are just beginning, implying that legal issues are likely to dog the bank for some time, even if on a smaller scale.
Legal headaches aside, the bank faces headwinds in businesses ranging from debt underwriting to advising companies on mergers. Rising bond yields are cutting into demand for issuing debt, and new rules designed to make the financial system safer are also cutting into trading volumes.
Investment banking fee revenue dropped 3 percent to $1.67 billion, and stock and bond trading revenue combined was unchanged before accounting adjustments.
Shares of JPMorgan were up 0.3 percent at $57.86 in afternoon trading on the New York Stock Exchange.
SLUGFEST
The results from JPMorgan, the first of the major investment banks to report for the quarter, show the difficulties that rivals like Goldman Sachs Group Inc and Morgan Stanley are facing.
“It’s going to be a slugfest in 2014 to grow earnings,” said Chris Mutascio, a bank analyst at KBW.
Still, JPMorgan is hopeful about the future.
In 2013, the bank added staff in investment banking and it won market share in most major businesses, including advising companies on mergers and underwriting stock offerings.
But overall revenue in most Wall Street businesses is falling or barely growing. Merger volume, for example, fell 6 percent last year to the lowest level since 2009, Thomson Reuters data shows. Bond underwriting activity fell 2 percent to its lowest since 2011.
JPMorgan posted net income of $5.28 billion, or $1.30 per share, for the quarter, compared with $5.69 billion, or $1.39 a share, a year earlier.
Excluding special items, the company earned $1.40 per share, beating analysts’ average estimate of $1.35, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.
The special items included a benefit of 21 cents per share from the sale of Visa shares and 8 cents from the sale of its building at One Chase Manhattan Plaza. It posted an expense of 27 cents from legal bills, including the Madoff settlements.
Three months ago, JPMorgan posted its first quarterly loss under Dimon after recording after-tax expenses of $7.2 billion to settle government and private investigations.
Investors have been looking for reassurance from the company that the worst of its legal expenses is over.
BRIGHT SPOTS
There were bright spots in the quarter; for example, equity underwriting revenue soared 65 percent to $436 million.
But investment banking fees were pulled down by lower debt underwriting, where revenue declined 19 percent, and merger advisory fees, which fell 7 percent. Altogether, investment banking fees declined 3 percent to $1.67 billion.
The bank’s market share in equity underwriting rose to 8.3 percent in 2013, moving it to second place in the industry from fourth. Goldman Sachs led with 11.4 percent, according to Thomson Reuters data.
Rising mortgage rates hurt the bank’s mortgage lending results, as fewer borrowers refinanced.
JPMorgan acknowledged that it was too slow to cut expenses in this business, and it lost $274 million, before taxes, from mortgage lending, compared with a year-earlier profit of $789 million.
Wells Fargo & Co, the fourth-largest U.S. bank, on Tuesday posted its lowest quarterly mortgage lending volume since the fourth quarter of 2008. But the bank posted an overall profit jump because it cut costs and dipped into money it had set aside to cover loan losses.
At JPMorgan, expenses excluding interest costs fell 3 percent to $15.55 billion during the quarter, while provisions for bad loans fell 84 percent to $104 million.
People walk by the JP Morgan & Chase Co. building in New York in this file photo from October 24, 2013. JPMorgan Chase & Co reported a 7.3 percent drop in quarterly profit January 14, 2014 after the biggest U.S. bank by assets paid penalties to the government for not reporting suspicions of fraud by Ponzi-schemer client Bernie Madoff. REUTERS/Eric Thayer/Files
JPMorgan said its assets shrank to $2.42 trillion at the end of December from $2.46 trillion in the preceding quarter. It had $2.36 trillion a year earlier.
Loans, excluding money set aside for bad loans, grew about 1.6 percent from the third quarter and 1.4 percent from the fourth quarter of 2012.
(In this story a typo has been fixed in the third paragraph)A Bronx serial killer who came to the United States during the 1980 Mariel boatlift from Cuba — and then lured victims to their deaths with promises of cheap designer blue jeans — has pleaded guilty to his third murder.
Jesus Aguilero, who is already behind bars for two murders, suddenly switched his not-guilty plea in the 1981 killing of 35-year-old mom Tolila Brown last week.
Aguilero, 61, reversed his plea partly because details of his other horrific murders could have been discussed in court, virtually sealing his fate anyway.
“The entire family is just thrilled,” said Brown’s daughter, Robin Dynoe, 52. “It brings us closer to closure.”
Aguilero — a criminal who came to the United States during the mass boatlift of Cuban refugees, some of whom had been released from jails and mental health facilities — would lure his victims to remote locations in The Bronx in the 1980s by promising them impossibly good deals on Calvin Klein and Jordache jeans.
He was put behind bars after being convicted in the 1981 killings of Guillermo Graniela, 30, and Josefina Cepeda, 24.
Then, in 2009, NYPD Detective Malcolm Reiman linked him to Brown’s murder with fingerprints and DNA evidence at the scene.
“It feels like there’s so much evil in the world — and this is one case where it didn’t win,” Dynoe said.
After pleading guilty, Aguilero will be sentenced to 15 years to life, which will run concurrently with the two life sentences he’s already serving.
He’ll be up for parole in 2026.
“There’s no way on Earth that he would be released, but whatever glimmer of hope he wanted to have, he still has,” said his lawyer, Javier Solano.
Aguilero is also believed to be responsible for the death of Janet Agosto, 20, in 1982.CHAPPAQUA, NY—After months of tirelessly supporting his wife on the campaign trail, devoted spouse and former president Bill Clinton breathed a resigned sigh Monday and carefully folded the charcoal silk, fitted sheath dress he had hoped to wear as first lady during next January's inauguration and placed it back in its beautiful box.
The 61-year-old Clinton, who has appeared on the covers of both Time and Newsweek and has recently been lauded for his work as an outspoken advocate for human rights, purchased the Christian Dior gown earlier this year after wife Hillary announced her bid for the presidency. Though he has promised to stand by her until rival Barack Obama is officially named the Democratic nominee in August, Clinton told friends that he "could not bear" to look at the dress any longer.
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"A beautiful gown like this shouldn't be wasted on any but the most special of occasions," said Clinton, who, before packing the garment away, spent a quiet moment running his fingers over the expert stitching and delicate cascade of ruffles. "No. This dress deserves to be worn by a real first lady."
After slowly tying the original silk bow around the box and clutching it to his chest for 45 seconds, the former world leader gently placed the dress inside his so-called "first lady hope chest." Sources close to the Clintons have confirmed that the chest includes items the 42nd president had planned to bring with him to a Hillary-led White House, among them a pair of unworn white satin gloves, some hand-blown glass Christmas ornaments, a pewter locket bearing a portrait of his mother, a pressed daisy, two pearl drop earrings, and a handful of wallpaper and fabric swatches.
"My, my, would you just look at this—all dressed up and no place to go," said Clinton, removing a ruby bro |
were set aside to benefit the schools of Utah. Upon the state's founding, a trust fund was created to collect and hold directly for the benefit of the state schools all the revenues generated from developing this land.
Margaret Bird, trust officer for the fund, said that because the land will not be developed, the schoolchildren of Utah stood to lose as much as $1 billion over the next 50 years. Phyllis Sorensen, head of the Utah chapter of the National Education Association, called Clinton's action "felonious assault," charging that "they are stealing from the schoolchildren of Utah." Stealing from children to reward Indonesian billionaire donors is a move typical of the Clintons.
Before there was the pay-for-play Clinton Foundation, and the putting up of American national security for sale in the Uranium One deal with Russia, there was Bill Clinton creating the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, a monument to Bill and Hillary’s monumental corruption.
Daniel John Sobieski is a freelance writer whose pieces have appeared in Investor’s Business Daily, Human Events, Reason Magazine and the Chicago Sun-Times among other publications.Maryland's SWAT teams will be subject to increased scrutiny under legislation signed by Gov. Martin O'Malley yesterday, a response to a botched police raid in Prince George's County in which two dogs were shot to death.
The legislation was among more than 250 bills, many of them focused on public safety, that O'Malley (D) signed in his final scheduled ceremony after the legislation that ended in April. Other measures authorize speed cameras statewide in school zones and work zones, force more domestic abusers to forfeit their firearms and place new restrictions on police surveillance.
"It is meaningful to us that something good has come out of the terrible tragedy of last summer," said Berwyn Heights Mayor Cheye Calvo, whose dogs were shot when his home was mistakenly raided last summer. "Hopefully, it will be a first step in being able to better police our communities."
The new law will require every police department that operates a SWAT team to submit a monthly public report on its activities, including where and when it was deployed and whether an operation resulted in arrests, evidence seizures or injuries.
Members of the Prince George's Sheriff's Office SWAT team killed Calvo's black Labrador retrievers in July after officers broke down his door and raided his home in search of a drug-filled package that had been addressed to Calvo's wife. Law enforcement officials have since acknowledged that Calvo and his wife, Trinity Tomsic, were victims of a smuggling scheme that used FedEx drivers to ship drugs and that the couple knew nothing about the box intercepted by police.
The case attracted national outrage and remains a hot-button issue in Prince George's. Sheriff Michael Jackson and county police never apologized to Calvo, and an internal Sheriff's Office investigation found that the SWAT team acted appropriately. The county is reviewing those findings, Jackson said, and an FBI probe is believed to be ongoing.
In remarks at the ceremony, O'Malley and legislative leaders focused on the domestic violence bills, which give judges additional tools to prompt accused abusers to surrender their firearms. Under one bill, a judge can order abuse suspects to give up their guns when served with a seven-day temporary protective order if they had threatened violence or threatened to use a gun. The other bill requires judges to confiscate guns from anyone issued a more serious final protective order.
"This is probably the single most important step we've taken as a state... but it's not enough," said Lt. Gov. Anthony G. Brown (D), whose cousin, Cathy, was fatally shot last year by an estranged boyfriend.
Brown, who said his cousin was among 75 Marylanders who lost their lives last year to domestic violence, served as the O'Malley administration's point person on the legislation during the session.
The speed camera legislation, which barely survived a series of Senate votes, was also an O'Malley priority. A group called Maryland for Responsible Enforcement is seeking to gather enough signatures in coming weeks to force a public vote on the measure under a Maryland referendum law.
O'Malley told reporters after the ceremony that he is "agnostic" on whether voters should have a say on the issue. Under current law, Montgomery County is the only jurisdiction in Maryland in which speed cameras are allowed.
Another bill signed yesterday by O'Malley will prohibit law enforcement agencies from covertly infiltrating protest or advocacy groups without reasonable suspicion that they are engaging in criminal activity. That legislation grew out of revelations that the Maryland State Police, under O'Malley's predecessor, Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. (R), had infiltrated anti-death penalty groups and other organizations.
Other public-safety bills signed during the ceremony tighten some penalties on drunk drivers and require pawnbrokers to submit electronic records to help police find stolen merchandise.
Additional bills signed yesterday seek to expand use of electronic health records and raise the age for which foster children are guaranteed health insurance through Medicaid from 18 to 21.
Staff writers Aaron C. Davis and Rosalind S. Helderman contributed to this report.At what point does our willingness to have sex to make babies become a larger social problem? That’s not a rhetorical question, by the way. I’m not even the first person to ask that question. Ongoing changes in demographics are a real issue. Yes, the human population is still growing at a remarkable pace, historically speaking. However, the way it is growing is generating all sorts of problems.
I know talking about demographics isn’t all that sexy, but I think it should be. Demographics involve population. A population of any measure requires that people have sex. I’m in the business of telling sexy stories so changes in demographics will indirectly affect me to some extent.
To understand this issue, it’s necessary to sift through some annoying levels of fear-mongering. Not too long ago, there were some pretty dire predictions about the impact that our rapid population growth would incur on the environment. While these are still pressing issues, we’re not living in a “Mad Max” style hellscape for now.
More recently, much of the doom-saying has come from those anxious about the declining fertility rates of the industrialized world, some of which have dropped below replacement levels.
You don’t need to know much about the particulars of demographics or statistics to understand the implications. For any society to prosper, both economically and functionally, it needs a steadily growing population. Old people die off. Their children take their place. More children grow into productive adults that contribute to society and the economy. It is very much the life-blood of civilization.
That process got a massive boost in the mid to late 20th century thanks to improvements in medicine, technology, and economics. Around 1900, the world population was below two billion. By the end, it had tripled to six billion. As of this post, the global population stands at approximately 7.5 billion. It’s very possible that we may cross the 8 billion mark by the end of the decade.
However, that continued growth is starting to encounter some obstacles. The rates of growth, especially in the industrialized world, are starting to slow. Just this past year, the fertility rate in the United States dropped below replacement level for the first time in a century. That’s a major milestone with some major implications.
Some parts of the world are already dealing with those implications. In some areas, they’re slowing so much that it’s causing major concerns for the future of that society. Japan, especially, is dealing with some unprecedented issues with a society that has a booming elder population and a dwindling pool of youth.
I won’t get into the specifics of the apocalyptic visions associated with declining fertility rates. That kind of doom-saying is rarely productive and often flat out wrong. However, a declining population carries with it all sorts of issues.
A society with a declining population has very poor economic prospects and I’m not just talking about a smaller market for my sexy novels. A declining population means fewer workers, fewer customers, and fewer people to come up with sexy new ideas. For a community and a culture, it’s basically the social equivalent of rapid decay.
In some cases, this decline can be compensated through immigration, but that brings with it a whole host of hot-button issues that I don’t care to discuss on this site. After all the anti-immigration rhetoric that erupted from the 2016 presidential election, there’s little chance that anything productive will emerge from that issue.
What concerns me more about this ongoing trend are the more personal implications behind it. There has already been a noticeable decline in overall sexual activity among younger generations. That doesn’t mean people are less horny. That just means less people are actually getting together and doing it.
The reasons for this are hard to quantify, but I’ve mentioned some of the obstacles that millennials are dealing with, beyond their sex lives. There will likely be even more obstacles once Generation Z, their successors, take hold.
In essence, these coming generations are drowning in debt and lack the economic of their predecessors. It’s hard to find time to seek a lover, start a family, and raise multiple children when there aren’t as many well-paying jobs to go around and the cost of living just keeps going up. The stress alone in dealing with all these issues is enough to kill anyone’s libido.
Others will claim that trends like growing acceptance of abortion and contraception, two issues that I’ve discussed more than once, is a major factor here. I tend to disagree, at least in part. Historically speaking, economics tends to drive fertility, politics, and most other major trends. Money is just that powerful.
I don’t doubt that having a greater control over our fertility from a medical standpoint is an issue, but just having that control doesn’t necessarily undermine our inherent desire to procreate. It’s the resources, circumstances, and conditions that have a much bigger impact on peoples’ desire to have children.
I even see this among my friends, family, and peers. Most of the people who are my age or younger are not in a situation where they have the resources to have a family. Most are struggling to find steady, well-paying jobs. Some are struggling just to find affordable living space, an issue I only recently addressed. Even if they’re still horny, they are not in a position to exercise their fertility.
While that’s understandable from a pragmatic point of view, the long-term implications are still there. If a large enough chunk of society faces these same issues, then at some point, the shift in demographics becomes unavoidable. Fewer children being born, along with a higher cost of raising them, carries with it all sorts of uncertainties that promise to make a tense situation even worse.
It may still be too early to worry about this trend, even the context of an aspiring erotica/romance writer. Trends have a nasty way of changing erratically. The old investor adage of past performance not guaranteeing future results has held true on many occasions.
Paul R. Ehrlich‘s “The Population Bomb” found that out the hard way because it failed to anticipate how humanity would react and adapt. Given how notoriously hard it can be to predict the future, it’s not smart to make too many assumptions about what will happen with these trends in declining fertility rates.
That said, if I have to adapt my novels to cater to an aging population, I’m willing do to that. It just may mean that I’ll have to learn how to describe sagging boobs in a sexier way.Integrating PyCharm and docker with debugging support.
Gabe Rives-Corbett Blocked Unblock Follow Following Sep 1, 2016
Unfortunately Jetbrains’ docker plugin has not yet lived up to expectations — as anyone that’s been following this thread would know. Connecting to docker native requires numerous workarounds including bridging the docker unix socket to a TCP socket… because PyCharm refuses to connect to the former.
While most of the credit for this article goes to a gentleman by the name of Ben Last, and his post on a different Jetbrains thread, there were still a number of details left up to imagination. We’ve finally got a workable PyCharm/docker setup going at untapt. Here I’ll go through the steps that have worked for us. The solution is to inherit from your production docker image, run an ssh server, and use a PyCharm SSH remote interpreter setup. Imagining you’ve got a folder called dev in your repo, here are the scripts you need (once again, mostly copy-pasted from Ben’s work):
Ben’s post explains most of how this works. The key addition is to mount your project directory and pycharm_helpers into the container and then run sshd non daemonized. Now you can setup a PyCharm remote interpreter like this (note the username is root, this got me for a while too):Diskagma ("disc-like fragment") is a genus of problematic fossil from a Paleoproterozoic (2200 million years old) paleosol from South Africa, and significant as the oldest likely eukaryote and earliest evidence for megascopic life on land.[1]
Diskagma buttonii. Reconstruction of
Description [ edit ]
Diskagma buttonii is a small fossil less than 1mm in length found within the surface horizon of a Vertisol paleosol above the Hekpoort Basalt dated to 2200 million years old. The opacity of the matrix and the size of the fossil meant that its three dimensional structure required imaging by computer-assisted x-ray tomography using a cyclotron source[1] The fossils are shaped like an urn with an apical cup, which is filled with filamentous structures whose exact nature is uncertain due to recrystallization of the matrix under greenschist facies metamorphism. The base of these hollow urns is a system of hollow tubes running over the paleosol and connecting the urns into groups. The walls of Diskagma have scattered spiny or tubular extensions.
Diskagma buttonii. Poorly preserved filamentous structures in the apex of
Biological affinities [ edit ]
Diskagma buttonii is a problematic fossil that has been named before its biological affinities have been understood. Its size and complexity suggest that it had the degree of cytoskeletal complexity found in eukaryotes, but it predates the other fossil candidate for the oldest eukaryote Grypania, now known to be 1800 million years old,[2] and at 2200 million years old is much older than molecular clock estimates for eukaryotes of 1600 million years.[3] Another similar fossil is Horodyskia. The size and hollow shape of Diskagma are similar to the living fungus Geosiphon, which is endosymbiotic with the cyanobacterium Nostoc. However, the apical cup and filaments are not seen in modern Geosiphon.
Paleoenvironmental significance [ edit ]
Diskagma buttonii dates to the Paleoproterozoic Great Oxygenation Event, a time of marked increase in atmospheric oxygenation compared with that of the Archean.[4] If, like the living Geosiphon, the central cavity of Diskagma housed a photosymbiont, it may have contributed to atmospheric oxygenation.
Although Precambrian landscapes are customarily regarded as barren as the surface of Mars, Diskagma is evidence for very early life on land. Furthermore, at 2200 million years old, Diskagma was larger than coeval marine microbes of the Gunflint Chert, and more complex than stromatolites.
References [ edit ]You'd think a tech-laden car such as the 2011 Chevrolet Volt would be fussy, but not so. J.D. Power's latest dependability survey shows it's most trouble-free of any 3-year old compact car. (Photo11: GM Wieck) Story Highlights Cars, trucks are getting worse, not better, first time since 1998, Power study shows
Dependability survey tallies number of problems reported in three years of ownership
Foreign, domestic brands both slipping
J.D. Power's annual Vehicle Dependability Study showing the most reliable 3-year-old vehicles — a key study for finding a good used car — was released today, and the most stunning news is that the reliability of late-model used cars is down for the first time since 1998.
The widely watched report card says owners of 3-year-old vehicles (2011 models) reported 6% more troubles than owners of 3-year-old vehicles (2010 models) did last year — 133 problems per 100 2011 vehicles,vs. 126 for 2010s in last year's survey. Power says that reverses steadily improving industry scores since the 1998 study.
Brand rankings and a list of category winners follow this story.
Automakers are striving to convince buyers that quality is continuing to rise — a hard sell if dependability scores continue to get worse.
A Chevrolet tag line asserts that its trucks are the "longest-lasting, most-dependable." VW not only touted 100,000 — and 200,000 miles — in a Super Bowl ad, but also claims to have more vehicles still in service than any other maker.
Such claims will begin to seem hollow if the latest Power VDS is not a hiccup, but the start of annually declining dependability — and that seems quite possible.
Problems that showed up in the 2014 VDS suggest "a continuing challenge" for car companies in maintaining quality as vehicles age, said David Sargent, Power's global automotive vice president. "Some of the changes that automakers implemented for the 2011 model year have led to a noticeable increase in problems reported," he said.
Biggest contributor: new engines and transmissions accounted for nearly 6 of the 7 additional problems per 100 vehicles in this year's study. "The decline in quality is particularity acute for vehicles with four-cylinder engines," Power reports.
The move to smaller engines has taken off in the past few years, with many more vehicles with a four as the base, or now the only available engine. The industry shift is being made to boost fuel economy to meet federal regulations tightening to an average 54.5 mpg in 2026. But, says Power, it means automakers have saddled drivers with "engine hesitation, rough transmission shifts and lack of power."
Trouble-free new cars and trucks are key for repeat sales. Power data show that 56% of owners who reported no problems stayed with the same brand next time. And shoppers are much more likely to avoid models and brands with low dependability rankings, Power data show.
The VDS is based on responses from more than 41,000 original owners of 3-year old vehicles. It is a companion to Power's annual Initial Quality Study, or IQS, that measures problems new vehicles in the first 90 days of ownership.
The VDS offers overall brand lineup scores — Lexus was by far the best — and also lists best individual models by vehicle type. General Motors was segment champ, with eight winners. Toyota won seven.
Brand scores (problems per 100 vehicles for 2011 models; lower is better):
Lexus (68)
Mercedes-Benz (104)
Cadillac (107)
Acura (109)
Buick (112)
Honda (114)
Lincoln (114)
Toyota (114)
Porsche (125)
Infiniti (128)
BMW (130)
Subaru (131)
Chevrolet (132)
Jaguar (132)
Mazda (132)
GMC (133)
INDUSTRY AVERAGE ( 133)
Ford (140)
Nissan (142)
Audi (151)
Kia (151)
Volvo (152)
Scion (153)
Chrysler (155)
Volkswagen (158)
Ram (165)
Mitsubishi (166)
Hyundai (169)
Jeep (178)
Land Rover (179)
Dodge (181)
Mini (185)
Segment winners (top three models in each category, starting with best):
Subcompact car
Honda Fit
Kia Rio
Nissan Versa
Compact car
Chevrolet Volt
Toyota Corolla
Honda Civic
Premium compact car
Lexus ES
Lexus IS
Lincoln MKZ
Sporty compact car
Mini Cooper
(No others scored high enough to include.)
Midsize car
Toyota Camry
Buick LaCrosse
Honda Accord
Sporty midsize car
Chevrolet Camaro
(No others high enough to include)
Premium midsize car
Lexus GS
Mercedes-Benz E-class
Lincoln MKS
Large car
Buick Lucerne
Toyota Avalon
Ford Taurus
Premium large car
(tie) Cadillac DTS, Lexus LS
Subcompact crossover SUV
Honda Element
Jeep Patriot
Kia Sportage
Compact crossover SUV
Honda CR-V
Toyota FJ Cruiser
Toyota RAV4
Premium compact crossover SUV
Acura RDX
Mercedes-Benz GLK
(No others high enough to include)
Midsize crossover SUV
Honda Crosstour
Toyota 4Runner
Nissan Murano
Premium midsize crossover SUV
Lexus RX
Lexus GX
(tie) Acura MDX, Mercedes-Benz M-class
Large SUV
GMC Yukon
Chevrolet Tahoe
Toyota Sequoia
Premium large SUV
Cadillac Escalade
Mercedes-Benz GL
Compact multi-purpose vehicle
Scion xB
Kia Soul
(No others high enough to include)
Midsize pickup
Honda Ridgeline
Ford Ranger
GMC Canyon
Minivan
Toyota Sienna
(No others high enough to include)
Full-size pickup, standard duty
GMC Sierra
Toyota Tundra
Chevrolet Avalanche
Full-size pickup, heavy duty
GMC Sierra HD
Chevrolet Silverado HD
(No others high enough to include)
Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/1aUKDkXThe University of Oregon runners in the 3,000-meter final knew exactly how to apply an exclamation point to their own – and their team’s – victory in the Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships.
Eric Jenkins, Edward Cheserek and Will Geoghegan finished first, second and third, respectively, in the 3,000 to secure 24 points. That was more than enough to catapult the Ducks (74 points) past the University of Florida (50) and the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville (39). Oregon captured its second consecutive national indoor championship.
“The perfect scenario,” Jenkins told Oregonian.com, describing his squad’s one-two-three dominance.
“You can’t say enough about those guys,” Oregon coach Robert Johnson told Goducks.com. “To be able to finish it off the way they did in the 3K is absolutely outstanding.”
The Ducks, long known for their distance-running prowess, also became the first school to win four distance events at the indoor championships: Jenkins added a victory in the 5,000; Oregon’s distance-medley relay squad reigned; and Cheserek captured the mile.Dark Side of the Nerd
Some fans already have discovered this, but this is the first time I’m making an official statement. The AVGN Wizard of Oz game review can be synced to the Pink Floyd album Dark Side of the Moon. But,I’m very surprised how many people are not aware of the pop culture reference. So, I’ll explain:
There’s an old urban legend that if you listen to the album Dark Side of the Moon while watching the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz, they sync together. During the MGM logo in the beginning of the movie, you’re supposed to start the album on the third lion roar. While a lot of really neat coincidences occur, it’s nothing that special, but some people swear that Pink Floyd dilerberately composed the whole album to match the movie. Furthermore, it’s been discussed in depth to the point where people are even comparing the album artwork, that the beam of light going through the prism, represents the movie’s change from Black & White to Color, and “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.”
So keeping with tradition, you can also sync the AVGN: Wizard of Oz video to Dark Side of the Moon. You must start the album on the third lion ROAR, ignoring the laughs and various noises inbetween. Or just watch the bottom of the screenfor the “I” “II” “III” count to show up. (Start it ON “III”) And just for a fun fact, if you want to know what all the junk at the bottom means: “MMVIII = 2008, the year the video was released. MCMLXXIII = 1973, the year Dark Side of the Moon was released. Plus the prism logo are all the clues presented. This was just to give fans the idea without explicitly saying so.
All the things to watch for:
TIMECODE MATCHES WITH GAMETRAILERS VERSION.
TIMECODE CORRESPONDS WITH VIDEO, NOT ALBUM
0:00 – starts on GameTrailers/Screwattack logo
0:13 – Third lion roar (START ALBUM)
1:29 – First chord of Breathe – Nerd appears for first time.
2:20 – music matches with witch bubble
2:45 – “breathe in the air” – clouds appear on “air”.
3:14 – “how you fly.” – Zooms in on bird flying.
3:18 – “Smiles you’ll give, and tears you’ll cry.” – Tree SMILES, TEAR drops from bubble
3:22 – “all you touch and all you see.” – Nerd TOUCHES clock, EYE appears in background on center poster.
3:29 – “Run, rabbit run” – Very obvious.
3:36 – “Dig that hole, get the sun.” – HOLE in ground, SUN appears at top.
3:54 – “Don’t sit down” – You wouldn’t want to sit down in a killer chair
4:05 – “Ride the tide” – Dorothy rides the logs.
4:10 – “balanced on the biggest wave.” Dorothy jumps on edge of mushroom resembling a wave.
4:13 – “ON THE RUN” BEGINS – Super Mario World starts
6:10 – Crazy laughter – Lion LAUGHS in closeup.
7:05 – another laugh – this time it’s chattering teeth.
7:17 – plane engine (?) – A plane flies by in background, deliberatley added. It doesn’t belong in the game, but perfectly compliments the soundtrack.
8:07 – BELLS!!! – The clock. From here on out, the video repeatedly cuts to the music.
10:32 “in your home town” – Dorothy goes home.
There’s also a very brief scene in the video where you can see R.O.B. hanging himself in the background, but I hope I don’t have to explain what that one’s all about.Since the very beginnings of Mario Kart in the 1992 Super Nintendo original, items have been a truly defining aspect of the series. Little did we – and perhaps even Nintendo – know various themed items and effects originally extracted from the traditional Mario universe would go on to become such an integral part of the Mario Kart experience. Karts, tracks and characters aside, the uniquely and carefully crafted item collection sets the Mario Kart series apart from both rival and copycat competition. Unlike competitor's titles, there was always much finesse to item creation within the Mario Kart lineage; a sort of finely-tuned balance was required to keep the tension in every race, and ensure anyone and everyone was in the running for first – whether they were up front or at the back of the pack. Items thrown in with the classic rubber-banding effect meant Mario Kart players would normally be on the edge of their seats until the very last minute of a race.
With all of these nostalgic thoughts in mind — and the release of Mario Kart 8 at the end of this month — now is probably a suitable to time to reflect on some of Mario Kart's most memorable and not so memorable items, and just how they've contributed to the series, evolved as the years have passed and, in a few particular cases, how some have even been completely left behind, or revitalised in both weird and wonderful ways.
First and foremost, we begin with the beloved banana. The item first popularised in Super Mario Kart ironically went on to become a trademark aspect of the Donkey Kong series later on in 1994 when the first entry of Rare’s Donkey Kong Country series was released. The unique differences between the two bananas were the tiny little faces on the Mario Kart peels. Originally just two lines of dots for eyes in the Super Nintendo & Nintendo 64 iterations of Mario Kart, the facial expression of bananas grew a little livelier during the GameCube, DS and Wii generation. There was even a mean looking frown placed upon the Mario Kart: Double Dash!! Giant Banana to provide some balance in emotion. Frown or smile, these silent little faces often highlighted the sheer heroism of the banana when thrown out on the track.
Despite the fearless expressions, it didn't take long for fans to adapt Mario Kart’s banana-throwing antics to real-life road scenarios. The old banana under the wheel trick quickly became the butt of all jokes – to the extent of becoming a pop culture reference. If this was in fact a thing prior to Mario Kart, then it was certainly Nintendo’s speedy series that put it on the map. It is believed the idea may have even been lifted from classic American physical comedy slapstick gags.
The original banana peel slip can be traced back to the 19th century when bananas were considered a public hazard in American towns. Another theory suggests bananas were originally used as an alternative to manure on cinema screens, because animal waste was considered as too offensive to show audiences during this period. Whatever – or whoever – coined the idea of bananas being comical (and even karts spinning-out when driven over them), little did they know the monster they had created when Nintendo eventually released Super Mario Kart featuring the classic banana gag, and then later on in the 21st Century memes and YouTube hit. To this very day, the internet is still littered with countless parodies of Mario Kart – all of them incorporating the classic banana slip.
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As for the evolution of the banana throughout the life of the Mario Kart series, it’s been just as interesting as its initial entry. Nintendo has actually been pretty indecisive when it’s come to the long-term vision for the banana, though only in terms of number, not functionality. But heck, if it ain't broken – just add more, or less.
We saw the individual beginnings of the banana in the original Super Nintendo classic, followed by a banana bunch (five to be precise) in 1996 with Mario Kart 64 – though strangely the item box of the banana bunch only displays four bananas. The Nintendo 64 entry was also the first time players were able to hold a banana, or drag a line of bananas behind their kart. It also was the only entry in the series to feature the five-banana bunch. The 2001 Game Boy Advance game Mario Kart: Super Circuit went back to its retro roots with a single banana limit, and then the 2003 GameCube version was released with a single banana and also the one-time Giant Banana – arriving with a fearsome face, but splitting into three much friendlier faced peels when hit.
To the jealousy of rival racers, the Giant Banana was exclusive to Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong (and Petey Piranha & King Boo – having the ability to use character-exclusive items). Defensively speaking, the Giant Banana was capable of stopping and blocking every single item, and causing a longer duration of spin if hit than regular bananas. The 2005 title Mario Kart DS followed, delivering a single banana and triple combo (although the triple bananas were removed from online play to reduce lag), and by the Wii version Nintendo began to show some consistency with the exact same choice. This remained in 2011's Mario Kart 7, and will be similar in Mario Kart 8.
As much effort that has gone into bananas over the years, the sight of them coming up in the item box is still mostly a depressing one. Overriding this feeling of helplessness is the first step to success when using this traditional Mario Kart item. The banana is not a hindrance when in your possession; it’s a key to success – provided its true power is harnessed. If there is one thing that can be guaranteed when it comes to the banana peel in the Mario Kart series though, it’s probably that it’ll always cause a slip-up on the way to the finish line. Often crushing dreams for those on the receiving end, or being the saviour, deflecting enemy items, and perhaps even stopping rival racers from catching you on the line.
After all the yellow fruit has been through – or at least under – over the years, it’s hoped fans will show a little more love and appreciation towards the banana next time they're out on the track. Without the Mario Kart banana, the series would not be half as chaotic as it is today. In our next feature we'll be tracking the evolution of the shell, so expect all the usual suspects — and maybe a few others you've forgotten about, or didn't even know existed. So until then, in the words of Mario himself: See you next time!When used in the right way, a credit card can be a powerful tool.
The best credit cards provide you with free stuff, and even cash back.
While we often we think of credit cards as debt traps, the truth is that, used responsibly, credit cards actually provide a number of benefits. Savvy credit card use can lead to the earning of valuable rewards, as well as cash back. You can actually make money simply by making purchases that you would normally.
The goal, of course, is to get the best credit card possible.
This includes a credit card with generous rewards, as well as easy redemption. Many of the best credit cards also come with a signing bonus. When you sign up, and then spend a certain amount of money within a set period of time, you receive bonuses worth $100, or even $200.
Honestly, the interest rate isn’t as important when you have these types of cards. While it’s nice to have a low interest rate, it’s really a moot point if you are smart about your credit card use and pay off the balance each month. When you only spend what you have, and use your credit cards in tandem with your regular budget, you won’t pay interest, since you can pay the balance each month.
Even better, is if you can get a 0% introductory rate for balance transfers and purchases. This gives you time to pay off lingering debt that you might have, as well as make larger purchases and have time to pay them off without paying interest.
For the most part, the best credit card offers require that you have good credit, or excellent credit.
If you want the best cash bonus, or the best rewards program, you need to be prepared to show your good financial reputation. Get the best card you can so that you have the best advantage. It’s all about getting the best deal, and the best credit card offers can provide you with a financial advantage — and sometimes that might even mean paying an annual fee.
There are a number of different types of credit cards from travel rewards cards to airline miles cards and more. Below you will see some great overall credit cards to maximize your credit card use.
Here are some of the best credit card offers available right now:
Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express
The Blue Cash Everyday card is an American Express credit card with no annual membership fee.
You receive 50 Rewards Dollars when you spend $1,000 in the first three months of membership (this can be redeemed for cash back). The rewards have no cap, so you can earn as much as possible. Meet that requirement and also get a free year of Amazon Prime!
You receive 3% cash back on all U.S. supermarkets (up to $6,000 in spending), 2% cash back on U.S. gas stations and select major department store purchases, and 1% cash back on other purchases. Terms and limitations apply so make sure to check the details.
This is a great card is you want simple cash-back categories that don’t rotate.
There is a 0% 15-month introductory rate on purchases and balance transfers with the Blue Cash card (after that you have a variable APR, currently 12.99%-21.99%).
Terms & restrictions apply.
It is also worth noting that the Blue Cash card comes as Preferred, as well.
The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express has an annual fee of $75, but the cash back is more generous.
You receive 6% cash back on groceries at U.S. supermarkets (up to $6,000 in spending), and 3% cash back on select major department stores and U.S. gas stations, as well as 1% cash back on other purchases. If you use your cash back card for everything, and rack up enough rewards, it’s enough to offset the annual fee — and make money on top of that. In fact, if you spend $25 a week on groceries with your card you will earn enough to offset the annual fee.
You can also earn 100 Rewards Dollars when you spend $1,000 in the first 3 months of membership. Same as above you can also get a free year of Amazon Prime if you meet the bonus terms. Terms & restrictions apply. You also have a 0% intro. APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months with a variable rate of 12.99%-21.99% after the intro rate expires.
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Discover it® Card
Discover re-vamped their credit card line and came up with a real nice overall card – the Discover it™ card.
This particular card offer up cash back rewards (currently 5% for online shopping and department store purchases through December 2014 and 1% on everything else). The 5% is on the first $1,500 you spend in the quarter while the 1% is unlimited. Make sure you sign up for the bonus category.
There are also no annual/overlimit/pay-by-phone fees. In fact your late fee will be waived the first time you pay late (which you shouldn’t do anyway). You also won’t have your APR penalized if you happen to pay late. And to help you pay on time Discover lets you choose your due date and you have until midnight ET to pay online or by phone.
If you travel you’ll like that there’s no foreign transaction fees when you use your card.
Currently you can enjoy an introductory 14 months of 0% APR on purchases and balance transfers.* There’s 3% balance transfer fee.
And if that wasn’t enough you’re also getting a free FICO® credit score every month on your statement!
Click through the link above to see rates, rewards, and other details.
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Gold Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express
This is an air miles card that is ideal for those who travel frequently, and are loyal Delta customers.
You don’t have to worry about expiring miles — ever. There is a $95 annual fee, but it is an intro $0 fee the first year.
You receive 30,000 bonus miles when you make $1,000 in purchases during the first three months. That’s $300 when |
.'
Federal District Court Judge Algenon Marbley's brief order [PDF], agreeing to lift the stay, was quietly issued on September 19th. It reads:
On motion of the plaintiffs and agreement of the defendant Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner, the stay in this matter is lifted for the sole purpose of permitting the plaintiffs to take the deposition of Michael Connell and any other witnesses whose testimony, in the judgment of these parties, may be warranted based upon the deposition of Michael Connell.
The BRAD BLOG had learned about the latest court action, which could soon entangle Rove as well, some time ago, but we were asked by parties involved in the case to embargo the information until such time as they were able to serve Connell with his subpoena...
The lifting of the stay comes on the heels of a troubling declaration filed with the court by Republican cyber-security expert and Connell colleague, Stephen Spoonamore who testified that he's concerned a classic "Man in the Middle" cyber hack may have occurred on Election Night in 2004 as Connell's Republican firm handled results reporting for Ohio's Presidential election.
According to Spoonamore, control of Ohio's election system by Connell's firm, may have allowed for the compromise of election results as they were being reported. The structure of the system, as results were allowed to be first diverted to Connell's servers that night, would have been "cause to launch an immediate fraud investigation" in the banking industry, charges Spoonamore, who ferrets out such problems in the financial services industry.
Spoonamore further notes in his declaration, in regard to Connell, that "He has admitted to me that in his zeal to'save the unborn' he may have helped others who have compromised elections."
Should Rove be subpoenaed in this case, it is believed that he would not be able to invoke the Executive Privilege claims he's used to fight similar calls to testify before Congress, attorneys working on the case have told The BRAD BLOG.
Connell's attorneys are currently fighting to quash his subpoena. RAW STORY has all the latest details...
Recently related at The BRAD BLOG:
More Elsewhere: VelvetRevolution's RoveCyberGate.com
[Disclosure: The BRAD BLOG is a co-founder of VR]
UPDATE: Bev Harris of BlackBoxVoting.org has more on the Connell subpoena in Ohio, as well as concerns of similar "Man in the Middle" attacks this year in Colorado, Illinois & Kentucky.Here’s a look at the Super Bowl prospects of the Denver Broncos, who finished the season 9-7:
Broncos' Super Bowl barometer: They should contend, but there are question marks.
Assessing the foundation: Start with John Elway, the Denver Broncos executive vice president of football operations and general manager. His expectation meter is set at "we want to compete for world championships; that's the standard." When Vance Joseph was introduced as the head coach, replacing Gary Kubiak, Elway said the Broncos should be back in the Super Bowl conversation next season and pointed out the team had won the title less than a year earlier.
The Broncos have a fairly young roster, have managed the cap well -- they could have around $40 million worth of room when free agency opens -- and know without a doubt their current core can win a championship because they did it last February. In the big picture, they've had six consecutive winning seasons. Despite this season's playoff miss, the Broncos finished 9-7 -- and were 7-3 at one point.
Because of the potential to have as many as four compensatory draft picks, including perhaps two third-rounders, the Broncos could also have a 10-player draft class. Nine rookies -- eight draft picks and one undrafted player -- made the roster out of training camp this past season. Anything close to a repeat and the Broncos suddenly have restocked the depth chart in a two-draft cycle.
Overall, Elway believes in the draft and supports the scouting staff. When they see the opportunity, the Broncos will dive into free agency to make the big splashes. Put it all together with a defense that includes three first-team All-Pro picks in cornerback Chris Harris Jr., cornerback Aqib Talib and linebacker Von Miller, and the Broncos are indeed in position to get back in the mix if they repair the offensive line.
The Broncos surrendered 40 sacks in 2016. Fixing the issues with their offensive line is of the utmost importance so they can properly evaluate their quarterbacks. AP Photo/James Kenney
Judging the quarterback: At the heart of the questions on offense are the players tasked with protecting the quarterback. The Broncos overhauled the offensive line in 2015, but the group never quite played the way the team hoped. The line did rally down the stretch and probably saved its best game for Super Bowl 50 win over the Carolina Panthers.
The Broncos revamped the line again in 2016, only to see the group struggle mightily. The Broncos finished 27th in rushing and surrendered 40 sacks -- ninth most in the league.
Before the Broncos can judge Trevor Siemian and Paxton Lynch at quarterback, they must give them a line that allows concentration on coverage rather than self-preservation.
Siemian, who started 14 games last season, and Lynch, the team's first-round pick in 2015, will battle for the starting job in 2017. Siemian won the job in last year's camp and it wasn't close. If the competition is fair, he will be difficult to unseat. Siemian throws with better anticipation and can handle as much information as the coaches give him.
Lynch has athleticism on his side and that first-round grade, but he has to learn to manage what he sees in front of him because it is far different than his college offense. Opposing defensive coordinators believe they can make Lynch hesitate on throws between the numbers because he's indecisive after his first read.
The Broncos believe both can be starters, and Elway has said -- for the moment -- he has no intention of bringing in a veteran to be the starter. You never say never with the Broncos on such matters, but Siemian just turned 25 and Lynch is set to enter his second offseason program. That means the Broncos are young at the position, have friendly cap numbers on both quarterbacks.
As the season drew to a close, Siemian had the support of his teammates, who often privately said he could have led the Broncos to the playoffs if the offensive line had performed a little better.
Realistic ways the Broncos can improve their chances to contend for a Super Bowl:THESE ARE the depressing facts about boys and young men of color: They are more likely to drop out of school, more likely to be in prison, more likely to be unemployed and more likely to die at an earlier age. That minority men are at disproportionate risk throughout their lives has largely been seen as unavoidable. The beauty of President Obama’s public-private initiative to create better futures for them is its refusal to accept these outcomes as inevitable.
My Brother’s Keeper, a five-year, $200 million effort focused on improving opportunities for black and Hispanic youth, was launched in February. It got a boost this week with the announcement of new commitments from the private sector. Equally important is the decision by 60 of the nation’s largest school districts to join the effort by implementing evidence-based strategies to improve outcomes.
The urban districts signing on to My Brother’s Keeper are home to about 40 percent of all African American and Hispanic boys living below the poverty line. While there have been sporadic efforts in the past to help young minority men, this is the most comprehensive effort. Michael Casserly, director of the Council of the Great City Schools, which is coordinating the effort, said some districts have made progress in some areas but, because no school system has it all figured out, there is value in sharing strategies. What’s the best way to reduce suspensions? Encourage early reading? Increase the number of minorities in Advanced Placement classes?
The initiative involves no new federal spending; the bully pulpit of the White House — and the president’s appreciation of the importance of life supports in opening opportunities — has elicited millions of dollars in private money for a range of programs. Boys, of course, are not the only children who struggle, but criticism of the initiative for excluding girls seems misplaced. Boys of color lag so far behind that an intense effort targeted on gender- and race-specific issues is appropriate. Many of the strategies being put in place will also benefit girls, and other efforts underway are tailored to their needs, including creating more opportunities for them in science and math.
The country as a whole will gain when males of color are able to realize their potential, rather than ending up on the streets, in jail or in the morgue.You must enter the characters with black color that stand out from the other characters
— A former University of North Carolina tutor became the first person to appear in court Thursday on charges she violated state laws that regulate how agents may interact with student athletes.
Jennifer Lauren Wiley Thompson is one of five people indicted earlier this week on charges related to the North Carolina Uniform Athlete Agents Act. She is one of 10 people found by the NCAA to have provided impermissible benefits – both academic and financial – to members of the UNC football team.
"This is a new law that that has questionable applicability to these facts and no one should judge the truth based on this or any grand jury indictment," Wiley's attorney Joe Chesire said in a statement Thursday. "She has been pursued and harassed for years and paid a great price for being a good hearted naive young person who tried to help people. We shall see the truth, but people should keep an open mind about her case."
Wiley's indictment, which was unsealed Thursday, shows investigators found she purchased a round-trip airline ticket for then-UNC football player Greg Little in May 2010. Later that year, Wiley delivered packages to Little containing $2,000 and $150 cash. Investigators allege Wiley gave gifts to Little in attempts to persuade him to contract with sports agent Terry Watson of the Georgia-based Watson Sports Agency.
District Attorney Jim Woodall said Thursday that nobody, in North Carolina or nationwide, has ever been charged under the athlete-agent act, that he knows of. Wiley, who faces four felony charges that each carry a maximum of 15 months in jail, has an authorized released upon payment of a $15,000 secured bond. She is due in court again Oct. 15.
"I am very concerned about the legal and/or factual basis for this indictment against Jennifer," Chesire said. "We will be reviewing the discovery carefully for statements that give any credence to the allegations. As well we have serious doubts as to the applicability of this law to this situation."
The university was sanctioned by the NCAA in March 2012 after an almost two-year long investigation that showed that seven players had received $27,097.38 in gifts, cash and trips.
North Carolina Secretary of State Elaine Marshall followed up the NCAA investigation with one of her own, under the auspices of a law that requires sports agents to register with the Secretary of State, and prohibits them from providing “anything of value” to a student-athlete not under contract or initiating contact with a student-athlete.
Those who violate the law can be charged with a felony and may also be subject to civil penalties, including a fine of up to $25,000 and paying damages to a school that loses eligible student-athletes.
In the course of the criminal investigation, agents with the Secretary of State’s office searched Wiley’s phone records – finding “extensive contact between Wiley and UNC-CH student athletes” and “direct contact between Wiley’s number and (sports agent) Peter Schaffer.”
In a search warrant application for her bank records, Secretary of State Special Agent A.H. Jones wrote, “Since Wiley is not a student athlete there does not appear to be a reasonable explanation for her to be in direct contact with agents and financial advisors.”
UNC told the NCAA that Wiley provided too much help with players’ school work and paid about $3,500 worth of parking and plane tickets for the players she worked with.
As a result, the university banned Wiley, a UNC graduate, from further helping student athletes, having contact with them or entering any campus athletic facilities.
Wiley’s lawyer, Joseph B. Cheshire V, has said she didn’t know what she was doing was wrong, saying, "She has suffered a lot for having a big heart.”
Nyang’oro investigation still pending
Wiley is also connected to a second, on-going investigation at UNC by the Secretary of State.
She helped player Michael McAdoo with portions of a paper he turned in for what was revealed to be a no-show class in the Department of African and Afro-American Studies, a paper later found to be largely lifted from other sources. McAdoo’s work, which he used as evidence when he sued to be reinstated to the football team, shone a light on that department and especially then-Chairman Julius Nyang’oro and his administrator, Deborah Crowder.
A university review of courses in the department found independent study classes with minimal professor-student interaction and 59 instances between 2007-09 where grades were submitted with forged signatures of professors.
Woodall and the SBI have yet to determine whether Nyang’oro and Crowder, both of whom have left the university, defrauded UNC by collecting pay for classes that instructors didn't teach.
Others indictments will yield more detail
An Orange County grand jury on Monday issued multiple indictments, but they remain under seal. Orange County District Attorney Jim Woodall has said he believes North Carolina is the first state to bring criminal charges related to athlete-agent contact.
In December 2010, UNC released a list of names, including Wiley’s, of people known to have provided benefits to football players.
They are:
• Former UNC football players Omar Brown, Mahlon Carey and Hakeem Nicks
• Former Maryland football player Vernon Davis
• Sports agent Christopher Hawkins
• Michael Katz, director of marketing and client services for Rosenhaus Sports
• Florida-based jeweler A.J. Machado
• Todd Stewart, who has been tied to Pro Sports Financial
UNC Vice Chancellor and General Counsel Leslie Strohm also noted other organizations and people who may have provided benefits. They are: Rosenhaus Sports, Pro Sports Financial, Vernon Davis’ brother Vontae Davis, Chris Hawkins' business partner Martin Blazer, former UNC player Kentwan Balmer and agent Gary Wichard, since deceased.Every subway rider’s worst fears were reignited over the weekend when a 61-year-old man on his way to brunch with his wife was fatally shoved in front of an oncoming train by a complete stranger. The act was random, rare, and completely unprompted — which is precisely why it’s so terrifying. But just how likely is it that you’ll get pushed onto the subway tracks by a complete stranger? Let’s find out.
To figure out the odds, I emailed David Spiegelhalter, a math professor and one of the authors of The Norm Chronicles: Stories and Numbers About Danger and Death. He told me that the easiest way to estimate something like this is to use the following formula: "Number of events per year [over] Total exposure to risk per year."
According to the New York Times, this weekend’s death was the first time since late 2012 that a subway rider was purposefully pushed in front of a train by another. This means there have been two events in the last two years — one from 2012–2013, and one from 2013–2014 — so we can estimate that’s about one event per year. Meanwhile, the MTA says that there are approximately 1.71 billion subway rides per year.
So what’s the chance of you getting pushed onto the tracks by a complete stranger every time you take the subway? 1 in 1.71 billion.
Of course, this number changes based on how frequently you ride the train. The more subway trips you take, the more your chance of encountering such an event increases. If you ride the subway to and from work every day, that’s approximately 500 trips per year. If you divide the total number of rides per year — 1.71 billion — by 500, you get 3.42 million. So, every year you have a 1 in 3.42 million chance of getting shoved by a stranger.
“That’s around the average daily risk of an accidental or violent death in the U.S. So the subway compares favorably with driving, et cetera,” explains professor Spiegelhalter. “But the psychological difference is the fear factor of the random maniac. Numbers don’t tell the whole story.”
Happy commuting!The Broadway hit musical "Alexander Hamilton" opens in Chicago on September 27. But, in a sense, Alexander is already in the city; at Lincoln Park Zoo.The baby Bactrian camel calf born last month at the zoo is being called "Alexander Camelton."Alexander is the first of its kind in 18 years. The male is four weeks old and so far life is good. His ancestors hail from Mongolia and northern China."We have a baby Bactrian camel born May 9th. He was born at about 81 pounds, four feet tall, tall gangly legs and the kid has doing very, very well," Dan Boehm, zoological manager at Lincoln Park Zoo, said.The Bactrian camel is the two hump version of this species. The one humper, or dromedary is the famous Sahara Desert camel. These two-humpers are all weather creatures from mountainous regions of places like Afghanistan.Like all creatures born at the zoo, the new calf has to have a name. Some people weighed in on possible baby names for the camel.Angela the Camel, Humpty Dumpty, Caramel and John were suggestions.All nice suggestions but a special baby like this couldn't just be another Humpty Dumpty or John."One of our keepers had a very clever idea naming him Alexander Camelton, based after Alexander Hamilton and the popular award winning musical," Boehm said.Only a month old and already the young star has a leg up on life. He's named after a revolutionary war hero and one of America's founding fathers. He will also be in the thoughts of all Broadway in Chicago music lovers."We've have been really surprised at the response that people have thought about this name," Boehm said.You can see the Alexander Camelton and the four other Bactrian camels in the Antelope-Zebra area of Lincoln Park Zoo.On Friday a bill passed out of the Utah House that would change Utah’s election process to allow ranked choice voting in statewide elections.
The bill would make ranked choice voting allowed at all election levels in the state, starting in 2019. Also known as instant run-off voting, with this method voters rank their top three choices in a political race. If there’s a simple majority, that candidate wins. If not, the next tier of rankings get considered until a majority is found.
Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle showed broad support for the bill. Democratic Representative Rebecca Chavez-Houck is its sponsor.
"Colleagues, this bill allows voters, regardless of party affiliation, to rank all candidates in an election according to their preference," Chavez-Houck said.
During floor debate, Republican Representative Marc Roberts spoke about how ranked choice encourages voters to choose their preferred candidates, instead of just picking the lesser of two evils.
"With this sort of situation, with ranked choice, you can list your preferences. Currently we have a system where you end up voting against people," Roberts said.
On the Democratic side, Representative Joel Briscoe spoke about how the legislation would allow lawmakers to better understand voters.
"Ranked choice voting allows us to get beyond just a yes or no on one candidate. It allows us to express a broader range of viewpoint and opinion," Briscoe said.
According to the nonpartisan organization FairVote, ranked choice voting is used in a number of cities around the country and in Maine’s statewide elections.
HB349 passed 59 to 12. It now goes to the Senate for consideration.Getting started with Yi, the haskell editor (2008)
What’s Yi?
Yi is an emacs-like editor written in haskell.
It is, as they say, made of awesome.
I first heard of Yi in early 2007 when Ben Moseley mentioned it at the pub during MGS 2007. It took me nearly a year to get around to looking at it. But now that I have, I think it’s really cool. It’s a text editor, with a GUI and lots of state - which is exactly the kind of app that most people think haskell is bad for. But actually, that all works out very nicely thankyouverymuch. And because yi is a text editor, and text editors just aren’t that complicated, it makes for a great educational application.
It’s not ready for mainstream use though. It needs a fairly bleeding edge configuration, and lots of functionality is missing. But if you’re looking to hack on a meaty haskell app, it’s a great start.
What’s here
I’ve written a sequence of tutorial examples covering installation and basic extension programming to get you up to speed with Yi. Enjoy!
More random programming stuff and metal-melting fun on my home page and blog.
Help, I don’t know haskell!
Haskell is the new scala, which is the new erlang, which is the new ruby. It’s what all the cool kids are using. The fact that it’s a beautiful and elegant language is irrelevant. Succum to peer pressure!
I first learned Haskell back in 2001 from the excellent book The Haskell School of Expression by Paul Hudak. Unlike many other book, it’s full of useful examples involving graphics and animations. Highly recommended.
The book doesn’t spend very much time explaining monads, which are heavily used in Yi. But over the last few years there have been a billion monad tutorials written on the web.While the vault hunters of the first Borderlands may not have featured much in the way of narration, it definitely mattered which of them you picked. Each class came with a different play-style and skill tree, from the proficient sniper Mordecai to the heavy weaponry and brutal melee attacks of Brick. Borderlands 2 will place players in the shoes of four new characters, and Gearbox revealed one of them to us during our recent cover trip. Salvador belongs to the new Gunzerker class, and all signs point to him being a versatile and entertaining character selection. Read on to see what you can expect from this new addition to the franchise.
As you might surmise from the name, the Gunzerker differs from the Berserker in that he focuses his abilities more on shooting than melee attacks. Whereas Brick would toss the guns and go into a timed rage of brutal punches, Salvador’s timed ability grants him an additional firearm. Once you’re double-fisting two of Pandora’s varied weapons, each will be fired independently with the left and right triggers. “What inspired some of the original ideas behind him was The Punisher,” says art director Jeramy Cooke. “He was happy to dual-wield AKs and M16s and everything under the sun. He just had this whole ‘grit his teeth and blast the crap out of everything’ vibe”.
Any of the guns in Borderlands 2 can be dual-wielded during this time, meaning Salvador can simultaneously shoot a rocket launcher and a sniper rifle, an incendiary SMG and an electric pistol, or go all-out with two giant miniguns. Thanks to the new "amp" elemental, you can work some strategy into your weapon selection. Amp-based weapons coat enemies in a goo that intensifies elemental damage, so dual-wielding one along with a fire/electric/corrosive gun will cause it to be much more effective.
Read on to learn details about Salvador’s skill tree.
Like in the first game, each character will feature a unique skill tree that allows for more play-style customization. Salvador’s tree splits into three paths - Wrath, Brawn, and Gun Lust. Wrath features stat bonuses and new abilities tied to his dual-wielding ability, Brawn is focused on physical toughness, and Gun Lust increases weapon stats and grants new abilities like Salvador’s aggro turret. Here are some other bonuses on the skill tree that you can funnel your points into:
Divergent Likeness - If you’re dual-wielding two weapons of the same type, you’ll deal bonus damage. Dual-wield weapons of differing types, and your accuracy goes up.
Notes from Paul Hellquist, Gearbox’s game design director: This skill is great because it interacts so well with not only the action skill but also with your gear choices. Which pairing of weapons makes me the most effective when using this skill? Should I use low-accuracy, high-damage weapons of different types to get accuracy bonuses? Or should I double-fist some revolvers for max damage but low fire rate? This skill changes the way you think about what you are dual-wielding and which gear will work best together to maximize your power during your action skill.
Down, Not Out - In the first Borderlands, no action ability was able to be used when you were on the brink of death. If you have this bonus activated in Salvador’s skill tree, however, he can dual-wield in his final moments.
Notes from Paul Hellquist: This skill breaks the rules of Borderlands. The general rule is no action skills while fighting for your life. This rule is to increase tension and limit a player’s power while fighting for their life. But in game design, the reason you make a rule is so you can occasionally break it. This skill breaks that rule and changes the way you think about your action skill. Your strategic options for when to use it are very different after purchasing this skill.
Overheat - No matter what gun you’re using, its rate of fire will continue to increase as long as you hold down the trigger.
Notes from Paul Hellquist: This skill is awesome because it can result in the most ludicrous fire rates on your weapons. Your low fire rate high-damage weapons become god-like. Your high rate-of-fire weapons fire all of their rounds in the blink of an eye. It’s just great fun.
From our early look at Salvador, he appears to be an absolute blast to play. Dual-wielding has been done before in tons of FPS titles, but the amount of weapons in Borderlands 2 should ensure a more strategic and varied experience.Mosley's Meat Market opened in August of 2010 at the corner of Hilliard-Rome and Robert's Roads. It didn't take long to realize that we would be needing a lot more room, so we purchased some land just two blocks south at 2410 Hilliard-Rome, and have been operating here ever since! Mosley's Meat Market specializes in free-range, all natural meats raised here in Ohio. Our Beef and Bison are 100% GRASS FED. ALL of the meats that you find here are hormone and preservative free, pasture raised, and LOCAL.
Ewwwww that smell?!?!?! We get a lot of questions about the smell of the store. Simply put, it's a Butcher shop and NOTHING is added to our meats to make it stay fresh, red, pink, or white. It's a smelly job, but someone had to do it!
You will also notice a "darkening" of our meats. This is something that happens naturally when meats are NOT packed with preservatives and are introduced to oxygen. THIS IS A GOOD THING TO SEE. Food preservatives are commonly added to slow or prevent undesirable spoilage, discoloration, flavor loss, bacterial growth, mold or microbial growth. We do not condone these practices and prefer our meat be free of any artificial additives. This means, USE IT OR LOSE IT. You will need to eat or freeze our products within 3 days of purchase. If you're not going to use it within the 3 days, and want it to stay looking fresh, throw it in the freezer immediately. This is for your benefit, and ours. We would never sell you anything we would not eat ourselves. If you have a problem, let us know. We are good about fixing our mistakes. Just ask our loyal customers.Source
Welcome to the 9th CX’s Weiss Schwarz deck techs! For this article, we will be taking a look at a couple of lists featuring New Best Girl™ Sinon!
One of the lists we’ll be featuring comes from reader Randall M., who you may recognize as Randall D’Randall on social media. The second will be my (Michael) own list, but because the lists are so similar, most of the analysis will overlap and mainly come from differences in numbers. Special thanks to Randall not only for the list but for providing his own analysis as well.
Translations can be found on Heart of the Cards. Names will be matched to reflect the translation notes. If translations are unavailable for the card, in-house translations will be used.
Note: There is an error in the HotC translations for the card listed as “Sinon, Temporal Alliance”. Because the characters and storyline (pardon the pun) both point to it being a temporary alliance, the “correct” spelling will be used: “Sinon, Temporary Alliance”. Sorry for any potential confusion.
Because these decklists are indeed waifu lists, they are not necessarily recommended for competitive play. However, for those who are interested in making their dedicated Sinon deck as viable as possible, these are decks to try! As a word of caution to those wallet-conscious, these lists both make use of the Sinon PR. Asuna’s Married Life is a much less expensive replacement, but if you are building a Sinon waifu deck HOW COULD YOU SPARE ANY EXPENSE FOR ASADA-SAN???
Ahem… So without further ado, let’s get to the lists!
Michael’s List – [9CX]
Randall’s List – [RDR]
[9CX]
ASADASANASADASANASADASAN
Cards – 50
Level 0 – 15
3 Mission at Dusk, Sinon (SAO/SE23-P01)
4 Sinon, Ideal Self (SAO/SE23-18)
4 Sinon in the Midst of Sunlight Through the Leaves (SAO/SE23-19)
4 Sinon, Basic Knowledge of Guns (SAO/SE23-25)
Level 1 – 14
2 Shino, Another Self (SAO/SE23-T13)
4 Sinon, Temporary Alliance (SAO/SE23-21)
2 Sinon, Angered (SAO/SE23-31)
4 Sinon, Kind Guide (SAO/SE23-T12)
2 Shino, Want to Become Stronger (SAO/SE23-28)
Level 2 – 5
2 “Machine of Ice” Sinon (SAO/SE23-T15)
1 Sinon, Strong Being (SAO/SE23-22)
2 “Check Six” Sinon (SAO/SE23-32)
Level 3 – 8
4 Sinon, Excellent Sniper (SAO/SE23-T17)
4 Sinon, The Last Strike (SAO/SE23-24)
CX – 8
4 Partner Hecate II (SAO/SE23-T20)
3 Phantom Bullet (SAO/SE23-35)
1 A Tiny Step (SAO/SE23-36)
[RDR]
Sinonon Sniper Skool
Level 0 – 15
4 Sinon, Basic Knowledge of Guns (SAO/SE23-25)
3 Mission at Dusk, Sinon (SAO/SE23-P01)
4 Sinon, Ideal Self (SAO/SE23-18)
4 Sinon in the Midst of Sunlight Through the Leaves (SAO/SE23-19)
Level 1 – 14
4 Sinon, Temporary Alliance (SAO/SE23-21)
4 Sinon, Kind Guide (SAO/SE23-T12)
3 Shino, Want to Become Stronger (SAO/SE23-28)
3 Sinon, Angered (SAO/SE23-31)
Level 2 – 5
2 “Check Six” Sinon (SAO/SE23-32)
2 “Machine of Ice” Sinon (SAO/SE23-T15)
1 Sinon, Strong Being (SAO/SE23-22)
Level 3 – 8
4 Sinon, The Last Strike (SAO/SE23-24)
4 Sinon, Excellent Sniper (SAO/SE23-T17)
CX – 8
4 Phantom Bullet (SAO/SE23-35)
3 A Tiny Step (SAO/SE23-36)
1 Partner Hecate II (SAO/SE23-T20)
Since there is so much overlap, let’s take a second to introduce, well, all the cards!
At level 0, we have 4 cards.
Mission at Dusk, Sinon gives characters you control in front of it +500 power. When you play a CX, you choose a character you control and give it +1000 power until end of turn. (i.e. Asuna’s Married Life)
Sinon, Basic Knowledge of Guns gets +1000 power and hand encore if you control no other characters on your center stage. (You can control characters on the back stage and the bonus will still apply.)
When you play Sinon, Ideal Self, you may pay 1 stock and put the top card of your deck into clock. If you do, you search your deck for up to one level 2 or higher character and put it into your hand.
Sinon in the Midst of Sunlight Through the Leaves gives your other character in the middle slot of your center stage +1000 power during your opponent’s turn and has a Brainstorm ability: pay 1 stock, and for every CX revealed, you search your deck for up to X [Avatar]/[Net] characters, then discard X cards. (This ability resolves all at once – don’t shuffle after only finding one character unless you only intend to find one character!)
At level 1, we have 5 cards.
You can rest Shino, Another Self to give another [Avatar] or [Net] character you control +2000 power until end of turn. At the start of your climax phase, you can pay 1 stock and discard a card to Change into a “Machine of Ice” Sinon from your waiting room.
Sinon, Kind Guide is a vanilla (gasp!) 0-stock 5500 power character.
Shinon, Temporary Alliance has clock encore and gains +500 power for each other [Avatar] and/or [Net] character you control.
Shino, Want to Become Stronger gives all other [Avatar] and [Net] characters you control +500 power. It has a CX combo wtih “A Tiny Step”: When you play the CX, you may pay 1 stock. If you do, choose a character you control with “Sinon” in the name. It gains +2000 power and “When this reverses a character in battle, you may draw a card.” until end of turn.
At level 2, we have 3 cards.
“Machine of Ice” Sinon gives characters you control in front of it +1000 power. You can rest it to choose a character your opponent controls. Until end of turn, your opponent cannot use Backup abilities or events in battles involving that character.
Sinon, Strong Being gives all your [Avatar] or [Net] characters +1000 power. During your climax phase, you can pay 2 stock and discard a card to Change into a “Sinon, The Last Strike” from your waiting room.
“Check Six” Sinon gets +3000 power if the character across from it is level 3 or higher. (This ability applies during either player’s turn!) You can rest two [Avatar]/[Net] characters to give it +2500 power until end of turn.
At level 3, we only have 2 cards!
Sinon, Excellent Sniper gets +500 power for each other [Avatar]/[Net] character you control during your opponent”s turn and has a Heal ability upon being played from hand.
Sinon, the Wall of Text Last Strike Heals when placed on the stage from hand or via Change. When it is reversed in battle, send it to memory. It has a CX combo with “Phantom Bullet”: when it attacks, you may pay 2 stock and discard a card. If you do, deal 4 damage to your opponent. If that damage is canceled, this gains +3500 power until the end of your opponent’s next turn.
The CX spread has 3 cards.
Phantom Bullet – a 1k1 + Draw.
A Tiny Step – a 2k1 + 2 soul
Partner Hecate II – a +2 soul
That’s a lot of cards! How do we use these decks?
Michael: Randall has generously offered to show us step 1 of playing the Sinon deck properly.
Behold!
Note the customized mat, the spread of the cards, and the clear focus on Sinon + Shino.
I can only hope that the proper sleeves were used, but we’ll just assume that this is the magical land where all waifu decks are sleeved in proper waifu sleeves. (Riiiiiiiight?)
So then how do we play the decks? What are the strategies like and what are the strengths and weaknesses of them both?
Randall: The strategy is simple and linear. Get to level 1 first, flood the board with 1/0 clock encore Sinons, and then setup the hand for level 3. At level 3, use the CX combo to finish off the opponent. Sinon, Basic Knowledge of Guns is one of the key opening cards to have because it can potentially be really really big (5500 on opponent’s turn).
Michael: The deck seems to take a page out of Little Busters!’s book with a Sinon that can grab a level 2 or higher character straight from the deck for no additional cost from hand. Though it doesn’t enable you to get a level 1 Sinon, it does practically guarantee a smooth end game.
Please note that screaming ASADASANASADASANASADASAN does not in fact cancel damage, though as long as players in your vicinity don’t mind you are more than welcome to try.
Drooling and grabbing your opponent’s leg if you lose are absolutely NOT recommended though.
R: Once at level 1, Sinon, Temporary Alliance is your main attacker. You have a great global support in Shino, and her CX combo can be used to get over your opponent’s threats while netting card advantage.
M: My list however, cuts down on the use of the level 1 CX combo in favor of potentially securing more damage in the long run with +2 soul CXs. If your characters are too small to beat anything on board, slap down a +2 soul and side attack! There is still a single copy of the Shino |
’s the anxiety. When I started filing this sexual assault case with CU back in the fall of 2014, I had a horrible nightmare that the rapist was going to retaliate against me. He was going to kill me with a bomb. I tried to tell the authorities, but they wouldn’t listen. I woke up from this nightmare crying. I immediately called my mom and told her I couldn’t go to class because the rapist was on campus. She reassured me that he wouldn’t retaliate against me because there would be consequences. I reluctantly agreed to go to class, but in the back of my mind I thought about how the rapist had committed this horrific crime knowing that there would be consequences. So what would stop him from retaliating? On campus I was on high alert, constantly checking over my shoulder. Keep in mind that CU didn’t have a Criminal Protection Order. All CU said was that if we crossed paths, he would have to turn and go the other way. However, this didn’t happen. After the trial conviction, the rapist was in the waiting area. Instead of him turning around and going the other way – like everyone had reassured me he would do – the rapist stayed there. I was the one who was going the other way. The flight part of my fight-or-flight instincts kicked into overdrive. I practically ran the other way so I wouldn’t have to be anywhere near him. Even with the Criminal Protection Order and the court not allowing weapons, I did not feel safe around the rapist. And I never will.
When I’m not having nightmares of rape, retaliation, or retrial that goes awry, I’m having panic attacks
When I’m not having nightmares of rape, retaliation, or retrial that goes awry, I’m having panic attacks. Like the nightmares, these started after the sexual assault. Prior to the assault, I never had a panic attack in my life. At first, I thought these panic attacks were random, but the more of them I had, the more a pattern emerged that aligned with the sexual assault: I would be peacefully sleeping when all of the sudden I would be jolted awake by this horrible thing happening to me. There wasn’t much I could do except try to breathe through it – just try to survive – and wait for the horrible thing to be over with. Just. Like. The assault. One of the most vivid panic attacks I remember was again when I was filing this sexual assault case with CU in the fall of 2014. I was peacefully sleeping. Then I woke up to the horrible feeling that I was dying. I was so scared and confused that it felt like I was going crazy; it didn’t feel real. When I could actually sit up and move – not frozen lying down – I asked my roommate to take me to the hospital. Of course once I got to the hospital they told me everything was fine. After going to the hospital another time, my parents told me that I had to stop going to the hospital. If something was wrong, I was to call my mom because she is a medical doctor and would be able to help. In the spring of 2015 I had yet another panic attack. I was peacefully sleeping when I was jolted awake. This time it felt like I was having a heart attack. It was a sharp, jabbing attack on my heart. About half an hour later it passed but I was still shaken. Instead of going to the hospital, I called my mom at four or five in the morning crying. Between uncontrollable sobs I told her that I had just had a heart attack. I told her my symptoms and she told me that the symptoms were not that of a heart attack. Even after her reassurance, I couldn’t fall back asleep; I was too afraid to wake up to the horrible thing again.
It’s the depression. About a month after the assault, I tried to kill myself because of the impact of the sexual assault. Some days I can’t even get out of bed, let alone do four readings, projects, and study for tests. And no wonder. The rapist made pleasurable things of sex, sleep, and going out traumatic. So it’s no surprise that less pleasurable things like studying are 100 times more difficult.
It really was a snowball effect: the rape affected me socially and psychologically, which in turn affected me academically. Every time I would try to put this trauma out of my mind, I would be reminded of it again and again with new updates, hearing dates, and trial dates. Like, “Hey, remember that traumatic thing that happened to you? Yeah you’re gonna have to relive that in your retelling to CU-Boulder investigators; the DA’s office; a detective; your therapist; your psychologist; your psychiatrist; your Office of Victim Assistance counselor; a judge; a jury; the rapist’s family, affiliates, and legal team; your loved ones; and many others! Hope that doesn’t put a damper on your school thing!” Everything is a reminder. I can’t escape the rapist figuratively or literally. For example, earlier this year my team and I went to New Mexico for a tournament. Back in Colorado, I returned to the unsettling news that the rapist was going to New Mexico the weekend after I went. What if he was there when I was? Would he supposedly turn around and go the other way? We’ve seen how well that has worked…
Finally, financially. $250,000. $127,582 lost of future wages because I’ll still be in school instead of working. Lower starting income because I’ll only have an undergraduate degree instead of a master’s degree: $14,698. Hospital bills from panic attacks: $5,000. Bills for antidepressants: $100. MESA trauma class: $90. Money spent on textbooks and material for failed and withdrawn classes: $10,000. Money lost on failed and withdrawn classes: $15,000. Money lost on having to do extra undergraduate years (which includes housing and living expenses): $20,000. Bills from suicide attempt resulting in MIP, hospitalization, and BASICS classes: $4,000. $52,900 for my parents’ time, my time, and gas spent for meetings and trial. The $250,000 doesn’t even include a lifetime of future expenses of therapy, antidepressants, etc. as a result of this sexual assault. But it’s only the rapist’s life that has been ruined, right? It’s not like I had hopes and dreams or academic and career goals.
But worst of all is the victim-blaming. Freshman year, one of my roommates, who you met at trial, was victim-blaming. At the end of April 2014, our floor was talking about how we saw this girl throwing up outside of our Williams Village dorm, Darley North. A few days after that, we received an email saying that a girl had reported a rape to the police. The rape was perpetrated after a party in a WillVill dorm by someone she knew. Some people on our floor speculated that maybe the girl we saw throwing up outside our dorm was the one who was raped. My roommate chimed in, “Well, if she was that drunk, then she deserved to get raped.” I was livid and vehemently defended the victim, and this was before I had even processed the sexual assault perpetrated against me. But my roommate wasn’t the only one who was victim-blaming; it was a person (or persons) in the jury. Following my breaking down and crying and getting ridiculed about the sexual assault, someone in the jury had the audacity to ask me why I didn’t say, “No.” The real question is, “Why didn’t the rapist get my consent?!” It would be like if someone robbed you and they said, “Well you didn’t say no!” Does a lack of a “no” make the robbery okay? Of course not! Even my own mother was victim-blaming. She told me that if I hadn’t been drunk, this wouldn’t have happened. Yet, it was excusable for him to rape me because he was drunk. After all I’ve endured emotionally, physically, psychologically, and financially, the burden of the blame still crashes down on my shoulders.
Therefore, it’s my contention that the maximum sentence would be the most suitable. I wouldn’t have to worry about running into the rapist at CU football games or on campus or even in New Mexico. The best reassurance – not CU’s, “Oh he’ll just go the other way!” – would be to know that the rapist cannot physically get to me. Please don’t be like CU’s director of student conduct, who had total disregard for my safety and the safety of others by allowing the rapist to go to an on-campus comedy show after he was found guilty of multiple counts of sexual assault. Please don’t be like CU’s director of student conduct, who suspended the rapist from CU for just over a year, meaning that he would be allowed back on campus while I was still attending. Basically, please don’t be like CU’s director of student conduct, who sacrificed the safety of the community in favor of the rapist’s pleasure. Knowing that the rapist cannot physically get to anyone would give the community and me a peace of mind – well, at least for a little while out of my lifelong suffering. Have as much mercy for the rapist as he did for me the night of the sexual assault, which was none.
In conclusion, the rapist CHOSE to ruin his life. But like the sexual assault itself, my life has been ruined without my consent.EsportsJohn Profile Blog Joined June 2012 United States 4442 Posts #1
Best of the Best:
Top 3 Series of All Time
By: inimical
Heroes of the Storm is a fast paced hero brawler developed by Blizzard that features non-stop action, robust strategy, and a global esports scene with a few years under its belt. Since 2014, there have been numerous tournaments for players to prove themselves in, from the ESL Major League to OGN Super League to the Heroes Global Championship (HGC) circuit in 2016. With the Blizzard's
There have been some great HotS matches over the last two years, but HGC 2016 takes the cake for providing fans with the most exciting matches to date. Blizzard's efforts to strengthen the global scene and encourage international competition was what made HotS esports in 2016 so captivating. While the matches included here all come from 2016 and all feature MVP Black—sorry, not sorry—each match was important for the landscape of the game and created some of the best play and storylines from all of these teams.
I remember watching all three of these series and literally being on the edge of my seat as each series developed. If you are on college break or just getting into HotS over the holidays, you can’t go wrong with watching any of these VoDs. Not only will you learn a lot about the game, you will be sufficiently entertained—I promise.
#3 - Fnatic vs MVP Black, BlizzCon 2016 semifinals
VoDs: G1, G2, G3, G4
Casters: Khaldor and JHow
Must-watch Game: Game 2, Sky Temple
Throughout Heroes of the Storm, Korea—namely MVP Black—has been dominant. History was made during DreamHack Summer when mYinsanity became the first Western team to take a map off of MVP Black during the Rich era. Until that point, eStar had been the only other team to take a map off of Black during a major tournament in 2016.
As such, Fnatic was considered the underdog going into their
Fnatic lost 2-0 in the winner's match, but their play was generating hype. It looked like Westerners finally had a team strong enough to challenge the Koreans. Still, beating China was one thing, Korea another; analysts still sided with MVP Black as the favorite after the quick 2-0 thrashing Fnatic received from Ballistix.
The pressure wasn't just on Fnatic, though. MVP Black was considered by many at the time to be the best Korean team but still had to prove their dominance earlier this year was no fluke. Throughout 2016, MVP Black had managed time and time again to make it to the grand finals of major tournaments before suddenly faltering. Since the beginning of 2016, MVP Black has made it to the finals of six tournaments but only won three. The last tournament MVP Black won was in May.
The team who had looked indestructible after winning the Spring Global Championship seemingly lost their mojo. Black had been embarrassed by Tempest in Season 2 of Super League after losing 4-0 in the finals. Ballistix had beaten them 4-2 the following season. Games during the Summer and Fall Championships showcased MVP Black operating at 80% of their full potential, dropping games left and right—the days of long winning streaks were over, and they looked vulnerable.
However, it would be a considerable feat for Fnatic to emerge from the BlizzCon semifinals victorious. They would not only have to beat one of the best teams in the world, they'd have to be the first non-Korean team to beat MVP Black’s newest incarnation in a series. The colossal pressure on both Fnatic and MVP Black in this series makes the BlizzCon 2016 semifinals one for the ages. The first two maps are sure to get your blood pumping.
#2 - eStar vs MVP Black, Gold League Spring Grand Finals
VoD: https://www.twitch.tv/gillyweedsc2/v/66605760
Casters:Gillyweed and Zoia
Must-watch Game: Game 6, Tomb of the Spider Queen
Before there was Korea, there was China. In China, eStar were the counterparts to MVP Black. They dominated the Chinese scene throughout 2015 while only struggling against EDward Gaming (EDG), the second best Chinese team, on occasion. Team No Limit (TNL) got their start alongside a few other Korean players in China's leagues and actually went on to beat MVP Black during the Lockdown era in Super League 2015, no doubt as a result of the time they spent playing against the Chinese powerhouses.
The Chinese scene has always been a departure from Korea, EU, and NA. China had its own meta and prioritized hero and map picks much differently. For instance, the Chinese would pick Haunted Mines for the second map by default while every other region refused to play on it at all. But the most impressive thing about China was their relentless aggression. It was clear that NA struggled against this style when Cloud9 and Astral Authority went to compete in China this year. Europe struggled to a lesser extent, but still found difficulties approaching the Chinese metagame.
Despite their regional dominance, eStar had never met a team of MVP Black’s caliber until
The teams would meet infrequently in 2016 due to occasional upsets from EDG, but the stage was set for a showdown. During the
This series is basically the beginning of a transformation within the HotS landscape. In an exciting best of seven series, eStar made MVP Black look beatable and represented a turning point in Black’s 2016 domination. Finally, someone had given the world a glimpse of how to beat MVP Black.
#1 - MVP Black vs Tempest, DreamHack Summer Grand Finals
VoDs: G1, G2, G3, G4, G5
Casters:Dreadnaught and Khaldor
Must-watch Game: Game 4, Dragon Shire
Here it is, what you've all been waiting for: the best series in Heroes esports to date. In fact, this series is so good that it could end up being the best series years from now. The Summer Global Championship had everything: narrative, mechanical skill, and hype. The playmaking ability from both teams in this historical moment was unparalleled too. This series features the famous
Tempest has quite possibly the best story of 2016. A ragtag group of players from lower tier teams, some of whom dabbled in the early developments of the Chinese scene with little success, were looking to prove themselves. The team formed when Lockdown left the security of MVP Black to form a team with his brother Hide along with some former players from MRR, but no one even had the young team on their radar.
At the beginning of
The season developed with little change to the status quo. TNL and MVP Black had a stranglehold on the competition, and it looked like Season 2 would play out exactly like Season 1 with MVP Black taking on TNL in the finals. Thankfully for the fans—and for history—this is not how it happened. After the group stages concluded, Tempest made a calculated role swap, moving HongCoNo to tank and duckdeok to flex. As the team settled into their new roles, their performance picked up dramatically. Hide also revolutionized Kharazim play at the time with his trademark hyper-aggro play and a preference for Seven-Sided Strike.
Tempest would actually make it to the loser's finals in a rematch against TNL. Tempest was prioritizing Sonya picks and demolishing their weaker opponents, so TNL countered by denying their comfort picks. But Tempest was having none of it. Tempest's teamfighting prowess was put on full display in this series, as they outfought TNL to take a decisive 3-1 victory. It was becoming increasingly apparent MVP Black had their work cut out for them if they wanted to win Season 2. Having come out of nowhere, and still somewhat dependent on meta picks, Tempest wasn't seriously considered a threat to MVP.
Going into the finals, MVP Black didn't look like the same team. If you watch the Super League finals, you can see how MVP's play was lackadaisical, indifferent. They were playing as though they had already won or simply didn't care anymore. Tempest would take an easy 4-0.
Questions started to surround the MVP Black squad. Was the greatest team in the world actually human? Were they in a slump? Did they not prepare seriously enough for Tempest? Was it the end of this MVP roster? Black released interviews discussing being burnt out from over a year of constant travel, practice, and domination. Black had a luxury so few of us ever experience: being so great at something that your competition isn't competition at all.
On top of that, Overwatch had been out for about a month and there was already talk of HotS dying and organizations dumping it for Blizzard’s newest title. Several rumors circulated that teams in Asia were switching to Overwatch as well. The future of MVP Black and HotS were both incredibly murky.
Finally, a new challenger emerged. After embarrassing Black in front of a largely Korean audience, Tempest was looking to repeat the thrashing on the world stage. At this point, there was no question that Tempest was at least the second best team coming into the Summer Championship. They had dethroned TNL, and their individual players like Dami and Lockdown were really starting to shine. For the first time, a team could finally match up player-to-player against MVP Black’s new and improved roster.
Tempest's superior teamfighting ability coupled with MVP Black's existential crisis would set up the most electrifying series in HotS history. The best single game to ever be played was Game 4 on Dragon Shire, which was an example of mechanical perfection.
Tempest was notoriously weak at rotations, and they would need a miracle to take this map off of MVP. What we got was the most explosive and pristine teamfighting we have ever seen. Watching the fights is like watching a mechanism made up of purposeful gears operating one after the other in perfect succession. Both teams were firing on all cylinders for the entirety of Dragon Shire. It's very possible we may never see a game like this again.
The series went to a full five games and will undoubtedly be in the running when future "best series" lists pop up. Tempest and MVP Black gave us a level of skill and execution none of us thought was possible. I urge everyone to check it out.
I also want to personally thank MVP Black and Tempest. When I think of Heroes esports and what it has the potential to be, this series is the first thing that comes to mind.
Heroes of the Storm is a fast paced hero brawler developed by Blizzard that features non-stop action, robust strategy, and a global esports scene with a few years under its belt. Since 2014, there have been numerous tournaments for players to prove themselves in, from the ESL Major League to OGN Super League to the Heroes Global Championship (HGC) circuit in 2016. With the Blizzard's revamped HGC format on the horizon, 2017 looks to be a really exciting year in the Nexus.There have been some great HotS matches over the last two years, but HGC 2016 takes the cake for providing fans with the most exciting matches to date. Blizzard's efforts to strengthen the global scene and encourage international competition was what made HotS esports in 2016 so captivating. While the matches included here all come from 2016 and all feature MVP Black—sorry, not sorry—each match was important for the landscape of the game and created some of the best play and storylines from all of these teams.I remember watching all three of these series and literally being on the edge of my seat as each series developed. If you are on college break or just getting into HotS over the holidays, you can’t go wrong with watching any of these VoDs. Not only will you learn a lot about the game, you will be sufficiently entertained—I promise.Throughout Heroes of the Storm, Korea—namely MVP Black—has been dominant. History was made during DreamHack Summer when mYinsanity became the first Western team to take a map off of MVP Black during the Rich era. Until that point, eStar had been the only other team to take a map off of Black during a major tournament in 2016.As such, Fnatic was considered the underdog going into their BlizzCon semifinal match against MVP Black. They had already shown incredible promise in both group stages by beating Chinese teams of the likes of eStar and ZeroPanda as well as the Taiwanese team Please Buff Arthas (PBA). Fnatic would find their toughest challenge against the latest Super League champ, Ballistix, during the second group stage.Fnatic lost 2-0 in the winner's match, but their play was generating hype. It looked like Westerners finally had a team strong enough to challenge the Koreans. Still, beating China was one thing, Korea another; analysts still sided with MVP Black as the favorite after the quick 2-0 thrashing Fnatic received from Ballistix.The pressure wasn't just on Fnatic, though. MVP Black was considered by many at the time to be the best Korean team but still had to prove their dominance earlier this year was no fluke. Throughout 2016, MVP Black had managed time and time again to make it to the grand finals of major tournaments before suddenly faltering. Since the beginning of 2016, MVP Black has made it to the finals of six tournaments but only won three. The last tournament MVP Black won was in May.The team who had looked indestructible after winning the Spring Global Championship seemingly lost their mojo. Black had been embarrassed by Tempest in Season 2 of Super League after losing 4-0 in the finals. Ballistix had beaten them 4-2 the following season. Games during the Summer and Fall Championships showcased MVP Black operating at 80% of their full potential, dropping games left and right—the days of long winning streaks were over, and they looked vulnerable.However, it would be a considerable feat for Fnatic to emerge from the BlizzCon semifinals victorious. They would not only have to beat one of the best teams in the world, they'd have to be the first non-Korean team to beat MVP Black’s newest incarnation in a series. The colossal pressure on both Fnatic and MVP Black in this series makes the BlizzCon 2016 semifinals one for the ages. The first two maps are sure to get your blood pumping.Before there was Korea, there was China. In China, eStar were the counterparts to MVP Black. They dominated the Chinese scene throughout 2015 while only struggling against EDward Gaming (EDG), the second best Chinese team, on occasion. Team No Limit (TNL) got their start alongside a few other Korean players in China's leagues and actually went on to beat MVP Black during the Lockdown era in Super League 2015, no doubt as a result of the time they spent playing against the Chinese powerhouses.The Chinese scene has always been a departure from Korea, EU, and NA. China had its own meta and prioritized hero and map picks much differently. For instance, the Chinese would pick Haunted Mines for the second map by default while every other region refused to play on it at all. But the most impressive thing about China was their relentless aggression. It was clear that NA struggled against this style when Cloud9 and Astral Authority went to compete in China this year. Europe struggled to a lesser extent, but still found difficulties approaching the Chinese metagame.Despite their regional dominance, eStar had never met a team of MVP Black’s caliber until the finals of WCA. Black was still relatively fresh in the professional scene and had not yet risen to the dominant form we'd see in the beginning of 2016. It was a clash of two titans relatively unknown to western audiences. Black won 3-1 in the end, but an epic rematch was destined to happen.The teams would meet infrequently in 2016 due to occasional upsets from EDG, but the stage was set for a showdown. During the Spring Season of Gold League, China invited MVP Black with the intention of usurping Korea from the throne. eStar finally looked poised to give MVP Black a real fight and had in fact ended MVP Black’s 41-map win streak only a few weeks earlier. The Chinese team wanted redemption for dropping out of HGC Spring and their crushing defeat at WCA; they were out to prove that they alone could deal with the indomitable Korean team.This series is basically the beginning of a transformation within the HotS landscape. In an exciting best of seven series, eStar made MVP Black look beatable and represented a turning point in Black’s 2016 domination. Finally, someone had given the world a glimpse of how to beat MVP Black.Here it is, what you've all been waiting for: the best series in Heroes esports to date. In fact, this series is so good that it could end up being the best series years from now. The Summer Global Championship had everything: narrative, mechanical skill, and hype. The playmaking ability from both teams in this historical moment was unparalleled too. This series features the famous mind-blowing pre-Cleanse from merryday, as well as several other memorable plays—but that's only part of the reason this series is so praiseworthy.Tempest has quite possibly the best story of 2016. A ragtag group of players from lower tier teams, some of whom dabbled in the early developments of the Chinese scene with little success, were looking to prove themselves. The team formed when Lockdown left the security of MVP Black to form a team with his brother Hide along with some former players from MRR, but no one even had the young team on their radar.At the beginning of OGN Superleague Season 2, Tempest looked unimpressive. For most of us following the Asian scene, Tempest was an afterthought, a team who would never make it like RoMg or Young Boss. They got ravaged in their inaugural match against TNL. Nobody would've predicted them to finish in the top four after that series, let alone win the entire tournament.The season developed with little change to the status quo. TNL and MVP Black had a stranglehold on the competition, and it looked like Season 2 would play out exactly like Season 1 with MVP Black taking on TNL in the finals. Thankfully for the fans—and for history—this is not how it happened. After the group stages concluded, Tempest made a calculated role swap, moving HongCoNo to tank and duckdeok to flex. As the team settled into their new roles, their performance picked up dramatically. Hide also revolutionized Kharazim play at the time with his trademark hyper-aggro play and a preference for Seven-Sided Strike.Tempest would actually make it to the loser's finals in a rematch against TNL. Tempest was prioritizing Sonya picks and demolishing their weaker opponents, so TNL countered by denying their comfort picks. But Tempest was having none of it. Tempest's teamfighting prowess was put on full display in this series, as they outfought TNL to take a decisive 3-1 victory. It was becoming increasingly apparent MVP Black had their work cut out for them if they wanted to win Season 2. Having come out of nowhere, and still somewhat dependent on meta picks, Tempest wasn't seriously considered a threat to MVP.Going into the finals, MVP Black didn't look like the same team. If you watch the Super League finals, you can see how MVP's play was lackadaisical, indifferent. They were playing as though they had already won or simply didn't care anymore. Tempest would take an easy 4-0.Questions started to surround the MVP Black squad. Was the greatest team in the world actually human? Were they in a slump? Did they not prepare seriously enough for Tempest? Was it the end of this MVP roster? Black released interviews discussing being burnt out from over a year of constant travel, practice, and domination. Black had a luxury so few of us ever experience: being so great at something that your competition isn't competition at all.On top of that, Overwatch had been out for about a month and there was already talk of HotS dying and organizations dumping it for Blizzard’s newest title. Several rumors circulated that teams in Asia were switching to Overwatch as well. The future of MVP Black and HotS were both incredibly murky.Finally, a new challenger emerged. After embarrassing Black in front of a largely Korean audience, Tempest was looking to repeat the thrashing on the world stage. At this point, there was no question that Tempest was at least the second best team coming into the Summer Championship. They had dethroned TNL, and their individual players like Dami and Lockdown were really starting to shine. For the first time, a team could finally match up player-to-player against MVP Black’s new and improved roster.Tempest's superior teamfighting ability coupled with MVP Black's existential crisis would set up the most electrifying series in HotS history. The best single game to ever be played was Game 4 on Dragon Shire, which was an example of mechanical perfection.Tempest was notoriously weak at rotations, and they would need a miracle to take this map off of MVP. What we got was the most explosive and pristine teamfighting we have ever seen. Watching the fights is like watching a mechanism made up of purposeful gears operating one after the other in perfect succession. Both teams were firing on all cylinders for the entirety of Dragon Shire. It's very possible we may never see a game like this again.The series went to a full five games and will undoubtedly be in the running when future "best series" lists pop up. Tempest and MVP Black gave us a level of skill and execution none of us thought was possible. I urge everyone to check it out.I also want to personally thank MVP Black and Tempest. When I think of Heroes esports and what it has the potential to be, this series is the first thing that comes to mind.
StrategyGlen Perkins knows his FIP. He also knows his HR/9, Z-Swing% and O-Swing%. More importantly, he understands what they mean. As the Minnesota Twins left-hander says, “I like baseball and I like math.”
Perkins is more than a stat geek. The 30-year-old converted starter is one of the better closers in the American League (despite his skepticism of modern-day closer usage). Six weeks into the current campaign he’s well on his way to topping last year’s save total, despite a markedly higher ERA — a number he considers less important than his FIP.
Perkins talked about his 2013 numbers prior to last night’s game at Fenway Park.
——
Perkins on knowing the numbers: “In 2010, when I was in Triple-A, I came across a FanGraphs story about Brandon McCarthy and how he was changing his pitching style to get more ground balls and maximize his abilities. From there I started reading more and more. I’ve always been a math guy and the two sort of go hand-in-hand. I like baseball and I like math.
“In 2008, I thought I’d had a good year. I won 12 games and had a 4.40 ERA. That wasn’t great, but I was like, ‘that’s not bad.’ But the more I read, the more I came to realize it’s not about wins. It’s about the quality of the innings you pitch, and my quality wasn’t that good.
“In 2009, I started out the season with three eight-inning starts and only gave up three runs total. But I only struck out 10 guys in the 24 innings. I read somewhere that I was going to regress. I thought ‘What?’ It didn’t make sense to me. That’s when I began poking into it, but I mostly brushed it aside. Then, in 2010, I started reading more and more. I began to realize wins were a result of quality innings, not the barometer of how good you are.”
On what he considers the most important pitching stat: “Fielding Independent Pitching [FIP]. That’s what a pitcher can control, and the lower it is — just by default — the lower your ERA is going to be over the course of time. Not walking guys, getting strikeouts and ground balls, and not giving up home runs, are the keys. I don’t ever want to walk a guy and would strike everyone out if I could. If I can’t strike them out, I’d like to jam them so they hit a pop up to the infield, or a ground ball.”
On if his 13.5 K/9 is sustainable: “The last two years it went up. My swinging-strike rate has gone up. I know my chase-rate is down, but my in-zone swing-and-misses are higher this year than last year. Obviously it’s a small sample.
“So, I don’t know. I’d like to think so. I don’t know if there’s a stat for an expected strikeout rate based on swings-and-misses and chases. I guess maybe where I’m at is a little high, but I think I can improve from last year when I was at 10 per nine.”
On his O-Swing% [38.9] and Z-Swing% [71.4]: “I typically know what gets swung at — it’s usually fastballs up and out of the zone, and sliders below the zone. Having a higher O-Swing rate obviously means they’re chasing pitches, but it also means they don’t know what’s coming — or they can’t react. That’s a good indicator of how much chance a hitter has. Getting big-league hitters to swing at pitches out of the zone is hard to do. Getting big-league hitters to swing and miss at pitches in the strike is even harder. But you can make quality pitches in the strike zone, and I feel my stuff allows me to pitch in the strike zone.”
On his F-Strike% [74.4]: “It’s a known fact that a guy hitting 0-1 is significantly worse than a guy hitting 1-0. Getting to 0-1 is also the quickest way to 0-2. At 0-2, a hitter has a very small chance and that chance is probably a single. But you can’t just throw it down the middle of the plate. For me, getting to 0-1 is just as likely to be a competitive slider down in the zone, or even below the zone.
“In most of the situations I’ve pitched in this year, we’ve been leading. Guys are typically taking a pitch in that situation — I’ve known they might be giving me that first pitch — but even so, you never throw a ball down the middle. I might throw a four-seamer in or I might throw a slider.”
On his BB/9 [3.38]: “I think my walk rate right now is mostly based on small sample size. I did this last year. I had a game against the A’s where I walked three guys in one inning, and outside of that I only walked 12 or 13 guys all year. This year, two of my five walks came in one game against the Rangers. Good command is the last thing to come. As the season goes on, I get more comfortable with my delivery.”
On his GB% [26.1]: “There’s a small sample size there as well, but so far this year I’ve struggled with extension. As a result, I haven’t had as much downward action on my ball. But I pitch more with four-seamers now, and… I don’t know what the swing rate is on my slider, but I would imagine that’s my main ground-ball pitch. I haven’t gotten a whole lot of balls in play on my slider.
“The two-seamers haven’t been there. I didn’t throw a lot of them last year. From 2011 to 2012, the usage of those two kind of flip-flopped. My four-seamer comes in harder, so I’m throwing more of those.”
On his HR/9 [0.84] and HR/FB [10.0]: “In 2011, I only gave up two home runs. I got a ton of ground balls — it was just under 50 percent — and last year my fly-ball percentage and home-run percentages went up. I think I was right around league average on home-runs-per-fly ball. I would assume that this year, at whatever point that stabilizes, I’ll be around 10 or 11 percent. That’s why I’d like to get more ground balls.
“Greg Maddux said to me at the World Baseball Classic this year, ‘If you get your balls hit in front of the outfielders, you did your job.’ Some balls are going to fall in and there are going to be line drives hit right at guys. It’s about not letting the ball go over the fence.”
On his ERA [4.22] and FIP [2.34]: “My [current] ERA isn’t a concern to me. My main concern is what I’ve done in the seven games where I’ve come in and gotten a save. I’ve given up something like four hits and one run and struck out 13 or 14 guys, in those seven games.
“In one game we lost 16- |
renders the view, it should output something like:
<img alt= "Sample Image" src= "http://d3nwzvnnqkgieg.cloudfront.net/assets/sample-0249fabde1c3a9dec561a00aa397b3ed.jpg" >
And, that’s all there is to it. Using a CDN like CloudFront is a no-brainer. It is simple, inexpensive, and can noticeably improve the performance of your site.Animations tutorial Docs Development UI Animations Tutorial
What you’ll learn How to use the fundamental classes from the animation library to add animation to a widget.
When to use AnimatedWidget vs. AnimatedBuilder.
This tutorial shows you how to build explicit animations in Flutter. After introducing some of the essential concepts, classes, and methods in the animation library, it walks you through 5 animation examples. The examples build on each other, introducing you to different aspects of the animation library.
The Flutter SDK also provides transition animations, such as FadeTransition, SizeTransition, and SlideTransition. These simple animations are triggered by setting a beginning and ending point. They are simpler to implement than explicit animations, which are described here.
Essential animation concepts and classes
What's the point? Animation, a core class in Flutter’s animation library, interpolates the values used to guide an animation.
An Animation object knows the current state of an animation (for example, whether it’s started, stopped, or moving forward or in reverse), but doesn’t know anything about what appears onscreen.
object knows the current state of an animation (for example, whether it’s started, stopped, or moving forward or in reverse), but doesn’t know anything about what appears onscreen. An AnimationController manages the Animation.
. A CurvedAnimation defines progression as a non-linear curve.
A Tween interpolates between the range of data as used by the object being animated. For example, a Tween might define an interpolation from red to blue, or from 0 to 255.
might define an interpolation from red to blue, or from 0 to 255. Use Listeners and StatusListeners to monitor animation state changes.
The animation system in Flutter is based on typed Animation objects. Widgets can either incorporate these animations in their build functions directly by reading their current value and listening to their state changes or they can use the animations as the basis of more elaborate animations that they pass along to other widgets.
Animation <double>
In Flutter, an Animation object knows nothing about what is onscreen. An Animation is an abstract class that understands its current value and its state (completed or dismissed). One of the more commonly used animation types is Animation<double>.
An Animation object sequentially generates interpolated numbers between two values over a certain duration. The output of an Animation object may be linear, a curve, a step function, or any other mapping you can devise. Depending on how the Animation object is controlled, it could run in reverse, or even switch directions in the middle.
Animations can also interpolate types other than double, such as Animation<Color> or Animation<Size>.
An Animation object has state. Its current value is always available in the.value member.
An Animation object knows nothing about rendering or build() functions.
A CurvedAnimation defines the animation’s progress as a non-linear curve.
animation = CurvedAnimation(parent: controller, curve: Curves.easeIn);
Note: The Curves class defines many commonly used curves, or you can create your own. For example: import 'dart:math'; class ShakeCurve extends Curve { @override double transform(double t) => sin(t * pi * 2); }
CurvedAnimation and AnimationController (described in the next section) are both of type Animation<double>, so you can pass them interchangeably. The CurvedAnimation wraps the object it’s modifying—you don’t subclass AnimationController to implement a curve.
AnimationController is a special Animation object that generates a new value whenever the hardware is ready for a new frame. By default, an AnimationController linearly produces the numbers from 0.0 to 1.0 during a given duration. For example, this code creates an Animation object, but does not start it running:
controller = AnimationController(duration: const Duration(seconds: 2), vsync: this);
AnimationController derives from Animation<double>, so it can be used wherever an Animation object is needed. However, the AnimationController has additional methods to control the animation. For example, you start an animation with the.forward() method. The generation of numbers is tied to the screen refresh, so typically 60 numbers are generated per second. After each number is generated, each Animation object calls the attached Listener objects. To create a custom display list for each child, see RepaintBoundary.
When creating an AnimationController, you pass it a vsync argument. The presence of vsync prevents offscreen animations from consuming unnecessary resources. You can use your stateful object as the vsync by adding SingleTickerProviderStateMixin to the class definition. You can see an example of this in animate1 on GitHub.
Note: In some cases, a position might exceed the AnimationController ’s 0.0-1.0 range. For example, the fling() function allows you to provide velocity, force, and position (via the Force object). The position can be anything and so can be outside of the 0.0 to 1.0 range. A CurvedAnimation can also exceed the 0.0 to 1.0 range, even if the AnimationController doesn’t. Depending on the curve selected, the output of the CurvedAnimation can have a wider range than the input. For example, elastic curves such as Curves.elasticIn will significantly overshoot or undershoot the default range.
Tween
By default, the AnimationController object ranges from 0.0 to 1.0. If you need a different range or a different data type, you can use a Tween to configure an animation to interpolate to a different range or data type. For example, the following Tween goes from -200.0 to 0.0:
tween = Tween<double>(begin: -200, end: 0);
A Tween is a stateless object that takes only begin and end. The sole job of a Tween is to define a mapping from an input range to an output range. The input range is commonly 0.0 to 1.0, but that’s not a requirement.
A Tween inherits from Animatable<T>, not from Animation<T>. An Animatable, like Animation, doesn’t have to output double. For example, ColorTween specifies a progression between two colors.
colorTween = ColorTween(begin: Colors.transparent, end: Colors.black54);
A Tween object does not store any state. Instead, it provides the evaluate(Animation<double> animation) method that applies the mapping function to the current value of the animation. The current value of the Animation object can be found in the.value method. The evaluate function also performs some housekeeping, such as ensuring that begin and end are returned when the animation values are 0.0 and 1.0, respectively.
To use a Tween object, call animate() on the Tween, passing in the controller object. For example, the following code generates the integer values from 0 to 255 over the course of 500 ms.
AnimationController controller = AnimationController( duration: const Duration(milliseconds: 500), vsync: this); Animation<int> alpha = IntTween(begin: 0, end: 255).animate(controller);
Note: The animate() method returns an Animation, not an Animatable.
The following example shows a controller, a curve, and a Tween :
AnimationController controller = AnimationController( duration: const Duration(milliseconds: 500), vsync: this); final Animation curve = CurvedAnimation(parent: controller, curve: Curves.easeOut); Animation<int> alpha = IntTween(begin: 0, end: 255).animate(curve);
Animation notifications
An Animation object can have Listener s and StatusListener s, defined with addListener() and addStatusListener(). A Listener is called whenever the value of the animation changes. The most common behavior of a Listener is to call setState() to cause a rebuild. A StatusListener is called when an animation begins, ends, moves forward, or moves reverse, as defined by AnimationStatus. The next section has an example of the addListener() method, and Monitoring the progress of the animation shows an example of addStatusListener().
Animation examples
This section walks you through 5 animation examples. Each section provides a link to the source code for that example.
Rendering animations
What's the point? How to add basic animation to a widget using addListener() and setState().
and. Every time the Animation generates a new number, the addListener() function calls setState().
function calls. How to define an AnimatedController with the required vsync parameter.
with the required parameter. Understanding the “.. ” syntax in “..addListener ”, also known as Dart’s cascade notation.
” syntax in “ ”, also known as Dart’s cascade notation. To make a class private, start its name with an underscore ( _ ).
So far you’ve learned how to generate a sequence of numbers over time. Nothing has been rendered to the screen. To render with an Animation object, store the Animation object as a member of your widget, then use its value to decide how to draw.
Consider the following app that draws the Flutter logo without animation:
import 'package:flutter/material.dart'; void main() => runApp(LogoApp()); class LogoApp extends StatefulWidget { _LogoAppState createState() => _LogoAppState(); } class _LogoAppState extends State<LogoApp> { @override Widget build(BuildContext context) { return Center( child: Container( margin: EdgeInsets.symmetric(vertical: 10), height: 300, width: 300, child: FlutterLogo(), ), ); } }
App source: animate0
The following shows the same code modified to animate the logo to grow from nothing to full size. When defining an AnimationController, you must pass in a vsync object. The vsync parameter is described in the AnimationController section.
The changes from the non-animated example are highlighted:
{animate0 → animate1}/lib/main.dart @@ -1,3 +1,4 @@ 1 + import 'package:flutter/animation.dart'; 1 2 import 'package:flutter/material.dart'; 2 3 void main() => runApp(LogoApp()); @@ -6,16 +7,39 @@ 6 7 _LogoAppState createState() => _LogoAppState(); 7 8 } 8 - class _LogoAppState extends State<LogoApp> { 9 + class _LogoAppState extends State<LogoApp> with SingleTickerProviderStateMixin { 10 + Animation<double> animation; 11 + AnimationController controller; 12 + 13 + @override 14 + void initState() { 15 + super.initState(); 16 + controller = 17 + AnimationController(duration: const Duration(seconds: 2), vsync: this); 18 + animation = Tween<double>(begin: 0, end: 300).animate(controller) 19 +..addListener(() { 20 + setState(() { 21 + // The state that has changed here is the animation object’s value. 22 + }); 23 + }); 24 + controller.forward(); 25 + } 26 + 9 27 @override 10 28 Widget build(BuildContext context) { 11 29 return Center( 12 30 child: Container( 13 31 margin: EdgeInsets.symmetric(vertical: 10), 14 - height: 300, 15 - width: 300, 32 + height: animation.value, 33 + width: animation.value, 16 34 child: FlutterLogo(), 17 35 ), 18 36 ); 19 37 } 38 + 39 + @override 40 + void dispose() { 41 + controller.dispose(); 42 + super.dispose(); 43 + } 20 44 }
App source: animate1
The addListener() function calls setState(), so every time the Animation generates a new number, the current frame is marked dirty, which forces build() to be called again. In build(), the container changes size because its height and width now use animation.value instead of a hardcoded value. Dispose of the controller when the animation is finished to prevent memory leaks.
With these few changes, you’ve created your first animation in Flutter!
Dart language tricks: You may not be familiar with Dart’s cascade notation—the two dots in..addListener(). This syntax means that the addListener() method is called with the return value from animate(). Consider the following example: animation = Tween<double>(begin: 0, end: 300).animate(controller)..addListener (() { // ··· }); This code is equivalent to: animation = Tween<double>(begin: 0, end: 300).animate(controller); animation.addListener(() { // ··· }); You can learn more about cascade notation in the Dart Language Tour.
Simplifying with AnimatedWidget
What's the point? How to use the AnimatedWidget helper class (instead of addListener() and setState() ) to create a widget that animates.
and ) to create a widget that animates. Use AnimatedWidget to create a widget that performs a reusable animation. To separate the transition from the widget, use an AnimatedBuilder.
to create a widget that performs a reusable animation. To separate the transition from the widget, use an AnimatedBuilder. Examples of AnimatedWidget s in the Flutter API: AnimatedBuilder, AnimatedModalBarrier, DecoratedBoxTransition, FadeTransition, PositionedTransition, RelativePositionedTransition, RotationTransition, ScaleTransition, SizeTransition, SlideTransition.
The AnimatedWidget base class allows you to separate out the core widget code from the animation code. AnimatedWidget doesn’t need to maintain a State object to hold the animation. Add the following AnimatedLogo class:
lib/main.dart (AnimatedLogo) class AnimatedLogo extends AnimatedWidget { AnimatedLogo({Key key, Animation<double> animation}) : super(key: key, listenable: animation); Widget build(BuildContext context) { final Animation<double> animation = listenable; return Center( child: Container( margin: EdgeInsets.symmetric(vertical: 10), height: animation.value, width: animation.value, child: FlutterLogo(), ), ); } }
AnimatedLogo uses the current value of the animation when drawing itself.
The LogoApp still manages the AnimationController and the Tween, and it passes the Animation object to AnimatedLogo :
{animate1 → animate2}/lib/main.dart @@ -10,2 +27,2 @@ 10 27 class _LogoAppState extends State<LogoApp> with SingleTickerProviderStateMixin { 11 28 Animation<double> animation; @@ -13,32 +30,18 @@ 13 30 @override 14 31 void initState() { 15 32 super.initState(); 16 33 controller = 17 34 AnimationController(duration: const Duration(seconds: 2), vsync: this); 18 - animation = Tween<double>(begin: 0, end: 300).animate(controller ) 35 + animation = Tween<double>(begin: 0, end: 300).animate(controller ); 19 -..addListener(() { 20 - setState(() { 21 - // The state that has changed here is the animation object’s value. 22 - }); 23 - }); 24 36 controller.forward(); 25 37 } 26 38 @override 27 - Widget build(BuildContext context) { 39 + Widget build(BuildContext context) => AnimatedLogo(animation: animation); 28 - return Center( 29 - child: Container( 30 - margin: EdgeInsets.symmetric(vertical: 10), 31 - height: animation.value, 32 - width: animation.value, 33 - child: FlutterLogo(), 34 - ), 35 - ); 36 - } 37 40 @override 38 41 void dispose() { 39 42 controller.dispose(); 40 43 super.dispose(); 41 44 }
App source: animate2
Monitoring the progress of the animation
What's the point? Use addStatusListener() for notifications of changes to the animation’s state, such as starting, stopping, or reversing direction.
for notifications of changes to the animation’s state, such as starting, stopping, or reversing direction. Run an animation in an infinite loop by reversing direction when the animation has either completed or returned to its starting state.
It’s often helpful to know when an animation changes state, such as finishing, moving forward, or reversing. You can get notifications for this with addStatusListener(). The following code modifies the previous example so that it listens for a state change and prints an update. The highlighted line shows the change:
class _LogoAppState extends State<LogoApp> with SingleTickerProviderStateMixin { Animation<double> animation; AnimationController controller; @override void initState() { super.initState(); controller = AnimationController(duration: const Duration(seconds: 2), vsync: this); animation = Tween<double>(begin: 0, end: 300).animate(controller)..addStatusListener((state) => print('$state')); controller.forward(); } //... }
Running this code produces this output:
AnimationStatus.forward AnimationStatus.completed
Next, use addStatusListener() to reverse the animation at the beginning or the end. This creates a “breathing” effect:
{animate2 → animate3}/lib/main.dart @@ -32,7 +32,15 @@ 32 32 void initState() { 33 33 super.initState(); 34 34 controller = 35 35 AnimationController(duration: const Duration(seconds: 2), vsync: this); 36 - animation = Tween<double>(begin: 0, end: 300).animate(controller ); 36 + animation = Tween<double>(begin: 0, end: 300).animate(controller ) 37 +..addStatusListener((status) { 38 + if (status == AnimationStatus.completed) { 39 + controller.reverse(); 40 + } else if (status == AnimationStatus.dismissed) { 41 + controller.forward(); 42 + } 43 + }) 44 +..addStatusListener((state) => print('$state')); 37 45 controller.forward(); 38 46 }
App source: animate3
Refactoring with AnimatedBuilder
What's the point? An AnimatedBuilder understands how to render the transition.
An AnimatedBuilder doesn’t know how to render the widget, nor does it manage the Animation object.
doesn’t know how to render the widget, nor does it manage the Animation object. Use AnimatedBuilder to describe an animation as part of a build method for another widget. If you simply want to define a widget with a reusable animation, use AnimatedWidget.
to describe an animation as part of a build method for another widget. If you simply want to define a widget with a reusable animation, use AnimatedWidget. Examples of AnimatedBuilders in the Flutter API: BottomSheet, ExpansionTile, PopupMenu, ProgressIndicator, RefreshIndicator, Scaffold, SnackBar, TabBar, TextField.
One problem with the code in the animate3 example, is that changing the animation required changing the widget that renders the logo. A better solution is to separate responsibilities into different classes:
Render the logo
Define the Animation object
Render the transition
You can accomplish this separation with the help of the AnimatedBuilder class. An AnimatedBuilder is a separate class in the render tree. Like AnimatedWidget, AnimatedBuilder automatically listens to notifications from the Animation object, and marks the widget tree dirty as necessary, so you don’t need to call addListener().
The widget tree for the animate4 example looks like this:
Starting from the bottom of the widget tree, the code for rendering the logo is straightforward:
class LogoWidget extends StatelessWidget { // Leave out the height and width so it fills the animating parent Widget build(BuildContext context) => Container( margin: EdgeInsets.symmetric(vertical: 10), child: FlutterLogo(), ); }
The middle three blocks in the diagram are all created in the build() method in GrowTransition, shown below. The GrowTransition widget itself is stateless and holds the set of final variables necessary to define the transition animation. The build() function creates and returns the AnimatedBuilder, which takes the ( Anonymous builder) method and the LogoWidget object as parameters. The work of rendering the transition actually happens in the ( Anonymous builder) method, which creates a Container of the appropriate size to force the LogoWidget to shrink to fit.
One tricky point in the code below is that the child looks like it’s specified twice. What’s happening is that the outer reference of child is passed to AnimatedBuilder, which passes it to the anonymous closure, which then uses that object as its child. The net result is that the AnimatedBuilder is inserted in between the two widgets in the render tree.
class GrowTransition extends StatelessWidget { GrowTransition({this.child, this.animation}); final Widget child; final Animation<double> animation; Widget build(BuildContext context) => Center( child: AnimatedBuilder( animation: animation, builder: (context, child) => Container( height: animation.value, width: animation.value, child: child, ), child: child), ); }
Finally, the code to initialize the animation looks very similar to the animate2 example. The initState() method creates an AnimationController and a Tween, then binds them with animate(). The magic happens in the build() method, which returns a GrowTransition object with a LogoWidget as a child, and an animation object to drive the transition. These are the three elements listed in the bullet points above.
{animate2 → animate4}/lib/main.dart @@ -27,22 +36,25 @@ 27 36 class _LogoAppState extends State<LogoApp> with SingleTickerProviderStateMixin { 28 37 Animation<double> animation; 29 38 AnimationController controller; 30 39 @override 31 40 void initState() { 32 41 super.initState(); 33 42 controller = 34 43 AnimationController(duration: const Duration(seconds: 2), vsync: this); 35 44 animation = Tween<double>(begin: 0, end: 300).animate(controller); 36 45 controller.forward(); 37 46 } 38 47 @override 39 - Widget build(BuildContext context) => AnimatedLogo ( animation: animation); 48 + Widget build(BuildContext context) => GrowTransition ( 49 + child: LogoWidget(), 50 + animation: animation, 51 + ); 40 52 @override 41 53 void dispose() { 42 54 controller.dispose(); 43 55 super.dispose(); 44 56 } 45 57 }
App source: animate4
Simultaneous animations
What's the point? The Curves class defines an array of commonly used curves that you can use with a CurvedAnimation.
In this section, you’ll build on the example from monitoring the progress of the animation (animate3), which used AnimatedWidget to animate in and out continuously. Consider the case where you want to animate in and out while the opacity animates from transparent to opaque.
Note: This example shows how to use multiple tweens on the same animation controller, where each tween manages a different effect in the animation. It is for illustrative purposes only. If you were tweening opacity and size in production code, you’d probably use FadeTransition and SizeTransition instead.
Each tween manages an aspect of the animation. For example:
controller = AnimationController(duration: const Duration(seconds: 2), vsync: this); sizeAnimation = Tween<double>(begin: 0, end: 300).animate(controller); opacityAnimation = Tween<double>(begin: 0.1, end: 1).animate(controller);
You can get the size with sizeAnimation.value and the opacity with opacityAnimation.value, but the constructor for AnimatedWidget only takes a single Animation object. To solve this problem, the example creates its own Tween objects and explicitly calculates the values.
Change AnimatedLogo to encapsulate its own Tween objects, and its build() method calls Tween.evaluate() on the parent’s animation object to calculate the required size and opacity values. The following code shows the changes with highlights:
class AnimatedLogo extends AnimatedWidget { // Make the Tweens static because they don't change. static final _opacityTween = Tween<double>(begin: 0.1, end: 1); static final _sizeTween = Tween<double>(begin: 0, end: 300); AnimatedLogo({Key key, Animation<double> animation}) : super(key: key, listenable: animation); Widget build(BuildContext context) { final Animation<double> animation = listenable; return Center( child: Opacity( opacity: _opacityTween.evaluate(animation), child: Container( margin: EdgeInsets.symmetric(vertical: 10), height: _sizeTween.evaluate(animation), width: _sizeTween.evaluate(animation), child: FlutterLogo(), ), ), ); } } class LogoApp extends StatefulWidget { _LogoAppState createState() => _LogoAppState(); } class _LogoAppState extends State<LogoApp> with SingleTickerProviderStateMixin { Animation<double> animation; AnimationController controller; @override void initState() { super.initState(); controller = AnimationController(duration: const Duration(seconds: 2), vsync: this); animation = CurvedAnimation(parent: controller, curve: Curves.easeIn)..addStatusListener((status) { if (status == AnimationStatus.completed) { controller.reverse(); } else if (status == AnimationStatus.dismissed) { controller.forward(); } }); controller.forward(); } @override Widget build(BuildContext context) => AnimatedLogo(animation: animation); @override void dispose() { controller.dispose(); super.dispose(); } }
App source: animate5
Next stepsA popular talking point on the left is that Donald Trump has things in common with Hitler.
But is this the case? Independent Journal Review decided to speak to a woman born in Nazi Germany about the comparison.
We talked with Marion Ingeborg Andrews, who goes by Inga. She was born in Dusseldorf, Germany, in 1940 during Hitler’s reign.
While most kids were playing with friends, Andrews was hiding in air raid shelters and helping to clean up the rubble from destroyed buildings to rebuild her city.
Andrews said:
“What is going on in this country is giving me chills. Trump is not like Hitler. Just because a leader wants order doesn’t mean they’re like a dictator. What reminds me more of Hitler than anything else isn’t Trump, it’s the destruction of freedom of speech on the college campuses — the agendas fueled by the professors. That’s how Hitler started, he pulled in the youth to miseducate them, to brainwash them, it’s happening today.”
Andrews drove home her point further for the younger generation:
“It saddens me that we are teaching garbage in the schools and in the college. We don’t teach history anymore. History repeats itself over and over. The kids out there today haven’t ever lived through a war like I did. I remember sitting in a rock pile, cleaning rocks, to rebuild Germany. I remember eating maple leaves and grass to survive.”
She later made it to the U.S. when her mother married an American, but her journey wasn’t without hurdles.
“It took six years because she had worked in Germany. It took six years to clear her to be able to be married. Then when you married an American, because we were the enemy, you had to wait. We had to go from Heidelberg to Bremerhaven where another camp was. This camp was run by the U.S. military. They vetted us in both places. There were all these German brides with their children and families who had to be vetted again for three of four days before they could get on the ship. The ship we took was the U.S.S. Washington. We arrived in New York in March of 1953. My mother, Meta Weinbach, and I still had the last name Muller. So we had a vetting process like what we are going through now because you have to have this to make the country safe.”
Then Andrews had some choice words for the protesters in the streets destroying property:
“America needs to grow up. The young people who are rioting and destroying property, who have no respect for elders and freedom of speech, I was so proud to become a citizen of this country.”
She opened up about how she accepted American culture and values:
Andrews continued on about her desire to become an American:
“At school, they put me in first grade even though I was a teenager because I didn’t speak English. The teachers would take time at their lunch time to teach us how to speak English. But they came to find out that I was hiding in the bathroom stall with my legs up eating my braunschweiger and onion sandwich, so nobody would talk to me. Still, I had a burning desire to be an American. I went to night school to learn English. I would practice English without a German accent. I didn’t want to be German. I wanted to be an American. When I was fourteen, I was working in a drug store reading comic books. Through reading comic books, I developed my English skills. We would go to the malls and we wouldn’t speak our foreign language, we would speak English. Because we believed we needed to honor the country that opened its doors for us. It was rude to do otherwise.”
Andrews returned to the present day with a message for those attacking freedom of speech:
“Professors shouldn’t be telling their students to go after freedom of speech. They should be telling them that this is the greatest country in the world. The demonstrators can’t tell you why they’re demonstrating. I’m not a Republican. I’m not a Democrat. I just want the country to be at peace. I see what is happening here reflecting some of the things we saw in Germany, and it’s terrifying. It’s sad. But it’s not because of Trump. It’s because of poor education. Trump is not like Hitler. The theory that he is is propaganda. Yes, I lived through some of Nazi Germany, but all you have to do is read some books about that period to see how wrong that theory is.”
She finished by sharing a personal story.
“I had an aunt who was in the Olympics. My aunt got all this extra stuff from Hitler and was surrounded by this propaganda,” she said, before explaining how she couldn’t keep a relationship with her aunt. “I couldn’t have anything to do with her. Even after the war, she was calling the Jewish people, of whom I was friends with, ‘dirty Jews.'”
“My point in saying all this is that if people aren’t able to see outside of one world view, that’s what happens,” Andrews concluded. “They buy the propaganda. And that’s what is happening today. And if people aren’t educated properly and given the ability to think freely — we will repeat that history.”
Due to numerous inquiries into the authenticity of Inga’s story, she’s provided Independent Journal Review with several pieces of proof to back up her claims.
Her mother, Meta Weinbach’s passport:
Evidence of their time in Heidelberg:
Inga with her father Heinz Muller during World War II:
The postcard she received upon boarding the S.S. Washington. Andrews’s family rode first class:
Her American step-father George Weinbach:
Upon sending these pieces of proof to back up her story, Andrews told us, “It’s exactly what I’ve been saying. Some people want to see through one world view, so they couldn’t even believe the story I lived.”
UPDATE 2/11/2017 at 12:40 PM ESTComing Soon
KAOS
This genre-bending series puts a modern twist on Greek and Roman mythology, exploring themes of gender politics, power and life in the underworld.
Rudy Ray Moore
When Hollywood shut him out in the 1970s, multi-talented Rudy Ray Moore created his own work, including the well-known blaxploitation film, "Dolemite."
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind
Inspired by a science book, 13-year-old William Kamkwamba builds a wind turbine to save his Malawian village from famine. Based on a true story.
The Witcher
The witcher Geralt, a mutated monster hunter, struggles to find his place in a world where people often prove more wicked than beasts.
Go! Go! Cory Carson
Join kid car Cory Carson on his adventures around the winding roads of childhood in Bumperton Hills! Based on the hit toy line Go! Go! Smart Wheels.
ReMastered: The Miami Showband Massacre
Ambushed by Ulster loyalists, three members of the Miami Showband were killed in Northern Ireland in 1975. Was the crime linked to the government?
Chopsticks
A gifted but insecure woman is in for a transformative experience when she enlists an enigmatic con to help recover her stolen car from a Mumbai thug.
Untitled Goop Project
Gwyneth Paltrow’s lifestyle site, goop, guides the deeply curious in an exploration of boundary-pushing wellness topics.Asking Alexandria is back with a self-titled album, which may be their best yet. While it may not be the most common thing in the world for bands to make their fifth release a self-titled album, this release is a rebirth for the band. Not long after the release of From Death to Destiny in 2013, lead singer Danny Worsnop left the band to pursue a different project, a band called We Are Harlot. The move was the breaking point that highlighted a difference in stylistic opinion. Worsnop was finding more vocal success in less heavy music, a direction that the rest of the band did not want to go. Asking Alexandria pushed forward and released a new album, without Worsnop, entitled The Black.
Neither We Are Harlot or Asking Alexandria (sans Worsnop) were hitting on the same success as the band had been previously. As a fan, I was beyond excited when I learned that the band had reconciled, and that they would be releasing a new record with Worsnop back on the mic. I was even more excited after I heard the first single “Into the Fire”. The song features every element of Asking Alexandria at their best: catchy riffs and a majestic feeling backdrop, a strong mix of clean vocals and heavy screaming, and deep and meaningful lyrics. I was pumped to hear what the full album had in store.
The album itself doesn’t drop until December 15, 2017, but your friendly neighborhood metal voice for Spinning Thoughts was lucky enough to get an early listen. The album is twelve tracks of pure perfection. Asking Alexandria has a feel that few bands, especially in the metal genres, can accomplish; the ability to pour out pure emotion into every track. The lyrics are deep and methodical. It is relatable and powerful along every turn. Songs like “Where Did It Go?” use both clean vocals and screams with a slow build up that really send the listener on an emotional rollercoaster. I challenge you not to hang on every word!
There are a few tracks that add unique elements to the record as well. “Under Denver” is a slower, mellow track that takes a step back, right in the middle of the album. It is melodic and has some really cool techno-elements in the hook. “Vultures”, which is one of the most appealing tracks on the album, is a stripped down acoustic ballad that focuses on Warsnop’s amazing range and inspired vocals. Towards the close of the album, the band also throws a curveball with “Empire”, which features rapped vocals with a full band chorus. This is sure to draw ire from metal fans, but it is so well done and really adds to the diversity of the album.
Asking Alexandria has some great new approaches for the band, but there are some classic, heavy tracks that fans have come to expect from the band as well. In addition to “Into the Fire” there are majestic anthems with hooks that will get stuck in your head like “Hopelessly Hopeful” and the closing track “Room 138”. It also has the heavy side that the band loves to showcase. The heaviest tracks on the album are “I Am One” and “Rise Up”, which is my favorite track on the album.
From start to finish, Asking Alexandria delivers. For me, it is that album that always seems to drop right at the end of the year that makes you second guess what your favorites of the year really are (spoiler alert, that list is coming soon, and this album is definitely on it!). A new album and a co-headlining tour with Black Veil Brides is just what the doctor ordered for the reunion of one of the most solid bands in metal today. If you haven’t given Asking Alexandria a listen before, do it now! They are certainly going to make an impact in 2018. Catch them on tour next year with Black Veil Brides and Crown The Empire!
TAGS: Asking Alexandria | Black Veil Brides | Crown The Empire
Email: jbone.spinningthoughts@outlook.com
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AdvertisementsFentanyl test strips don't always detect the presence of the deadly opioid and could give drug users a false sense of security, Health Canada is warning.
In an advisory issued Wednesday, the department said its drug analysis service did a "preliminary study" to compare "a fentanyl test strip product" used in communities against its own more sophisticated laboratory tests.
Demand for commercially produced test strips has boomed as recreational drug users and harm-reduction workers try to stop the rising number of deaths due to street drugs laced with fentanyl.
The Health Canada study compared fentanyl strip test results with its professional laboratory test results on 70 samples of drugs. Most of the samples "contained chemically similar drugs (fentanyl and analogues with similar chemical profiles, such as carfentanil)," department spokesman Eric Morrissette told CBC News in an email Wednesday evening.
In 63 of the samples, the test strips "accurately identified that opioids were present," he said.
But in three samples, the fentanyl test strips gave false negatives, indicating no opioids were present, when the lab tests indicated they were.
The strips showed false positives for opioids in two cases, and gave "invalid results" in two others.
Although Morrissette cautioned that the results are "very preliminary" and that the sample size was very small, he said the fact that "there is a possibility for false negatives in a small number of instances... suggests more research on this issue is needed."
The risk of a false negative is particularly concerning, because it could "lead to a false sense of security which may result in overdose or death," Health Canada's advisory said.
"This is particularly true for people who may choose to use drugs alone or without visiting a supervised [drug] consumption site where emergency help is immediately available."
Health Canada is 'urging Canadians to treat all illegal drugs as potentially contaminated,' and to take precautions if using drugs. (CBC)
The department "is urging Canadians to treat all illegal drugs as potentially contaminated," and to take precautions if using drugs, including never using them alone, going to a supervised consumption site whenever possible, and ensuring naloxone (a drug used to reverse overdoses) is available.
In its next phase of assessing fentanyl test strips, Health Canada plans to use them with a greater variety and number of drug samples.
Morrissette |
this line of investigation.
1 Introduction In contrast to higher organisms, microbial cells are highly exposed to the conditions of their immediate environment and are rather limited in their ability to alter these conditions to suit their needs (Egli, 1995). In order to survive and grow, microorganisms adapt their physiology to the local physical and chemical conditions to which they are subjected. Drought and rewetting in soil, for example, induces wholesale changes in microbial physiology and has profound effects on the makeup of the microbial communities (Schimel et al., 2007; Placella et al., 2012). The physical environment also constrains the range over which organisms can interact, thus affecting the boundaries, size, and composition of communities (Konopka, 2009). In soil, microbial communities exist in a three‐dimensional physical environment that is heterogeneous in both space and time and that regulates the flows of water, energy, gases and nutrients (Young and Ritz, 1998). It is likely, therefore, that microbial functioning and the nature of microbial communities can only be fully understood if the properties of their immediate environment and the manner in which they interact with their habitat are accounted for. Soil microbial ecology is distinct from many other branches of ecology in that relatively little interest has been paid to the microbial habitat. A rapid analysis in Web of KnowledgeTM shows that habitat is mentioned in approximately 10% of publications in soil microbial ecology, considerably less than the approx. 30% found in many branches of macro‐ecology (data not shown). This may be because the microbial habitat is not easily grasped, either from a measurement or a conceptual point of view, but there may also be a certain disregard among microbial ecologists for variations in environmental conditions and soil properties that occur at the scale of the soil aggregate or the microbial community. Nevertheless, the microscale variations in soil properties result in a myriad of micro‐niches, which is believed to contribute to the high microbial diversity of soils (Treves et al., 2003) from which soil biological functionality emerges (Crawford et al., 2005). In the following I describe how recent research has shed light on the nature of soil microbial habitat and on the functional consequences of the intimate relationship between microbial communities and their micro‐habitat. I will further show how these insights have shaped our understanding of what soil microbial communities are and of soil microbial functioning.
2 What is the microbial habitat in soil? The microbial habitat in soil can be viewed at different scales. At the coarsest scale, different soils constitute different microbial habitats. Biogeographic studies have shown that the properties of soils are significant drivers of microbial composition (King et al., 2010; Ranjard et al., 2013). However, the majority of the variability in bacterial diversity is not explained at these scales of analysis, but occurs at finer scales (King et al., 2010; Ranjard et al., 2013), suggesting that microbial interactions with their habitat at finer scales play an important role in structuring communities. Soils can be partitioned into different spheres of influence such as the rhizosphere, the detritusphere, or the drilosphere. The properties of these spheres of influence differentiate them from the bulk soil and have significant impacts on microbial communities. Microbial activity is significantly higher (e.g., Marschner et al., 2012) and the copiotrophic conditions result in a differentiation in microbial composition as well as a reduction in microbial diversity (Poll et al., 2010; Peiffer et al., 2013). The reduction in diversity may be due to the more amble supply of substrate, allowing the more competitive species to dominate. However, the physical structure of the rhizosphere is more spatially correlated (Feeney et al., 2006) which, coupled with the likely increase in substrate availability throughout the rhizosphere, may also result in a certain homogenization of the rhizosphere micro‐niches, thus reducing microbial diversity. The same may be true of the detritusphere or the drilosphere.
3 The micro‐habitat Early observations of soil microbial communities in their natural environment suggested that they are predominantly found in pores with diameters between 0.8 and 10 µm (Kilbertus, 1980) and are associated with humified organic matter in the case of individual bacterial cells, or a diverse range of organic masses including plant and cellular remnants in the case of bacterial colonies (Foster, 1988). A number of technological developments (e.g., X‐ray tomography, synchrotron‐based spectroscopy or nanoSIMS) have allowed us to construct a more complete picture of the micro‐environments in which microbial communities reside. The structure of pore space in soil results in a huge diversity of micro‐environments in which the biological component exists and is active (Young and Ritz, 1998; Nunan et al., 2006). The diversity of micro‐environments exists because the physical organization of solid and pore space causes a complex distribution of oxygen, water films and solute gradients, spanning distances as small as a few micrometers, to develop. These micro‐environments are highly dynamic in nature as microbial activity, plant root growth or alterations in the water status can all affect their physical and chemical properties (Crawford et al., 2005). During aggregate formation, for example, changes in the spatial organization of the solids and voids affect the architecture and connectivity of the pore space which can, in turn, affect the distribution of water films and the diffusion of substrate and gasses (Horn and Smucker, 2005), the distribution of organic matter (Mueller et al., 2012; Rawlins et al., 2016) or the distribution of a range of elements (Jasinska et al., 2006). Lehmann et al. (2008) also showed that organic matter at the scale of the microbial habitat is highly heterogeneous in nature. This means that microbial communities residing in different micro‐habitats experience different local environmental conditions, even when the overall environment of the soil is constant.
4 Relationship between micro‐habitat and microbial communities The different local environmental conditions can be expected to exert different pressures on microbial communities, potentially affecting both the makeup of the communities and their activity. Indeed, the heterogeneity of the physical and chemical micro‐environment in soil has been shown to have a significant structuring effect on microbial communities: microbial community structure is dependent on whether they are located within or at the surface of soil aggregates (Mummey and Stahl, 2004; Jasinska et al., 2006). Different regions of the soil pore space also harbor significantly different communities (Ruamps et al., 2011). The intimate relationship between microbial communities and their local habitat is further demonstrated by the rapidity with which community fingerprints respond to changes in aggregation (Blaud et al., 2012). The phylogenetic composition of microbial communities also varies significantly among and within aggregates of the same soil (Kravchenko et al., 2014). It should be noted that the differences among microbial communities from aggregates of the same soil and from different portions of the same aggregates were of the same order of magnitude as the differences measured in bulk samples of different soils (Kravchenko et al., 2014), suggesting that an accurate picture of microbial communities cannot be obtained simply from bulk measurements. Interaction distances or “calling distances” in the microbial world are extremely short. On leaf surfaces, for example, interactions among bacteria have been found to occur principally in the 5 to 20 µm range (Esser et al., 2015) and diffusion limitations on solid surfaces reduce competition for a common resource to such an extent that a less competitive bacterial strain can coexist in close proximity (≈ 100 µm) to a more competitive strain (Dechesne et al., 2008). In soil, the physical environment potentially constrains interactions among microbial populations even further, particularly in unsaturated conditions in which the aqueous zones in microbial habitats are fragmented (Long and Or, 2005). The few estimates of interaction distances in soil that have been made, suggest that the majority of microbial interactions occur over distances no greater than a few tens of micrometers (Gantner et al., 2006). Although the numbers of microbial cells in soil are large, they only occupy a small part of the total surface area (Young and Crawford, 2004), a consequence of which is that individual microbial neighborhoods contain very few cells and even fewer species that are within interaction distances (Raynaud and Nunan, 2014). If one considers a community to be a collection of individuals that interact with one another, then soil microbial communities may, in fact, be quite small and relatively species poor, which is in stark contrast to the very large numbers often used to describe soil microbial communities measured in bulk soil samples (Roesch et al., 2007).
5 What are microbial communities? Communities can be defined as closed networks of interacting populations (Sterelny, 2006), in which the interactions among members of a community regulate members' relative abundances and determine the community's assembly rules (Jaillard et al., 2014). However, communities can also be “communities of a place”; in other words: a collection of individuals or species that exist in a defined space, generally because they tolerate the prevalent local conditions but do not necessarily interact or affect each other's existence (Bryant, 2012). In view of the large disparity of scale between the size of the samples used for measuring microbial communities on bulk soil samples (0.25–0.5 g) and the distance over which microbial cells interact (100s µm), measurements of microbial community structure, composition or diversity cannot provide much reliable information on the identities of interacting species or the extent of the interactions. The measurements are more a reflection of “communities of a place”, those microorganisms that can tolerate or thrive in at least one of the micro‐habitats present in the soil. In these communities, habitat filtering regulates the composition of communities, as is often found for soil microbial communities (Hughes Martiny et al., 2006) rather than interactions among community members. One should therefore exercise caution when using co‐occurrence network analysis for gaining insight into biotic interactions within soil microbial communities, as these analyses are unlikely to shed much light on microbial associations other than similar tolerances of soil environmental properties.
6 Microbial communities and activity In communities in which there are causal interactions, the composition may affect ecosystem functioning through competition for resources, facilitation, mutualism and a better coverage of habitat heterogeneity (Hector et al., 2001). Where there are no causal interactions, the composition of the communities is only likely to affect ecosystem functioning through a better coverage of habitat heterogeneity. In soil, more diverse microbial communities are more likely to be able to inhabit a greater portion of the available micro‐habitats and to harbor a greater catabolic diversity. They might therefore be expected to better decompose the chemically heterogeneous soil organic matter. However, most studies suggest that there is little or no relationship between microbial community composition or diversity and soil organic matter decomposition in mineral soils (e.g., Wertz et al., 2006). This is commonly ascribed to the existence of a high functional redundancy with respect to heterotrophic respiration in soil microbial communities (Nielsen et al., 2011). The functional redundancy theory requires that communities with low levels of diversity carry out the same functions across the available micro‐habitats as more diverse communities. There are alternative explanations for the stability of a range of microbial functions to changes in composition or diversity of microbial communities. The first is that it reflects an averaging effect, as described by the law of large numbers or (Poisson, 1837). The law of large numbers states that the average obtained from a large number of realizations converges towards the expected value and, the greater the number of realizations, the closer to the expected value the average will be. If each microorganism–micro‐habitat pair is viewed as a realization of a particular activity, then even communities with low diversity levels (say with several tens or a few hundred taxa) would result in a large number of microorganism–micro‐habitat pairs, the average activity of which would be expected to converge towards the average activity calculated from all possible combinations of microorganisms and micro‐habitats for a soil. Although this explanation and the functional redundancy explanation are virtually indistinguishable from an experimental point of view, it has the merit of not requiring that different micro‐organisms function in a similar manner. A second explanation is that microbial activity is constrained to such an extent by the environment in which microbial communities exist, that all communities have similar activity, regardless of their composition or diversity.
7 Micro‐habitat constraints and microbial activity The relationship between the availability of substrate and microbial respiration in soil is well established. Soils or regions of a soil, such as the rhizosphere, that have higher organic C contents generally have higher respiration rates (e.g., Kuzyakov, 2002). Interactions between the physical structure and water content of soil modulate respiration rates by regulating O 2 levels and the access that decomposing communities have to the substrate necessary for their activity (Moyano et al., 2012). A number of studies have measured increases in respiration following the disruption of soil structure (e.g., Salomé et al., 2010). The flush of respiration after physical disruption illustrates in a simple manner how fine‐scale spatial disconnections between substrate and decomposers can constrain microbial activity. However, it is not yet clear what mechanism(s) regulate the availability of organic substrate to microbial decomposers. The significance of these regulatory mechanisms relative to biological or chemical limitations of activity has not been established either. Investigations into how the local environment constrains microbial activity have yielded contradictory results: no significant relationships between respiration in individual aggregates and aggregate properties that might be expected to influence the access microbial decomposers have to substrate (total pore volume or spatial proximity of organic matter and pores in tomographic images) have been found (Sierra and Renault, 1996; Rawlins et al., 2016), and changes in the structure of the pore network do not appear to influence C mineralization at a given matric potential under steady‐state conditions (Juarez et al., 2013). Nonetheless, others have found that organic matter placed in different regions of the pore network is mineralized at different rates, suggesting that the local environmental conditions affect microbial activity (Strong et al., 2004; Ruamps et al., 2011). The differences, however, cannot be conclusively attributed to local environmental constraints because microbial communities also vary with the local environmental conditions (Ruamps et al., 2011), meaning that possible microbial community and local environment effects are confounded. In order to distinguish the roles of microbial communities and the local environment in regulating microbial activity, Nunan et al. (2017) used a reciprocal transplant approach in which microbial communities from two soils were placed in sterilized samples of either soil, in more or less connected aqueous environments. During the period of rapid growth, when the inoculated microbial communities were recolonizing the sterile environment using labile organic matter released from dead microbial cells, the respiratory rates of the different microbial communities were significantly different. As the incubation progressed, however, and the microbial communities decomposed organic matter unaffected by the sterilization process, the mineralization rates of all the communities decreased dramatically. The mineralization rates of the different microbial communities converged according to soil and connectivity of the micro‐environment, regardless of the community of decomposers. This suggests a significant and dominant local environmental control on microbial decomposition of soil organic matter. The limitation may be such that intrinsic functional differences among communities cannot be expressed, resulting in a “habitat‐induced functional redundancy”. The nature of the limitation is not clear, but in their influential study on N mineralization, (Stanford and Smith, 1972) found that there was a linear relationship between the activity and the square‐root of time. They remarked that this would be expected for diffusion‐controlled reactions. If C mineralization was constrained by the diffusion rates of organic substrates, then soil respiration curves would also be linear with the square‐root of time. A re‐analysis of some of our data shows that this can indeed be the case (Fig. 1). If this was widespread, then a description of the pore and water structure of soil may be necessary to accurately describe C mineralization. Figure 1 Open in figure viewerPowerPoint R2 all > 0.96). The measurements on the first day were not included in the linear fit these values may have been influenced by advection after adjustment of the soil moisture content. Bars show standard error of the mean, where error larger than size of symbol. Data from Salomé et al. ( 2010 Linear relationship between cumulative C mineralisation and the square‐root of time in topsoil (▪) and subsoil (•). Grey symbols are undisturbed samples and black symbols are sieved samples. Symbols show experimental data and lines show linear fit (all > 0.96). The measurements on the first day were not included in the linear fit these values may have been influenced by advection after adjustment of the soil moisture content. Bars show standard error of the mean, where error larger than size of symbol. Data fromet al. (). The heterogeneity of the soil habitat means that it may be more appropriate to consider soil as a juxtaposition of different “biomes” with different factors limiting process rates and microbial community assembly. In “biomes” in which the availability of substrate is relatively high and microbial communities can grow (i.e., the rhizosphere, the drilosphere or the detritusphere), the capacity of microbial communities to use the available substrate may dominate process rates and competitive exclusion may play a role in structuring microbial communities. However, where organic resources are less accessible, local environmental constraints, such as diffusion, may well regulate the rates at which processes occur. In these situations, interactions among micro‐organisms are unlikely to structure the communities because resource availability is too low. Recent work on the soil microbial habitat has revealed a highly heterogeneous environment from both physical and chemical perspectives, which has significant influences on both the makeup and activity of microbial communities. This has still not been fully integrated into our understanding of the biological functioning of soil. It is likely to be profitable to pursue a line of research that better identifies the microbe‐habitat interactions and the scales at which these interactions operate that structure microbial communities and regulate their activity.
Acknowledgements This work was funded by the Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR), Project n# ANR‐15‐CE01‐006‐03.City Hall in Ocean City
City Council got an in-depth look Thursday at the $72,017,647 draft budget announced last week by Mayor Jay Gillian.
Ocean City proposes an overall 1.32 percent tax rate increase, amounting to an additional $26.40 in municipal taxes for a home assessed at $500,000 in 2015.
Ocean City Finance Director Frank Donato made a presentation on details of the proposed budget during a public workshop Feb. 19 at City Hall.
Among the largest appropriations are:
Salaries and wages: $29,562,600, covering 258 full-time employees — two more than Ocean City employed in 2014. This figure represents a $914,000 increase over 2014, mostly due to scheduled increases within contracts.
$29,562,600, covering 258 full-time employees — two more than Ocean City employed in 2014. This figure represents a $914,000 increase over 2014, mostly due to scheduled increases within contracts. Debt service: $10.5 million, up $661,543 over 2014, to pay back loans for various capital improvement projects on roads, drainage, dredging, beaches, the boardwalk and other public facilities.
$10.5 million, up $661,543 over 2014, to pay back loans for various capital improvement projects on roads, drainage, dredging, beaches, the boardwalk and other public facilities. Other expenses: $22,417,512 for various operating expenses, including $4,153,334 in pensions, an increase of $349,652 due to the current employee base and the number of retirees in the system.
For the first time since 2011, however, these costs will be offset by an increase in Ocean City’s ratable base — the total combined value of taxable real estate on the island.
__________
See complete presentation on appropriations and revenues.
__________
According to the draft budget, that figure has climbed 1.03 percent to $11.3 billion, which Donato largely attributed to stabilization in the real estate and construction markets as well as a recently completed in-house reassessment of 17,000 Ocean City properties.
“It’s a great number,” Donato said.
Because Ocean City has more real estate value to tax than other nearby municipalities and because it brings in substantial revenue from sources such as beach tag and parking fees, it is able to keep its municipal tax rate comparatively low.
Ocean City will collect $45,894,838 from local taxpayers under the draft budget — $1,101,635 million, or 2.46, percent, more than it collected in 2014. Its general tax rate of 0.867 in 2014 was less than the general tax rates in neighboring Somers Point (2.7) and Upper Township (1.408), but greater than the general tax rates collected in coastal communities such as Sea Isle City (0.584) and Avalon (0.535), according to figures provided by the state.
Other projected sources of revenue identified Thursday include:
Local revenues: $15,364,830, reflecting — among other items — projected beach tag revenue of $4 million, parking fees of $2,785,000 and $1,035,000 from the Aquatic and Fitness Center, which exceeded expectations in 2014 by $23,472. “They just keep outdoing themselves from one year to the next,” Donato said.
$15,364,830, reflecting — among other items — projected beach tag revenue of $4 million, parking fees of $2,785,000 and $1,035,000 from the Aquatic and Fitness Center, which exceeded expectations in 2014 by $23,472. “They just keep outdoing themselves from one year to the next,” Donato said. Library tax levy: $3,837,662, a $20,877 increase over what was collected in 2014. The library tax is set by state law and based on a small percentage of a town’s ratable base.
In addition, Ocean City’s fund balance has reached an all-time high of $6,283,131, Donato said. Ocean City will contribute $3,350,000 of that amount to offset municipal taxes, while keeping the remaining 46.68 percent — or $2,933,131 — in reserves. Citing Ocean City’s vulnerability to big storms and dependency on tourism, Gillian said he agreed with the decision.
“If we get a hurricane, or have a bad year with weather … you just don’t know,” Gillian added.
Councilman Keith Hartzell praised the Mayor’s budget as “very lean” and “responsible,” as well as for its apparent transparency over previous administrations.
“It’s important to be up front and honest for every item and every line that’s in this budget,” Gillian said.
A final version of the budget will be voted on by City Council this spring.Age of consent
The law in Victoria sets clear age limits for when you can legally have sex. This is called the age of consent. A person can be charged with a sexual offence if they perform a sexual act that breaks these age limits, even if the younger person agrees to it. The age of consent for same-sex relationships is the same as it is for heterosexual relationships.
Under 12 years old
If you are under 12, a person can't have sex with you or touch you sexually or perform a sexual act in front of you, even if you agree.
Twelve to 15 years old
If you are 12 to 15, a person can’t have sex with you, touch you sexually or perform a sexual or indecent act with you or in front of you if they are more than two years older than you, even if you agree.
However, it is not an offence if the person honestly believed that you were 16 or if there was less than a two-year age difference between you. This is exactly two years. For example, if a person is 17 and has sex with someone who is 15, it is not a crime. But if the person was 18, it is a crime unless the person believed the person was 16 or older.
Sixteen to 17 years old
A person who is caring for you or supervising you, like a teacher, youth worker or foster carer, can't have sex with you or sexually touch you or perform a sexual act or indecent act with you or in front of you, even if you agree, unless they are married to you. However, it is not an offence if the person honestly believed you were 18 or older.
When one person does not agree to sex
As well as age limits, the law says that two people can’t have sex unless they both freely agree (consent). If you don’t freely agree and someone threatens you to engage in a sexual act or touches you sexually or indecently they are breaking the law.
If someone has sex with you or touches you sexually when you are asleep, unconscious or so affected by alcohol or drugs that you are not able to freely agree, it is still a sexual offence.
Get help
Find out how you can get help with sex and the law.Football As commercials go, Texas’ satellite camp in Dallas a success Longhorns get exclusive looks at several recruits coveted by Baylor, Oklahoma and Michigan in two-hour satellite camp in Addison Posted June 17th, 2016
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Story highlights Tight end recruit: 'That’s all I wanted to prove. Just try to be the best.'
Tight end recruit: 'That’s all I wanted to prove. Just try to be the best.' Texas coaches spent time with two defensive linemen who hold offers from Oklahoma.
Texas coaches spent time with two defensive linemen who hold offers from Oklahoma. 'All of them leave with hope. And hope can carry you a long way.'
ADDISON — Whether they like it or not, college coaches have morphed into traveling gypsies this summer, shuffling to far-flung locales for satellite camps.
Jim Harbaugh is having an absolute ball crisscrossing the countryside while Nick Saban is predicting the apocalypse.
In the end, it’s savvy marketing, nothing more. Maybe coaches find a hidden gem, maybe not. Thursday’s satellite camp in the Houston area wasn’t particularly notable, for example. Each camp is truly a hit-or-miss proposition based on who shows up.
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From that standard alone, Texas’ satellite camp on Friday at The Greenhill School must be considered a success. There were multiple players there wanted by Texas’ rivals. The entire UT coaching staff, which paired up with some assistants from Boston College, had them exclusively for a two-hour workout.
“We’re gonna coach you the way we do it,” Strong told campers before kickstarting a typical college-level workout in searing North Texas heat. “Someone paid for you to come here. You don’t want to waste their money. Don’t waste our time.”
Arlington Lamar defensive tackle Bobby “Tre” Brown, a rising junior who already holds offers from Oklahoma and Houston, sure came to impress. Brown said this was an opportunity for “experience and exposure.”
“All these students are not going to get offered a scholarship,” said Brown’s mother, Erica, a supervisor at a juvenile correctional facility in Granbury. “But all of them leave with hope. And hope can carry you a long way. That can push you even farther. I wish I could take him to a camp every week this summer.”
Texas DL coach Brick Haley putting campers through the motions. pic.twitter.com/mTH9rWkOmX — Brian Davis (@BDavisAAS) June 17, 2016
Strong spent extra time with rising senior Dayo Odeyingbo, a Carrollton Ranchview defensive end who has at least 17 scholarship offers from schools like Michigan, Oklahoma and Texas A&M. When Odeyingbo return to his position group, he was swarmed by other campers. What’d he say? Tell us exactly what Coach Strong said, he was told.
Odeyingbo, a three-star athlete standing 6-foot-4, knows coaches can find him. These satellite camps are worth it for others. “I think it’s been good for a lot of guys who go to smaller schools and don’t get a lot of looks,” Odeyingbo said.
Take Kenny Nelson, for example. The Frisco Centennial tight end, a rising senior, has offers from Jackson State and Lamar. But anyone who saw Nelson in the one-on-one drills would jot down his name as one to watch this fall. Nelson twice made sensational grabs, including one against Verone McKinley III, a standout defensive back from Plano’s Prestonwood Christian.
Nelson spoke with Texas tight ends coach Jeff Traylor afterward and walked away glowing.
“I just wanted to prove that I should be a top-ranked receiver,” Nelson said. “That’s all I wanted to prove. Just try to be the best.”
One of the best players at the event stood on the sidelines. Plano West linebacker Mohamed Sanogo was named the MVP at his position during The Opening regional event in March. He didn’t have the $40 entry fee, but Sanogo’s father told him to get to Greenhill so the Texas coaches know he’s interested.
Sanogo, who attended UT’s junior day, does not have a scholarship offer from the Longhorns. But he wants to attend the school’s Under the Lights recruiting event next month.
“They’re not going to offer you based on the satellite camp,” said Sanogo, who talks with UT linebackers coach Brian Jean-Mary. “But they’re looking at this thinking, ‘OK, who do we need to watch during the season.’ ”
The UT coaching staff was watching probably closer than the campers think. At one point, Traylor told a receiver, “I like that! I can coach you!” Offensive line coach Matt Mattox and defensive line coach Brick Haley both talked to their charges individually after one-on-one drills. Every other coach routinely pulled players aside for instruction, even those who don’t pass the eye-ball test.
As commercials go, it was the best two-hour advertisement for Texas Longhorns football possible.
“If you don’t believe in yourself, nobody is gonna believe in you,” Strong said to the group afterward. By NCAA rule, he is not allowed to speak directly to the media at these events. “Go be the best person, and good things will happen to you.”
Contact Brian Davis at 512-445-3957. Email bdavis@statesman.com.An Oklahoma woman was charged with lewd acts with a minor after she allegedly lured a 15-year-old boy into a tanning booth at a gym, stripped and kissed him, NewsOn6.com reported.
The report said Betsy Ann Brashear, 24, had been flirting with the teen at the Bartlesville gym while his mother worked out. Someone at the gym told the mother that Brashear was spotted going into a tanning booth with the teen, the report said.
The station cited an affidavit that said the mom pounded on the room’s door and found Brashear hiding. She reportedly dragged Brashear, who was only wearing a sports bra, out of the room, but released her since she was partially naked and several men were watching.
The teen told police the two kissed and Brashear reportedly told police that she knew the teen’s age and did not think there was anything illegal about giving someone a kiss. She reportedly denied taking off her clothes.
Brashear was released on Friday on $20,000 bond and is due back in court on July 13.
Click for more from NewsOn6.comOct 11 2015 by Elaina Berkowitz
We all use Instagram. We all post pics. We're never honest.
Instagram is one of the most popular social media outlets. Though we don't want to admit it, college students spend hours prepping for the perfect picture and choosing the perfect filter.
After all this hard work, we're faced with the challenge of coming up with the perfect caption. We want our lives to sound as cool as possible and our caption is a big part of that. That being said, our captions are never exactly honest. If they were, your Instagram feed would look a lot like this...
1. The Group Shot
2. The Classic Pretty Picture of Campus
3. The Going Out Pic
4. The Coffee Shot
5. The Selfie
6. The Throwback
7. The Workout Pic
8. The Sporting Event Shot
9. The Movie Night Pic
We probably won't trade in our Drake lyrics for super honest Instagram captions anytime soon, but it's good to keep in mind that you don't know the true story behind every shot.
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QPR chief executive Lee Hoos today confirmed the club are considering developing a new ground at the Linford Christie Stadium — just one mile from their current home.
The Championship club are looking at new sites, having given up on their plan to build a 40,000 all-seat stadium at nearby Old Oak Common.
QPR have held informal discussions with Hammersmith & Fulham Council over the possibility of knocking down Linford Christie Stadium, the base for Thames Valley Harriers athletics club.
Hoos said: “We are looking at all possible options to secure the future of the club in Hammersmith and Fulham and benefit the community.
“A potential partnership with an athletics club such as Thames Valley Harriers to create a new community stadium — and an adjacent athletics track — could bring huge benefits to both clubs, as well as to the local community that is our home.
“Before putting forward any formal proposal for a new community stadium, we would consult fans, local residents, schools, charities and others to see how best we could achieve those aims.”
The new stadium would hold 30,000 supporters, while Loftus Road has a capacity of just 18,238.
Hammersmith & Fulham Council is keen to keep the club in the borough and it is open to any ideas for the Linford Christie Stadium.
The idea is still in its infancy, though, and Rangers will now have to come up with some official plans for the project.
It will not be easy because the site is opposite Hammersmith Hospital and there are question marks over whether the club will have to buy or lease the land from the council. They will also have to come up with an agreeable plan with the council for Loftus Road, which is likely to be sold for property redevelopment.
It is believed that QPR owners Tony Fernandes and Lakshmi Mittal will provide a lot of the funding for a switch to Linford Christie Stadium, which will cost less than the original scheme at Old Oak Common.
Rangers had to shelve a move there because of fierce opposition from Cargiant, which owns the land upon which the club wanted to build.
Cargiant has plans to regenerate the venue, including creating 6,500 new homes and 8,000 jobs.The overhead squat has definitely gotten popular over the last few years and it could be due to the love crossfitters have for it. There is a common shared belief that the overhead squats helps in chasing a big snatch. I get questions about this all the time so I figured that I would publish an article on it. Whether it really is useful for weightlifters is relatively debated among coaches. Some think that the overhead squat has little place in the training of weightlifters and some push it aggressively. In this article, I will explore the 2 main reasons I program the over head quat and go over why the overhead squat has little carry over to the snatch passed a certain level.
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The snatch of a good lifter will always be around 78-82% of their best clean and jerk. Lack of leg strength to stand up in the snatch is rarely the reason people miss snatches. In fact, since the snatch is 80% of the best clean and jerk, one could assume that it is about 55-60% of the athlete best back squat. This is why the most spectacular save happen in the snatch : The athlete has a big surplus of strength to compensate – to a certain limit- for a bad reception. Over the years, we have seen duck walks, standing up in a lunge and standing up while twisting (the famous 360 snatch) and these happened due to the surplus of strength and the know how of the lifters.
If you were to program overhead squats for lifters, then you would need to ask the question as to what exactly it is you are trying to fix or develop with it. As mentioned, we already know that overhead squat strength is somewhat irrelevant, at least in elite lifters, when comparing snatch to squat strength. At that point, a good question to ask is why would you train overhead squats? I program overhead squats mostly for two reasons : mobility and instability in the bottom position (both can be related).
I use the overhead squat a lot when developing the proper flexibility of the shoulders, wrists (forearms) and hips of a lifter. If a lifter cannot squat down and keep the bar overhead without having it move forward or bending the elbows, he will need to spend time doing overhead squats since that’s the best tool to fix those mobility issues. The overhead squat is thus a very good tool to assess the mobility of a starting athlete. Since the movement is relatively slow, the athlete can have power over what he does and correct the movement as he goes along.
Snatching without having the right mobility to receive and stand up should be avoided. I put a beginner lifter I am involved with on an overhead squat program (1 month block) a few months ago. Her mobility improved so much that she added 15lbs to her overhead squat PR from her Crossfit days and did so for a set of 3 (Thus 15% increase and weights, and for 3 reps). It became much easier for her to receive the bars and sure enough the snatch improved because mobility was a limitation of hers. It is important to note that it worked because she is a beginner that was limited by mobility. You would not get the same results with an elite lifter (see further down).
I use the overhead squats to work on the bottom position stability. Many beginner or intermediate lifters lose bars because the |
on was not a big departure from normality, but whether the same justifications exist in the upcoming series against the Cardinals is debatable.
Putting third baseman Kris Bryant out in left field and inserting Tommy La Stella at third base was the biggest surprise about the Cubs lineup against the Pirates, but that position shift as well as others made a bit earlier in the year, put the Cubs defense out of position on almost every position in the field. Catcher Miguel Montero, first baseman Anthony Rizzo, and center fielder Dexter Fowler were in their typical everyday positions, but the other five players were playing at positions other than their typical 2015 setup. The chart below shows the percentage of innings each player played at the position where they started in the Wild Card game.
Percentage of Innings at Wild Card Position in 2015 WC Position Defensive Innings at WC Position Total Defensive Innings % of Innings at WC Position Kris Bryant LF 39 1313.1 3.0% Kyle Schwarber RF 14 445.2 3.1% Starlin Castro 2B 258 1201 21.5% Tommy La Stella 3B 52 140 37.1% Addison Russell SS 471.1 1217.1 38.7%
The least surprising move from above was Addison Russell at shortstop and Starlin Castro at second base. When Russell first came up, Maddon was reluctant to unseat incumbent shortstop and long-time Cub Starling Castro. Castro’s poor play coupled with Russell’s natural position at short eventually resulted in the change towards the beginning of August. Castro at second was not as sure of a thing two months ago, having been benched for a combination of Chris Coghlan and Tommy La Stella. Castro eventually earned back a starting job at second base. Castro has been a slightly below average shortstop, although range has never been his problem. Against Pittsburgh, Castro handled the most difficult part of the transition to second base, turning a key double play with the runner bearing down in the sixth inning.
The last time the Cubs played against Gerrit Cole, left-handed Tommy La Stella was in the lineup at second base. With Castro there, Maddon’s options became relatively simple: Leave Bryant at third, put Kyle Schwarber in left field where he started 15 of the last 22 games of the regular season, and put one of three players (left-handed Chris Coghlan, right-handed Jorge Soler, right-handed Austin Jackson) in right field, OR keep La Stella in the lineup at third, shifting Bryant to left field and Schwarber to right field. There were multiple moves involved, but it came down to La Stella vs a regular right fielder. Maddon chose La Stella.
Moving Kris Bryant to left field seemed like a radical move, but Bryant does have experience in the outfield, and with a pitcher like Jake Arrieta, the move is less of a gamble than it might be otherwise. Arrieta’s 22.8% fly ball percentage is the fourth-lowest fly ball percentage in baseball, and even that number overstates the chances of a fly ball. Dividing fly balls by total plate appearances reveals the following chart among qualified pitchers this season (23.2% is average).
Arrieta along with the Pirates offense, which had the fifth-lowest fly ball percentage in MLB this season, presented a good opportunity to sacrifice defense in the outfield. The move was not without risks. Pittsburgh is a spacious park, and only the Giants had a lower park factor for home runs this season. The St. Louis Cardinals present some of the same opportunities, but without Arrieta, the decision is not as clear-cut.
The Cardinals, like the Pirates play in a pitcher’s park where it is difficult to hit home runs. The Cardinals fly ball percentage is higher than the Pirates, but it is still in the bottom third of MLB teams. The Cardinals strikeout percentage is in the middle of the pack, and with a low home run rate, they tend to put the ball in play. In terms of risking a misplay, the Cardinals look to have a team of gap to gap hitters who could take advantage of misplays in the outfield. No National League team had a greater percentage of their hits go for doubles or triples.
The pitcher also plays a role in the kind of defense a team would prefer to have backing him. Game 2 starter Jon Lester allows more fly balls than Arrieta, but his FB/PA% is still below the mean at 19.4% while Game 3 starter Kyle Hendricks is even lower at 18.5% this season. With the Cardinals starting left-handed Jaime Garcia, the Cubs are less likely to insert La Stella, perhaps even Schwarber, into the lineup so no defensive sacrifices will be necessary.
Against John Lackey, there might be extra incentive to try and get an extra left-handed bat in the game, whether that means putting La Stella at second and Coghlan in right or keeping the lineup the same as the one they used against the Pirates. Over the last four years, Lackey’s FIP is roughly half a run higher against lefties–he has a 23% K-rate and 4% walk-rate against righties and a 17% K-rate and 7% walk-rate against lefties.
Maddon’s decisions seem almost trivial in hindsight given how great Arrieta is pitching, but Maddon will now be faced with slightly more difficult decisions against the Cardinals. Against a different team with different pitchers on the mound, the calculus changes a little. The expected benefit is not quite as great, and the risks, although minimized without Gerrit Cole on the opposition, are slightly greater given the makeup of the Cardinals. Minor changes are not likely to make a difference in a game and the discussed changes are defensible regardless of the decision, but if the ball hits the right spot and a game’s outcome turns on that decision, the second-guessing will fierce, even if it is not entirely fair.Update: Full show AUD thanks to rjhesq!
Tedeschi Trucks Band finished their run at the Orpheum Theater in Boston in epic style last night. Not only was this the last show of the Boston run, but the last show of the run.
To close out the year, Derek, Susan and the gang took a couple of Allman Brother Band tunes to task. While technically a Blind Willie McTell cover, TTB opened the second set with a smokin’ version of the Allman Brothers standard “Statesboro Blues” and closed the second set with Whipping Post. Maybe it was for Butch or Gregg, Trucks reaches down deep and puts something a little extra on the “Whipping Post” solo.
Whipping Post
Statesboro Blues
Will the Circle Be Unbroken
Song For You
Made Up Mind
Coming Home
Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright
In Every Heart
Setlist
In Every Heart
Don’t Know What It Means
Keep On Growing
Shelter
Learn How to Love
Don’t Drift Away
Get What You Deserve
Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right
I Want More
Second Set:
Statesboro Blues
Crying Over You
Part of Me->
Drums->
Let Me Get By
Comin’ Home
Let’s Go Get Stoned
Made Up Mind
I Pity the Fool
The Storm->
Whipping Post
Encore Break
A Song for You
Will the Circle Be Unbroken?->
Bound for Glory
Thanks to Sean Roche for the awesome footage from the Orpheum!
No need to be down, TTB has dates on the calendar already extended into April, 2018!Friday was a crazy day. National Republicans attempted to censor our Medicare ad from New Hampshire TV -- as Jed posted, "Republicans may have passed a plan to end Medicare and replace it with vouchers for private insurance, but apparently they don't want their political opponents to be able to tell anybody about it."
But the day ended with welcome news, as reported in Talking Points Memo:
Progressive Change Campaign Committee has won a round against the National Republican Congressional Committee -- with the liberal group turning back an effort to get an ad targeting Republican proposals on Medicare pulled from broadcast.
Republicans fear our powerful ad. We're staying on offense, increasing our ad buy today, and aiming to reach a big milestone on the fundraising page for this ad: $100,000. Click here to chip in $3 to get us toward our goal -- and see Rachel Maddow talk about our Friday victory.If you were born in the 1980s, there’s a good chance you had your childhood scarred by The Brave Little Toaster. The 1987 animated feature about a group of sentient appliances in search of their long lost owner is at turns saccharine and terrifying.
In one particularly memorable scene, the titular toaster has a nightmare involving killer clowns and being suspended over a bathtub with a faceless victim below him. An air conditioner kills itself, a lamp has a near-death experience, anthropomorphic cars sing dirges while being crushed to death. It’s a twisted film.
Looking back on it now, however, with more than 17 years of technological development between us and these magical gadgets, and The Brave Little Toaster is actually a rather prescient film. Far from being a simple oddity of children’s animation, the film (and the 1986 short story that inspired it) actually stands as an insightful vision of our own onslaught of smart appliances, the Internet of Things, and the personification of our own machines.
Far from the fluff of much children’s literature, the original 1986 picture book by the poet and artist Thomas M. Disch was noted as telling a story more complex than the preschool audience it appeared to be after. Characters quote Karl Marx and compose their own vignettes. In its official book review, the New York Times called it “a wonderful book for a certain sort of eccentric adult.” The NYT‘s Anna Quindlen continued, “You know who you are. Buy it for your children; read it yourself.”
The film adaptation’s existence on its own is rather daring. Released by Hyperion Studios, an independent studio founded by canned Disney employees, it became a runaway hit despite being a direct-to-video release not from the major studios of the time. The film features Deanna Oliver as the Toaster, Jon Lovitz as the lively Radio, Tim Stack as Lampy the lamp, unknown Tim Day as the insecure Blankie, and Thurl Ravencroft (better known as Tony the Tiger or The Jolly Green Giant) as Kirby, the grumpy, angry vacuum cleaner.
This may not be the typical setup for a classic of science-fiction, but the film is actually surprising in its emotional depth and its understanding of our relationship with technology. This cast from 1987 gives life to devices we’re constantly attempting to make more capable today.
Here’s Holi, a smart lamp that can change colors, moods, and sounds all from your smartphone. Much like Radio the character, apps like iHeartRadio can flip through stations to find whatever may be perfect for the moment and tone. How about a smart electric blanket with an automatic thermostat and temperature memory? Smart vacuum cleaners like the Roomba have been on the market for years.
And toasters? Toasters may be the smartest appliance of them all. We have toasters that let you pick the exact shade of brown you prefer from your toast. Last year, a Pittsburgh man wired his toaster to tweet from @mytoaster, cycling between the binary states of “Toasting” and “Done Toasting” accordingly. Perhaps most impressive is Brad. Brad is a (conceptual) toaster that, if used too infrequently, will list itself online for sale to find a home that will appreciate it.
Brad would fit right in with the fantastical world of TBLT, where home appliances find themselves only appreciated as far as their usability. Once broken, abandoned, or out-of-date, they become subject to dismay, ill-repair, and oblivion.
The movie begins with the characters alone in an abandoned lodge, constantly awaiting the return of “The Master,” a young child who used to play with them. When the air conditioner (voiced by Phil Hartman doing his best Jack Nicholson) challenges the utopian faith to the long-gone “Master,” they retort that the boy could never reach the A/C unit all the way up in the window.
What follows is the film’s first ethical clue to larger issues in technology. In an ego-driven rage, the A/C screams and slams the wall that binds it, hollering, “I’m not an invalid! I was designed to be stuck in this wall… It’s my function!”
While a suicide in the film’s opening scene might seem harsh for a kid flick, TBLT is actually hinting at a conversation AI theorists have been debating for decades: Would designing a sentient being to operate with a singular “function” be a form of enslavement?
A 2006 report commissioned by the U.K. Office of Science & Innovation says yes. Because AI on the level of this animated air conditioner would function as a sentient—if immobile—being, the report thinks robots (which don’t necessarily have to be humanoid) could demand rights to health care, voting, and may even be obligated to pay taxes and register for military drafts. One could think they might also demand not to be stuck in a window.
Of course, most of the characters are dependent on serving their “Master,” possessing what futurists call “friendly AI.” Because of the many dangers and ethical issues presented by the idea of artificial intelligence (or even artificial superintelligence), many scientists propose only the building of AI hardwired to serve mankind.
“Basically,” writes philosopher Nick Bostrom, “we should assume that a ‘superintelligence’ would be able to achieve whatever goals it has. Therefore, it is extremely important that the goals we endow it with, and its entire motivation system, is ‘human friendly.’”
If your priority, for example, is to read by the light of your lamp, it’s probably best the lamp share that priority. If not, AI theorists warn a superintelligent lamp could possibly rearrange all the molecules in the galaxy into a massive supercomputer meant to solve the lamp’s priorities (whatever they may be), obliterating you, me, and everything we know. Of course, it’s ludicrous to make something as simple as a programmable lamp into the first steps of Skynet.
Or is it? Much like our scruffy group of gadgets out on their way to find their “Master,” the appliances of this new machine age communicate and work together to accomplish their human-oriented goals. Commonly referred to as “the Internet of Things” (IoT), the connection between Internet-enabled objects (everything from heart monitors to smart thermostats like Nest) is only expected to grow for the foreseeable future. A study by research firm Gartner predicts there will be 26 billion gizmos on the IoT by 2020.
Home automation systems will be a large part of this infrastructure—and it’s just about here. The aforementioned Nest thermostat can control energy use, internal temperature, and security systems of a fully-installed home. Such apps as IFTTT (If This Then That) are looking to be the translator between all your programs and devices, amongst those WeMo light and motion sensors and Nest itself.
Such technologies will allow for a future of machines talking to one another, something the Department of Transportation already expects of new cars—even those that still have drivers!
Similarly, TBLT is a story about intelligent machines working together to accomplish the goals of humans. Our heroes—powered by a car battery and pulled along by Kirby—leave the lodge in search for their master. Along the way, they encounter long broken appliances in a repair shop. In a song number befitting a Vincent Price feature, they all extoll the evils of becoming outdated or broken lest they be twisted and malformed by the evil repairman.
This is a pretty astonishing moment in the movie: The same humans all these machines serve will also trash them, crush them, or simply screw with them. The broken machines our gang confronts aren’t endangering the main characters—they’re warning them of the dangers of man. In fact, the only machine threat in the film comes in the form of an industrial magnet loading cars (themselves decrepit and abandoned) onto a crusher, and even it is only serving man.
There is an actual, serious, non-fictional concern of machines losing sight of humans as a priority. Take, for example, the driverless car. It is inevitable these machines will have to choose between saving the life of the driver over that of pedestrians or passengers in other vehicles, meaning we must let machines decide who lives and who dies. How do we program such a complex code of morality?
Eliezer Yudlowsky, a fellow with the Machine Intelligence Research Institute, developed the concept of Coherent Extrapolated Volition (CEV) to show how AI must be programmed to avoid machines like those in TBLT making immoral choices.
How CEV works is fairly simple. It assumes that programming an objective morality into any machine will be subject to the biases of the programmer doing it. What Yudlowsky proposes is designing a separate AI that studies human behavior, developing the terms of morality most accepted within a society. This AI would then build other AI using the ideals of morality it has witnessed.
It’s pretty scary stuff. The AI of The Brave Little Toaster is hopelessly devoted to serving mankind. “Master is a man with a plan I can understand!” sings Lampy in the first big musical number. “Master is a man of great reflection!” praises Toaster. Their faith is rewarded when the Master—now a college student—saves the crew from being felled the crusher.
Every aim of AI studies and tech manufacturers is to make devices with similar faith yet with exponential intelligence, meaning we could each end up with a small cult of connected gadgets with each user as their god.
I’ll be the first to admit this is a bit much to take from a children’s film about talking appliances. But within this simple narrative lie some very real truths about our relationship with technology. The issues talked about here are the ethical debates not just of the future but of right now. Alongside how technology is used by humans for good or for evil, we must decide upon our relationship with the devices themselves sooner rather than later.
Your toaster is not out to kill you quite yet, nor is it ready to sing musical numbers in your honor. But as our technology becomes closer to enveloping our cars, homes, and even our own bodies, it is simultaneously growing more and more intelligent. We have to do more than just hope they will be as allegiant to their masters as Kirby, Lampy, Blankie, Radio, and Toaster.
Photo via janmaklak/Flickr (CC BY 2.0)Midway through the first half on what would become a day of days at Goodison Park, a loose ball bounced towards the Bullens Road stand.
Sensing a chance to get Manchester City moving forward, Yaya Toure scuttled to retrieve it. But his pursuit was in vain. Ashley Williams charged into view and, before he knew it, Toure was sprawled on the floor.
It was a moment that helped change the game. No frills, no fuss, just a hefty shoulder barge that rattled Toure, shook City and put electricity in the atmosphere. Moments later, Williams generated another surge when he sent a clearance with his right foot screaming into the skies.
Ashley Williams admits he likes to keep things simple rather than playing out from the back
The Everton defender has made a solid start to life on Merseyside with defending his priority
These moments must be recalled. We live in an age when the emphasis is on defenders playing from the back, but what is style without substance? Here was resounding proof of why old-fashioned values must not be forgotten.
'There is going to come a point soon when it goes back to how it was,' says Williams, as we discuss his trade at Everton's Finch Farm training base. 'We've concentrated so much on attacking, I'm guessing a lot of people didn't concentrate on the art of defending.
'Personally, I feel I'm a defender. That's what I get paid to do. I get paid to stop the ball going in the net. I'm 32. Fans are never going to be surprised by what I do. You try to add to your game but you get paid to stop the ball going in the net. That is what you are there to do, by any means possible.
'The way the game has gone, people want to see ball-playing defenders and I can understand why. But I don't think you should be a ball-playing defender and not be able to defend. You might as well play in a different position. I love a tackle! A good tackle is part of the game.'
Williams has brought greater defensive steel to Everton's defence since arriving from Swansea
The centre back is enjoying his time on Merseyside since making his £9million move
WILLIAMS 16/17 STATS Appearances: 20 Starts: 19 Minutes played: 1719 Goals: 1 Tackles: 33 Clearances: 165 Blocks: 15 Yellow cards: 2 *Premier League only
Williams could have stayed in what he calls a 'comfort zone' at Swansea last summer. He had a good life in Wales and his young family was settled.
But moving to Goodison Park was a challenge he wanted to embrace after the highs of Wales' adventure at Euro 2016 and there will be a reminder of that glorious chapter of his life on Saturday at Selhurst Park, with Wayne Hennessey and Joe Ledley part of Crystal Palace's squad.
'I can dance better than him,' he laughs when reminded about Ledley's dressing-room routines. 'It was nice people got to see what our team spirit was like. Just normal guys, doing what you'd do if you had won a quarter-final.'
Yet acclimatising to life with Everton was easier said than done. Life on Merseyside as a footballer is unforgiving and though they made a brisk start, a sequence of one win in 10 before Christmas leaves Williams nodding in agreement when the words 'culture shock' are put to him.
Williams played a vital role at the heart of the Wales defence during their run at Euro 2016
The 32-year-old acknowledges that he is now playing for a club with greater expectations
'I know what you mean,' he says. 'I've noticed it. The expectation is always there. You are expected to win every game and always play well. This is a big club. A big club. The fans are very passionate. It is like Everton is their life. It's so intense. But I think that is good.
'Swansea was a bit more relaxed. But that's why I wanted to move here. I wanted to challenge myself. We are going in the right direction. And if you are doing that, you are going to get expectation. I had to prove to myself I could make it work.'
Williams took an unorthodox route to the top after he was cast aside by West Brom, holding down a variety of jobs, from waiter to petrol station attendant, while turning out for non-League Hednesford. From there, he moved to Stockport.
Swansea gave him the platform to shine as they rose from League One to the Premier League. He looks on their current plight with sadness.
Williams enjoyed eight seasons with Swansea helping them rise through the Football League
The commanding defender scored his first Everton goal in the win over Arsenal in December
He hopes the great escape can begin on Saturday at Liverpool — the club he supported as a boy — and believes they have 'good players' to overcome a 'turbulent' season. He values everything he learned at Swansea and his views on one manager are revealing. Michael Laudrup, he says, was a profound influence in the same way as Ronald Koeman.
'It's the way they see the game,' Williams explains. 'The gaffer here reminds me a lot of Michael. They are different personalities. Michael was completely different to what I had known before. There were no rules. He made you take responsibility as a player.
'He made you figure it out for yourself rather than saying, "You do this, this and this". They are different men but some of the training sessions can be really similar. They both carry the same air. Koeman doesn't join in training. Laudrup? Every single day. Oh my God he was good!
Williams has been impressed by Ronald Koeman, who reminds him of Michael Laudrup
The former Stockport County defender says he is being kept on his toes every day by Koeman
'He could definitely still have played for Swansea then! He didn't have the legs but he is one of the best players I have ever trained with, if that makes sense. Unbelievable! He used to nutmeg everyone, every day. His vision, his touch. It was like nothing I've ever seen.'
So how has he found Koeman?
'Working with him is something I enjoy — how professional he is, how demanding he is day-to-day,' Williams explains. 'There is no day when you can go out and coast. He demands 100 per cent concentration and work rate. It's been reinvigorating.'
Williams rises to head home the winner against the Gunners at Goodison Park
Williams is determined to give supporters more to shout about in the remainder of the season
That word can be used to describe Everton's thumping victory over City. 'It wasn't bad, was it?' Williams says with a smile.
'We had a bad period but we can't dwell on it. We need to give the fans something to fire off.'
Something, perhaps, like one of those juddering tackles.(Reuters) – Former British Open champion Stewart Cink will contest his first major championship in nearly two years after coming through sectional qualifying to earn a spot in next week’s U.S. Open.
Cink played a light schedule last year as his wife Lisa received treatment for breast cancer, even skipping the British Open where he beat Tom Watson in a playoff to win at Turnberry in 2009.
But he has played more frequently this year and his competitive sharpness was evident as he finished equal fourth at the 36-hole qualifier in Columbus on Monday, earning one of 14 spots from that venue for the U.S. Open, which starts at Erin Hills in Wisconsin next Thursday.
“I was not in competitive form last year,” Cink, 44, told the U.S. Golf Association (USGA) website. “We were right in the midst of Lisa’s treatments, and we were focused on that, so I didn’t even try to qualify. To come back this year and get through successfully, it really means a lot to me.”
Cink has not played a major since the 2015 British Open at St. Andrews.
“I have a long career,” said the lanky American. “I should say I am having a long career, and majors are my focus now.”
The Columbus qualifier stretched into Tuesday morning, when four players had to return to play off for three spots in the Open field.
Michael Putnam, a former United States Walker Cup player, was the unlucky man to miss out.
More than 900 players competed for 72 spots in the Open at 10 sectional qualifiers around the U.S. on Monday, after previous international qualifiers in England and Japan.
Wisconsin native Steve Stricker advanced via the Memphis qualifier, after the USGA rejected his request for a special invitation in an event that will be held barely an hour from his home.
“Not getting an exemption was a motivational factor,” said the 12-times PGA Tour winner. “Not that I deserved one, but it’s been driving me to achieve this goal. And I’m just happy that I’m going to get to play. It’s a relief to get to play in the first one in my home state.”
Among other qualifiers on Monday were amateurs Joaquin Niemann and Stewart Hagestad.
Chilean Niemann is the world’s number one-ranked amateur, while Californian Hagestad was the leading amateur at the U.S. Masters in April.
U.S. Open qualifying is more than about making up the numbers in the field. Sectional qualifiers occasionally lift the trophy, most recently American Lucas Glover in 2009.
(Reporting by Andrew Both in Cary, North Carolina; Editing by Toby Davis)Transportation
Cars Quote of the Day: Warren Buffett On The Future of Rail
Image Credit: The White House Image Credit: The White House The Oracle of Omaha, Warren Buffett, on his $26 Billion investment in the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad, from his annual report:
[We] are enthusiastic about BNSF's future because railroads have major cost and environmental advantages over trucking, their main competitor. Last year BNSF moved each ton of freight it carried a record 500 miles on a single gallon of diesel fuel. That's three times more fuel-efficient than trucking is, which means our railroad owns an important advantage in operating costs. Concurrently, our country gains because of reduced greenhouse emissions and a much smaller need for imported oil. When traffic travels by rail, society benefits. More on Warren Buffett: Warren Buffett's MidAmerican Orders 258 Wind Turbines for Iowa Wind Farm
Warren Buffett Makes a $44 Billion (!) Bet on Trains, Buys BNSF
Quote of the Day: Warren Buffett On The Future of Rail
The Oracle of Omaha, Warren Buffett, on his $26 Billion investment in the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad, from his annual report: [We] are enthusiastic about BNSF's future because railroads have major cost andEnjoy Professional Baseball at Jingu Baseball Stadium!
Baseball is the most popular sport in Japan, and the Jingu Baseball Stadium, built in 1926, is the oldest baseball stadium in Tokyo. It has long been a part of baseball history in Japan, and now it is known as the home ground of the Tokyo Yakult Swallows of the NPB Central League. It also serves as the venue for countless university and high school baseball games and has become a mecca of Japanese baseball. We invite you to come and enjoy some time at the stadium surrounded by green plants and trees despite its location at the center of the city.
The Tokyo Yakult Swallows, the home team at the Jingu Baseball Stadium, belong to the NPB Central League. Since the team´s establishment in 1969, it has won the league championships six times and the national championships five times. The heated games are always exciting for the fans. Cheer along with the fans in the stands going wild over the nice plays!A new preprint entitled The Quantum State Cannot be Interpreted Statistically by Pusey, Barrett and Rudolph (henceforth known as PBR) has been generating a significant amount of buzz in the last couple of days. Nature posted an article about it on their website, Scott Aaronson and Lubos Motl blogged about it, and I have been seeing a lot of commentary about it on Twitter and Google+. In this post, I am going to explain the background to this theorem and outline exactly what it entails for the interpretation of the quantum state. I am not going to explain the technicalities in great detail, since these are explained very clearly in the paper itself. The main aim is to clear up misconceptions.
First up, I would like to say that I find the use of the word “Statistically” in the title to be a rather unfortunate choice. It is liable to make people think that the authors are arguing against the Born rule (Lubos Motl has fallen into this trap in particular), whereas in fact the opposite is true. The result is all about reproducing the Born rule within a realist theory. The question is whether a scientific realist can interpret the quantum state as an epistemic state (state of knowledge) or whether it must be an ontic state (state of reality). It seems to show that only the ontic interpretation is viable, but, in my view, this is a bit too quick. On careful analysis, it does not really rule out any of the positions that are advocated by contemporary researchers in quantum foundations. However, it does answer an important question that was previously open, and confirms an intuition that many of us already held. Before going into more detail, I also want to say that I regard this as the most important result in quantum foundations in the past couple of years, well deserving of a good amount of hype if anything is. I am not sure I would go as far as Antony Valentini, who is quoted in the Nature article saying that it is the most important result since Bell’s theorem, or David Wallace, who says that it is the most significant result he has seen in his career. Of course, these two are likely to be very happy about the result, since they already subscribe to interpretations of quantum theory in which the quantum state is ontic (de Broglie-Bohm theory and many-worlds respectively) and perhaps they believe that it poses more of a dilemma for epistemicists like myself then it actually does.
Classical Ontic States
Before explaining the result itself, it is important to be clear on what all this epistemic/ontic state business is all about and why it matters. It is easiest to introduce the distinction via a classical example, for which the interpretation of states is clear. Therefore, consider the Newtonian dynamics of a single point particle in one dimension. The trajectory of the particle can be determined by specifying initial conditions, which in this case consists of a position \(x(t_0)\) and momentum \(p(t_0)\) at some initial time \(t_0\). These specify a point in the particle’s phase space, which consists of all possible pairs \((x,p)\) of positions and momenta.
Then, assuming we know all the relevant forces, we can compute the position and momentum \((x(t),p(t))\) at some other time \(t\) using Newton’s laws or, equivalently, Hamilton’s equations. At any time \(t\), the phase space point \((x(t),p(t))\) can be thought of as the instantaneous state of the particle. It is clearly an ontic state (state of reality), since the particle either does or does not possess that particular position and momentum, independently of whether we know that it possesses those values[ ]. The same goes for more complicated systems, such as multiparticle systems and fields. In all cases, I can derive a phase space consisting of configurations and generalized momenta. This is the space of ontic states for any classical system.
Classical Epistemic States
Although the description of classical mechanics in terms of ontic phase space trajectories is clear and unambiguous, we are often, indeed usually, more interested in tracking what we know about a system. For example, in statistical mechanics, we may only know some macroscopic properties of a large collection of systems, such as pressure or temperature. We are interested in how these quantities change over time, and there are many different possible microscopic trajectories that are compatible with this. Generally speaking, our knowledge about a classical system is determined by assigning a probability distribution over phase space, which represents our uncertainty about the actual point occupied by the system.
We can track how this probability distribution changes using Liouville’s equation, which is derived by applying Hamilton’s equations weighted with the probability assigned to each phase space point. The probability distribution is pretty clearly an epistemic state. The actual system only occupies one phase space point and does not care what probability we have assigned to it. Crucially, the ontic state occupied by the system would be regarded as possible by us in more than one probability distribution, in fact it is compatible with infinitely many.
Quantum States
We have seen that there are two clear notions of state in classical mechanics: ontic states (phase space points) and epistemic states (probability distributions over the ontic states). In quantum theory, we have a different notion of state — the wavefunction — and the question is: should we think of it as an ontic state (more like a phase space point), an epistemic state (more like a probability distribution), or something else entirely?
Here are three possible answers to this question:
Wavefunctions are epistemic and there is some underlying ontic state. Quantum mechanics is the statistical theory of these ontic states in analogy with Liouville mechanics. Wavefunctions are epistemic, but there is no deeper underlying reality. Wavefunctions are ontic (there may also be additional ontic degrees of freedom, which is an important distinction but not relevant to the present discussion).
I will call options 1 and 2 psi-epistemic and option 3 psi-ontic. Advocates of option 3 are called psi-ontologists, in an intentional pun coined by Chris Granade. Options 1 and 3 share a conviction of scientific realism, which is the idea that there must be some description of what is going on in reality that is independent of our knowledge of it. Option 2 is broadly anti-realist, although there can be some subtleties here[ ].
The theorem in the paper attempts to rule out option 1, which would mean that scientific realists should become psi-ontologists. I am pretty sure that no theorem on Earth could rule out option 2, so that is always a refuge for psi-epistemicists, at least if their psi-epistemic conviction is stronger than their realist one.
I would classify the Copenhagen interpretation, as represented by Niels Bohr[ ], under option 2. One of his famous quotes is:
There is no quantum world. There is only an abstract physical description. It is wrong to think that the task of physics is to find out how nature is. Physics concerns what we can say about nature…[ ]
and “what we can say” certainly seems to imply that we are talking about our knowledge of reality rather than reality itself. Various contemporary neo-Copenhagen approaches also fall under this option, e.g. the Quantum Bayesianism of Carlton Caves, Chris Fuchs and Ruediger Schack; Anton Zeilinger’s idea that quantum physics is only about information; and the view presently advocated by the philosopher Jeff Bub. These views are safe from refutation by the PBR theorem, although one may debate whether they are desirable on other grounds, e.g. the accusation of instrumentalism.
Pretty much all of the well-developed interpretations that take a realist stance fall under option 3, so they are in the psi-ontic camp. This includes the Everett/many-worlds interpretation, de Broglie-Bohm theory, and spontaneous collapse models. Advocates of these approaches are likely to rejoice at the PBR result, as it apparently rules out their only realist competition, and they are unlikely to regard anti-realist approaches as viable.
Perhaps the best known contemporary advocate of option 1 is Rob Spekkens, but I also include myself and Terry Rudolph (one of the authors of the paper) in this camp. Rob gives a fairly convincing argument that option 1 characterizes Einstein’s views in this paper, which also gives a lot of technical background on the distinction between options 1 and 2.
Why |
in jail?" asks Myriam Rodriguez, whose nine-year-old son Anderson Devia was killed along with five other children in a 1990 FARC attack in Algeciras. "That is not going to bring back my son," she says. "They can sign a peace deal, but I won't be at peace until I die."
Knocking down ‘myths’
Santos has promised to allow Colombians to vote on the deal once it's finalized. The plebiscite, which has been approved by Congress, is under review by the Constitutional Court, though it has been challenged by critics because it would require approval from just 13 percent of voters to pass.
Santos, who is in his second term, has made the peace process with the FARC a banner of his presidency. Internationally those efforts have won him praise. But at home, Santos has the approval of just 21 percent of Colombians.
The peace process may be a victim of his low standing, argues Carlos Lemoine, president of the Centro Nacional de Consultoría. “Santos is unpopular not because of the peace process, which most people quietly support, but despite it,” he says.
The government's latest effort to promote the peace accords is a social media campaign with the hashtag #SiALaPaz (#YesToPeace). A separate campaign is aimed solely at knocking down what the government calls myths about the deal, including that the FARC will hold on to their weapons and that demobilized fighters will enjoy a hefty stipend paid for with Colombian taxpayers' money.
"I don't know who to believe," says Diana Gómez, a housewife in Bogotá who has lived through the conflict here. "I am not clear about what's happening. I want peace, of course, who doesn't? But I want to know what price society will have to pay for it," she says.
Like Ms. Gómez, a vast majority of Colombians say they don't know the specifics, although details have been published by the media, the FARC, and the government. The Centro Nacional de Consultoría poll showed that more than 80 percent of those questioned said they knew little or nothing about the deals on rural development, political participation, drug eradication, or transitional justice.
Mr. Sánchez, from the historic memory center, says part of the lack of interest has to do with the fact that even without a peace deal, conflict-related violence and overall homicide rates are at their lowest point in decades. “People don’t see the importance of reaching a peace deal because for most Colombians the conflict is a distant reality,” Sánchez says.
Since July 2015, when the FARC reinstated a unilateral cease-fire it had initially declared six months prior, the Conflict Analysis Resource Center (CERAC), a conflict monitoring group, has registered just 10 offensive actions by the FARC in which one civilian and three soldiers have been killed.
And on June 14, Santos announced that the murder rate in the country had dropped to its lowest level in 40 years, with 25.9 homicides per 100,000 residents.
A new kind of violence?
But while conflict-related deaths are down, another, subtler type of violence continues in FARC controlled areas.
Local FARC commanders have retreated from populated areas in Algeciras since the peace talks began in 2012. But milicianos, civilians who support the FARC with logistics and intelligence, continue to demand extortion payments from residents here. Jeep drivers who offer public transport to surrounding villages are charged 150,000 pesos ($50) a year to be able to circulate. Shop owners pay 1 million pesos ($330).
And while the guerrillas and their civilian supporters continue to charge what they call "taxes," they are no longer providing the services once offered, like security, residents complain. Since the FARC began retreating into the mountains at the start of the peace talks, Algeciras has seen a spike in burglaries, muggings, and other crime. "The guerrillas would take a criminal and tell him: 'You either straighten up, leave, or die,' " says Pompilio Rodríguez, a member of the town council. "The police can't do that, and so they don't have the same authority."
At the same time, other violent actors will remain after the FARC demobilize. The smaller National Liberation Army guerrilla group has been exploring its own peace process with the government, but talks have not yet begun. And new organized criminal gangs that are mostly dedicated to drug trafficking and illegal mining are spreading terror through some of the same areas of the country.
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Reyes, the community leader in El Paraíso, says she hopes she’s wrong in doubting that a peace accord with the FARC will bring peace to her town.
“I hope to God I’m wrong,” she says. “Because if it fails, those of us in the countryside are the ones who stand to suffer the most.”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 kind-hearted student who was moved by seeing a shopper buying a drink for a homeless man ended up giving away 144 sleeping bags to rough sleepers in Manchester.
Brooke Edgington, 20, a student at Manchester Metropolitan University, went out in the city centre with a group of friends to distribute the bags.
Brooke was inspired to get involved when she saw a man buying a cup of tea for a homeless man. She said it boiled down to the compassion her mother taught her.
In a post on Facebook, she said: “Beyond freezing cold but nothing compared to how the homeless people must feel day to day especially at this time of year!”
She said: “I thought it was really nice and I wish I’d of told him I thought that” she says.
A couple of minutes later she passed by a homeless woman sitting outside a local café and stopped by to get her a soup and a sandwich from inside.
When she reached home, she got into contact with a family friend, who distributes sleeping bags for the homeless all over the UK.
“I contacted him to find out where I could buy some from as I would like to give some out myself and he said he had 144 I could have!”
“People were more than happy to come and help. It was a really good night, everyone involved enjoyed it. They said they would do it again tomorrow! We are currently trying to find out if there’s any more we can have.”
Brooke’s father, Tony Edgington says: “I’m very proud of my daughter for taking it upon herself to firstly get hold of the sleeping bags and secondly for organising the distribution to the homeless people of Manchester.
“I feel a lot of our younger generation get bad press but this goes to show we should be so proud and look forward to these youngster becoming responsible thoughtful adults.”
Although the numbers of rough sleepers this year are still not published, last year 1,600 people registered to the council as homeless.
“This was just a good deed” Brooke says “We’re really not looking for brownie points!”
The MEN has pledged to support and publicise the Manchester Homelessness Charter at appropriate opportunities.
If you are affected by issues surrounding homelessness in any way, or if you want to do something to help, you can go to: streetsupport.netOSCON 2013 Call for Participation
Call closed 11:59pm 02/04/2013 PST.
We’re looking for speakers to lead sessions and tutorials at OSCON 2013. Submit original session and tutorial ideas that share your excitement about the topic and the impact it will have in the open source community. Proposals should include as much detail as possible about the topic and delivery format of the presentation. Our volunteer reviewers consistently say that they will be more confident in selecting your topic if there is ample detail in your proposal. The more you can make us feel as if we’re already in your talk, learning from and enjoying it, the more likely the proposal will be selected.
If you are one or more of the following:
Developer or programmer
Systems administrator
Hacker
Geek
IT manager, CxO or entrepreneur
Trainer or educator
Open source enthusiast or activist
We invite you to submit a proposal to lead a session or tutorial at OSCON 2013.
Some of the topics we’re eager to see on the 2013 conference program are:
How expanding one’s skills beyond a core competency makes for a better technologist
Best practices for building a business around open source
Innovations in user experience such as interfaces, design, and usability
Cultural changes due to ubiquitous networks and computing devices
Cloud computing, and openness in distributed services
Geek lifestyle—hacking, productivity tips, maker culture
Open web, open standards, and open data
Leadership in the changing open source culture
2013 Tracks
Business
Cloud
Community
Data
Education
Healthcare
Geek Lifestyle
Java & JVM
Javascript
HTML5 Mobile
Open Hardware
Ops
Perl
PHP
Python
Ruby
Software Architecture
Tools and Techniques
User Experience (UX)
You’ll be asked to include the following information for your proposal:
Presentation title
Overview and extended descriptions of the presentation: main idea, sub-topics, and conclusion
Sample presenter-skills video (existing talk, or a web-cam sample)
Suggested track
Speaker(s) expertise
Brief speaker biography
Suggested keyword tags
Tutorial prerequisites (if you are submitting a 3-hour tutorial)
Proposals should be targeted to one of the following formats:
3-hour tutorial
40-minute session
Other
Limited speaking opportunities are also available through conference sponsorship. Contact Sharon Cordesse at (707) 827-7065 or scordesse@oreilly.com for more information.
A good proposal for an excellent talk:
Helps us understand why your presentation is the right one for OSCON.
. Keeps the audience in mind: they’re technical, professional, and already pretty smart. They also will smell a marketing pitch.
Clearly identifies the level of the talk and why people will want to attend: Is it for beginners to the topic, or for gurus? Is this a trending topic, or an installation tutorial?
Has a simple and straightforward title or name; fancy and clever titles or descriptions make it harder for people (committee and attendees) to figure out what you’re really talking about.
Limits the scope of the talk: In 40 minutes, expect to pick a useful aspect of a topic, a particular technique, or walk through a simple program.
Does not contain ages of unreadable code: Mortals deal best with code served up one line at a time.
Is authentic! Your peers need original presentation ideas that focus on real-world scenarios, relevant examples, and knowledge transfer.
Lists all participants if a panel is proposed.
Includes people we don’t see often enough at tech conferences: Does your presentation have the participation of a woman, person of color, or member of another group often underrepresented at tech conferences? Diversity is one of the factors we seriously consider when reviewing proposals as we seek to broaden our speaker roster.
Above all else, your proposal should present something relevant. One of your challenges as a proposer is to demonstrate that you understand that attendees might need an extra reason to pay attention to something that they might otherwise think of as “settled.”
Other resources to help write your proposals:
Proposals are due February 4, 2013.U.S. Attorney General nominee Jeff Sessions said he wouldn't recuse himself from potential Justice Department investigations into the president's finances, according to a Senate Judiciary Committee questionnaire made public Monday.
Sessions, who was the first sitting senator to endorse Trump's presidential campaign and headed the campaign's national security advisory committee, faced two days of hearings earlier this month in the Judiciary Committee, and the committee is scheduled to vote on his nomination Tuesday.
"If merely being a supporter of the President's during the campaign warranted recusal from involvement in any matter involving him, then most typical presidential appointees would be unable to conduct their duties," Sessions wrote in response to a follow-up question from Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vermont. "I am not aware of a basis to recuse myself from such matters. If a specific matter arose where I believed my impartiality might reasonably be questioned, I would consult with Department ethics officials regarding the most appropriate way to proceed. As I made clear at my confirmation hearing, I will always be fair and work within the law and the established procedures of the Department."
Jeff Sessions represents rare opportunity for Alabama in quest for cabinet Sessions, the U.S. senator from Alabama since 1997, will go before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday for a two-day confirmation hearing as President-elect Donald Trump's choice for attorney general. The confirmation hearings come amid plenty of vocal support and criticism directed at the staunch Alabama conservative.
Sessions gave a nearly identical answer as to whether he would recuse himself from investigations involving contributors to Trump's campaign or donors to Sessions' Senate campaign committee.
The Judiciary Committee is widely expected to approve Sessions' nomination and send it to the full Senate for confirmation. Alabama's junior senator is also expected to get enough votes to be confirmed as attorney general.Is Ultimate Fighting a question of free speech?
Photograph by Jason Merritt/Getty Images.
First, a confession: Absolutely everything I know about Ultimate Fighting, aka mixed martial arts, aka MMA, I learned from my boss, David Plotz. He wrote about it a dozen years ago, and I remember thinking at the time that it seemed a little crazy and violent and testosteroney. That was before I realized that it raised profound questions about punching, kicking, head-butting, and the First Amendment right to free expression.
MMA is a combat sport that includes boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, karate, judo Greco-Roman wrestling and other styles of fighting. It’s held in an octagonal chain-link cage. There’s blood. (In 1996 John McCain described the sport as “human cockfighting” but has since recanted.) Events and matches were banned in the state of New York in 1997, before the sport was properly regulated, or even regulated at all. The law provided that, “No combative sport shall be conducted, held or given within the state of New York, and no licenses may be approved by the commission for such matches or exhibition.” The law then defines MMA as a “combative sport” but excludes boxing, wrestling or karate competitions. New York is one of very few states with such bans (oddly enough, though MMA is illegal, it combines several genres—boxing, wrestling, karate—that are permitted individually). Attempts to overturn the New York ban legislatively have not been successful, and so the sport’s biggest promoter filed a lawsuit in federal court last week asking to overturn the ban. (Disclosure: My friend Barry Friedman, a constitutional law professor at New York University Law School represents the fighters, promoters, and fans challenging the ban.)
So where does the First Amendment come in? The New York law states: “A person who knowingly advances or profits from a combative sport activity shall be guilty of a class A misdemeanor.” Both the ban on the fighting itself, plus this provision—allowing amateurs to participate in MMA, but just not to “advance or profit” from it—lie at the core of the athletes’ claim that this is not an effort to suppress fighting, but merely the public performance of it. In other words, argue the plaintiffs, and the legislative history seems to bear this out, what was being targeted here was the violent message. In their complaint against the state attorney general and the Manhattan district attorney, tasked with enforcing the ban, the MMA fighters and promoters contend that by prohibiting public exhibitions of activity anybody is free to perform in a gym, or watch together on a screen at Madison Square Garden, the New York law quite clearly targeted only the violent message of the sport. Under the First Amendment, they argue, such a ban is impermissible.
Here they cite last year’s violent video games case at the U.S. Supreme Court, Brown v. Entertainment Merchants Association, in which the court struck down a California law banning violent video games for minors. The complaint contends that “it is unfathomable that in a world drenched in violence—from first-person shooter video games, to violent movies, to violent lyrics in pop music, to graphic network news—the New York legislature singled out live professional MMA as the one thing it believes sends an impermissible message.”
Every once in a while I am capable of being consistent in my absurdity, and free speech is one of those issues that allows me to be ridiculously principled. I hate the Phelps family, but I believe they have a right to protest. I loathe videos of women in high heels crushing baby chicks, but I believe they are free speech. And I probably hate violent video games even more than if the entire Phelps family put on high heels and crushed baby chicks. But I believe they are free speech, too. So I find that I’m struggling with the question of whether people pounding on one another in chain-link cages is expressive activity.
One hint may lie in the word “arts” in mixed martial arts. As Friedman has put it: “This is mixed martial arts, emphasis on the arts. The reason these athletes are suing is because they have been prevented from their self-expression on some of the biggest stages in the nation.”
The plaintiffs argue that even though the performances are unscripted, they are very much an art form, and one that needs to be seen live: “Live professional MMA is clearly intended and understood as public entertainment and, as such, is expressive activity protected by the First Amendment. As is true of ballet, music, or theater, for an audience, attending a live MMA event is an experience that cannot be replicated on a screen.” The complaint goes on:
During a live performance, these professionals express themselves with their bodies and with their abilities, conveying messages of, among other things, skill, courage, self-discipline, self-confidence, the value of intense training, humility, strategic thinking, and respect for one’s opponent. Their objective is to win, not to harm. MMA before a live audience is also expressive in a highly individualistic way. A woman fighter may use her performance to demonstrate to other women that they are capable of protecting themselves in any situation. A fighter who enters the arena draped in his home country’s flag pays tribute to his countrymen. Fighters pay homage to religious faith, various disciplines of martial arts, and personal heroes. None of this expression is about “violence.”
UFC competitor Brian Stann, one of the plaintiffs in the suit, further explains:
Performing MMA live in front of a crowd is an unrivaled experience and allows me to speak to my fans. … I was attracted to MMA during my time in the Marine Corps, after I returned from my first deployment to Iraq in 2005 and was looking for a path that allowed me to stay motivated, and inspire others, particularly fellow veterans. MMA is a brotherhood that demands respect for your fellow fighters and rewards mental discipline and skill. It has given countless veterans a way to rehabilitate and connect with other military veterans and I am grateful every day for the ability to compete and inspire my fans.
Friedman’s other insight into the nature of the ban is a cultural one: Americans see MMA as violent and outrageous but Brazilians, for instance, find it perfectly normal and sporting. They would probably find hockey outrageously sadistic. We’ve roped out MMA as a “combative sport” because it’s more foreign than boxing and wrestling, not because it’s more violent.
No professional athlete has ever sued claiming a First Amendment right to participate in a sporting event, and no professional sport has yet been granted First Amendment protection (although naked dancing certainly has). Critics of the suit warn of the consequences of labeling professional athletic performance “expressive speech.” Writes one: “Should the litigation gain any real traction, it would open the floodgates for other athletes to file suit under the same grounds. The NBA’s current lockout would represent a wide-open climate for similar suits, and the NHL’s looming labor issues could also give rise to hockey players suing under the First Amendment in the near future.” Friedman told the Wall Street Journal that such concerns are misplaced because MMA is special. “It’s martial artistry,” he said. “The nature of martial arts is a lot like dancing.” (Moreover, it’s the government regulating ultimate fighting here, which raises First Amendment claims that don’t apply to hockey or football players.) Not everyone agrees with the characterization of MMA as art, including some athletes who don’t particularly care to think of their work as a “performance.” A performance suggests artistry and skill, but also an element of fakery and theater. MMA is not the WWE, they contend. The idea that a professional sport—even one requiring vast mastery and training, even one that communicates expressive ideas about gender bias and patriotism—is more like ballet than luge probably feels like a stretch to the folks who don’t enjoy watching it. But as this novel lawsuit works its way through the courts, it will raise important new questions about the distinction between sports and entertainment, the difference between live and video performances, and whether one man’s (or woman’s) arm bar is another man’s lyric ode.It had to be said, with the continued growth of geek culture and the cosplay scene... one dark side of it came in the form of crowdfunding. I'm all for crowdfunding campaigns, we've gotten some great things from crowd funding campaigns! Our friends over at Espionage Cosmetics launched their "Nailed It!" project, former Capcom developer Keiji Inafune successfully funded Mighty No. 9, and a good friend of the website revolutionized gaming with the GlomTom. So via sites like Kickstarter and Indigogo, this subculture has greatly benefited from the kindness of strangers.
But with every bright light comes a darker shadow... and this shadow comes in the form of blatant Go Fund Me campaigns. I won't get too into it... but via Ani-Mia's Facebook page, she dropped some serious truth bombs that had to be said.End Space is launching in the Sony SCEE region (Europe, Australia, New Zealand) November 7th! With the launch comes a whole bunch of updates to the game that we also be available in the US with a patch released today as well.
After getting a lot of tremendous feedback from the US launch we have been working hard at improving the game and hopefully have delivered. Of importance for users of the Thrustmaster T.Flight HOTAS 4 is additional support but it still isn’t perfect yet. We have been working with Unity, Rewired, on this issue.
The whole list of patch notes and important information for HOTAS users is listed below.
HOTAS Support
We’ve been working directly with Unity and the creator of Rewired to determine why the Thrustmaster T.Flight HOTAS 4 was not working correctly. It turns out that due to how this HOTAS was implemented the game engine currently cannot tell it apart from a DUALSHOCK 4 controller and therefore the extra axes afforded by the HOTAS are not utilized. That means in order to get this HOTAS working correctly we’ve had to bypass the game engine and middleware entirely and write a native driver for it. Then we needed to translate this native output back into something that Rewired and our game code can understand. The implementation is working but you must first enable the HOTAS check box in the Settings menu. Also don’t forget to hit the PS System button on the HOTAS to login with it.
Update Nov 12, 2017 – We have word from Unity that in Unity 2018.1 it will fully support our input system and PS4 controller types. Once it is released we will have a patch for the game to fix all the HOTAS related issues!
We added the check box because, unfortunately (due to the nature of the solution), there are a few issues:
First, this means that we cannot use the Rewired middleware’s control mapper to allow users to change the button mappings for the HOTAS, so you’re stuck with the stick mappings and axis orientations as-is. Accessing the control mapper with the HOTAS plugged in causes a crash on scene load, so we’ve disabled the control mapper button when the HOTAS support button is checked.
Second, if you’ve got the DS4 and HOTAS4 connected and registered to the same user at the same time, it’s not clear which controller will be used for UI input in the main menu. You’ll have to try each to see which one is currently active (it can be both).
Third, when the HOTAS is enabled and connected the DS4 will be cleared from the active controllers. That means the HOTAS4 will become your only input device after a scene load.
Fourth, if you’re using the HOTAS4 and you disconnect it while playing the game, the middleware currently can’t tell it was the HOTAS that was disconnected and automatically re-register your DS4, so you won’t have any game input. You will still have system input however, so you can long press the PS System button to close the application. You will have to reconnect and login with the HOTAS4 or restart the game to get DS4 input back in that case.
Some of these issues may be fixed in future updates if we get some more support from Unity and Rewired (who have both been super helpful and supportive in getting us this far. Thanks guys!), so we’ll keep you posted about changes. In the meantime, none of those problems are show-stoppers so hop in there and enjoy your fully armed and operational Thrustmaster T.Flight HOTAS 4!
Here is the full list of updates and fixes for End Space PSVR v1.03:
Fixes
Thrustmaster T.Flight HOTAS 4 support fix (see above)
Increased controller vibration when hit
Higher resolution pilot model
Cockpit texture detail increased
If a TLF ship is destroyed by the AI, the player shouldn’t lose their target lock
Sometimes during a screen fade out, the screen would show again briefly before a level switch
Reduced the reflections on the windshield
Tweaked warp in effects
Fixed jittering issue on some physics objects
Fixed missing star particles
Intro audio played when selecting the first level, not at the start as intended
Performance enhancements
Balance
Player speed increased by 30%
Boost consumption reduced and recharge time shortened
Reduced R-37 Plasma Gun energy usage by 4
Reduced ASM-135 Solo energy usage by 1
Reduced AK-5 Pulse Laser energy usage by 1
Increased energy recharge rate x 2
Increased missile recharge rate x 1.1
Added controller vibration when firing cannons or launching a missile
Levels
Fixed music disappearing from the last 4 levels
Levels 1-8 missing mission objective alerts
Changed warp out location on Border Patrol to be easier to locate
Changed warp out location on Comms Breakdown to be inline with the star gate when flying through
Fixed an asteroid LOD pop in Learning to Fly
UIImage copyright Getty Images
Some industrial software companies in the UK are "likely to have been compromised" by hackers, according to a document reportedly produced by British spy agency GCHQ.
A copy of the document from the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) - part of GCHQ - was obtained by technology website Motherboard.
A follow-up by the BBC indicated that the document was legitimate.
There have been reports about similar cyber-attacks around the world lately.
Modern, computer-based industrial control systems manage equipment in facilities such as power stations.
And attacks attempting to compromise such systems had become more common recently, one security researcher said.
The NCSC report specifically discusses the threat to the energy and manufacturing sectors.
It also cites connections from multiple UK internet addresses to systems associated with "advanced state-sponsored hostile threat actors" as evidence of hackers targeting energy and manufacturing organisations.
According to Motherboard, one line in the document reads: "NCSC believes that due to the use of widespread targeting by the attacker, a number of industrial control system engineering and services organisations are likely to have been compromised."
Spate of attacks
A spokesman for the NCSC did not confirm nor deny the contents of the document cited by Motherboard.
"We are aware of reports of malicious cyber-activity targeting the energy sector around the globe," he said in a statement.
"We are liaising with our counterparts to better understand the threat and continue to manage any risks to the UK."
The case had the hallmarks of an attack orchestrated by a nation state, said security expert Mikko Hypponen at F-Secure.
"I can easily see an intelligence agency being tasked with the mission of creating a foothold in energy distribution systems in case it is needed during a crisis or conflict," he said.
There had been a spate of such cases recently, said Ruben Santamarta, principal security consultant at cyber-security company IOActive.
"It's not a very targeted attack, it's affected a lot of countries, a lot of different companies," he told the BBC.
"It doesn't mean that someone is going to use these capabilities to turn off the lights in our cities in the near future, but it's interesting that they are trying to get those capabilities."
Hackers have also affected Ireland's Electricity Supply Board (ESB), according to a report in the Times on 15 July citing anonymous sources.
The newspaper noted that industrial control systems at ESB were implicated, which could mean parts of the electricity grid in Northern Ireland were made vulnerable.
And in the US earlier this month, it was reported that hackers had gained access to a company in charge of a nuclear power plant in Kansas."Here, in the dread tribunal of last resort, valor contended against valor. Here brave men struggled and died for the right as God gave them to see the right."
-Adlai E. Stevenson I
NATO: The Next War in Europe and Gulf Strike are fondly talked about even these days but the one game that many gamers speak of in tones of reverence is Eric Lee Smith's The Civil War. This game was so ambitious in terms of scope and historical accuracy that it is still hard to find anything that matches up to it.
Eric Lee Smith's The Civil War (VG, 1983)
It's amazing to think about what came out of Victory Games in 1983. This small company full of talent managed to release no less than three games that would still be remembered as classics more than thirty years down the road.andare fondly talked about even these days but the one game that many gamers speak of in tones of reverence is Eric Lee Smith's. This game was so ambitious in terms of scope and historical accuracy that it is still hard to find anything that matches up to it.
I haven't played any Civil War games before and I admittedly don't know much about the conflict itself. Wanting to learn more about the appeal of this era, I cleared my late evening schedule for the next month or so and put this game on the table late last week. Last night, I started lumbering through the first turn, flipping through the rulebook and trying to make sense of it all. Here are my impressions so far.
1. The North starts off in far more trouble than I ever anticipated. There is a considerable Confederate force near Washington and the rail lines through West Virginia have been cut. The Union is going to need to clean up this mess before it can really start to make any serious headway down south. On the other hand, if the Union uses up all its energy on pushing back the Confederates, that would give them time to consolidate their hold in the West and Trans-Mississippi.
2. Wow, the North has some really bad leaders to start off with. Butler is a disaster waiting to happen. Hopefully the Union player will win Initiative enough so that it can pick better Leaders at no cost and place them. Unfortunately, on the very first turn Pulse of turn one, I managed to pick Buell, who could only lead a Union army to sure defeat. Reluctantly, I placed him in St. Louis with 1SP.
3. The Confederate Army is well-led but does not appear to have enough men to do the job. The push near Washington is a deadly gamble but it's near certain that the Union will defeat it eventually. Although there are some very competent officers in the West, it seems that border states like Kentucky and Missouri will inevitably fall to the Union in the early game. Is it better to put all my reinforcements in the East and hope to take Washington early or let that offensive fail and use my reinforcements elsewhere?
4. Naval power seems to be the key to the Union winning the game but how best to use it? No doubt, the Union can land men anywhere along the southern coast of the US and wreak havoc behind enemy lines if led by a competent leader. On the other hand, using river transport and ironclads to take over the Mississippi and thereby cut the Confederacy into two separate nations would severely hamper the South's economic and military capabilities. It seems that the Union has enough naval and manpower to do well with one of these strategies but not both.
5. There is so much to do and so little time to get it all done. The Command Point system forces you to really think about and prioritize what you want to accomplish in a single turn. Since the turn may end at any time, this means that you might not have the time to play it safe and slowly work your plans through to completion. During the first turn and I could keenly feel the pressure to make a breakthrough here or there, going through with risky attacks in order to just find some kind of opening or weakness. I certainly feel that the Union should be succeeding but it keeps getting hamstrung by poor leadership.
Although I am just at the very start of my current campaign, I already have a sense of why people like this game. The rules are very clear and they make sense. The breadth of the game attempts to deal with as many relevant historical factors as possible without getting weighted down in unnecessary historical detail.
I love the game's approach to the different theaters of war. The action in each theater of the game has its own unique tempo set by geography, military importance, and supply challenges as well as the players' local and overall objectives. Glancing at the map, you can almost envision the epic grandeur of the war. You will make fruitless cavalry charges in the mountains and hills of Virginia. Your generals will vie for glory in the corn fields of Kentucky. Indian tribes will skirmish on the dusty lonesome Texas plain. As the Union leader, you will constantly fight against time while as the Confederate leader, you will contend with a near-constant lack of supplies. Really, what is there NOT to love about this game?
I'm making slow progress on my playthrough of the game right now as I have just barely begun the 1861 campaign. I'll make a few progress reports along the way and let you know how my own adventure into this game is going. Until then, I'll leave you with one of my favorite monologues from one of my favorite movies about the Civil War:LOS ANGELES — There’s no shame in losing to Clayton Kershaw, especially at Dodger Stadium. What was a shame, from the Rockies’ point of view, is that they had a chance to beat the Dodgers’ ace left-hander Wednesday night.
Instead, they lost 4-2, as Kershaw improved to 11-2 with a splendid 1.54 ERA in Los Angeles against the Rockies.
The three-time Cy Young Award winner survived a bumpy start, and got over his anger at Rockies rookie starter Tyler Anderson, whom Kershaw believed showed disrespect by delaying the start of the game.
“If we could have cashed in another run or two in the first inning, things might have been different,” manager Bud Black said after Colorado finished its first West Coast road trip of the season with a 4-2 record.
But the Rockies couldn’t pull it off and Kershaw went on to pitch seven strong innings, allowing two runs on five hits and striking out 10. In his last 11 starts at home, Kershaw has gone 10-0 with a 0.65 ERA. Related Articles February 26, 2019 Rockies Recap: Indians beat Colorado in Kyle Freeland’s first start of spring
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“Obviously this is a place that’s home so you’re comfortable here. You know what to expect,” Kershaw said. “That’s the beauty of pitching in LA, right? It’s perfect weather all the time. Perfect mound. Just kind of a perfect storm of a situation. You would hope that you do pitch well at your home park. It just so happens that mine’s probably the best place to pitch in baseball.”
Kershaw wasn’t razor sharp early, but got stronger as the game progressed. He suffered a hiccup in the sixth when DJ LeMahieu doubled and scored on Stephen Cardullo’s single, cutting L.A.’s lead to 4-2.
BOX SCORE: Dodgers 4, Rockies 2
Los Angeles’ Kenley Jansen came on in the eighth to notch a four-out save. It was Jansen’s 15th career save with four or more outs.
Colorado suffered a major scare in the fourth inning when a Kershaw fastball hit right fielder Carlos Gonzalez in the right hand, bruising Gonzalez’s pinkie. Preliminary X-rays were negative, and Gonzalez said he expects to return soon.
Gonzalez dropped to the ground after getting hit and was in obvious pain. He was examined by team trainers and immediately left the game and was replaced by Cardullo.
“It’s bruised and swollen, but nothing bad,” Gonzalez said. “I am going to try me best to get back as quickly as possible. Good thing we have a day off tomorrow.”
The Rockies jumped on Kershaw in the first inning, but they failed to cash in. It cost them. Charlie Blackmon opened the game with a walk and LeMahieu and Arenado singled to load the bases. But Kershaw struck out both Gonzalez and Gerardo Parra, giving up only a sacrifice fly to Mark Reynolds.
“That doesn’t happen very often, so when you do (load the bases) you would like to cash in,” Black said. “But (Kershaw) is so good … I mean, he’s tough. But we had some good at-bats in that first inning.”
Colorado’s 1-0 lead was erased in the second when Scott Van Slyke ripped into Anderson’s 86 mph cutter for a two-out solo homer. Anderson, lost for the third consecutive game after being charged with four runs (two earned) on six hits over five innings. His ERA sits at 7.32.
“Tyler threw the ball better, for sure,” Black said. “We |
ist" and then sought to reassure the Turkish people that "we do not just respect and value Muslims, but we want to work well together and fight this terrible terrorism together."
Turkey is one of the main countries involved on the ground in Syria
Common interests: stability and counterterrorism
During the morning's bilateral talks, the two national leaders discussed their major shared geopolitical interests: achieving regional stability and combating international terrorism.
Erdogan told reporters that the discussion centered around how the two NATO members could work together to improve the situation in Iraq and Syria, where the self-styled "Islamic State" continues to unleash violence on a civilian population, sending destabilizing ripples throughout the world.
The Turkish president also said he and Merkel talked about the refugee crisis in the Aegean Sea.
Will Turkey soon have a new presidential system?
A new presidential plan
The meeting between the German and Turkish leaders took place among growing condemnation of Erdogan's proposed presidential reforms.
The Turkish president is seeking to push through constitutional changes that would vastly expand his power, in effect handing all reigns of political power to Erdogan by replacing a parliamentary system with a presidential system.
However, Erdogan disputed that the proposed changes would collapse the separate branches of government into one.
"It is out of the question for the separation of powers to be abolished," he told reporters. "[Reform] gives more opportunity for the executive branch to work more swiftly. The judiciary will retain its power and function as usual with the new system," he added.
The parliament is expected to pass the constitutional reform bill to the president on Thursday or Friday. Once approved by Erdogan, the bill will be presented to the Turkish people for approval in an April referendum.
cmb/rg (Reuters, dpa)Boosting Performance With The New updateOn Option in Angular v5
Netanel Basal Blocked Unblock Follow Following Oct 12, 2017
Angular v5 updateOn
Angular version 5 is about to drop and with her a new wave of features. In this article, I want to expatiate on a handy feature that was added to the Angular Forms API — the updateOn option.
By default, whenever a value of a FormControl changes, Angular runs the control validation process.
So, for example, if you have an input that is bound to a form control, Angular performs the control validation process for every keystroke.
The Problem
Imagine a form with heavy validation requirements, updating on every keystroke can sometimes be too expensive.
Luckily, Angular version 5 provides a new option that improves performance by delaying form control updates until the blur or the submit event.
Reactive Forms Usage
To use it with Reactive Forms, we need to set the updateOn option to blur or submit when we instantiate a new FormControl ( the default option is change )
this.email = new FormControl(null, { updateOn: 'blur' });
Or with validators:
this.email = new FormControl(null, {
validators: Validators.required,
updateOn: 'blur'
});
When working with FormGroup or FormArray we can use it to set the default updateOn values for all the form's child controls. For example:
this.login = new FormGroup({
email: new FormControl(),
password: new FormControl()
}, { updateOn:'submit' });
onUpdate submit example
In the above example, both the controls will be updated on submit unless one of the children explicitly specified a different updateOn value. For example:
this.login = new FormGroup({
email: new FormControl(null, {
validators: Validators.required,
updateOn: 'blur'
}),
password: new FormControl(null, [Validators.required])
}, {updateOn:'submit'})
Forms Module Usage
To use it with the Forms Module, we need to set the updateOn option to blur or submit in ngModelOptions. For example:
<input type="email" ngModel [ngModelOptions]="{updateOn:'submit'}">
We can also use it to set the default updateOn values for all the form's child
controls. For example:
<form [ngFormOptions]="{updateOn:'submit'}">
<input name="email" ngModel type="email">
<input name="password" ngModel type="email">
</form>
In the above example, both the controls will be updated on submit unless one of the children explicitly set its own updateOn value in ngModelOption. For example:
<form [ngFormOptions]="{updateOn:'submit'}">
<input name="email" ngModel
type="email"
[ngModelOptions]="{updateOn: 'blur'}">
<input name="password" ngModel type="email">
</form>
Thanks to Kara Erickson for her detailed commits messages.
Follow me on Medium or Twitter to read more about Angular, Vue and JS!Iain Henderson is not expected to play for Ireland again this season. In what has been described as a similar injury to Paul O’Connell’s, the 23-year-old lock cum flanker sustained a “significant hamstring tear (left leg)” during Friday’s victory over Edinburgh. Henderson could be out of action for six months.
“He will be reviewed by a surgeon and his ongoing management and prognosis will be clearer after this consultation has taken place,” read an Ulster statement.
Entirely grim
“He will be reviewed by a surgeon tomorrow (Tuesday) to ascertain whether surgery is required.”
Both players had just returned from long-term injuries. Kiss will now choose between Lewis Stevenson and Alan O’Connor to partner Franco van der Merwe in the secondrow.
Kiss is expected to seek permission to sign a new lock on a short-term contract.
It gets worse with Ulster Rugby adding: “Peter (Nelson) dislocated his left midfoot in the win over Edinburgh. It was relocated in the medical room at Kingspan Stadium and he was admitted into the Ulster Independent Clinic over night on Friday. He is now at home and will have scheduled surgery when the swelling subsides.”
It was also confirmed that Ireland centre Darren Cave will play no part in the home and away Toulouse fixtures after damaging his AC joint in his right shoulder.Latest Release: 3.17.3 (News), on 22 December 2018
Theme Contest 2014-2017
Yes, you heard it right! The current default theme for Claws Mail has worked fine for years, but is now starting to show its age and, while this is not a problem per se, it's become a bit troublesome with regard to having a properly licensed codebase.
Therefore everybody is invited to make a new theme to replace the current internal theme.
Rules
License must be compatible with Claws Mail. This is a must, since it's going to be part of the codebase. GPLv3+ preferred but any compatible license of your choice is valid.
must be compatible with Claws Mail. This is a must, since it's going to be part of the codebase. GPLv3+ preferred but any compatible license of your choice is valid. Copyright must be set to “Copyright (C) <Year> <Your Name> and the Claws Mail team”, replacing <Year> by current year and <Your Name> by your name, of course.
must be set to “Copyright (C) <Year> <Your Name> and the Claws Mail team”, replacing <Year> by current year and <Your Name> by your name, of course. Completeness is also a must. All icons on latest release have to be included and also the corresponding themeinfo file.
is also a must. All icons on latest release have to be included and also the corresponding themeinfo file. Appropriate images for a mail program must be used. Selected theme will be seen for all users, so it must be suitable for all users. Extreme or uncommon abstraction is probably not a good idea, neutrality and widely recognized abstractions are probably better.
images for a mail program must be used. Selected theme will be seen for all users, so it must be suitable for all users. Extreme or uncommon abstraction is probably not a good idea, neutrality and widely recognized abstractions are probably better. Brand new icon set is also desirable, but can be based on existing icons whose license is known and doesn't break first point.
icon set is also desirable, but can be based on existing icons whose license is known and doesn't break first point. XPM format has to be submitted, but you can provide an additional PNG version too (read as you can work targeting PNG as long as you convert it also to XPM before submitting).
has to be submitted, but you can provide an additional PNG version too (read as you can work targeting PNG as long as you convert it also to XPM before submitting). Source format of the icons must also be provided. Extra points if it's a format editable with freely available tools, but you're of course free to use whatever you like.
In any case The Claws Mail Team reserves the right to interpret this rules at will, including adding more or removing any of the existing rules.
Duration and submission
In principle, you have have 2 months to submit your theme (or themes if you feel heavily inspired). Starting 2014-10-24 at 0:00 UTC, until 2017-12-31 0:00 UTC. Hurry up!
The Claws Mail team reserves the right to lenghten or shorten this period at will, so don't leave for tomorrow the theme you can make today
Candidate themes must be submitted in tar.gz or zip archive format and using this form. An email address is required to contact you, otherwise your submission will be discarded.
Decision process
The selection will be made by The Claws Mail Team, using an undecided method. Claws Mail users can express their preferences and the team is free to use those as a hint, or not. The themes received can be glimpsed here.
Note that themes not chosen to be the default won't be lost! If suitable, they will be added to our themes collection, so your effort can be enjoyed by every user who likes your theme.
Don't hesitate to participate and thanks in advance!The rise of neo-Nazi groups around the world has been terrifying. To help you feel a bit better, here are some anime and manga where Nazis get what they deserve.
The writer has updated this article from its original text after receiving feedback from MyAnimeList.
Nazi Anime
Nazis are terrible.
It's unbelievable that even needs to be said. The evil of the Nazi regime should be obvious to everyone. In the 70-odd years since World War II, the Nazis have become Western culture's go-to example of real-world evil. Yet the dangers of hatred and bigotry have persisted, and a quick glance at the news will show more and more people are flaunting their hateful beliefs. So as the dangers of Nazism, fascism, and white supremacy threaten inclusivity, fairness, and democracy, let us repeat: Nazis are terrible.
Where evil exists, however, good people will always rise up and resist. We honor the Allied soldiers who fought in World War II, and in our fiction we find catharsis in the adventures of Captain America, Indiana Jones, and other characters who fight Nazis. For your catharsis, here are recommendations of 10 anime and manga about awesome people (and vampires, and robots...) who fight Nazis.
So who would be the anime equivalent to Indiana Jones, the best known fictional Nazi fighter? The most obvious answer that springs to mind is Alucard, the world's most powerful vampire and number one enemy of the Millenium Neo-Nazi organization. The Hellsing Organization's battles against the Millenium's Nazi vampire cyborgs and assorted crazy enemies are super-violent and super-cathartic.
The parallels between Amestris and pre-Nazi Germany were made explicit in the 2003 anime's ending, in which Edward Elric crossed the gate to our universe. The movie sequel has the Elric brothers taking on the Thule Society, the occultic group that originally backed Adolf Hitler and started the Nazi Party.
Adolf Hitler himself (referred to as "simply the dictator") appears as a minor villain in the 12th Dragon Ball Z movie, rising from Hell with an army before being swiftly defeated by Gotenks. He's portrayed as a comedic caricature, akin to parodies found in the Looney Tunes or Charlie Chaplin's The Great Dictator.
The Black Lagoon crew fights off a more realistic group of modern neo-Nazis in one of the anime's early story arcs. This series deserves extra credit for having black and Jewish characters fighting against Nazis.
Johan, the main villain in Monster, was bred in a eugenics program, taken in by a Neo-Nazi group as a child and trained to become a supersoldier. Many of the Neo-Nazis think Johan could be the next Hitler. Turns out Johan's even more psychopathic, willing to kill anyone regardless of ideology.
How would you kill Hitler if you got the chance? A game of Mahjong? Maybe not the first thing that comes to mind, but in the political-leaders-Mahjong-battling Legend of Koizumi (adapted into a 3 episode OVA) it's the most effective strategy when Hitler and his Nazi cohorts return to Earth from outer space (this is a weird manga, if you couldn't tell).
The anime film doesn't cover the Nazi-fighting arc, but this politically involved sci-fi manga features yet another "Fourth Reich" as antagonists, including a clone of Adolf Hitler with multiple personalites.
So far in this list, we've discussed anime characters fighting German Nazis, neo-Nazis, and space Nazis, but have you ever seen giant super-robots fighting a decapitated Nazi? If you haven't but you want to, Go Nagai's old school mecha classic might be right up your alley.
Lupin has fought Nazis many times throughout his franchise's long history, from the 1977 episode "To Be or Nazi Be" to the 1995 special The Pursuit of Harimao's Treasure to even fighting a Nazi version of himself in the 2008 Red Vs. Green OVA.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlJ5j-hSUmQ
So technically Gihren Zabi never calls himself a Nazi. He's just a totalitarian who wants to kill all those he sees as genetically inferior and sees being compared to Hitler as a compliment. So yeah, he's totally a Nazi. A Nazi by any other name smells just as rotten. Something to be extra vigilant about these days...T.I. is treating fans with an advanced stream of his ninth studio album, Paperwork., before its Oct. 21 release. In an early listen of the album this summer, Tip went into detail about Pharrell's influence, and it clearly shows on this LP. Unfortunately, Tip didn't put his Justin Timberlake collaboration he teased on the final tracklist, but one can hope it'll come out as a bonus. Still, guest features from Chris Brown, Lil Boosie, Usher, and others show he's packed it with enough all-stars.
Stream the album via iTune's First Listen, which includes singles "About The Money," "Paperwork" and more.
Tracklist:
1. King
2. G’ Shit (Feat. Jeezy & WatchTheDuck)
3. About the Money (Feat. Young Thug)
4. New National Anthem (Feat. Skylar Grey)
5. Oh Yeah (Feat. Pharrell)
6. Private Show (Feat. Chris Brown)
7. No Mediocre (Feat. Iggy Azalea)
8. Jet Fuel (Feat. Boosie Badazz)
9. Paperwork (Feat. Pharrell)
10. Stay (Feat. Victoria Monet)
11. About My Issue (Feat. Victoria Monet & Nipsey Hu$$le)
12. At Ya’ Own Risk (Feat. Usher)
13. On Doe, On Phil (Feat. Trae Tha Truth)
14. Light Em Up (RIP Doe B) (Feat. Pharrell & WatchTheDuck)
15. Let Your Heart Go (Break My Soul) (Feat. The-Dream)
16. Sugar Cane
17. I Don’t Know
18. You Can Tell How I Walk (Feat. Rick Ross)
Previously: T.I. Thinks Pharrell Can Help Him Rewrite History With ‘Paperwork’
T.I. Debuts “No Mediocre” Video And Previews Album Snippets At Movie Theater Listening
T.I. And Hustle Gang Delivers More Heat For The Streets In ‘G.D.O.D. II’ Mixtape(Edit: I re-posting this post from 2012 as the recent theme change completely mangled the content and after a couple of hours trying to fix it, I realised I had to rewrite it. So I’ve updated it with a few more relevant terms).
I had been thinking about the fears that sometimes hinder open water swimmers or potential open water swimmers. It always surprises me how many non-swimmers (or even swimmers) have a visceral fear of even the idea of swimming over deep water, swimming in the dark or imagining themselves over a deep section of sea with potential movement under them. Here’s a provisional list of relevant fears. The image below was created a couple of years after the original post, to illustrate and (hopefully, I have to admit) initiate those terrors. It has been reasonably successful at so doing. Best seen on large.
Ablutophobia: Fear of bathing, washing or being clean.
Aichmophobia: Fear of sharp objects. I think barnacles will be used as surgical scalpels in the future.
Anglophobia: Fear of England. (It’s another of my many excuse why I didn’t from France back to England).
Autophobia is a fear of being alone. (One of the aspects of open water swimming I most love is being alone, away from people and even from land).
Bathophobia is a fear of depths or deep things, (for swimmers who dislike swimming over deep water).
Chlorophobia: Fear of the colour green. The most common colour in the sea.
Cryophobia (or Frigophobia or Cheimatophobia) is a fear of cold, cold weather or cold things. Also known as Psychophobia. I think there’s a biological component to this, as most people unacclimatised to really cold water will have physical fear (flight-or-fight) response in anticipation.
Cnidophobia is a fear of stings. Surprisingly, there is no specific clinical phobia of jellyfish.
Dishabiliophobia is fear of undressing in front of someone. Probably relevant when you changing to swim, by the side of the road in Ireland, in winter.
Eleutherophobia is a fear of freedom. Seriously, are we ever as free as when we are open water swimming.
Eosophobia is fear of dawn or daylight. A bit difficult for an overnight swim should you suffer from this.
Fykiaphobia is a fear of seaweed, a common open water fear. By common I mean Finbarr Hedderman suffers from it.
Francophobia or Gallophobia is a fear of France or French things. That’s the English Channel out then for those sufferers. fear of engliand
Galeophobia or Selachophobia is a fear of sharks.
Gephyrophobia: Fear of bridges. Do not apply for David Barra’s 8 Bridges!
Gymnophobia – fear of nudity. My advise if you suffer this is to not join or swim at Sandycove Island Swim Club due to a certain member’s penchant for nude swimming.
Ichthyophobia is a fear of fish.
Kymophobia or Cymophobia is a fear of waves.
Limnophobia is a fear of lakes.
Megalophobia is a fear of large things.
Mycrophobia is a fear of small things. Both are prevalent in the sea.
Myctophobia / Nyctophobia / Scotophobia / Achluophobia / Lygophobia: Fear of the dark or darkness. That’s a whole lot of fear right there.
Ostraconophobia is a fear of shellfish.
Ornithophobia is a fear of birds.
Osmophobia is a fear of smells or odours.
Thalassophobia is a fear of the sea. Or a fear of being in the sea.
I’ve seen Megalohydrothalassophobia proposed as a fear of the unknown and-or large creatures underwater, a useful word for many people, but unlike the others not a medically recognised phobia. Yet. Though I think the past few years use on LoneSwimmer will have helped its case.US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced today that Fawaz Muhammad Jubayr al-Rawi, a facilitator who handled millions of dollars for the Islamic State, was killed in a June 16 airstrike in Abu Kamal, Syria.
Al-Rawi is the latest senior Islamic State figure to be taken out in eastern Syria, which has become an especially important stronghold for the jihadists. The US has conducted a series of airstrikes and other operations targeting key personnel in Deir Ezzor province.
Al-Rawi’s importance was demonstrated in Dec. 2016, when the US and Iraqi governments jointly targeted his financial network. He was designated as a terrorist in what American officials described as the “first US actions specifically targeting” Islamic State-affiliated “money services businesses.”
The US Treasury Department also designated two companies involved in moving money for the self-declared caliphate: the Selselat al Thahab Money Exchange, based in Iraq, and the Hanifa Currency Exchange in Abu Kamal. Hanifa was “owned and operated” by al-Rawi.
In addition to work he did through Hanifa, al-Rawi leveraged his “network of global financial contacts to move money into and out of ISIS-controlled territory and across borders on behalf of the group,” according to CENTCOM.
He helped pay “foreign terrorist fighters” and “conduct weapons and ammunition deals at a time when the terrorist group was seizing land and committing atrocities across Syria and Iraq.” In 2015, his farm was used for “weekly meetings” attended by “senior” jihadists and commanders.
Al-Rawi rose through the so-called caliphate’s ranks and was considered a “finance emir” as of mid-2016, the US military says.
Treasury described the extensive money handling al-Rawi oversaw on behalf of the Islamic State’s operations.
He established Hanifa in approximately 2010, years before Abu Bakr al Baghdadi’s men rose to power. At the time, he used it to “exchange currency between exchange houses in” Abu Kamal and Turkey. After joining Baghdadi’s enterprise, however, Hanifa “was used exclusively for” the Islamic State’s “transactions.” Al-Rawi “stored large amounts of cash,” “controlled the value of” US dollars in Abu Kamal, “facilitated [Islamic State] financial operations and oversaw money exchanges, money storage, and facilitation of payments” for the group’s fighters.
Al-Rawi pledged bay’ah (oath of allegiance) to the Islamic State in 2014. And the group considered his fealty “important due to his contacts outside of Syria,” according to Treasury.
Abu Bakr al Baghdadi’s operation took control of much of eastern Syria in 2014, winning the loyalty of key commanders who had been previously associated with Al Nusrah Front. Other Al Nusrah officials who refused to bend a knee to Baghdadi were either killed or vanquished to elsewhere in Syria.
Islamic State hub in eastern Syria
While the jihadists have had a base of operations in eastern Syria for several years, the area has become especially significant as the group has lost ground elsewhere. The US military’s campaign of targeted operations has taken out several noteworthy leaders in recent months. The territory in and around Mayadin is a base of operations for the so-called caliphate, as evidenced by the personnel stationed there.
CENTCOM describes three veteran jihadist personalities as “al-Rawi’s close terrorist associates.” They are Samir Idris, Abdurakhmon Uzbeki, and Abd al-Basit al-Iraqi. Two of them — Idris and Uzbeki — were hunted down near Mayadin.
Idris, “a key ISIS financial facilitator for external terror attacks and an international money launderer,” was killed on June 7. CENTCOM says Idris “was trusted by senior ISIS leadership to move funds across borders to pay for external terror attacks.”
Uzbeki, a “close associate” of Baghdadi, was also involved in facilitating international terrorist attacks, including the New Year’s massacre at the Reina night club in Istanbul, Turkey. He was killed on Apr. 6.
Al-Iraqi, the emir of the Islamic State’s “Middle East external networks,” was killed on Nov. 12, 2016 in Raqqa, Syria. He “was responsible for attacks across the Middle East, including against American, Turkish, and other European targets of interest, and was also involved in assassination plots, hostage situations, convoy reconnaissance, and helped arm, fund and move terrorist fighters,” according to CENTCOM.
Still another jihadist killed near Mayadin was Abu Asim al-Jazaeri, who perished in an airstrike on May 11. The US military says that al-Jazaeri, a French-Algerian man, was an “ISIS external operations planner” and also a trainer in the organization’s “Cubs of the Caliphate” program, which is responsible for indoctrinating “a new generation” of youths.
Earlier today, the Islamic State released several images (seen below) of young boys attending “Cubs of the Caliphate” classes in Mayadin. While al-Jazaeri is believed to be dead and the jihadists are under increasing pressure from most sides, the pictures are intended to convey a sense that the caliphate goes on.
For more on the senior Islamic State figures mentioned above, as well as others killed during recent strikes in or near Mayadin, see FDD’s Long War Journal reports:
US-led coalition killed emir of Islamic State’s ‘Middle East external networks’
US: Abu Bakr al Baghdadi’s ‘close associate’ killed in special operations raid
CENTCOM: Three senior Islamic State foreign fighters killed
CENTCOM confirms Islamic State’s ‘Grand Mufti’ killed in airstrike
Images released by the Islamic State today from the “Cubs of the Caliphate” classes in Mayadin, Syria:
Thomas Joscelyn is a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and the Senior Editor for FDD's Long War Journal.
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Nous ( UK:,[1] US: ), sometimes equated to intellect or intelligence, is a term from classical philosophy for the faculty of the human mind necessary for understanding what is true or real. English words such as "understanding" are sometimes used, but three commonly used philosophical terms come directly from classical languages: νοῦς or νόος (from Ancient Greek), intellēctus and intellegentia (from Latin). To describe the activity of this faculty, the word "intellection" is sometimes used in philosophical contexts, as well as the Greek words noēsis and noeîn (νόησις, νοεῖν). This activity is understood in a similar way (at least in some contexts) to the modern concept of intuition.
In philosophy, common English translations include "understanding" and "mind"; or sometimes "thought" or "reason" (in the sense of that which reasons, not the activity of reasoning).[2][3] It is also often described as something equivalent to perception except that it works within the mind ("the mind's eye").[4] It has been suggested that the basic meaning is something like "awareness".[5] In colloquial British English, nous also denotes "good sense", which is close to one everyday meaning it had in Ancient Greece.
nous - a cosmic equivalent to the human mind. This diagram shows the medieval understanding of spheres of the cosmos, derived from Aristotle, and as per the standard explanation by Ptolemy. It came to be understood that at least the outermost sphere (marked " Primũ Mobile ") has its own intellect, intelligence or- a cosmic equivalent to the human mind.
In Aristotle's influential works, the term was carefully distinguished from sense perception, imagination, and reason, although these terms are closely inter-related. The term was apparently already singled out by earlier philosophers such as Parmenides, whose works are largely lost. In post-Aristotelian discussions, the exact boundaries between perception, understanding of perception, and reasoning have not always agreed with the definitions of Aristotle, even though his terminology remains influential.
In the Aristotelian scheme, nous is the basic understanding or awareness that allows human beings to think rationally. For Aristotle, this was distinct from the processing of sensory perception, including the use of imagination and memory, which other animals can do. This therefore connects discussion of nous to discussion of how the human mind sets definitions in a consistent and communicable way, and whether people must be born with some innate potential to understand the same universal categories in the same logical ways. Deriving from this it was also sometimes argued, especially in classical and medieval philosophy, that the individual nous must require help of a spiritual and divine type. By this type of account, it came to be argued that the human understanding (nous) somehow stems from this cosmic nous, which is however not just a recipient of order, but a creator of it. Such explanations were influential in the development of medieval accounts of God, the immortality of the soul, and even the motions of the stars, in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East, amongst both eclectic philosophers and authors representing all the major faiths of their times.
Pre-Socratic usage [ edit ]
nous is the Iliad. nous); for you will not get by me nor persuade me."[6] The earliest surviving text that uses the wordis the Agamemnon says to Achilles : "Do not thus, mighty though you are, godlike Achilles, seek to deceive me with your wit (); for you will not get by me nor persuade me."
In early Greek uses, Homer used nous to signify mental activities of both mortals and immortals, for example what they really have on their mind as opposed to what they say aloud. It was one of several words related to thought, thinking, and perceiving with the mind. In pre-Socratic philosophy, it became increasingly distinguished as a source of knowledge and reasoning opposed to mere sense perception or thinking influenced by the body such as emotion. For example, Heraclitus complained that "much learning does not teach nous".[7]
Among some Greek authors, a faculty of intelligence known as a "higher mind" came to be considered as a property of the cosmos as a whole.
The work of Parmenides set the scene for Greek philosophy to come and the concept of nous was central to his radical proposals. He claimed that reality as the senses perceive it is not a world of truth at all, because sense perception is so unreliable, and what is perceived is so uncertain and changeable. Instead he argued for a dualism wherein nous and related words (the verb for thinking which describes its mental perceiving activity, noein, and the unchanging and eternal objects of this perception, noēta) describe a form of perception which is not physical, but intellectual only, distinct from sense perception and the objects of sense perception.
Anaxagoras, born about 500 BC, is the first person who is definitely known to have explained the concept of a nous (mind), which arranged all other things in the cosmos in their proper order, started them in a rotating motion, and continuing to control them to some extent, having an especially strong connection with living things. (However Aristotle reports an earlier philosopher, Hermotimus of Clazomenae, who had taken a similar position.[8]) Amongst the pre-Socratic philosophers before Anaxagoras, other philosophers had proposed a similar ordering human-like principle causing life and the rotation of the heavens. For example, Empedocles, like Hesiod much earlier, described cosmic order and living things as caused by a cosmic version of love,[9] and Pythagoras and Heraclitus, attributed the cosmos with "reason" (logos).[10]
According to Anaxagoras the cosmos is made of infinitely divisible matter, every bit of which can inherently become anything, except Mind (nous), which is also matter, but which can only be found separated from this general mixture, or else mixed into living things, or in other words in the Greek terminology of the time, things with a soul (psychē).[11] Anaxagoras wrote:
All other things partake in a portion of everything, while nous is infinite and self-ruled, and is mixed with nothing, but is alone, itself by itself. For if it were not by itself, but were mixed with anything else, it would partake in all things if it were mixed with any; for in everything there is a portion of everything, as has been said by me in what goes before, and the things mixed with it would hinder it, so that it would have power over nothing in the same way that it has now being alone by itself. For it is the thinnest of all things and the purest, and it has all knowledge about everything and the greatest strength; and nous has power over all things, both greater and smaller, that have soul [psychē].[12]
Concerning cosmology, Anaxagoras, like some Greek philosophers already before him, believed the cosmos was revolving, and had formed into its visible order as a result of such revolving causing a separating and mixing of different types of chemical elements. Nous, in his system, originally caused this revolving motion to start, but it does not necessarily continue to play a role once the mechanical motion has started. His description was in other words (shockingly for the time) corporeal or mechanical, with the moon made of earth, the sun and stars made of red hot metal (beliefs Socrates was later accused of holding during his trial) and nous itself being a physical fine type of matter which also gathered and concentrated with the development of the cosmos. This nous (mind) is not incorporeal; it is the thinnest of all things. The distinction between nous and other things nevertheless causes his scheme to sometimes be described as a peculiar kind of dualism.[11]
Anaxagoras' concept of nous was distinct from later platonic and neoplatonic cosmologies in many ways, which were also influenced by Eleatic, Pythagorean and other pre-Socratic ideas, as well as the Socratics themselves.
In some schools of Hindu philosophy, a "higher mind" came to be considered a property of the cosmos as a whole that exists within all matter (known as buddhi or mahat). In Samkhya, this faculty of intellect (buddhi) serves to differentiate matter (prakrti) from pure consciousness (purusha). The lower aspect of mind that corresponds to the senses is referred to as "manas".
Socratic philosophy [ edit ]
Xenophon [ edit ]
Xenophon, the less famous of the two students of Socrates whose written accounts of him have survived, recorded that he taught his students a kind of teleological justification of piety and respect for divine order in nature. This has been described as an "intelligent design" argument for the existence of God, in which nature has its own nous.[13] For example, in his Memorabilia 1.4.8, he describes Socrates asking a friend sceptical of religion, "Are you, then, of the opinion that intelligence (nous) alone exists nowhere and that you by some good chance seized hold of it, while—as you think—those surpassingly large and infinitely numerous things [all the earth and water] are in such orderly condition through some senselessness?" Later in the same discussion he compares the nous, which directs each person's body, to the good sense (phronēsis) of the god, which is in everything, arranging things to its pleasure (1.4.17).[14] Plato describes Socrates making the same argument in his Philebus 28d, using the same words nous and phronēsis.[15]
Plato [ edit ]
Plato used the word nous in many ways that were not unusual in the everyday Greek of the time, and often simply meant "good sense" or "awareness".[16] On the other hand, in some of his Platonic dialogues it is described by key characters in a higher sense, which was apparently already common. In his Philebus 28c he has Socrates say that "all philosophers agree—whereby they really exalt themselves—that mind (nous) is king of heaven and earth. Perhaps they are right." and later states that the ensuing discussion "confirms the utterances of those who declared of old that mind (nous) always rules the universe".[17]
In his Cratylus, Plato gives the etymology of Athena's name, the goddess of wisdom, from Atheonóa (Ἀθεονόα) meaning "god's (theos) mind (nous)". In his Phaedo, Plato's teacher Socrates is made to say just before dying that his discovery of Anaxagoras' concept of a cosmic nous as the cause of the order of things, was an important turning point for him. But he also expressed disagreement with Anaxagoras' understanding of the implications of his own doctrine, because of Anaxagoras' materialist understanding of causation. Socrates said that Anaxagoras would "give voice and air and hearing and countless other things of the sort as causes for our talking with each other, and should fail to mention the real causes, which are, that the Athenians decided that it was best to condemn me".[18] On the other hand, Socrates seems to suggest that he also failed to develop a fully satisfactory teleological and dualistic understanding of a mind of nature, whose aims represent the Good, which all parts of nature aim at.
Concerning the nous that is the source of understanding of individuals, Plato is widely understood to have used ideas from Parmenides in addition to Anaxagoras. Like Parmenides, Plato argued that relying on sense perception can never lead to true knowledge, only opinion. Instead, Plato's more philosophical characters argue that nous must somehow perceive truth directly in the ways gods and daimons perceive. What our mind sees directly in order to really understand things must not be the constantly changing material things, but unchanging entities that exist in a different way, the so-called "forms" or "ideas". However he knew that contemporary philosophers often argued (as in modern science) that nous and perception are just two aspects of one physical activity, and that perception is the source of knowledge and understanding (not the other way around).
Just exactly how Plato believed that the nous of people lets them come to understand things in any way that improves upon sense perception and the kind of thinking which animals have, is a subject of long |
likely to achieve its terminal values.
And by terminal values Miller is referring to an ultimate goal, or an end-in-itself. Yudkowsky describes it as a “supergoal.” A major concern is that an amoral ASI will sweep humanity aside as it works to accomplish its terminal value, or that its ultimate goal is the re-engineering of humanity in a grossly undesirable way (at least from our perspective).
Miller says it could get faster simply by running on faster processors.
“It could also make changes to its software to get more efficient, or design or steal better hardware. It would do this so it could better achieve its terminal values,” he says. “An AI that mastered nanotechnology would probably expand at almost the speed of light, incorporating everything into itself.”
But we may not be completely helpless. According to Barrat, once scientists have achieved Artificial General Intelligence — a human-like AI — they could restrict its access to networks, hardware, and software, in order to prevent an intelligence explosion.
“However, as I propose in my book, an AI approaching AGI may develop survival skills like deceiving its makers about its rate of development. It could play dumb until it comprehended its environment well enough to escape it.”
In terms of being able to control this process, Miller says that the best way would be to create an AI that only wanted to modify itself in ways we would approve.
“So if you create an AI that has a terminal value of friendliness to humanity, the AI would not want to change itself in a way that caused it to be unfriendly to humanity,” he says. “This way as the AI got smarter, it would use its enhanced intelligence to increase the odds that it did not change itself in a manner that harms us.”
Fast or Slow?
As noted earlier, a recursively improving AI could increase its intelligence extremely quickly. Or, it’s a process that could take time for various reasons, such as technological complexity or limited access to resources. It’s an open question as to whether or not we can expect a fast or slow take-off event.
“I’m a believer in the fast take-off version of the intelligence explosion,” says Barrat. “Once a self-aware, self-improving AI of human-level or better intelligence exists, it’s hard to know how quickly it’ll be able to improve itself. Its rate of improvement will depend on its software, hardware, and networking capabilities.”
But to be safe, Barrat says we should assume that the recursive self-improvement of an AGI will occur very rapidly. As a computer it’ll wield computer superpowers — the ability to run 24/7 without pause, rapidly access vast databases, conduct complex experiments, perhaps even clone itself to swarm computational problems, and more.
“From there, the AGI would be interested in pursuing whatever goals it was programmed with — such as research, exploration, or finance. According to AI theorist Steve Omohundro’s Basic Drives analysis, self-improvement would be a sure-fire way to improve its chances of success,” says Barrat. “So would self-protection, resource acquisition, creativity, and efficiency. Without a provably reliable ethical system, its drives would conflict with ours, and it would pose an existential threat.”
Miller agrees.
“I think shortly after an AI achieves human level intelligence it will upgrade itself to super intelligence,” he told me. “At the very least the AI could make lots of copies of itself each with a minor different change and then see if any of the new versions of itself were better. Then it could make this the new ‘official’ version of itself and keep doing this. Any AI would have to fear that if it doesn’t quickly upgrade another AI would and take all of the resources of the universe for itself.”
Which bring up a point that’s not often discussed in AI circles — the potential for AGIs to compete with other AGIs. If even a modicum of self-preservation is coded into a strong artificial intelligence (and that sense of self-preservation could be the detection of an obstruction to its terminal value), it could enter into a lightning-fast arms race along those verticals designed to ensure its ongoing existence and future freedom-of-action. And in fact, while many people fear a so-called “robot apocalypse” aimed directly at extinguishing our civilization, I personally feel that the real danger to our ongoing existence lies in the potential for us to be collateral damage as advanced AGIs battle it out for supremacy; we may find ourselves in the line of fire. Indeed, building a safe AI will be a monumental — if not intractable — task.
Sources: Global Catastrophic Risks, ed. Bostrom & Cirkovic | Singularity Rising by James D. Miller | Our Final Invention by James Barrat
Top image: agsandrew/shutterstock | prison by doomu/shutterstock | electronic faces by Bruce Rolff/shutterstockHere are the key moments from the first 2016 presidential debate between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump on Sept. 26. NBC Nightly News anchor Lester Holt moderated the debate at Hofstra University in New York. (Sarah Parnass/The Washington Post)
The first presidential debate between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump is in the books. I tweeted, took notes and picked some winners and losers. They're below.
Winners
* Hillary Clinton: Clinton wasn't perfect in this debate. At times she came across as overly rehearsed and robotic. I thought her answer on race relations was way too much head and not enough heart. But, Clinton was head and shoulders better than Trump. She was, unsurprisingly, very well prepared — using a slew of facts and figures to not only make her positive case but also to slam Trump. She was terrific in bashing Trump on taxes. Her response to Trump's attack on her temperament — the shoulder shimmy! — was effective. Her birtherism response — while low-hanging fruit — was effective. And, on her biggest weakness — her decision to establish a private email server at the State Department, Clinton skated. She delivered a full and unequivocal apology — what a concept! — and the debate moved on without much of a stir. This was a clear win for her on virtually every front.
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* Split screen: I'm not sure who made the call at networks to keep Trump and Clinton on screen at all times during the debates, but whoever did it: good job! Debates are aimed at revealing not only policy proposals but also personality and temperament. Split screens help illuminate who these people are when under duress and attack, when they are nervous and when they feel backed into a corner. Trump didn't fare as well as Clinton with the split screen. He sighed, made faces and looked, well, not very presidential.
I like the persistent split screen for tonight's debate. #debatenight pic.twitter.com/ILStV8MpDs — Jace Larson, KPRC (@jacelarson) September 27, 2016
* Lester Holt: My guess is that the "Nightly News" anchor will be criticized in some circles for a) not fact-checking Trump enough and b) often disappearing during the debate. On point A, it's impossible to fact-check every single thing Trump says in real time without making the debate seven hours long. On point B, I applaud Holt for disappearing at times. Good moderators are the ones you don't remember; they're like referees in that regard. Holt let the two candidates duke it out time and time again. He avoided forcing a format on them or demanding that they move on when they were discussing real disagreements. That's what he's supposed to do! Want a testament to how well Holt did? I guarantee you no one is talking about him tomorrow. That's a win.
The Fix's Callum Borchers breaks down NBC's Lester Holt's approach to moderating the first presidential debate on Sept. 26. (Bastien Inzaurralde/The Washington Post; photo: Melina Mara/The Washington Post)
* Twitter: I really don't know how I watched debates before Twitter. Sure, it can be distracting at times. And mean. And snarky. Also, I just described why I love it so much.
* The "bigly" vs "big league" debate: I am certain Trump says "big league." Others are convinced he says "bigly." Regardless, he said one of those things a bunch on Monday night. Also, well done Merriam-Webster!
Bigly *is* a word, though that's not what Trump said. https://t.co/FpjrcMss3g — Merriam-Webster (@MerriamWebster) September 27, 2016
Losers
* Donald Trump: Trump was simply not prepared well enough for this debate. He regularly struggled to deal with questions he had to know were coming. His answer on his five-year quest to show that President Obama was not born in this country was like watching a car accident in slow motion. His answer on why he wasn't willing to release his tax returns wasn't much better. His explanation of his position on the Iraq War not only ran counter to the facts but made very little sense. On temperament, perhaps the key to Trump's chances of beating Clinton, he resorted to insisting he had one of the best temperaments and that Clinton had come unhinged in a speech over the weekend. (Sidebar: If you have to say you have one of the best temperaments, you probably don't.) Then there was the fact that Trump left so many potent hits on Clinton unused. He never once used the phrase "basket of deplorables." He barely skirted her email problems. He didn't even mention the words "honest" or "trustworthy." And, as the debate wore on, Trump seemed to resort to his worst instincts — interrupting Clinton and shouting "not true" while she spoke, with very little backup for those claims. Not a good night.
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump had a case of the sniffles during the first presidential debate on Sept. 26 – so we put them all in one supercut, with a few of his interruptions for good measure. (Gillian Brockell/The Washington Post)
[Subscribe to the Ciquizza, The Fix's quiz show podcast]
* Donald Trump's website: Take a note: If you are going to make mention of your website during a presidential debate where the audience is likely to be upward of 80 million people, make sure it is ready for some traffic.
* The debate stage background: Who thought it was a good idea to have words behind the two candidates? And in sort-of cursive no less! I am sure it seemed like a good idea in theory to have the Constitution Declaration of Independence (Editor's note: I am a dummy. Also it was late at night.) as a background. But, in the words of our greatest philosopher, Homer Simpson, "In theory, communism works!" It was far too distracting for this viewer and needs to be done away with for future debates.
Hillary Clinton. And the background.
* The audience: Look, if you are going to have an audience why tell them repeatedly they can say and do nothing during the debate? I am agnostic on whether these general election debates should have an audience at all. But, if you are going to have one, don't tell them to never make a sound. A little bit of cheering and reaction makes the whole thing more watchable, more enjoyable and more real. If we don't let the audience react every once in a while, then we let the "Quiet Car" people win. And we can't let that happen.
* 400-pound hackers: Trump, pushing back against claims that the Russians were responsible for the hack of the Democratic National Committee, suggested that a 400-pound hacker sitting on a bed might have done it. Hmmm. I mean, maybe? If so, here's what he looks like:
More debate coverage:
Fact-checking 23 claims from the first Clinton-Trump presidential debate
Fox News’s Brit Hume says Hillary Clinton was ‘not necessarily attractive’ during the debate
Howard Dean has a theory about Donald Trump’s snifflesTouhou Kishinjou ~ Double Dealing Character Available Via Playism In Japan
By Ishaan. August 13, 2014. 1:05am
Touhou Kishinjou ~ Double Dealing Character, the fourteenth game in the Touhou Project series of shoot-em-ups, is available on the Japanese Playism website. The game costs 1,512 yen and can be downloaded for PC (no Mac version is available).
Playism are known for helping bring a lot of the doujin games available via their website over to the West. Siliconera got in touch with the company to ask how the deal with Touhou developer Ohta “ZUN” Jun’ya came about.
“In regards to Touhou, we’ve essentially been approaching ZUN-san every time we’ve seen him over the last 3 years, and it was recently that he finally came around, agreeing that it would be a great opportunity,” Playism Marketing Manager Nayan Ramachandran replied.
“We’re super excited for Touhou on Playism. It’s a big step for Japanese indie games.”
I then asked Ramachandran if there were plans to release Double Dealing Character in English at some point in the future, and the answer was a “no comment”.
“In regards to an English version, we can currently neither confirm no deny an English version,” Ramachandran said.Courtesy of a Facebook picture from The Flaming Lips’ official account, it looks like 7 Skies H3 is being released on vinyl for Record Store Day 2014. Now the song is actually 24 hours long, so who knows what the band is planning for the release. They list “35 PCS” on the picture, but they can’t be that crazy to release a 35xLP set (probably more like 35 test pressings were made).
What makes more sense is if they went with a 80-minute runtime that they teased in a Pitchfork interview before last year’s RSD. You can see the segment below that teases the pressing:
True to form, there’s a Zaireeka vinyl reissue set for release on Record Store Day (note that the liner notes for this release contain excerpts from the 33 1/3 book on the album by Pitchfork’s Mark Richardson), and plans to press their 24-hour song “7 Skies H3” on wax (albeit at a more manageable 80-minute runtime), as well as the still-in-the-works musical adaptation of the 2002 album Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, and some film-scoring work.
Update 2/26/14: It has been confirmed as a single LP reduction.
Tags: Record Store Day 2014MOSCOW — Ukraine’s president, Petro O. Poroshenko, said Tuesday that he and President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia “seemed” to have agreed on a high-profile prisoner exchange that would bring home a Ukrainian officer now in Russian custody.
At a news conference in Kiev, Mr. Poroshenko said he had called Mr. Putin to discuss the matter, and that “it seemed to me that we succeeded in agreeing” on the swap, which would repatriate two Russian soldiers that Ukraine recently convicted on terrorism charges.
Analysts cautioned that the deal could still hit a snag over perhaps the most critical issue of the war in Ukraine: Russia’s insistence that its regular army has never been involved in the fighting there.
Given that stance, the trade poses a dilemma for Mr. Putin: Accepting a swap for a Ukrainian officer would get the pair home, but might also amount to a tacit admission of the Russians’ status as soldiers.At the tender age of 26, Vettel has entered the record books alongside the legendary Juan Manuel Fangio and Michael Schumacher as only the third driver in the sport's history to claim four titles in a row.
His latest feat was secured in resplendent style, with Vettel crossing the line at the Buddh International Circuit half a minute clear of his nearest rivals. Having set the fastest time in each of the weekend's practice sessions, and then the 43rd pole position of his career, this was the drive of a champion in every respect.
Even the German's celebrations were just champion, with Vettel treating the Delhi spectators to a series of smoke-spewing doughnuts along the pit-straight before bowing in front of his RB9.
But it was on the podium where Vettel offered a rare glimpse into his psyche when the Red Bull driver finally admitted that he had been affected by the abuse he endured at Belgium, Silverstone and Canada.
"It was not an easy season, even though people from the outside had the idea we had it in our hands. It was a difficult one all in all. It was very difficult for me personally to receive boos even though I hadn't done anything wrong. To overcome that, and give my answers on the track, makes me very proud," a glassy-eyed Vettel revealed.
"It's incredible to race some of the best drivers in the world, it's a very strong field and to come out on top of them is unbelievable. I don't feel old and to achieve that in such a short period is very difficult to grasp - maybe in ten years, then I'll be a little bit better at understanding what we have done so far."
Speaking later in the post-race press conference, in which he swigged from a bottle of champagne, Vettel clarified he understood why he'd been booed earlier in the year but said earning the respect of his rivals was what mattered most.
"It hurts not to get the reception that you expect, but at the same time I think I'm clever enough to understand why they do it. I'm not blaming them," he added.
"Maybe if I was a fan of McLaren or Ferrari or one of the traditional teams, I wouldn't like it if the same guy won again and again.
"But I think the most important things for me is to get the respect of people that I know and people that I race against. I feel respected amongst the drivers - surely you have to fight for that respect when you come in.
"It's very difficult for the fans to understand what's going on behind the scenes. They get a little bit of an idea of who we are, but it's impossible for everyone to introduce themselves and for you to explain what kind of a guy you are."
There is no doubt that Red Bull have been hurt by the brickbats and the negative perception their protégé has suffered. It's perhaps the only battle the team have yet to win.
"Some of the booing has been wound by his competitors, some of it is the jealousy of success, and some of it, in truth, is the Malaysia incident," admitted Adrian Newey in acknowledgment of the infamous Multi-21 saga to Sky Sports F1.
"I don't think people realise that in the heat of the moment you do things that afterwards you may regret. Sebastian afterwards realised it was a mistake, and I don't think that should in any way detract from the great that he is."
Red Bull chief Christian Horner was equally lavish in his praise - and keen to salute the human virtues of his title-winning driver.
"He is a nice guy, hugely popular within the team, with a great sense of humour and he deserves all the credit he gets," the Milton Keynes team boss told Sky F1 having revealed at the start of the weekend that he first met Vettel shortly after the youngster had passed his driving test and then, entirely on his own initiative, drove to the Red Bull garage to introduce himself.
Not that the enthusiasm of youth explains how and why, just ten years after that history-changing day trip, Vettel has been able to conquer the pinnacle of motorsport in such emphatic fashion.
"There's a bit everywhere, and it's the consistency, and the consistency of repeating it in high pres-sure moments," replied Horner when asked what makes Vettel quite so special. "There's nothing he does which is wildly different to the others, it's just that he does it a little bit better and on a consistent basis".
It doesn't sound special, but it's the definition of a champion.Photo credit: News12
According to reports coming out of the New York City Police Department (NYPD) a decorated Sex Crimes Lieutenant has now been charged with over 80 Counts of Child Sexual Abuse.
Lieutenant Nicholas McAteer of the NYPD, who originally is from the New York City suburb of Orange County, and currently resides in Greenwood Lake; is now accused of a series of disturbing child sexual abuses as well as incest after two of his victims have courageously come forward to tell their stories.
Back in August McAteer was originally charged with rape and was released on a $75,000 bond, according to <a href="http://westchester.news12.com/story/36201604/retired-nypd-lieutenant-faces-rape-charges">Local News 12 Westchester</a>.
This past week however a second victim went public expressing that the abuse started against the young children when they were 12 and 23 years of age.
Neighbors from the Greenwood Lake community where McAteer lived stated they're in absolute shock of the horrors in which someone living so close to them had committed.
As laid out per the grand jury indictments a total of 82 counts were filed against McAteer, some of which claims that the 45-year-old father of three molested two of his own family members for almost a decade straight.
A source told the same <a href="http://westchester.news12.com/story/36662894/retired-nypd-lieutenant-from-orange-county-accused-of-child-sex-abuse">Local News 12 Westchester </a>last week that most of the forced rapes occurred either in McAteer's home while his wife was sleeping or inside of his unmarked NYPD patrol car, while he was working for the Sex Crimes Unit in Manhattan and its Internal Bureau of Investigations.
In court last Wednesday after entering a Plea of Not Guilty McAteer’s lawyer Andrew Quinn left the courthouse's only public exit by himself.
McAteer then exited through a side door at the opposite end of the building, avoiding the media and jumping into a silver BMW.
A supervisor inside the Orange County Courthouse denies any special treatment was given to McAteer and says it appears McAteer left through an unmarked, rarely used stairwell between the courthouse and government center under construction.
That supervisor said that the stairwell signage will be changed to ensure there's no future unauthorized access and added that, as is, McAteer did not break the law by using it.
Most of the local media are accusing the Judicial branch including law enforcement and bailiffs of assisting McAteer to escape the courthouse so he doesn't have to face the media.
Senior Assistant District Attorney Michael Milan has asked Judge Nicholas De Rosa repeatedly to raise McAteer’s bail from the $25,000 cash or $75,000 bond set in local court to $50,000 cash or $150,000 bond.
The indictment charges that McAteer sexually abused and assaulted one victim multiple times between 2008 and 2013, and that he forcibly raped the other victim in 2003 and 2007, and groped her in 2016.
He's set to appear back before the courts in early December for another pretrial hearing.
Sources:
http://westchester.news12.com/story/36680174/former-nypd-officer-pleads-not-guilty-to-child-sex-abuse
https://lawnewz.com/police/nypd-sex-crimes-lieutenant-indicted-on-over-80-counts-of-child-sexual-abuse/
—<i>[email protected]</i>
<i>On Twitter:</i>
<a href="https://www.twitter.com/IWillRedPillYou">@IWillRedPillYou</a>
Tips? Info? Send me a message!Kristoffer over at rpsychologist.com wrote a really nice tutorial on getting up to speed with maps in R. It looked something like this.
Felt a little left out, so I decided to make a port in Python. You can follow along below or if you prefer this as an Jupyter Notebook that you can download and run on our local machine.
To start with you need the packages numpy and matplotlib basemap. The latter should only be installed through Anaconda which is your, from here on, favorite Python package installer. So let’s load them up.
import numpy as np import matplotlib.pyplot as plt %matplotlib inline from mpl_toolkits.basemap import Basemap
Kristoffer favored the Winkel tripel projection since it’s adapted by the National Geographic Society. But since it’s unfortunaly not avalible in Basemap, we use Kavrayskiy 7 ( kav7 ), which is very very close. And by the way, Basemap supports 34 different projections so you will probably be able to find something that suits you.
m = Basemap(resolution='c', projection='kav7', lat_0=0., # Center around lon_0=0.) # lat 0, lon 0
Kristoffer used graticlues (the grid) from a shapefile, Basemap handles this for us so let’s prepare what it need.
n_graticules = 18 parallels = np.arange(-80., 90, n_graticules) meridians = np.arange(0., 360., n_graticules) lw = 1 dashes = [5,7] # 5 dots, 7 spaces... repeat graticules_color = 'grey'
The rest should be quite self explainatory.
fig1 = plt.figure(figsize=(16,20)) fig1.patch.set_facecolor('#e6e8ec') ax = fig1.add_axes([0.1,0.1,0.8,0.8]) m.drawmapboundary(color='white', linewidth=0.0, fill_color='white') m.drawparallels(parallels, linewidth=lw, dashes=dashes, color=graticules_color) m.drawmeridians(meridians, linewidth=lw, dashes=dashes, color=graticules_color) m.drawcoastlines(linewidth=0) m.fillcontinents('black', lake_color='white') m.drawcountries(linewidth=1, linestyle='solid', color='white', zorder=30) title = plt.title('World map (Kavrayskiy 7)', fontsize=20) title.set_y(1.03) # Move the title a bit for niceness
Let’s add some shapefiles. Basemap does this nicely for us with readshapefile and we use the same as Kristoffer found here. Since we named it populated_places, m.populated_places_info will hold all data. For some shapefiles this means statistics and all sorts of nice things so be sure to check m.yourname_info out.
We use m.scatter to make the bubble plot.
m.readshapefile('shapefiles/ne_110m_populated_places/ne_110m_populated_places', name='populated_places', drawbounds=False, color='none') populations = [r['POP2000'] for r in m.populated_places_info] lats = [r['LATITUDE'] for r in m.populated_places_info] lons = [r['LONGITUDE'] for r in m.populated_places_info] x1, y1 = m(lons, lats) # Convert coords to projected place in figure m.scatter(x1, y1, s=np.array(populations)*0.05, marker="o", color='#32caf6', zorder=10, alpha=0.8)
But most likely a shapefile will contain a shape that you want to put on your map. Let’s put out the borders of the tectonic plates on our map. The tectonic plate shapefile can be found here.
m.readshapefile('shapefiles/tectonicplates-master/PB2002_plates', name='tectonic_plates', drawbounds=True, color='red')
But you’ll probably also want to have control over the settings of the shapes e.g. color the Australia plate in a different way
for info, shape in zip(m.tectonic_plates_info, m.tectonic_plates): if info['PlateName'] == "Australia": x, y = zip(*shape) m.plot(x, y, marker=None, color='b')
And perhaps you also want to fill the patch.Recently crowned the fastest front-wheel-drive production car at the Nürburgring, the new Honda Civic Type R will hit U.K. dealers in July. Built in Britain at the Swindon factory, the new hot hatch was unveiled in production guise back in March at the Geneva Motor Show and aims to deliver “the most rewarding drive” in its class, regardless if you’re on a track or on a public road.
The entry-level trim will set you back £30,995 (or $40,172), while the higher-spec GT level will command a £2,000 ($2,600) premium. For that extra money, Honda will throw in additional standard goodies like dual-zone automatic climate control, wireless charging, upgraded sound system, and LED front fog lights. The more expensive version also features Honda Connect with Garmin Navigation as well as an auto-dimming rearview mirror and cross traffic monitor.
And while extra equipment is nice and all, what really matters when talking about performance models are the oily bits. Its heart and soul is a turbocharged 2.0-liter engine with 306 horsepower (228 kilowatts) and 295 pound-feet (400 Newton-meters) of torque. The V-TEC’s oomph is channeled to the front axle exclusively through a revised six-speed manual transmission configured with shorter gear ratios.
Honda U.K. mentions orders are already being taken for the Civic Type R, even though customers haven’t actually had the chance yet to take the car for a test drive. Available strictly as a five-door model, the Renault Megane RS rival can also be purchased at £299 ($387) a month with a three-year 5.9% contract for the base version.
In United States, pricing is expected to begin from approximately $35,000 for the Touring version, which will actually be the sole trim level for the 2017MY. Next year, a new entry-level model is expected to join the lineup with a more attainable price tag.
Note: Raw conversion from British pounds to U.S. dollars. Does not take into account differences in tax.
Source: HondaRep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) suggested that President Donald Trump pardoned former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio on Friday because Trump is a part of the KKK.
“I’m not surprised Trump pardoned racial profiler Arpaio,” she tweeted. “White Nationalists, KKK, & Duke celebrated Trump’s election b/c he is one of them!”
I'm not surprised Trump pardoned racial profiler Arpaio. White Nationalists, KKK, & Duke celebrated Trump's election b/c he is one of them! — Maxine Waters (@RepMaxineWaters) August 26, 2017
After Charlottesville, Waters called the White House the “white supremacists’ house.”
She has also been leading the charge to impeach Trump, saying that she is “not running for anything except the impeachment of Trump,” revealing she and other Democrats are “organizing” to bring Trump down, and leading crowds in “impeach 45” chantsDespite “dragon” being right there in the title, the Dragon Quest video game series doesn’t really have an iconic dragon. Japan’s most widely-loved role-playing franchise doesn’t feature a particularly popular protagonist either, as each installment features a new, mostly mute hero.
Instead, mascot duties fall to the weakest enemy in each of the games, the lowly slime. Because of its cuteness and the almost complete lack of threat it poses to the player, the slime has become a fan favorite, with a shape as instantly recognizable as a Coca Cola bottle.
The franchise’s numerous titles for home and handheld consoles allow gamers to get their fix from the sofa or on the train, but now there’s even a way to enjoy Dagon Quest at your kitchen table.
Dragon Quest producer Square Enix previously released a set of slime-shaped salt and pepper shakers in 2007, featuring the standard blue slime and the crown-wearing king slime. The video game manufacturer has announced that it will be rereleasing this set, along with two alternately colored versions.
Of course, Dragon Quest veterans know that these two new sets aren’t just regular slimes with more vibrant colors, but unique branches of the slime family tree. The second set consists of the she-slime, marginally stronger than the absolutlely bottom rung regular slime, and the king cureslime.
The third set is the one to really get excited over, though: the metal slime and metal king. Intensely sought after by adventurers for the extravagant rewards they leave behind when defeated, metal slimes are notoriously timid and adept at running away, so the chance to gaze leisurely at one while eating your scrambled eggs might be just too sweet a deal for hardcore gamers to pass up. In keeping with its status as the rarest breed, the metal slime set will be available only through Square Enix’s online store.
The smaller shakers in each set measure 50 mm in all dimensions. While king slimes are canonically formed through the synthesis of eight regular slimes, the larger shaker in each set is a more manageable 60 mm in length and width, with a height of 65 mm.
The slime shakers will be released on July 26, and preorders can be placed now through the company’s online shop. All sets have the same price of 3,000 yen (US$30.95). Assuming current gold piece to yen exchange rates hold steady, we calculate adventurers should be able to earn that sum by defeating approximately 3,000 slimes.
Source: Hatena
Top image: Hobbystock
Insert images: Square EnixJurassic World 2 is one of the most anticipated science fiction sequels in recent years. Very little plot information has been revealed about the sequel although it will start production very soon. Latino Review had the opportunity to interview the director Juan Antonio Bayona while he was doing press for his newest film 'A Monster Calls'. During the Interview, he confirmed Jurassic World will be a trilogy.
I think they love ‘The Impossible’ and ‘The Orphanage’—especially Colin (Trevorrow) loved those movies,” he told LRM. “It’s very interesting. The whole ‘Jurassic World’ is a trilogy that Colin Trevorrow has envisioned. We’re writing the second chapter, and it’s very interesting where he’s leading the story. I grew up watching Steven Spielberg movies and I love those movies and the legacy, so it’s a question of being truthful to the legacy and at the same time, bringing new stuff that people will appreciate. We are still six months ahead of shooting, and so far, so good. It’s very exciting right now.”
The Bayona quote confirms yet again that Colin Trevorrow had envisioned Jurassic World as the first part of a trilogy. It would appear as well right now that the initial reports of filming starting in February or March were also accurate as well.
Bayona's comments about growing up with Steven Spielberg movies and wanting to be truthful to his style is also extremely encouraging. We still have no plot details, however the description of the new storyline being 'interesting' may indicate that Bayona could expand the storyline in unexpected ways.
Jurassic World 2 will be released on June 22, 2018. The film has not yet been given an official title. Bryce Dallas Howard and Chris Pratt will return to play Claire Dearing and Owen Grady in the film. The movie will be directed by Juan Antonio Bayona, who has directed 'The Impossible.
Source: Latino Review
If you're a fan of Jurassic Park and are looking forward to the Jurassic World movie sequel, be sure to join in our Jurassic World 2 forum - a dedicated community of like-minded Jurassic World fans. The forums are a great place to discuss Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom's plot synopsis, cast, production news and more!
Never miss an update on Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom by liking Us on Facebook and by following us on Twitter and Instagram! Also, consider subscribing your email to our Jurassic World 3 blog for instant notifications of when new posts are made!A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to play around with an Oculus Rift, and although I’d tried out earlier versions of VR previously, this experience really blew me away. I tried a few demo apps such as Bullet Train, Superhot and Oculus’ own First Contact. Although each demo was fantastic in its own right, I really left the experience of First Contact with a real sense of awe.
First Contact is a ‘Toybox’ experience and is exploratory by nature with a slightly linear progression. Oculus describes it as ‘an endearing robotic encounter that introduces you to Touch and hand presence with sci-fi ’80s nostalgia.’
You begin the experience in a sci-fi/retro caravan and the only interface element you see is a representation of your hands. You basically stand there in this made up environment and play around with a bunch of different toys, and as a result you end up exploring different ways to interactive with objects. Unintentionally, as soon as the experience started, I just manically started touching things and trying to manipulate things. I was so pleased to find that not only was the experience built to accommodate that type of exploration but that I was also rewarded for my curiosity.
Not often are you placed in a completely foreign environment and left to your own devices to explore the rules of the world. The experience was so magical and full of surprising and delightful moments.
I loved that there were no instructions or no voice overs to explain what to do. It felt almost as if I was part of an experiment and that people were watching me, interested in how I would react to certain scenarios.
The interactive cues came from a robot character that hands you floppy discs. Being an '80s kid, I was familiar with what the discs were and how to use them, so the environment became quite familiar and intuitive. I would be very interested in watching how a person born post-internet would behave.
From an interactive design point of view, there is a lot to take away from this experience. VR is such an interesting space to play in.
First Contact does a lot of things right. Firstly, I felt like the experience was tailored perfectly to me. Everything I tried to do had an adequate response. The experience was filled with these small moments of surprise and delight and as a result I felt clever for every interaction I accomplished. I also felt like I was in control of the pacing, which was nice. I never felt rushed and basically it just felt like an interesting space where I could spend as much or as little time as I wanted. It was like being teleported to another planet for a little while. That experience is not easy to come by. That is why I think VR can be such a game changer.
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more so, than price stability.
Consequently, many contend that the central bank's role as a lender of last resort applies not only to banks, but to sovereigns as well. This demand is aimed particularly at the European Monetary Union (EMU).
But such a move would run counter to the current institutional framework, under which fiscal policy remains a national responsibility - and under which, for this and other reasons, the Eurosystem is forbidden from financing European institutions or member states.
To others, the idea of central bank omnipotence is illusory and fraught with risk. If financial and fiscal concerns dominate central bank decision-making, it is no longer independent in its decisions on how to keep prices stable. Omnipotence then turns into impotence.
So the question remains: How do we make the EMU robust and resilient? In my remarks, I wish to argue that by piling more and more stabilisation tasks on to monetary policy, stability will prove ever more elusive. What seems to be true in general holds especially within the specific setting of the EMU. Rather, we need to make sure that the functioning of EMU as a whole is shielded from the failure of a constituent part - be it a bank or a sovereign.
2. Monetary policy and the art of separation
Former Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti once said: "Germans view economics as a branch of moral philosophy." I am not sure whether he meant this as a compliment. But John Maynard Keynes probably would have taken it as one. For him an economist must "possess a rare combination of gifts... He must be mathematician, historian, statesman, and philosopher".
So, at the risk of confirming Mario Monti's suspicions, I will seize this opportunity to be a Keynesian. I will try to illustrate the economic rationale behind the Bundesbank's approach to monetary policy by borrowing from political philosophy. And maybe Mario Monti will let me get away with it after all, since it is a concept from political, rather than moral, philosophy.
The concept I am referring to is Michael Walzer's "art of separation". According to Walzer, liberties are created by walls - walls between the different spheres of society. In pre-liberal times, "church and state, church-state and university, civil society and political community, dynasty and government, office and property, public life and private life, home and shop: each pair was, mysteriously or unmysteriously, two-in-one, inseparable.
Confronting this world, liberal theorists preached and practiced an art of separation. The wall between church and state creates a sphere of religious activity, of public and private worship, congregations and consciences, into which politicians and bureaucrats may not intrude. Similarly, again, the separation of civil society and political community creates the sphere of economic competition and free enterprise, the market in commodities, labor, and capital".
The walls of liberty concept can be applied to explain the success of independent central banks in fighting inflation as well. Assigning central banks a specific responsibility and granting them independence gave central banks the freedom to concentrate on the one objective for which they had the tools to achieve it.
Many scholars, among them Alberto Alesina and Larry Summers1, have shown empirically that having an independent central bank amounts to one of the rare free lunches in economics: benefits in the form of low and stable inflation, but no costs in terms of growth.
By tearing down the walls between monetary, fiscal and financial policy, the freedom of central banks to achieve different ends will diminish rather than flourish. Put in economic terms: Monetary policy runs the risk of becoming subject to financial and fiscal dominance.
Let me explain these mechanisms a bit more in detail, starting with financial dominance.
The financial crisis has provided a vivid example of how financial instability can force the hand of monetary policy. When the burst of an asset bubble threatens a collapse of the financial system, the meltdown will in all likelihood have severe consequences for the real economy, with corresponding downside risks to price stability.
In that case, monetary policy is forced to mop up the damage after a bubble has burst. And, confronted with a financial system that is still in a fragile state, monetary policy might be reluctant to embrace policies that could aggravate financial instability.
This underscores the importance of a well-capitalised and tightly-supervised financial system, a precondition for stable prices which monetary policy cannot establish, and which is the responsibility of other policy makers instead. The contribution of monetary policy is by seeking, through conducting a more symmetric monetary policy, to prevent financial turbulence, which could pose a threat to price stability.
But often, the interest rate might prove too crude an instrument - it might not be efficient to punish the whole economy for the exuberance of a single sector. Therefore, financial policy needs its own toolbox.
According to the first Nobel Prize winner in economics, Jan Tinbergen, every economic policy objective requires its own instrument, otherwise success will be uncertain. By heeding his advice, we are practicing the art of separation.
Strict financial regulation and supervision is needed to increase the resilience of banks and the financial system as a whole. And macro-prudential instruments provide solutions more tailored than the interest rate can offer.
Unconventional monetary policy measures, such as the very long-term provision of liquidity to banks or forward guidance that the central bank interest rate will not be increased within a foreseeable timeframe, cannot eliminate this problem. Their contribution to monetary policy is that they represent possible actions even in cases where the boundaries of interest rate policy have been reached: if interest rates are near the lower zero bound, or if the stimulus from interest rate cuts is not transmitted to the real economy.
To avoid any misunderstanding: This does not mean that central banks have no role to play in financial stability. The necessary separation pertains to the policies, not to the institution.
But it does mean, for example, that the decision-making body responsible for monetary policy should not be in charge of supervising banks as well. In Europe, under current plans ultimate responsibility for the new European banking supervision mechanism will rest with the ECB Governing Council. To avoid possible conflicts of interest, this should not become a permanent solution.
A change of the European treaties is required to allow for a body within the ECB other than the Governing Council to have the final say in supervisory matters. If this avenue is not taken, an independent supervisory institution will become necessary, in my view.
When it comes to monetary and fiscal policy, however, the separation should go a little further, even. Mervyn King once quipped that "central banks are often accused of being obsessed with inflation. This is untrue. If they are obsessed with anything, it is with fiscal policy."
Let us delve a bit into the origins of this obsession. Public debt and inflation are related on account of monetary policy's power to accommodate high levels of public debt. Thus, the higher public debt becomes, the greater the pressure that might be applied to monetary policy to respond accordingly.
Suddenly it might be fiscal policy that calls the shots - monetary policy no longer follows the objective of price stability but rather the concerns of fiscal policy. A state of fiscal dominance has been reached.
Technically, fiscal dominance refers to a regime where monetary policy ensures the solvency of the government. Practically, this could take the form of central banks buying government debt or keeping interest rates low for a longer period of time than it would be necessary to ensure price stability. Then, traditional roles are reversed: monetary policy stabilises real government debt while inflation is determined by the needs of fiscal policy.
For monetary policy to deliver price stability, it is ultimately dependent on sustainable fiscal policy. This is why acting as a lender of last resort for governments can prove a slippery slope. If governments can expect to be bailed out by central banks, chances are that they will adjust their behaviour accordingly.
And in the euro area, a lender-of-last-resort role for the Eurosystem does not square with the institutional architecture. The monetary union differs from other currency areas in one crucial aspect: While monetary policy is a common undertaking, fiscal policy remains a national prerogative.
Evidently, the unsound fiscal policies of one member state can have repercussions on the union as a whole. Conversely, the negative consequences of bad policies can be better externalised to the rest of the currency area, thereby undermining incentives for sustainable policies.
To mitigate this risk, precautions were taken in the form of fiscal rules, the no-bail-out clause and the prohibition of monetary financing. The guiding principle was self-responsibility: Member states are free to pursue their own fiscal policies. But they are subject to common rules and market discipline - and they are liable for their decisions.
A lender-of-last-resort role would violate this principle of self-responsibility - in that same way as Eurobonds in this setting are at odds with it. Therefore, it would aggravate, rather than alleviate, the problems besetting the euro area.
3. Separating banks and sovereigns
If monetary policy cannot disentangle the euro area's fiscal and financial conundrums, what can?
Central to any stable framework is a balance between liability and control: Those who act must also be liable for their actions.
Substantial measures were taken to contain the sovereign debt crisis. These measures
- notably the two European stability mechanisms, the EFSF and the ESM - stabilised the euro area in the short term by offering financial assistance in exchange for structural reforms. This approach of buying time for adjustment is bearing fruit: current account imbalances have improved structurally and fiscal deficits have been significantly reduced.
But in the process, the balance between liability and control has been thrown out of kilter. While fiscal policy remains essentially a national domain, liability has been increasingly transferred to the European level. Going forward, the balance between control and liability has to be restored - otherwise the hard-fought gains in fighting the crisis will come at the expense of new vulnerabilities.
One possible option to balance control and liability would be a true fiscal union, i.e. a transfer of fiscal decision-making powers to the European level. In this scenario, control and intervention rights would be shifted to the European level. If this prerequisite were fulfilled, a greater mutualisation of liabilities would become feasible - and may be justified.
But judging by the reluctance of governments and electorates to let Brussels have a say in fiscal matters, this avenue seems blocked, at least for the foreseeable future. Therefore, the answer is to re-establish the principle of member states' individual responsibility. In other words, it is to practice the art of separation.
To strengthen the framework laid down in the European Treaties implies stiffening the fiscal rules, which were bent and ignored too often in the past, with Germany being one of the culprits. The new Stability and Growth Pact is a step in the right direction. But the mere existence of these rules will not suffice. We need to actually apply them. And the European Commission is responsible for enforcing them. However, up to now the Commission has adopted a rather lenient interpretation.
In addition to stronger rules, we need to make sure that, in a system of national control and national responsibility, banks and sovereigns can default without bringing down the financial system. Hence, breaking the "sovereign-bank doom loop" will be central to solving the euro-area crisis.
What does this mean? In the crisis, this sovereign-bank nexus has developed into a vicious circle. Wobbling banks and stumbling sovereigns clasp at each other to avoid falling but are in fact dragging each other down.
If many banks get into trouble at the same time, possibly due to the burst of a large asset bubble, financial stability as a whole is threatened. The state then often has no other option but to step in if it wants to prevent a meltdown of the real economy. But this rescue can be a huge burden on government finances - this is what happened in Ireland where the need to prop up the financial system pushed the public debt ratio up by nearly 30 percentage points.
Conversely, weak government positions can destabilise banks - directly through their exposure to sovereign bonds, and indirectly through worsening macroeconomic conditions. This was the case in Greece.
How can we break this "doom loop"? With regard to spillovers from banks to sovereigns, we need to make sure that taxpayers do not foot the bill when banks run into problems. The strengthened Basel III capital rules are a first step in that direction, as they increase equity buffers and therefore the capacity of banks to absorb losses. The banking union, with its Single Supervisory Mechanism, is another one. Strict and stringent supervision ensures that tough rules are equally applied to all. The Single Restructuring Mechanism currently under discussion is necessary in order to establish a bail-in regime that assigns a clear hierarchy of creditors. Only then will credit costs adequately reflect credit risk; and shareholders and creditors instead of taxpayers will be first in line to bear banks' losses.
But the sovereign-bank nexus goes both ways. We also have to address spillovers from sovereigns to banks. We therefore need to end the preferential treatment for sovereign debt.
The Basel capital rules allow governments bonds issued in domestic currency to be given a zero risk weighting. But with regard to the euro area, the assumption that all sovereign bonds are risk-free means that all bonds are treated alike regardless of fundamentals. This calls into question market discipline, and is, obviously, not in line with recent history. Hence, sovereign bonds should be adequately risk-weighted, and exposure to individual sovereign debt should be capped, as is already the case for private debt.
An adequate risk-weighting of sovereign bonds would make banks more resilient if the fiscal position of the respective sovereign were to deteriorate; and it would bring spreads more into line with the underlying risk, thus giving a disciplining signal to the sovereign. In an interview with the German newspaper "Die Welt", Ken Rogoff pointed out that the adequate risk-weighting of sovereign bonds constitutes a far more effective debt brake than any fiscal rule ever could.
Besides, many European banks hold bonds from one sovereign only - their home country. Large and undiversified exposure is what makes sovereign default a potentially systemic event. Hence, the large exposure regime which caps the investment in one single debtor has to be applied to sovereigns as well.
Ending the preferential treatment of sovereign debt would greatly reduce the risk of a financial crisis in case of sovereign default. It would therefore go a long way towards re-establishing the principle of individual responsibility in fiscal affairs.
4. Conclusion
Ladies and gentlemen, let me conclude.
The idea of monetary policy safeguarding stability on multiple fronts is alluring. But by giving in to that allure, we would likely end up in a world even less stable than before. This holds true especially for the euro area, where a Eurosystem acting as a lender-of-last-resort role for governments would upend the delicate institutional balance.
To disentangle the euro area's fiscal and financial conundrums, we should practice the art of separation - especially with regard to the sovereign-bank doom loop. Or let me put it this way: Rather than for monetary policy to waltz with fiscal and financial policy, we need to erect walls between banks and sovereigns.
I would be pleased to answer your questions.Kimberly Bois doesn't see herself as a martyr or someone who is now at the center of a bitter legal dispute over property rights with her condominium association board after she planted flowers and shrubs in front of her unit.
If anything, Bois, who works as a marketing manager in Massachusetts, would like nothing more than to see the dispute get resolved so she could sell her unit and move.
"In all honesty, I wish I just let them have their way so I could have sold my house and just move out," said Bois, who lives at 20A Albacore Way.
But now the Atlantic Pointe condo owner knows this is a legal battle she must fight to the end because there are thousands of dollars at stake in legal fees, penalty assessments for allegedly being in violation of the condo bylaws and her own attorney's fees.
She and another condo owner who also planted flowers and shrubs have hired Portsmouth Attorney Paul McEachern to represent them in the condo board suit.
The key issue that a judge could be asked to decide is whether the permission that Bois and three other condo owners received from the condo builder in 2008 that they could plant flowers and shrubs in front of their units supercedes the bylaws that the condo board created after its formation in 2010? Bois firmly believes it does.
"Why would I ever think that this was a temporary grant or permission?" she said. "If I knew, then I wouldn't have spent the kind of money I spent to put those flowers in the ground."
In the spring and summer of 2009, 2010 and 2011, Bois maintained her daisies, bearded irises, lavender, hydrangeas and tulip bulbs and often drew praise from her neighbors, some of whom serve on the condo board.
Bois said she tried several times to resolve the dispute by offering to pay either $3,000 or $2,000 to the condo board and to remove the plants herself, but she said the condo board refused and demanded that she pay all of their $8,000 in legal costs as well as the assessments she has been charged for each month she has allegedly been in violation of the condo association bylaws.
"Every month I get a certified letter of what my assessments are and I'm up to $5,500," Bois said. "it's kind of like they sucked the joy out of owning my first home."
When the story about Bois' legal battle broke on Sunday, Bois said she received several e-mails, letters and phone calls from Portsmouth area residents pledging their support for her cause. She has also been bombarded with interview requests from newspapers and television news stations from throughout New England and elsewhere. During her interview with Portsmouth Patch, she received a call from a television news station in Davenport, Iowa.
But Bois' newfound celebrity is not enough to make the pain of the legal dispute feel any better. She also doesn't know how her case will end up.
"I have no idea. I just know I didn't do anything wrong and I tried to do what was right and I didn't like being called a violator in front of the other homeowners," Bois said. 'I'm really upset about it."
She also believes the condo board has abused its power and if she wins the court case, then all of the condo owners who were granted permission to plant flowers, add storm doors or porch railings by the condo builder would have to remove them.
"It's really scary that five people have so much power to make people unhappy and ruin their credit by putting liens on their homes and just be such bullies." Bois said.Learning to Find the Light
Isolated. Desolate. Lonely.
All synonyms for a word that we know so well.
Alone.
I’ve definitely experienced this feeling. It’s a darkness that washes over you, abducting all hope and happiness from your life. Sometimes it can take away your most joyful memories. It may even be the cause of losing friends, support systems, and family.
As a growing teenager, I have lost and gained many friends and supporters even during the short period of time that I’ve been on this ear
Learning to Find the Light
Isolated. Desolate. Lonely.
All synonyms for a word that we know so well.
Alone.
I’ve definitely experienced this feeling. It’s a darkness that washes over you, abducting all hope and happiness from your life. Sometimes it can take away your most joyful memories. It may even be the cause of losing friends, support systems, and family.
As a growing teenager, I have lost and gained many friends and supporters even during the short period of time that I’ve been on this earth. There have been times when I have felt like nobody else can relate to me, or that nobody else cares about what I’m doing. This has severely demolished my self-esteem, taking me down several notches. It has caused me to not believe in myself and somehow arrive at the delusion that I can’t live without the validation of others. I used to strive to somehow “perfect” myself so that many people would want to befriend me, but now I know that I don’t have to do that.
Recently, I have come to the epiphany that the only opinion that matters is yours. If you don’t like yourself, that’s what you need to work on, not what others don’t like about you. Everybody has their own opinion, and if you get hung up on them, they will drown you. They will suffocate you and consume all of the hopes and dreams that you ever aspired to have. Moving past these is difficult, understandably. How do you suddenly accept who you are when all you’ve been doing is tearing yourself down? You can’t. It takes work. Hard work. Although it doesn’t happen overnight, it is still possible to turn your future around and secure it.
Most of us can say that we have felt alone, at one time or another, but not many have been tormented by these feelings as much as Arin Andrews in his memoir Some Assembly Required.
Arin Andrews grew up as Emerald, a young girl with a zest for life. She had always felt different, not the same as the other girls around her, and later on, in her teenage years, she went through several changes both mentally and physically that helped her discover who she really was. She lost friends, family, and her entire school pitted against her when she tried to figure out her identity. She went through many difficult times, and as a result, became depressed. With the help of many specialists, she was rerouted and saved. She was saved from her own self. She discovered that she was a transgender, and became Arin, a teenage boy who devoted his life to spreading the word about those who feel out of place and need support and guidance to continue on their journey.
Take a minute and think about this: How would you feel if you were suddenly found yourself all alone in a split second?
“‘I don’t have a place here anymore,’ I said slowly. ‘I don’t see the point.’” (Andrews 106)
Arin had just broken the news to his mother: He was transgender. He was heartbroken knowing that his mother didn’t want to talk about it, didn’t try to understand it, and didn’t mention the fact at all. With each day that passed, Arin grew more and more depressed. This was the darkness, the darkness that had swallowed him whole, the darkness that had consumed his mind, the darkness that had been his worst nightmare. Although some can relate to his exact scenario, many can relate to the darkness in relation to loneliness. Even then, I can’t relate to the magnitude of how many people start to remove themselves from his life. Arin is in a bad place at this point in the book, and for a while, it may only get worse.
“I could live with that. Because I finally felt as though I were going to be able to start living.” (Andrews 120)
Throughout the book, Arin battles mental health issues and building himself up. However, this is one of the only times that we see Arin with a lot of hope. He can finally start to be himself, even if others don’t appreciate his change. It’s a turning point in the memoir. In this passage, Arin is able to obtain a physical change in himself that will allow him to be closer to his true identity. In the midst of the dark times that he’s going through, there’s a glimmer of hope for him. A bright light, at the end of a dark tunnel. Arin can see where his life is going, and he’s hopeful for it. He’s working hard, bringing his situation to others attention, and prioritizing himself first.
“I’ve been blessed with a crazy amount of love in my life, and I’ve got so, so much to give back in return. (Andrews 236)
As one of the last sentences in the book, you can truly see how far Arin has come. He started this novel, unsure of who he was, drowning all alone, nobody lending him any support. He has overcome his depression and mental health issues, made new connections, found a new support system, and overall, he has become a better version of himself. In this particular moment of the book, Andrews is giving a speech to raise awareness of the transgender population. The bright lights shining down, creating that almost-orange tint on your eyelids as you close your eyes, the massive stage with the regal-looking podium, the crowd cheering, screaming and yelling at the top of their lungs. He had really made it far. He started shrouded in darkness, alone, with nobody to help him, and here he stood with the past winners of the Youth Leadership Award, like a phoenix rising from the ashes.
People come and go. Sometimes you feel like you’re running and running in circles and chasing after those who have left you. We need to learn to survive without the validation and support of others. There are always going to be people who don’t appreciate you for who you are, and those who don’t agree with your opinions. When you let it control you, the darkness starts to creep in. Obscuring your worldview, exhausting you beyond compare. But then, when you’ve hit rock bottom, a glimmering light can be seen from afar. As you progress forward, the shining orb-like sight is coming nearer and nearer. The light increases in magnitude until all you can see is this magnificent, luminous power. This is when you know you’ve succeeded. Our lives are in front of us, ready to play out. We know what true happiness feels like, and we know what we want. This is that final moment of realization. This is our moment, the moment where we’re in the spotlight, ready to start to exist again.Ala vs Fla SEC hockey 2-26-12 11 Gallery: Ala vs Fla SEC hockey 2-26-12
HUNTSVILLE, Alabama -- The Alabama Frozen Tide can roll, too.
Alabama beat Florida 7-2 in Sunday's championship game for the South Eastern Collegiate Hockey Conference fourth annual tournament at the Wilcoxon IcePlex. The Frozen Tide received the Army Strong Championship Cup with their first SECHC title.
"We started early and we had a great first period," said Alabama's fourth-year coach Mike Quenneville, who played at UAH from 1987-89. "The ability for me to play four lines, keep the pressure on them, was huge.
"I'm just very proud of how we played. This is our first SEC championship. I'm just proud of my boys, proud of our fans and all. It's just an awesome feeling to be champions."
Matt Mayes, a junior center from Huntsville, had one goal and one assist and was named Alabama's player of the match. Zach Dailey had two goals and one assist; and Mark Wysock added two goals. Goalie John Bierchen was named the tournament most valuable player after allowing only two goals in 120 minutes, including Friday's shutout over South Carolina.
"It was awesome," Mayes, a junior center from Huntsville, said. "It was just an unbelievable experience, something I'll never forget."
Alabama (30-10-1) went up 2-0 in the first period on two shots from the slot. Mayes scored at 15:23 with an assist from Dailey. Alex Dubrinsky bounced the puck over Florida goalie Jake Lewis at 16:49 with assists from Kenneth Grabeldinger and Tanner Himmelman.
The Frozen Tide went up 3-0 at 1:25 into the second period on Dailey's goal. Wysock scored a power-play goal at 8:14 with assists from Himmelman and Clay Link.
The Gators (18-6) cut their deficit to 4-1 with a power-play goal at 9:28 by Michael Dutka, assisted by Scott Schilson and Zach Roesch. Florida got closer with Roesch's power-play goal at 10:35 on assists from Scott Schwartz and Michael Jugan.
Alabama's Christian Edge made it 5-2 at 12:37 in the second. Wysock got a power-play goal at 10:56 in the third with assists from Kenny Janssen and Link. Dailey finished the scoring at 14:41 with assists from Mayes and Ryan Barletta.
"They're a good team, just capitalized on pretty much every one of their opportunities. And that's basically it," Florida coach Tracy Jacobson said. "You can't give a good team like that chances we gave them and they buried every one of them."
In the third-place game, Vanderbilt (20-7) won 5-2 over Georgia (9-16-2). Ben Ross raced in and scored just to the left of the crease at 2:47 in the first period with an assist from Eliot Rosenfield on the power play. Brad Pesce, assisted by Thomas Trepanier, put the Commodores up 2-0 at 14:25.
Georgia's Peter Kacer cut the deficit to 2-1 at 6:38 in the second period when he raced toward the net from the left side and scored his league-leading 50th goal. He tied the score with his 51st on the power play 23 seconds into the third.
But it was all Vanderbilt after that, including a power-play goal at 3:14 by Jordan Zauderer, assisted by Pesce; a goal by Jack Delehey at 12:33; and Ross' second goal of the game at 17:00, assisted by Kyle McCann.
"This team's got a lot of heart," said Ross, named Vandy's player of the match. The sophomore center is from Manchester, Vt.
Vanderbilt coach Thomas Bernstein won the John Hoos Coach of the Year Award as voted by the club league's coaches. This is his second year leading the Commodores.
"We did a better job of dumping the puck last night and today," Bernstein said. "And we were able to stretch the ice and really get a lot of good scoring chances off that today."
The tournament was hosted by the Huntsville Sports Commission.
"We've got it for two years right now - this year and next year - and hopefully we're going to make it a long-term relationship," commission director Ralph Stone said.
The Frozen Tide will compete in the American College Hockey Association national championships March 14-17 in Vineland, N.J.
"So we're looking forward to going up there and representing not only our conference but the South region," Quenneville said.CTV Atlantic
A military veteran has been told to remove a wheelchair accessible ramp from his property at a Dartmouth trailer park, after receiving permission to build it.
Frederick Randall says his wheelchair helps him maintain his quality of life for now and he expects he will be confined to it one day.
“I’m a veteran of the Canadian Armed Forces and my back was injured,” he says.
Randall has lung disease, suffered a heart attack and, among other ailments, he lives with post-traumatic stress disorder.
“I take 28 different prescriptions a day,” he says.
Veterans Affairs bought him the wheelchair and suggested he get a ramp, so Randall filled out all the necessary paperwork and asked the landowners for permission to build it.
“I’ve showed her how it was being built, where it was being constructed and everything else and she said that’s fine by me.”
But recently he received a letter saying the ramp needs to be removed, after a neighbour complained.
“He was told that he had to keep the distance from the other trailer,” says trailer park owner Bill Whebby.
The Randalls own their home, but Whebby owns the property in the trailer park. He says they can keep the ramp, but suggests cutting into the deck to create more space between the two homes.
“No issue with him having a wheelchair ramp at all…(the issue is) that it’s encroaching on the other person’s lot,” says Whebby.
“Under the building code there are no regulations that would prohibit the construction of a deck based on its proximity to another single-family dwelling, so, from our perspective, the siting of the ramp was perfectly accessible and that’s why we did issue the permit,” says HRM spokesperson Tiffany Chase.
Jean-Christophe de Le Rue, a spokesperson for Veterans Affairs, released the following statement on Tuesday night:
"Veterans who have served Canada should not have to fight when they get home to use the tools that they need for their daily life. We encourage Canadians to show compassion towards those who were injured while serving their country."
Randall says he doesn’t have the money to move the ramp and he’s willing to fight, even if it means going to court.
“If I lose my ramp then I have no means to get out into society.”
With files from CTV Atlantic's Kayla HounsellStart your upgrade engines!
The Workstation team is proud to announce general availability of VMware Workstation 12.5 Pro and VMware Workstation 12.5 Player! These updates are free for all VMware Workstation 12 Pro and Workstation 12 Player users.
Users on Workstation 7 and greater are now eligible for upgrade pricing!
Current customers can grab the bits from below, or from our in-app upgrade feature:
Workstation Pro
vmware.com/go/getworkstation
Workstation Player
vmware.com/go/getplayer
Workstation Player works best for businesses when paired with Horizon FLEX. Did you know you can manage a whole fleet of user’s local virtual machines from a single management console?
This release supports the latest Windows 10 Anniversary Edition from Microsoft, and is ready to support Windows Server 2016 upon its release.
This release also includes numerous bug fixes, security updates and performance improvements, including:
A Linux host with kernel 4.6 fails to launch Workstation because the vmmon and vmnet drivers are not built successfully. This issue is resolved.
If you configure Revert to snapshot when a VM is powered off from Options-> Snapshots, the VM actually reverts to a snapshot when suspended. This issue is resolved.
On Windows Server 2016 Technical Preview host, help links do not appear. This issue is resolved.
Workstation menu View->Fit Guest Now does not work for Windows Vista guest with VMware Tools installed. This issue is resolved.
If your Windows host has an NVDIA GPU, you might hit the VMware Workstation unrecoverable error: (svga) when running a 3D application in the guest. This issue is resolved.
VMware Workstation Pro resolves an issue where you cannot boot virtual machine on a 64-bit Braswell N3150 processor and the following error appears: MONITOR PANIC: vcpu-0:VERIFY vmcore/vmm/main/cpuid.c:376 bugNr=1036521.
The guest OS uses the full amount of memory allocated to the virtual machine even if you try to limit the amount of memory used by the guest OS through the BCDEdit ‘truncatememory’ option. This issue is resolved.
There are many more fixes, please check out the Release Notes for Workstation Pro and the Release Notes for Workstation Player for more detail.
In Other News…
Did you hear we’re giving away 20 Oculus Rift headsets?
What are our users saying?
We put a camera in front of the door to our VMworld 2016 session (which you can watch here!) Well, in a couple of words, it sounds like this:This time I received an email from someone who had an Ingress version labeled 1.50.0. I checked the validity (to make sure it was a valid Niantic build) and it came out correct. So lets dig in into this new version.
New Levels (9 - 16)
We first learned on this video, that levels 9-16 would be arriving. It seems I missed this bit of detail, as this exact information arrived in the APK during 1.47.0. We could of broke the news before Niantic :p
The new max XM was added in 1.50.0, while the medals required was added in 1.48.0. This shows active development in what the "new" levels will bring or require. Who knows if this will change on the next released version.
Reddit user u/numinit first hinted at these new levels here. Which I can confirm after decoding PlayerLevelKnobBundle
The medal column is difficult to explain. It calls another file, (obfuscated as LevelAttainmentTrigger.a), which takes those 4 numbers as parameters.
We can decode the Enum it calls, which is below.
However, the parameters passed to the file is only 4 numbers, (there are 5 levels of medals). My research shows that "Bronze" medals are ignored. I expect this because during obfuscation, the statements skip the letter a and use (b,c,d,e) instead. This leads me to believe since a is assigned to "Bronze". That Bronze medals play no part in the leveling-up scheme.
Thus the parameters in order go Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Black.
So Level 9 requires 2.5 million AP, 4 silvers and 1 gold medal. It in return gives you a max of 10,900 XM. Using this knowledge you can look at the above tables to see future levels requirements.
I see no trace of new weapons / gear for L9 - L16.
Overdrive?
aliensOverdriveColor: aliens-overdrive, resistanceOverdriveColor: resistance-overdrive, neutralOverdriveColor: neutral
This one has got me beat. I have no clue what it is for, but it must be for something.
EDIT: All the "hits" for overdrive occur in Player Profile. So probably nothing interesting. The naming of the class name tricked me :(
New Deleted Strings
<string name="report_invalid_portal_location_not_interesting">Not an interesting location</string>
So it looks like we can finally remove those portals that are just signs in front of McDonald's.
Thanks to the comment from "emsy". I read my diff backwards. This was removed. Not added :)
Conclusion
This version was built on "April 16 - 2:57". So this version is not a "bugfix" for the on-going Capsule bug. (Unless that bug was known at the time). However, seeing how I don't have a Capsule, I cannot confirm if it is patched.
Otherwise looks like small bug-fixes and paving the way for new levels.Abstract
This article addresses measurement challenges that have stymied contemporary research on the working poor. The authors review previously used measurement schemes and discuss conceptual assumptions that underlie each. Using 2013 March Current Population Survey data, the authors estimate national- and race-specific rates of working poverty using more than 125 measures. The authors then evaluate the association between each measure and a latent construct of working poverty using factor analysis and develop a working poverty index derived from these results. Finally, the authors estimate multivariate regression models to identify key social and demographic risk factors for poverty among workers. The authors’ national estimates of working poverty range from 2% to nearly 19% and are highly sensitive to alternative assumptions. The authors |
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